Test City Style

[töff]

Toff said something very interesting when this map was posted without the hatching and that was that it was difficult to differentiate open spaces from building spaces. Is that still the case with the hatching now in?

I think it's not the hatching that makes the buildings stand up, but the dropshadow. But they're still really the wonkiest bldgs I've ever seen. Carpenters on shrooms!

Cheers for trying so successfully to mimic that style (maybe yours is too clean, needs some noise/grunge for ageing) ... but I gotta say I don't particularly like that old style. I think your map deserves that you deviate from that style to improve the visual quality of the buildings. Durned if I can find a sample of the ones I think I remember from that period ... European city obliques, approx Napoleonic era or before ... pink and orange roofs ...

Erk ... I knew this Rumsey site looked familiar! ... heh.

[ravells]

I've gone at a complete tangent, and remembering that the Port City of Khardahi is meant to be uninhabited, except by the undead, am trying to give it a 'dead' atmosphere....does this work? (Soixante's mountains used!).

I'll come back to the WB Clarke style for a more appropriate map. Cutting up that city took the whole evening. I really have so little patience but a bit of Floyd and Chicane made the time pass more quickly...I don't usually listent to music when I'm mapping, but I think I really need it with cities. Damn thing looks so small.

[Steel General]

Interesting Ravs...looking forward to seeing where you go with this.

[ravells]

I think the city looks a lot better just on its own

[Ascension]

That blue is an interesting idea...needs some grunge though, you know dirty it up, have some rubble laying around, add some gray with a noise layer or something.

[Feralspirit]

Ok, Ravells, I have a couple of things (at least) to say.

First, your current piece is stunning. The blue buildings set a "ghostly" contrast to the darkly beautiful backdrop into which they are set. (If you intend to do more with these buildings, ie grunge or ruin them, perhaps retain the blue outline, maybe toned down a bit, as a sort of phantom of what the city once was.) I am heartbroken to hear that there are no living souls residing there to be amazed (or baffled) by the intricacy of the city's design. One last thing about the current piece, I am not certain what to make of the yellowish glow appearing in places around the coastline. Does it represent shallows? If so, it may not be appropriate around the docks. Is it perhaps the reflection of the setting, or rising sun? Or is it that I simply don't have the experience to appreciate it?

I don't want to end before mentioning the drastic departure from the "Test City Style." While it (the test style) did not initially appeal to my personal taste, it was nonetheless very interesting. It's possible that the city's design was enough to draw me into the map in spite of the style, or it might have been the unusual style combined with the intricate layout that made the whole a bit daunting. Either way, I was watching its progression with interest, and I do hope you find a piece to revisit it soon.

[ravells]

Thanks for the comments everyone (special mention to toff and Feral spirit). I took another look at this. I really liked the hatching but it wasn't really working on the buildings.

I think that when you have a map with this many buildings, having too much messy detail and colour just confuses it, because there are so many elements there already. I've gone for a more 'graphical' style with a much more limited pallete (but I kept Soixante's mountains) and used the hatching on the city wards rather than the buildings. I'm going to call it done (getting sick of it now).

I think this version retains clarity and a sense of scale. (well more than the previous ones anyway).

What do you guys think? Hatched or not hatched? Bear in mind that Hatching adds no further information to the map at all - but I like it.

[Steel General]

I like it Ravs - it would even fit in with this month's challenge.

[ravells]

Lol...I'll spare it from this month's challenge. It wouldn't be fair to put something in at the last minute and the standard this month is just far too good anyway.

[torstan]

Looks great! I personally like the hatching. Good work.