Small Subterranean Dungeon

[heruca]

This is looking way better now.

Two things I forgot to mention earlier:
1) Try making the wall/rock texture significantly darker.
2) Try applying a slight bevel to the wall/rock layer. This will hopefully make for an easier transition between the wall and floor layers.

[RPMiller]

Point taken about the angles. I didn't even think of that before now. As regards the light source debate, I think its safe to say that in maps that are used as backdrops for fantasy worlds where mortals can cast mind bending spells, dragons live and every woman wears a D-cup, one can overlook a little unrealistic lighting.

True!

The problem becomes particularly acute when maps (like this one) are designed to be used with virtual minis in a virtual tabletop who represent characters that invariably bring their own light sources into the darkened chambers, not to mention the few that have darkvision. The lighting challenges are simply (in my view) too immense to recreate realistically, so in exchnge I bleieve one should just go with a little atmosphere.

This is an excellent point! It makes me think that if a map is going to be used in a VT that perhaps it should be drawn as if there was a full light source. That way as the GM begins uncovering the FoW it will look truly lit up. If you draw the map with your own shadows and dark corners it won't really look right when the figure carrying the torch moves over to the corner to investigate.

[kalmarjan]

Very nice work. If I may make a couple of suggestions:

1) In perspective of light sources, I humbly suggest doing the following:
a) Lower the opacity of the shadows from the walls. Make it about half of what it is now. You want something that is subtle, and suggests there are walls there. The way the shadows are now, it almost looks like your walls are convex.
b) Try changing the color of the shadow overlay to a darker brown. If the option is available in GIMP, use the color chooser to pick a color from the earth texture, and lower the luminance a bit.

2) Are you using items from a program such as Dunjinni? The reason I ask is that while the rocks scattered around look rotated randomly, they also take away from your illusion of lighting. This may be because they already have drop shadows. So when you rotate them, the lighting looks "off". (This may be causing people to ask why it looks weird)

3) This is optional, but is there any way you can play with the lighting effects on the earth texture from GIMP? This would give some interest in the scene. I will append something to show you what I mean later.

All in all, good work. Keep it up. It looks very good.

Sandeman

[terrainmonkey]

i'll agree with everyone here and say great work, first off! i tried using dunjinni but couldn't get the hang of the interface and some of it really upset me. the java platform really doesn't do it for me but that's just personal opinion.

the shadows are a bit over the top and obscure a lot. try lowering them by at least half, maybe 75%. that way your floor texture shows better. i can also see what others are saying about the rocks. sometimes getting rid of them is a bit better. less is more, i always say.

are you going to be using this for a tabletop rpg or is this for battlegrounds or something online?

[kalmarjan]

One other note:

Looking at your stairs, they look like they are carved in a straight fashion. There is not really any indication as to up or down. You could cheat and place an arrow, or you can try this:

1) Create a new layer over the map
2) Apply a mask
3) Cut out the area for the stairs
4) Drop a gradient, white to black over the stair in the direction they are facing.
5) Set the layer opacity to multiply
6) Play with the opacity setting until it looks right.

Hope that helps.

Sandeman

[Torq]

Thanks again everyone for the valuable feedback.

The stairs in the bottom left corner don't look right. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it has to do with the lighting/shadow of them and the fact that they don't look "natural" or even as something constructed.

I have removed the horrible stairs and replaced them with rough stairs made from the same rock as the floor.

1) Try making the wall/rock texture significantly darker.
2) Try applying a slight bevel to the wall/rock layer. This will hopefully make for an easier transition between the wall and floor layers.

I have darkened the rock texture and added a bevel to it to try and take away the jarring impression cused by the meeting of the rock texture with the cut-away areas.

I have also lowered the opacity of the shadow layer as has been suggested by several people.

I think these changes improve the map.

Torq

[RobA]

Here is an example of a slight bevel (in gimp) similar to what dundjinni can produce... (non-bevelled on left, same with bevel on right)

I can give the 30sec tut if you want to try something similar to see if you like the effect on your map...

(of course, the width, intensity, and profile of the bevel is all adjustable)

-Rob A>

[RPMiller]

I like the stairs a lot better now!

If you do the bevel, I would copy the background layer bevel the original and then put the copy on top of it after trimming away the interior of the copied background so that the edges of the map are not beveled but the rooms are.

[ravells]

I like it so much better with the darker walls and the new stairs, it draws the eye to the rooms. Just looking at the pointing between the paving and the prehistoric feel of the cave network with it's floor designs just spells of very hard work well done. Very South African, where, I believe some of the oldest prehistoric caves have been discovered!

I think you have brought this up from 'pretty wonderful' to 'truly superb'

If it were me, I'd consider it done and ready to go.

Ravs

[pyrandon]

Torq, this is an awesome little map! Wow--like close to pro quality! Great revising!