WIP - Remaking VERY old continent and regional maps

[wisemoon]

I'm still kind of new to Cartographers' Guild. I've been posting on the Tutorials forum, but figured I might get more rep for those if people could actually see what I'm working on!

So...I'm running my first D&D game (as DM, I've been playing for...a really long time), and for the setting I decided to develop these old maps I made in high school (over 20 years ago). I have been trying to learn how to use Fractal Mapper, so I'm starting the remake in FM7. I'm also learning how to use GIMP, so eventually I might do the maps in two different styles. Here is the original continent map:
Originalscan_CampaignMap_Demetia.jpg
The original name for the continent was Demetae; I've decided to change it to Demetia. Here is a pass at redoing the continent (this is just the outline so far):
FM7_OutlineDemetia.jpg

I've just started learning how to use this program so it's been a kind of frustrating process, since I'm not starting from scratch really, I'm trying to recreate something very specific. Some friends showed me how to use an existing image file as a background, so that's what I did to create the outline above. The only problem is, the background doesn't get saved with the file. I don't understand that, maybe I'm doing something wrong. The other problem with the outline above is that I used a combination of free-hand lines and fractally generated lines. So the program doesn't see it as one complete object, meaning that I can't do a color fill on it. I'm probably going to have to do it over with either one method or the other, so it all connects up.

In addition to the continental map, I'm also reworking a regional map that's a small area of this continent. Here is the original:
Areamap_Steorluin-DeklanRiver.jpg
Here is a sample of what I'm trying to do in Fractal Mapper 7 (I actually put these together as layers in GIMP; I don't know how to use layers in FM7 yet):
Dalradan_Valley_Draft.bmp

My efforts are pretty minimal yet at this point, as I'm still learning the program. I will post further progress as I continue.

[Gidde]

Try posting as a .jpg instead of a .bmp; It's hard to see what's going on in that last one. It's all pixelized

[Ascension]

Except for all of the river-splits I like the sketch the best. I'm a sucker for fun sketches.

[wisemoon]

Okay, so I started over with the project in Fractal Mapper 7. I'm not sure which I like better, the original start or this one. The only thing I don't like about Fractal Mapper is that the fractal lines (rivers in this case) don't scale--at least in v7. Maybe they fixed that in v8. At any rate, I put in the rivers when the map was zoomed in, so the scale worked at the view I was working in. But seeing the whole map, they look wrong. I'm not sure how to fix that yet. I'm also still trying to figure out the drainage areas in this valley...not quite sure that the rivers and lakes are working right yet. Also, I'm thinking that the central part of the valley is flatter, so the rivers should twist and wind, like the Mississippi does. But unfortunately the fractal generators don't do that kind of extreme s-curve well, and I'm not sure how to do it with another tool. I know it can probably be done, just haven't done enough trial and error to figure it out yet. Any suggestions or comments welcome.
Dalradan_Valley_Draft.jpg

[tilt]

concerning your rivers think of the following. The rivers typical start in high places,they start thin and get thicker as they meet up with other rivers. River don't split so everytime they meet up - there is only one river leading from that place. And lastly - the take the easiest road towards the ocean. I hope that will help you place them