Silvergripa, input welcome...

[Mikael Lidberg]

This is my first try at an city map. Its the small coastal town of Silvergripa (a play on the words Silver and Gryphon) and I have created it for my local RPG game.

There are some elements im not so sure about. Not to happy with the water or the vegitation. What about the buildings, are they to simple? Tried to play with layers a bit there. I use Pyrandons tutorial as reference alot when creating this map.



Silvergripa.jpg

[jizerai]

A fellow Swede, I see. Over-represented on the internet, as usual.

For a first try, I think it's rather good. I like how the city feels somewhat organic in how it spreads and how the roads are placed. I might feel that an additional bridge, near what appears to be a market or square, would be useful for the citizens to get around easier - especially if it's to and from the market. It is also easy to see what is what, which I like in a map.

I feel the roads are perhaps a bit too wide (that might just be an ocular thing on my part, as I tend to like them visually smaller)? And I'm also wondering about the moat. Is the water coming from the larger body of water, or is it supposed to be exiting? If so, where does the water come from? If it's artificial, is there a need for it to be connected to the other body of water?

[Meshon]

This is looking good, and I don't think the buildings are too simple. To make a city you need to draw a LOT of buildings, so finding a way to do it that looks right but doesn't take all your time is exactly what you need.

I think I tend towards crowded cities where the buildings are all squashed together in a maze of urban squalor. This place looks really nice, like a very pleasant place to live, almost pastoral inside the walls. The only suggestions I would make is to try a different tone for the roads/paths. It looks like they are carefully tended turf at the moment, but if that's your intention, carry on. It actually fits the grassy, spacious feel of the town just fine.

You could try shading the water a bit darker as it gets further away from shore, if you make multiple passes with a low opacity brush it should build up nicely.

Cheers,
Meshon

[Mikael Lidberg]

Thanxs for your kind replies. I agree about the roads, after the water parts I put down the roads, now I also find them a bit to large. About the water I was modeling it a bit after the Tower of London, a chanel who funcions as a moat and the tide removes the refuse from the city.

I agree about the water and road colour, it was not my intent to make grassy roads, I will try out som different colours to see if I can make it more stony. I just dont want to use another shade of grey. But it is possible that cant be avoided.

Thanxs alot for the input.