New Attempt at World Map

[Torq]

Hi all

I abandoned the previous project and have gone on a slightly different tack with this one. This use the same techniques as the last one, but they are slightly more refined. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions.

Torq

[ravells]

Excellent work! My comments so far:

• I'm not sure about is the thin blue coastal outline and the glow together - I'd be inclined to use one or the other.
• I do like the font colour coding - is there a reason why 'the Haunted Dunes' is smaller in size?
• Is the lake in the centre of the map meant to be called a bay? (Not sure if it's either my ignorance of nomenclature or if there's an 'in-game' reason for it).
• I think there is a typo on the 'Forester's Isle'?

The texture overlay work and mountains are fantastic. How do you do that? It would be nice if you could post something up in the tutorial section. It's a really great look and feel.

Ravs

[RPMiller]

I concur about the blue coastal outline and would add that the rivers are also a little too 'unnatural'. The don't seem like they are part of the map, but instead are drawn in like the various symbols. Maybe try dropping the outline on them and giving them a slight internal darker line? Not sure about that idea yet.

[Torq]

• I'm not sure about is the thin blue coastal outline and the glow together - I'd be inclined to use one or the other.
  
  Yes, I take the point. When I saw HandsomeRob's Selessea map (where he pulls off the combination) I got a bit carried away with the two effects together.
  
• I do like the font colour coding - is there a reason why 'the Haunted Dunes' is smaller in size?
  
  Only reason was to keep the desert's label in the desert and prevent it from spilling over. Do you think the size difference sticks out?
  
• Is the lake in the centre of the map meant to be called a bay? (Not sure if it's either my ignorance of nomenclature or if there's an 'in-game' reason for it).
  
  There is actually a reason in that it used to be a bay and has been subject to a major landfill
  
• I think there is a typo on the 'Forester's Isle'?
  
  Yes, its a typo. I will sort it out.
  

The texture overlay work and mountains are fantastic. How do you do that? It would be nice if you could post something up in the tutorial section. It's a really great look and feel.

Thank you kindly. I would love to put up a tut, but when it comes to the bump mapping it might become a promo for mojoworld, which does really good height fields and ground textures which I use as a base to blend.

The mountains I enhance manually with some shadow gradients.

Ravs

I concur about the blue coastal outline and would add that the rivers are also a little too 'unnatural'. The don't seem like they are part of the map, but instead are drawn in like the various symbols. Maybe try dropping the outline on them and giving them a slight internal darker line? Not sure about that idea yet.

The rivers were causing me a huge amount of trouble. They looked very pixelated at the bends and I was starting to despair. I eventually cut them out of the terrain to reveal the water layer underneath. Thats why they also have the dark blue outline. Maybe my removing that they will look more natural.

Thanks to you both for all the help.

Torq

[pyrandon]

Torq: You totally rock. Why? Because you so obviously push yourself to create the best maps you possibly can, abandoning false starts, soliciting advise, thinking & rethinking... I want to be you when I grow up.

Anyway, I'm liking the texture plays on the land, but in contrast the water is so flat & lifeless; can you add some sorts of (subtle) texture to the blue as well?

I think the coasts could also use more "jitter" & variations; again, the texture of the map implies this is a realistic image, so I would make the coasts more realistic too.

Great, great start!

[heruca]

I like the overall look, but the straight lines and stair-stepped jitters on the coastline are out of place in such a naturalistic map.

The text labels in red works for me, but for some reason, not the text in blue or in green. Maybe it just needs to be bolded or made larger.

A very good beginning, though.