My First Map - WIP

[jaxx6166]

Below you will find links for my first map created in CC3. It is a WIP and any help/critique would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?i...vilrpg5mo8.jpg

DETAIL:

http://img96.imageshack.us/my.php?image=halphasso1.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=faedrazw1.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jadeqp4.jpg

[Lorne]

I like the textures, and the shadows. Who lives in that wasteland surrounded by mountains in the northeast?

[RPMiller]

I like it!!

It is a nice example of CC3's new look. You may want to run the Sort Symbols command to reorder the symbols correctly. Otherwise it is a great start.

[jaxx6166]

The people that live in the desert region in the north surrounded by mountains are the equivelent of like spartans I did the sort symbols command and can't see much of a difference, is it that subtle? Or am I just blind

[RPMiller]

In your case it is subtle since you didn't have too many out of place symbols to begin with plus it is hard to tell with the symbol shadows.

[Sir Alain]

Yeh I gotta second the vote for the shadows. Gives everything depth.

[ravells]

lovely looking map!

Some very small suggestions:

I'm not sure whether it's just the way that CC3 resolves small shapes but the coastlines of the smaller islands look inconsistant with coastlines generally (unless it's a look you're going for).

Again, unless it's a look you're going for you may want play about with de-saturating the colours a bit. Profantasy seem to love super saturated colours.

Many of the mountain ranges all use the same mountain symbol next to each other- perhaps it could use some symbol variance if you want a more 'natural' look. I havn't got CC3 so I don't know what's on offer in the new symbol department, although presumably you can scale.

The blue ice-field at the bottom jars a little, perhaps because the colour is so striking (this may be a saturation / tone issue). It seems to be some sort of localised temprature zone. If not then you may want to put some ice-fields in the continent and Islands on a similar lattitude.

Anyway, just some passing thoughts on what is a beautiful map.

Ravs

[jaxx6166]

Ravs,

Thank you for your comments. That is along the lines of what I was looking for. Unfortunately, I don't know the half of anything more than placing symbols really =(

How would you suggest I repair the lattitude issues in the southern area? (it ois supposed to be a frozen part of the world)

[ravells]

In my experience the best way to learn how to draw convincing fantasy maps is to:

1. observe how things work in real life and the rules that apply.

2. Apply those rules to your fantasy maps seeing which rules you can break without the map losing its ability to convince.

3. Play with the software and experiment with it.

There is a free pdf which gives you some 'rules' to creating convincing worlds - 'A Magical Society: Guide to Mapping' you can download on mapping fantasy worlds (it is really worth a read). WWW.EXP.CITYMAX.COM.

I don't use CC3 (yet!) but if it works anything like CC2, then I guess you made the ice-field by filling a poly with the ice field fill. Presumably you could draw further polys on the island/continents at the same lattitude with the same fill?

Anyway, hope this helps,

Ravs

[RPMiller]

I think if you dropped in a few floating icebergs off that southern coast, and maybe "pulled the ice back" from the top of the area and put in some small ice areas instead, it would be a little more fluid and convincing.

Heck you could even put an escarpment across the northern edge of the ice field to give the impression of raised glaciers in that area.