Regional Map - First Attempt

[Sarcasm1333]

Here is my first serious attempt at a map. I would love any critiques or advice people may have. Also I would love some suggestions on how people would show cities / villages on a map like this, I have tried a few things but so far I haven't been happy with any of the results.

Also I need to add a gaping chasm to the desert / bad lands area. Anyone have advice on how to depict that?

Lands Divided.jpg

[Sarcasm1333]

Next draft. Added cities, roads, and crevasse. I am mostly happy with how the crevasse turned out but I wonder if I shouldnt shade down to a darker gray and not go full black?

Lands Divided2.jpg

[Sarcasm1333]

Here is the next step with labels added.

Lands Divided3.jpg

[Diamond]

I like the chasm with the solid black like that; gives it depth and menace. The only real critique I have is the placement/flow of the right-hand river. It's a bit odd that it would flow up and through those hills (which look great by the way) instead of taking the easier way out and flowing around the hills to the east into the sea. Looks really good overall though! Have some rep.

[Sarcasm1333]

Totally agree with you on the river. This map is for use in a game and for game story reasons I needed the river to flow west and into a swamp, I wrestled with it a bit but in the end physics succumbed to story! Maybe if I added a few more hills stretching up the right hand side of that river to make it look like the river was bending around a raised ridge of hills?

[Gumboot]

Totally agree with you on the river. This map is for use in a game and for game story reasons I needed the river to flow west and into a swamp, I wrestled with it a bit but in the end physics succumbed to story! Maybe if I added a few more hills stretching up the right hand side of that river to make it look like the river was bending around a raised ridge of hills?

I like the look. Maybe you could make the entire area in the triangle formed by Netherly, Hindent and Saliste more hilly, which would explain why the river cuts a path through.

[Diamond]

Good idea from Gumboot; that could work.