Hello fellow cartography enthusiasts
Wow! What a site for maps.
I have been in love with maps ever since I read Tolkien and Brooks as a teenager. I wandered from reading to the maps every time a place was mentioned in the story. Today I rarely buy a fantasy book without a map. It seems so incomplete.
While Tolkien and Brooks were not the greatest mapmakers, they definitely were great storytellers. So I set out on my own quest to find good fantasy books worth reading with good maps. A few came along, but none ever measured up to what I thought was top-notch.
So I ventured into the world of role playing games; now there I found maps. I was satisfied playing Realms of Arkania (showing my age) and the Elder Scrolls for a while. Finished the games, but there wasn't left much to do after that.
Then I began my new adventure. I created a world of my own and wrote a novel to go with it. First I drew my map on large butcher paper and plastered it all over my walls. Never being satisfied, I continued to search for the perfect map. I have drawn and redrawn my world countless times. Then came the need to put the map of my world on the computer. I transferred my hand drawn world on butcher paper to the PC. Tried MS Paint, that sucked. I found the AUTORealm software. The map was better, but still lacking.
I went back to creating and writing. Started the next novel, but didn't get very far, divorce has a way of treating you like crap. I didn't want to write, create or do much of anything with my world. The maps came down and stored away for future use.
After several years of storage the maps came back out and I felt re-energized. I started creating again, first on the map and then writing. I have created outlines for six novels, but my map just to be honest with you, sucks. I'll post it here in a few days.
I will tell you fellow cartographers, even if I never publish one book, I will be satisfied with my life knowing that I created a world. Is that a God complex? So be it if it is. Recently I have been summarizing the areas surrounding the duchies, earldoms, baronies, villages, towns, and cities in my world on MS One Note and wished I had a map to go with it. That's when I found this site.
Hopefully, I can learn some map making skills so my world will actually look like I want it to from you guys and gals. I have already found tutorials and attempted some of the tricks in making a good map.
Whether I succeed is debatable, but I do thank you for the site and the opportunity to make my world a better place.
Welcome to the Guild!
Indeed. I will warn you, the likelyhood of you being able to be satisfied with a world is negligible, and the entire hobby will consume your thoughts and life. In fact, it probably already has.Originally Posted by kimbriell
again, welcome to the community of fellow addicts
Last edited by Rythal; 07-13-2010 at 02:34 PM. Reason: smiley
Welcome Aboard!
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Hiya and welcome! Sounds like you'll fit right in
Gidde's just zis girl, you know?
My finished maps | My deviantART gallery
My tutorials: Textured forests in GIMP, Hand-Drawn Mapping for the Artistically Challenged
Welcome to the Guild!
Daniel the Neon Knight: Campaign Cartographer User
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice!
Any questions on CC3? Post them with CC3 in the Subject Line!
MY 'FAMOUS' CC3 MAPS: Thunderspire; Pyramid of Shadows; King of the Trollhaunt Warrens; Demon Queen's Enclave
welcome to the guild ... it might take a long time for you to be satisfied with your maps - it make take a few tries.. who knows... the important thing is that you're mapping!
regs tilt
:: My DnD page Encounter Depot free stuff for your game :: My work page Catapult ::
:: Finished Maps :: Competion maps - The Island of Dr. Rorshach ::
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Works under CC licence unless mentioned otherwise
I've been at this for 7 years and I'm still not happy
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
You're in good company here. But if you think this is a passing fix then look around. It's easy to get hooked. Welcome!
I have to chime in with the not being happy with my stuff yet but that's the bane of being an artist, you always look back and say, "Bah, I can do better than that."
Welcome to the guild, looking forward to hearing and seeing more of your world.
“When it’s over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking.” -John Wooden
* Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt
Welcome! I too came here because of a novel and the need to improve my sucky world map. I've been at this for a few years now off/on and I'm on again with good results. Regarding the God Complex, I'm right there with you on that one. It brings me pleasure to create a world for others to explore and learn about. Good luck on your own map.
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