Arnhaarm - Small fictional world map

[joebg]

This is a map of a world a have created to test some new techniques and illustrate an idea of mine. The map does not have comprehensive legend, but I think all people who visit the forum will know what is what.
The world in these maps is supposed to be man-made, like a biodome but a lot more bigger, so the climate changes a lot
in a very short distances.

I have decided not to make any war maps of this world and also I have changed the visual style of the map a little.
Here is one part of the world, without any labels or symbols:

OldMap.png

This is the whole map in 1/2 of the original resolution, with labels and symbols:

ArnhaarOld.png

This is the map I have used in the making of a scenario in a popular turn-based strategy game:

OldMapHex.png

[Lukc]

I think it looks quite fine, I really like how you did your mountains. How did you do them, anyway?

[valahian]

Looks lovely, imo. Also, it fits the idea of the fantasy-like biome thingy, looks modern enough and at the same time mildly fantastic. Great job.

[joebg]

I think it looks quite fine, I really like how you did your mountains. How did you do them, anyway?

I did them using seven different layers for each elevation level. Using emboss effects and some brush effects I just paint them one over another to achieve this effect. There is a tutorial with examples for that here at the forum. I just developed my style out of this tutorial. The whole map is done only in Photoshop, nothing external except the paper texture and some crater textures.

[joebg]

I always make some story about the worlds I create. Here is part of it:
Although this world is a bio-dome, its inhabitants are not aware of it, and are living in a society, more like our late medieval period. But industrial revolution is not possible, as the world is artificial, and there are no fossil fuels. All the minerals and metals are deposited by drones (gods, for the inhabitants). They still can discover electricity and create electricity (and not coal) based industrial revolution.
There are four languages, religions and cultures. The peace of this is kept by the great librarian in the city of Winds, where is the great library of all people located (and four universities, one for each culture and religion).
So the time is counted from when the Great Library was built XXX AGL (After the Great Library).
There were a total of three wars up to date, but I want to make a war map of a future war. Now I am thinking how to make it, as I want it to represent the unique soldier and culture types as well to make it as simple and clearer as possible.

[Schwarzkreuz]

I was today in the university Library, they had some nice books about for example the nepolionic wars or the american civil war, with detailed mapt of military encounters and so on. Perhaps your local library have such things too. Always a great source.

[joebg]

I was today in the university Library, they had some nice books about for example the nepolionic wars or the american civil war, with detailed mapt of military encounters and so on. Perhaps your local library have such things too. Always a great source.

I have pretty good idea of how the map should look, thanks to maps like those you mentioned. I am just thinking of how to make all the symbols and what kind of military units icons to use - figures of soldiers or military style units (square with X in it for example). Maybe I will go with soldier icons, with the amount of soldiers indicating the army size. (like a turn-based strategy war game).The arrows that should indicate the army path is what I cannot find anywhere on the internet. All the arrows I can find are pretty generic and are not as flexible as I need them to be. WW2 style army path arrows is what I am going for.

[arsheesh]

Ooh, this is quite nice joebg, great job man.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[joebg]

I have decided not to make war map, but instead I have created different looking map to use as template for scenario in a turn-based game.
I have also made the political map of the world, just for testing the new visual look. The political map may be further improved, maybe the fonts and the labels do not
quite fit in the map style. First post updated with the new maps.