February Mapping Challenge Entry - "I love HP Lovecraft"

[Ghostman]

The blood seems better now, though perhaps still a bit uniform in color. Might look better with some patches of darker and lighter shade thrown into the mix, or maybe not. You'll have to experiment to find out.

It does seem to be getting rather cramped now with the Squire's Mansion added. The text also looks a bit too clean in contrast with the rather rugged appearance of the rest of the map. Reducing it's opacity or adding some noise to the ink might make it blend with the background paper better. Using a different font (simulating either handwriting or an old typewriter) might also improve the appearance.

[ravells]

Rather than using such a detailed inset, I'd be tempted to almost have a sketch of the mansion (just the outline) and lab in the surrounding grounds, showing the driveway and any major features like ponds or woods etc. Looks lovely.

[Juggernaut1981]

Ghost & Ravs> As usual guys, thanks for the C&C. As a DM I'm conscious that you need some level of detail (a drawing of the front while handy will probably chew up more room than it would be worth on this 1 page). I think I'll just have to clear that layer, draw in a layout of the mansion complex/gardens and tinker with some of the "purdy stuff".

The thing about the font is that it is supposed to look like it has come from a typesetter. It may just mean I need to tone down the ruggedness. The document is supposed to be late 1800s, early 1900 (pre WWI). Which is a lot of the time frame for Lovecraft's stories. I'll tinker, do different verions, upload them when I get the chance.


In other things, I feel like I've spawned a "horror challenge" this month... The Bone Harvest, Necromancer's Lair, et al. I'm feeling a touch trend-setter...

[mrrkyl]

The floor plans are great and really spark the imagination but they are too clean/modern looking for what you seem to be aiming at.

[Ghostman]

Juggernaut, you might want to check out these links:
http://www.fontriver.com/fancy/typewriter/
http://www.fontspace.com/category/typewriter
http://www.1001freefonts.com/typewriter-fonts.php

[Juggernaut1981]

Myrrkl: As the kid of an engineer... building plans don't look much different from back in the 1900s. Seriously. And it is dirt easy to get a nice simple design of that kind with ruler, ink and tech pens (again "old" technology).

Ghost> I might poke about and see what I can see...

[Juggernaut1981]

See Ghost, I think we're thinking across paths. You're thinking Typewriter. I'm thinking TypeSETTER (i.e. Printing Press).

I actually dislike associating horror with the "classic typewriter" thing. I mean sure, X-Files basically shoved the two together and they never separated after that. People think horror/mysterious happenings and they think it should be done with typewriters (like the "Military Map" for a secret base we recently saw that featured carefully done lines in all sorts of colours and a heavily distressed typewriter font... because it's military...)

I'd be tempted to use such fonts as Century Schoolbook, and other mass produced PRINTERS fonts. It's kind of supposed to feel like a bit of a news article. Or a fallen page from a book, or something like that. This isn't the "autopsy report" or "the policeman's report". If I was heading down that path, then I'd be all over typewriter fonts like a fat kid on chocolate.

[Gamerprinter]

Not a font per se, but I was googling for something else and found this article (PDF) about a prehistoric lion found in London, the article is new stamp dated as 1912, but the body of text looks original - might be worth a look for some ideas.

NYTimes article

GP

[Juggernaut1981]

Thanks GP.

[Juggernaut1981]

Did some font trawling... here is one modified version using a font called Hultog (apparently the forum wants this to be an attachment and not intext)
Also done a modified version with Jenson and DuBellay.

Tell me what you think people, because changing the others requires direct editing of the manion layout levels (the text was merged).
Attachment 21987
Tsaths Lab - Alternate DuBellay.jpg