Some mini tutes

[torstan]

I've set up G+ and facebook pages for my maps now, and I've been posting (very) short pieces of advice and ideas on mapping on them to give people a reason to visit them. Is this something that would be useful here? I feel like it's things that people here know already, but maybe not.

Anyway, here they are on fb: https://www.facebook.com/fantasticmaps and G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/100445...57994193/posts

If there's interest I'll start a thread - probably here - and update it whenever I stick up a new post.

[atpollard]

I liked it.
There is a general need among RPG mappers (those who do this just for fun with no intention of ever producing the professional quality maps that we all love to see) for general advice about how to get started: 'Rivers join together to form larger rivers and almost never split into smaller rivers' type of stuff. Your blog seems like it could fill that need.

I really liked "Once you have the roads in place the city map is entirely functional. You can label that and be done. Everything beyond that is making it pretty". That is exactly the sort of information a new referee creating his first city map needs to be told (and some of us with OCD tendencies could stand to hear again).

I was particularly impressed with your map of 'The City of Redwall'.
redwallwebres.jpg
The buildings are very sharp and easy to read, but what really made the map was the side view in the upper right corner and the clever labeling of the wards with the phantom circles.

[torstan]

Thanks - that's pretty much exactly the response I was shooting for.

That's actually the first city map I've been happy with. All the previous ones never quite worked for me. The extra elements (the side view and the runic circles) were inspired by the extra illustrations in theRedEpic's maps. I wanted to start adding a little more meta-information to the maps to make them a little more polished.

The Redwall map is actually the result of a few pages of GChat back and forth with the developer about the different areas in the city and logic behind the decisions. It's dwarven, so at the very least it should be logical!

[Lukc]

Did I see correctly that you have Ed Greenwood liking your Facebook page?

[torstan]

Unfortunately not My facebook page likes Ed Greenwood.

[Lukc]

Unfortunately not My facebook page likes Ed Greenwood.

Ah, well ... I plead that it's facebook's fault for my confusion, since they keep shuffling stuff around!

[ravells]

I think it's a great idea too! atPollard has covered the reasons why in more detail than I could, but even for us who have been at this game longer than others, there is always stuff to learn.

[torstan]

Done. A new thread's up in the Tutorials section. I'll update it whenever I put something new up on the other pages.

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ips-and-tricks