System Map

[Arthnek]

This is a star system map I continue to fiddle with for my own Rocketship Empires stuff. I'd call it a WIP but then it would probably never see the light of day. =D

I stick with very simple two D mapping for the most part. The star system maps are the one exception to the simple 2D paper looking maps used for star systems, campaign regions, etc...

These maps tend to be pretty big so I will just post a scale down version to avoid spamming the screen with something over the top. Even at this scale you pretty much get the idea of what I am working on.

Art

[NeonKnight]

I like it. Any chance for a link to a higher res map or somehting along that line?

[Redrobes]

Id like to see a higher res version - enough to read the text at least.

It looks fabulous. What tools and techniques did you use.

Have you seen Zaon Maps ? (https://www.zaon.com/) They used to have some sample maps on their site but they seem to be more hidden now. Anyway they are just awesome too. I don't know how much more they have in their books but the sample was amazing. They still have some planets there tho...

https://www.zaon.net/planets_gallery/

...which I think are great but the galactic maps were just inspired.

[ravells]

I think this is really beautifully done...I'd love to see a higher res too. Just a suggestion (not sure if it would be relevant to the game) but you could pop in a line going through the centre of each planet to indicate its axial tilt? Wonderful work.

[su_liam]

Very nice map. Did you use any Flaming Pear products per chance?

[Arthnek]

Yes. There is no way I could do multiple maps like these for the books and still have time to write them without a tool like flaming pear. I still invest a fair amount of time in getting the planet images to match the writing. A map takes me a good couple of hours to finish but that beats a much longer stretch without the tools.

I used Illustrator for the map below. Pretty basic but it gets across the 1930's flat map look I want to use for the star systems. It is based on the ideas of a much better map maker than I who did a few maps for the game way back in the day. Someday I hope to become as proficient as he is but for now this is about where I am at what with time constraints and everything.



and what should be a larger shot of part of another star system map so you can get a better look.

[The Cartographist]

Beautiful. Both the single star system with planets and the multiple stars.

[pyrandon]

I absolutely LOVE these--wow! I am so glad you put this here; very inspirational. Perhaps it's because we get so few maps like this (well, sci fi in general, not to mention maps of solar systems), but this stands out in the Guild as a great, great job.

I'll have to check out flaming pear--never heard of it.

Thanks for posting!

[su_liam]

LunarCell for planets
SolarCell for stars
Glitterato for starfields and nebulae
Flexify to bend the plate carée maps LunarCell can create into other projections such as Mollweide(good for measuring areas) and icomap(the d20 shaped format so popular with SF games)

you can get free trial periods at flamingpear.com and even I found the prices inexpensive. My use of LunarCell has decreased with my growing sophistication, but I still love hard on Flexify.

[Xilphridous]

Absolutely beautiful... And you use common tools! Bravò!