Quick & Dirty Map Tutorial #8: Buttes, mesas and desert terrain

[Gamerprinter]

Quick & Dirty Map Tutorial #8: Buttes, Mesas and Desert Terrain

As always no screen shots, nor detailed tool explanations - just quick and dirty!

Note: this tutorial was created based on request on the Google+ Maps for Sharing community. Someone asked how to create a single map object with two different bevels in the same image, which is kind of problematic.

Also based on a suggestion, I'm seriously thinking of dressing up these tutorials, placing only 3 sequential map steps per page (thus 3 pages per tutorial), include 3 sample maps for each tutorial showing other uses of same tutorial, with a total of 25 tutorials, then credits, introduction, discussion of which software to use with tutorials, resources for textures, a couple pages dedicated to mention of the Cartographers' Guild, and an about the author/cartographer. Roughly 250 pages then published as both a PDF and print book. Thoughts?

Here's the tutorial...

quick-and-dirty-tutorial8.jpg

[Gamerprinter]

Here's a practice map using techniques from the Butte/Mesa tutorial, the Cliffs/Canyons tutorial and the Water Feature tutorial - enjoy!

That's supposed to be a cliff dwelling on the west side of the canyonlike those found in Mesa Verde, Colorado

mesa-verde.jpg,

[Caraldur]

Gameprinter how did you create the look of the river? I have not been able to get a river to look even close to what you have there.

-Car

[Meshon]

Thanks for sharing all of these, I'm going to have fun finding ways to apply all the techniques you've shared.

cheers,
Meshon

[Gamerprinter]

Gameprinter how did you create the look of the river? I have not been able to get a river to look even close to what you have there.

-Car

Look at Quick & Dirty Map Tutorial #3: Creating a Water Feature. Basically there are several layers of terrain comprising the river bottom, with layers of blue with varying levels of transparency applied. The lower darker blue layer has about a 50% transparency applied. While the next layer of blue above it has a 75% transparency applied. Terrain beneath multiple layers of blue transparency get darker and less color - emulating depth in water.