Hello Guild

[Molch]

Hi everyone,
after some time of read-only visits to this board I thought it was time to actually say hi.
I'm freakishly unexperienced when it comes to map making so I figure there will be quite a leraning curve involved with my posts here. And I'm looking forward to that
There is not much left to say except that I am, as of now, trying to figure out Photoshop as my weapon of choice. My immediate goal is to start slowly(!) by producing the map of a small village. After that (please note the optimism) I'm planning to move on to a full-grown city map for my upcoming fantasy RPG campaign.
Right now I am laying down the groundwork (read: the landscape) for said village and mustering the courage to actually post it.
So, hopefully, I'll see you soon in the WIP boards.

[Steel General]

Welcome Aboard!

There are a bunch of really, really good tutorials for PS (and many for GIMP than can be ported over). Be sure to check them out.

[Ascension]

One small tip I would offer is that it's easier to start big (continent size) and develop a style for that then work your way down to smaller things. Starting fresh out of the box on a city might overwhelm ya and make ya frustrated. You might find doing cities easier than doing a world or a region but I certainly don't...at least not with PS. If you do come up with something then by all means let us know Anyways, welcome to The Guild and have fun poking around and chiming in.

[Steel General]

I'll second Ascension on starting out with a continent or regional map, then working your way to the more detailed maps. But everyone is different.

My last challenge map was of a city of reasonable size and I about destroyed my shoulder working on it.

[Korash]

I agree that cities in general are harder to do as a beginner, but there is a great tutorial here (http://www.cartographersguild.com/...ead.php?t=1150) that starts with a randomly generated village or small town. It is in Photoshop so it should be quite helpful in that regard, but I am not sure if the generator is still available (think it is but you never know).

Once you walk through that I would suggest (like the others) doing a larger regional scale map containing the area around the village and city (plenty of tuts for that too) before going for the big city

Anyhoot, start with something and post as you go and let the comments flow. Before long, you will have maps that will blow ppl away.

[NeonKnight]

Well, I could provide a counter argument that starting small for a campaign is also a good way to go.

Many writers argue that is is easier to start with a village/city and expand outwards, as it focuses your creative juices locally to the game as a whole than starting big and then narrowing in.

But the big thing is this: do which ever method (small -> Big or Big -> Small) is the one that excites you most.

[Salama]

Hi!

I'm looking forward to your WIP-thread of your village. I'm kind of in the same situation in map making. I started with one small village and then made another small village. I'm new to map making, but quite experienced with Photoshop, so I'll keep an eye on your WIP-thread once you decide to post it!

[Redrobes]

I would say it depends on whether you are an experienced GM as well. If not then I would start small and find some way to keep players in a small region, like a village - maybe its under siege by much heavier foes which prevent escape. Then you can concentrate on the village and get it deep. If you are experienced then it might be important to you to ensure that plot lines are mapped in from the start.

Doing a world is as easy or as difficult as you are prepared to map it. I would do a similar job to our CWBP and get a world map of some rough type and focus down and down in layers until you join up with or create a village. Skip anything that isn't on the player path and map to a detail that is relevant to you and them.

I think cities are the hardest but then I want a city mapped to each house. My old party used to split up - clerics go off to find the temple and want a map of that, thieves start climbing up onto the roofs and want to know whats there, warriors head off to the pub so want that + how comely the barmaids are and names of the best ones etc. Before you know it your running three or four encounters and a lack of maps can be a problem.

[Molch]

I would say it depends on whether you are an experienced GM as well.

Ah, but the wrinkle is I'm not actually the GM. We are about to start a new RPG campaign and, as is often the case, it has me whipped into a frenzy of mindless enthusiasm which I'm usually channeling into setting up my character's background. Now it's the same plus maps
That is also the reason why I am going to skip the regional map for now. There just isn't enough I know about the land yet. So I'm going to stick with places I have more knowledge of specifically one of the villages on my character's property and the actual city we're going to spend a lot of time in.
But I am definitely taking you advice at heart and will revisit the regional map some time in the (probably near) future.
Actually, as I write this, I'm itching to try out some of the absolutely stunning mountains in pasis' tutorial.

Well, I'm going to get back to figuring out the landscape of said village. The corresponding WIP will probably be up some time tomorrow if work permits.


EDIT because double-posting is evil:

Hi!

I'm looking forward to your WIP-thread of your village. I'm kind of in the same situation in map making. I started with one small village and then made another small village. I'm new to map making, but quite experienced with Photoshop, so I'll keep an eye on your WIP-thread once you decide to post it!

Oh good: Pressure

[Salama]

Oh good: Pressure

Oh, no need for that at all =). There is just so much to learn from other peoples maps. I'm not making a map of a village right now, so it's great to observe someone else's work and maybe be able to help with something while doing it =).