WIP - Total Overhaul - "Outremer"

[gspRooster]

This thread is going to be for a total overhaul on a map that I did some time ago for a home grown RPG based loosely on a combination of themes ranging from dnd inspired high fantasy to real world mythology and no small amount of my own imaginings.

This map is about to undergo a complete and total overhaul. By the time I am done with it, I am hoping to finally be happy with it as a completed world. That will take a substantial amount of work, and as we are actively playing in this world, things with the mapping will also change as it is worked on.

Along the way though, I am sure I will stumble across things that I do not have the experience in mapping to figure out on my own, and I will also reach out periodically simply for opinions.
Changes I would like to implement are as follows...
- Brighter colors in some locations. (Suggestions welcome)
- Differentiation of swampland and forests from all the rest of the green. (Suggestions welcome)
- Better looking snowy land. Right now it just looks flat white. (Suggestions welcome)
- Extension, height increase or better pathology of some mountain ranges. I think I have this one covered, but any tips on mountain realism in general would be welcome.
- Total overhaul of the design method for the river systems and incorporation of minor rivers and tributaries. I think I have this covered... maybe. lol
- Considering total overhaul of the lake system in northwest portion of map, also considering addition of other small bodies of water elsewhere. (Suggestions welcome)
- Borders for political entities. (Strong ideas already set, but some fluidity based on current campaign)
- Icons designating cities, significant fortresses, and other primary locations. (Suggestions welcome)


Here is the old version of the map. Questions, comments, and anything else you'd like to say will always be welcome.
Here is also a link to the full sized image. http://imgur.com/CEvK5JV

[Gold]

Looks like a great place to start with your revisions, as it is already an attractive physical/satellite atlas map style. To make it "a complete world" map as mentioned, do you plan to expand the canvas to include the truncated parts of the landmass to northeast and southeast? Good luck with your map progress. Please post again with pictures of your development.

[gspRooster]

I have struggled with the question about expanding the world to the unknown parts for quite some time now. And honestly, the answer is still "I don't know." I am confident that I could. But world development and my own comfort level regarding "do I want to?" has made me struggle with actually doing it.

I may be having trouble with finishing the world because if I finish it, I won't have anything to work on. lol. I also might just be afraid of being unhappy with the end result if I do finish and feeling like the overall project would be a failure.

However... If I can get this project finished in a way that I'm truly happy with, I can always increase the canvas size in Gimp and push on into the unfinished areas and complete it later. There's lots of possibilities...

[gspRooster]

I have decided that this project deserves a lot more love and attention than a simple "revision". It's too large and too detailed of a world to simply be given a makeover. That said, I have decided to regionally map equally sized segments of the map until I have one massive, multi-part map that truly covers everything I need this world to be.

I've decided to start with the region known as Takeshidai. And so far it's seen a substantial, hand-drawn reworking of its landmass design. I am debating right now between two separate textures for the water. I think I am leaning towards the second one.

Full size images available at the links beneath the thumbnails.


http://imgur.com/GWsAsIV

Or


http://imgur.com/078xxXS

Also, I'm aware of the texture block lines when fully zoomed in. I'm going to fix that, just a rough draft here.

[Azélor]

I prefer the style on the second one too.

[Jalyha]

My instinct is to say the first is better, because it almost looks like you can see the depths under the water, but the second one simply looks better... more aesthetically pleasing.

[Lingon]

I like the first one most, actually, but it depends on how you'll color the land. The first will work better with very pale land colors, the second if you'll use stronger colors and more contrast.

[gspRooster]

I've decided to start doing this project as an atlas style book, focusing on individual regions in their entirety as opposed to segmented sections of the overall world that would ultimately have divided otherwise interesting maps into multiple segments.

Please see the thread Takeshidai - WIP for the updates to the first map of this project.