Your detail looks awesome. I've also been struggling with representing cities from a distance. My map has one massive kingdom sized city. I assume realistically it would just look like a gray blob from orbit, but I would find that unsatisfying. I've currently been experimenting with satellite photos of european cities thresholded into black and white then embossed and shrunk way down. I'm not entirely set on the results so far but I think there's some promise in the method.
I also thought that it would appear more blobbish than anything else - and I too don't like the idea of adding some random blog on my map. The satellite thing a great idea! I'm trying to make my own textures, so I might try using my farm texture with colours appropriately adjusted. I would love if you could post an example of the effects you've achieved with using your satellite image technique?Originally Posted by Akerbeltz
I also thought that it would appear more blobbish than anything else - and I too don't like the idea of adding some random blog on my map. The satellite thing a great idea! I'm trying to make my own textures, so I might try using my farm texture with colours appropriately adjusted. I would love if you could post an example of the effects you've achieved with using your satellite image technique?
Sure, this was attempt one. I didn't like this version much.
cityshot0.jpg
So I changed the city shape and added a gradient underneath.
cityshot1.jpg
For the latest version I went back and redid the city with an overlay of lightening concentric circles before embossing. This was to give an illusion of a city with concentric rising tiers. I'm pretty happy with the general look, but I'll probably fiddle around with it some more.
cityshot2.jpg
Akerbelz, I think that each example looks great. Thanks for the examples. You really have some skills
Another lovely looking map I will be following with interest.
Akerbeltz - I think the city looks great but you could instantly make it look more realistic by putting it in a valley and using the mountains as a mask, not many cities were built on mountains (certainly not large ones) so keeping them in the valley bottoms would give you a more natural and realistic shape for them.
Korba
Ascension did some really beautiful satellite type cities for one of his maps (I think it became a featured map) - they were tiny but detailed. I think he explained the method too. It's worth having a look for (or just pm Ascension).
The actual construction of the cities is very far from realistic in the setting. It's a ginormous metropolis built upon a plateau by the Hosts, lesser terrestrial gods, from the petrified ivory of primordial behemoths. It was a sign of their own hubris more than a practical settlement. They've since fled the world and it lies abandoned due to fears of a curse.
But I definitely have to tweak the looks, it still looks very pasted on to me.
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