Feedback needed on Regional Map First Draft - Shattered (Extremely Novice WIP)

[Josiah VE]

Okay, all good now. Nice forests, though maybe they could use some scattered trees around the edges so the edges aren't so smooth.

[Becka S]

Hi again,

Re-did the forests and added the rivers. I'm not much good at tapering my rivers but I gave it a go.

shattered map with forests.png

[tilt]

Good to see you continuing, the rivers flow are all good. If I should comment on them it would be that they are all very wide, the black edge along them is a little strong and try blending in the color of them with the ocean where they end Great work so far

[Becka S]

Thanks for the feedback.

I've reduced the bevel on the rivers and tried to slim them down bit. I did try using a gradient to blend them in a bit bit I couldn't get it to look right so I've left them as they were colourwise for now. I'll have to fiddle with that a bit more.

I've also added the symbols for citiies, towns etc.
shattered map with forests.png

[Josiah VE]

Nice work!

I like the forests, can't say that about the town icons.. For some reason I find those ones yucky .. I usually like just circles and squares, maybe triangles.. I don't know why, maybe those relatively (very relative) complex ones are just harder for me to picture as cities, if you get what I mean. But yeah, just my thoughts, if you like them that's good and you can use them.

I think the ridges of those mountains just seem a bit too bright for my eyes, maybe try it a tad bit darker?

[ladiestorm]

It's not just you Josiah, I posted something the other day, when I came back today, I had the same problem you are having here. I reposted and it worked, but I was going to contact an admin about it.

It looks like it's coming along, and unfortunately I can't give you any advice on photoshop, as I use cc3+. The only thing I can say about the mountains, is that they look a little too clean to me... to linear. It may just be photoshop, because I noticed the same thing in another mapper's thread. But mountains are bumpy, lumpy, rocky, disjointed... I don't really know how to explain what I'm trying to say.... maybe they are too thin? When you posted the three versions of mountains, the one I actually liked the best was the first version. But also realize that mountains are going to have valleys, and ridges, these seem too universal... but that's just my personal opinion, of course. Maybe I'm just too used to the way cc3+ works, where you place each individual mountain to form a range, and therefore you can create the valleys and ridgelines as you go.

[tilt]

Rivers looking much better. I must admit I'm with Josiah on the city icons - they are a bit dominating on your map, perhaps different size dots would be more appropriate for the "size" of your map

[Becka S]

Nearly done. I'd like to decide on a name for those mountains but everything else is done. shattered map ver 2.png

[Josiah VE]

To be honest, I think the mountains in the previous update were better. They blended with the terrain around them, these have hard edges which I don't find very nice.

Still those icons bother me, but all a matter of opinion.

[Becka S]

Well, here's the finished map. I've put the mountains back to how they were before because I agree the new version did look wrong. I've named the mountains though I think the name label may be a bit large but it didn't show up well when smaller. I've left the icons on this map because I like them. shattered map ver 2.png