Fantasy Map WIP - Unnamed World Map

[Alturax]

Update, added more roads, dots and trees!

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I used a small "tree-like" pattern that I made myself for the forests, and it's really just a test. Let me know how it looks and feel free to drop some suggestions

[Ilanthar]

The trees look good but it feels a bit sparse imho. Maybe a "forest area" under color or shade could solve that?

[Alturax]

Just an update - Lost the file that I was working with, hopefully I can find a backup... I had already named everything! Serves me right for not having a backup, and let this be a lesson to all of you!

Another update - Found a half-backup from when I was halfway done with city labels. How do you guys feel about this style?

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[Azlodin]

I really enjoy the color selection of the map texture and especially the water! For my eye I would like to see some more distinction in the coloration of the mountains, hills and forests (but I am biased to color).

Your coastlines are excellent! How did you achieve this? Was the map hand drawn then imported or fully digital?

[Alturax]

Update along with explanation!

1st up, the update! I've done a bit of coloration on the top and established all the northern labels. Added some "defensive lines" as well as the "cross bearing" map names (which means they possess a fortress of the Church of x).
The defensive lines in blue represent either fortifications or large walls, depends on the spot. I tried to give each separate nation a specific theme, but sometimes the lines blur...

Label WIP EVEN FLATTER flat.jpg

@Azlodin - The decisions I made toward coloration sadly have to be final my computer simply can't handle editing the multi-layered PSD anymore, considering it's in the multiple hundred of mbs. Regarding the coastlines, I basically made a patchwork of Google Maps cutouts that I made myself, and then used the Polygon Lasso Selection tool to draw around the coastlines. After making a large chunk of the shape, I'd close it down and fill with a solid colour. When I had all the coastlines done, I filled the insides of these hollow shapes and then made a selection by CTRL Clicking on the Layer with the shapes, used the smooth selection command and filled a new layer with a solid colour

[Alturax]

One more update:
I'm working on this quite often, as of late. Trying to find new ways to fill the empty stretches of land, and I've been experimenting with some artistic brushing (as you can see in the desert).
I removed the defensive lines and whatnot, gonna try to reorganize that in a more gracious way, to make it more subtle, and not too crowdy.

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[Caenwyr]

Hey Alturax, just one small remark on the geomorphology: I noticed the river in the middle of your map passes right over and through a mountain range. Which of course doesn't happen with non-magical rivers, which tend to steer clear of elevations. In normal circumstances, that river would bend off to the east and AROUND that mountain range, to eventually drain into that sea in the NE corner of your map.

To fix this, you could either do it like that and draw a second river starting from the middle of the mountain range and going southward (so all those towns by the river aren't left in the middle of the desert), or erase a substantial part of the mountain range thus breaking it up in two separate pieces.

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[woodb3kmaster]

Hey Alturax, just one small remark on the geomorphology: I noticed the river in the middle of your map passes right over and through a mountain range. Which of course doesn't happen with non-magical rivers, which tend to steer clear of elevations. In normal circumstances, that river would bend off to the east and AROUND that mountain range, to eventually drain into that sea in the NE corner of your map.

It's possible that the river in question has cut a canyon across those mountains, which would be more plausible. The linework doesn't suggest any such canyon, but if this is what Alturax had in mind, it would be worth adding.

The map overall is quite good - and the fact that it was so well-reconstructed from an incomplete backup is quite impressive! The polar grid is an interesting concept, too, though it seems to be centered just south of the capital of Andoria, rather than on something in particular. Again, for all I know, this may be intentional, so I'm not inclined to criticize it.

[Caenwyr]

It's possible that the river in question has cut a canyon across those mountains, which would be more plausible. The linework doesn't suggest any such canyon, but if this is what Alturax had in mind, it would be worth adding.

While it's true that rivers are capable of cutting canyons, they only do this in terrain they can access. A river flowing down the middle of a plain for 100s of miles — as it does around Andoria — will not suddenly carve its way through the foothills of a mountain range just so it can cut right through. Water always follows the path of least resistance: down as fast as it can. Which means on this map it would flow south and east, say from Andoria through Thaladar and then southwards past Viridia all the way to Greendale and the sea beyond. Unless you erase a big part of the mountain range, say from the gap in the middle to where it bends south sharply, in which case it can continue the way it flows right now.

If you'd want to keep the river where it is AND want to keep the mountain range, you'd have to provide a pretty elaborate explanation. I'm thinking in the order of magnitude of a geological rift splitting the range apart. Rivers can flow down these but they tend to pool in low places creating strings of lakes before flowing on. Check out the East African Rift Valley for some inspiration.

So I'd suggest to pick the solution which best fits your story AND the amount of energy you still have after losing so much of your work earlier on (which you fixed perfectly!!):

1. If you don't want to spend too much work on this fix, consider bending off the river to Greendale, creating a second river springing just north of Crostway and be done with it. This fits all the requirements, it would open up a new SE-NW route and takes little work.
2. If your backstory really requires the river to keep flowing as it does, you can either erase roughly the middle third of the mountain range (this would probably take little effort), or
3. draw in a rift, a series of crags and fissures on both sides, and fill the place with lakes and swampy areas (this would require a lot of work, but it would turn that "river through mountain range" thingy both plausible and very interesting!)

[Alturax]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

Computer is now running a lot smoother, gave Photoshop some breathing room (resource wise) and now It seems to be.. fixed (?)

For a quick update, I've tried fixing the issue... With a bit of a lazy solution. What do you guys think?

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