Sept/Oct Lite Mapping Challenge: Caverns of Chaos Enter the Warren (Section 1)

[ladiestorm]

I thought that entering a challenge would be the best way for me to mark and celebrate my return to the Guild. And what a challenge this is going to be! This is actually a first for me, recreating someone else map. It should prove to be very interesting!!!

I decided to choose section 1 of the Caverns as a way to sort of ease my way back into mapping, since I kind of had to put everything away for 5 - 6 months. What I have is just the basic outline of my section : the cave entrances, and the layout. I haven't done anything past that, yet.

I tried to keep as much of the original footprint as I could, but still allow for a bit of randomization in the walls and such.

### Latest WIP ###
Caverns of Chaos Section 1.JPG

I know it's not much as of yet, I really just wanted to make sure I got the layout right. More to follow as I can!

[ladiestorm]

So after looking at my first draft... I realized I didn't like most of the textures I had chosen. So I've started to play around with the different textures I have available. I'm still not sure this is what things are going to look like... we will see how it goes!

### Latest WIP ###

Caverns of Chaos Section 1.02.JPG

[Mouse]

Hey Storm

Great improvement texture-wise.

That's my favourite rock texture. I used it in my own Main Challenge winner.

It looks a little bit pixelated at that scale, but don't despair, you can get a high res version of it completely free. You only have to register an account at Textures.com, and download it from this page.

You only have to do 2 things to it then - convert it to png, which can be done just by opening it in GIMP and exporting it as a png directly into the same folder that the rest of the textures in that collection are stored, and changing its name to exactly this: "Cliffs01_CG_bg_VH.png"

When you next open your map CC3 will find the VH version you have just created, and use that instead. It should give you a lot more flexibility with the scale before pixilation occurs.

I am sorry I can't just do the conversion for you. That would break the terms and conditions governing the use of the Textures.com textures. You will have to do this for yourself, even though I know you don't use GIMP.

As it is the rock texture is a little overpowering - a bit 'busy' with a lot of high contrast markings. I tone it down when I use it in GIMP, but you can do the same in CC3 by using either a Hue Saturation Lightness Sheet effect, or an RGB matrix effect. The RGB matrix has several preset modes that may be of use to you.

Give me a shout if you need help and I will do my best to describe in more detail

[ladiestorm]

actually, when I'm done, you probably won't see as much of it as you are now. That's just the background. I'm not quite sure how much detail I'm going to get into, we will have to see

[Bogie]

Nice work, Storm.
Lot of good advice form Miss Mouse!

[ladiestorm]

Well, I have been working on this, but I have to admit... even with the changes in texture I've made, I'm not really happy with what I'm seeing. I've finally found the cave wall texture that I'm happy with, but I'm starting to rethink the textures for the cave floors. I like the outside grassy texture that I'm using... but I'm not liking the overall look.

The two cave systems in section 1 are at 2 different elevations, and I wanted to depict that in this map, but I realize now I've gone about it the wrong way. I'm pretty sure I know how to fix it... I'm just debating on whether I still want to depict the two elevations. Anyway, this is what I've got up to this point... but I think I'm going to scrap this and start from scratch with a new tactic.

### Latest WIP ###
Caverns of Chaos Section 1.03.JPG

[Azélor]

The object scale looks about right. I got it wrong at first because usually in my dnd 3.5 edition, the scale is 1 square = 5 feet (or 1,5 m). Here it's twice that big.

I think the problem with the rocky texture is that it's too hard, we see the details too much. Because of that, we can't see the elements like the barrels and crates very well.
Maybe you could improve this by changing the transparency of the texture while keeping the background colours intact. Or making it more blurry like the grass texture.

[Redrobes]

I much prefer your wall rock textures in this one. I agree with Azelor that the ground texture is just too busy and is distracting for the room objects. You could just lower the contrast a bit and then it would help I think.

But if your going to start from scratch then we will have to see what the next incarnation of it will be...

[Mouse]

The only way to lower the contrast is to make the rock texture more transparent and put a general flat greyish background on the Sheet below it. For some strange reason we don't appear to have a contrast Sheet effect. We have Hue/Saturation/Lightness, but not contrast.

(and to think I hadn't noticed that before! But I think I got used to tweaking my home made fills to be just the right contrast outside of CC3 before using them)

Contrast is the range of tones in the texture image. A high contrast image has lots of pure white and pure black pixels at the one extreme, while a low contrast fill has a very limited range of tones that are all about the same grey if the texture is turned into a black and white image. (This is not to be confused with reducing the saturation (the colourfulness) which is a different kind of colour manipulation altogether)

[ladiestorm]

Well, it took me a few days playing around with things.. and a lot of frustrations with my program misbehaving, but I finally have a restart that I'm most happy with. I hope you will all agree with me that this version looks much better than the old one!

### Latest WIP ###

Chaos Caverns.01.JPG

What I've done, is to set my elevations as a rocky cliff face, with the first cave entrance at valley ground level. But instead of setting my cliff all across one level of elevation, then try to set up natural steps to the next elevation (which was turning out horribly in the first example) my cliff elevation only goes so far, then I added (hopefully) a subtle elevation that becomes the pathway up to the next cave. What I will end up doing now... is setting the second cliff to show the higher plateau, then the third cliff to create the entrance to the second cave.

You know...seeing the lay out for the Caverns of Chaos... it's inspired me to build a really complex dungeon for my Larysia campaign. With multiple entrances, and multiple layers. The most I've ever done is two. Hmmmmm... the possibilities....