A map for a novel

[adunakhor]

This is a map that I realised in one week.

It represents the world of my wife's novel and, as she knows someone who can create an application of this novel for the Iphone, she asked if I could make a map in order to permit to the reader to situate the heroine all along the story (with a "system of followed" on the map).
This world is located into dreams so it's normal if there are some "strange" elements. For exemple, there are roads under water, a city under water (Abyssa), a strong water stream, and rivers are means of communication (like trains), etc...

Although I post the map in this forum section ("finished maps"), I still consider me as a newbie so all the advices and suggestions are welcome for possible modifications . Moreover, we hesitate in the choice between the map with the coast shelf or not, so your advices are welcome on this point too.

I am especially proud of the water stream, the mountains under the sea and the ravines (it's the first time I create these elements)

I want to thanks Pasis for his tutorial which I used for the mountains, the fields and someother elements, Ascension, Ramah for other elements like the brushes for castles and houses. Thanks also for all the CG's community that I read daily

Thank you for your comments .

carte chemin des étoiles good.jpgcarte chemin des étoiles good2.jpg

[thebax2k]

Nice map Adunakhor, its colorful and has a strong nautical theme to it. A few minor criticisms, first, I would try different fonts instead of the one you are using. Don't know why, but it doesn't really stand out. Second, I would not make the labels you are using for sea features (Ile Creuse, etc.) transparent. It makes them difficult to read when one is first looking at the map. If your novel has a lot of action going on in the islands and under the sea, I would make those features less "faded" and transparent. The way your map looks right now, it is completely dominated by the land mass in the west. Although I'm not a member of the River Police, it looks like you have a few violations around the Chateau de Pierre-de-Lune. Keep at it though, there is the genesis of an execellent map in what you have so far.

[Gidde]

Definitely some river violations. Keep in mind that (except for deltas which are a special case) rivers join as they go toward the sea and almost never split. To steal a metaphor from Ascension, think of the river as a tree with its "trunk" at the ocean, and its branches spreading into the mountains. I'd agree with thebax2k that some of the labels don't stand out (I didn't even see the island ones he mentions), although I think color changes would do if you like the font. I'd also recommend softening the edge where ocean meets land a bit, it's very sharp and a bit distracting. The mountains look fantastic, nice use of pasis's tut there

[rdanhenry]

Yes, it has river violations. The original post stated this was a non-realistic dreamland map.

This world is located into dreams so it's normal if there are some "strange" elements. For exemple, there are roads under water, a city under water (Abyssa), a strong water stream, and rivers are means of communication (like trains), etc...

So, the rivers are fine.

[adunakhor]

Concerning the rivers, rdanhenry is right : that's an example of "strangenesses" found in this world because it's a dreamland. The city divided into two parts (black and red) also.

For the fonts, we like this one so we won't change. Now, effectively it was difficult to read the labels so I darkened them in order to be more visible.

I'd also softened the edge where ocean meets land but I'm not sure I want to keep this "edge". I wonder if the first map (without this edge effect) isn't better?

And thanks for the few comments and advices.

[Gidde]

I'd agree, I like the first one (without the edge) better. The labels are also much easier to read now.

[adunakhor]

Thank you Gidde for the comment. Indeed, I think the first one is better than the second.

If there are other opinions, don't hesitate to tell me :-)