Introducing Kimarnock's Ruhba -- Vandy's first CG Map

[Vandy]

PERSONAL REPLIES

Hoel - As always, I really appreciate your comments and constructive criticisms. They are most welcome.

I'm really not sure I'm going to "bother" with a scale for this map as I've pretty m uch just "eye-balled" everything that I've placed on it. Cetainly, scale will be more important to me going forward on new maps.

I agree with you that th bridges are too wide and the docks too big. I've edited the size of both in the attached WIP.

As to the roughness of the walls, I know they are rough at this point. As per the tutorial I am following, I will be straightening them out in a near future time.

Please explain further what you mean about a Pilot Station.

Steel General - Thanks again for commenting. I certainly do appreciate it.

I agree that it only makes sence to have docks on islands that are either large enought to need / support them or are inhabited. Good input.

Midgardsormr - Hello and thank you for your comments and suggestions. I do appreciate your stopping by and posting them!

It certainly makes sense to have a means for military hardware to be transported to and from the islands as necessary. I've taken the necessary steps to support this transporation means.

As to the military budget to support such development, let's just say that Alec the Bold is not "hurting" for capital...

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WIP UPDATE

Hi, All.

I've taken the above suggestions and have what I believe to be a final working copy of Kilmarnock's Ruhba at this point in time.

You'll see that I have edited the docs and bridges for proer size as well as have added small docks to some of the outlying islands as well as added in tertiary roads on the same islands. I'm now ready to put a castle on the central plateau.

Here's the map to date:

Kilmarnock's Ruhba Complete to Date03 (22-JAN-09).jpg

Regards,

Gary

[Hoel]

I can't wait to see this when it gets a bit of detail on the buildings.
Are you going to go with realism or symbolic? The color of the roads are a bit much right now.

A pilot is the guy who guides ships into harbors. He knows all the dangers in the harbor and where you should dock and so on. Very important man.
Since he has to board each ship, there's usually a pilot station somewhere far out where he can go out in a small boat to meet the ships.
It could also be a coast guard and customs station out there on the islands.
Some cities had immigration and quarantain facilities on islands too, Ellis island in NY for example.

[Vandy]

Hi, Hoel.

Thanks again for your consistent and quite helpful comments. I do appreciate your taking the time to follow this map development and help me out with your expertise.

To quote Pyrandon, the author of the tutorial I am following, Kilmarnock's Ruhba is going to be more "imagistic" -- that is, more imaginative symbolic as opposed to being strickly realistic.

As to the Pilot -- DOH!! Now I understand the person you're describing.

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WIP UPDATE -- Starting to add buildings

Hello, All.

Here's Kilmarnock's Ruhba as of today. I've fillied in the main areas where the heaviest concentration of buildings will be and have started to "populate" the islands with individual buildings.

I've a question concerning the city gate areas. Would there be buildings between the two gates or, would this area be kept clear with possibly small guard houses? I'm not sure which would be correct?

Here is my map to date:

Kilmarnock's Ruhba - Main & Single Buildings (27-JAN-09).jpg

As always, your comments, thoughts, critiques are not only welcome but important to me. Thank you, in advance, for them.

Regards,

Gary

[Hoel]

Keep the courtyards clear, they were ment to be killing grounds if the enemy penetrated the outer gate. If you want some buildings, keep them up to the wall.
They often built buildings against the walls to a) save on building material (one wall being the castle wall) and b) to protect them from incoming fire.
The imaginistic tut... I've followed that too, first attempt is my St. Espene map and the second is my Burgenos map. Both are heavily modded.
Have you put the shadow layer below the buildings layer? Try putting it above the buildings, or above the walls. I think it brings out the height countour better.
When you start deleting the buildings to form streets, make sure you put it plenty of negative space and try to keep the size of the buildings consistent.
The best thing so far is the SE island, very good spacing and building size.
You might want to narrow down the main roads a bit, you'll se if you do once the buildings start to shape up.
Keep up the good work. Looking forward to your next wip.

[Vandy]

Hey, All.

Just wanted to let you know I'm bummed out right now.

I FINALLY got a chance this weekend to start installing my graphics software on my new computer (running MS Vista 64-bit).

I can't install Adobe Acrobat Professional, version 8, Photoshop, version 7 or Photoshop CS3. I run the setup file then... nothing. I check the Task Manager and the setup.exe is running but that's it. I've even tried using the WindowsXP compatibility mode but it still didn't work.

The funny thing is I was able to install JASC PaintShopPro, version 9 and Corel's PaintShopPro, version XI without problems.

I'm going to look into installing the Virtual PC application then install a copy of WinidowsXP over it. Maybe then I'll be able to install those applications.

Consequently, I'm kinda "stuck" on going forward with the three projects I've got going at this time (this city map, my first world map - Jotunheimr and my temple - Krv Zrtva). I had planned on using Photoshop to further all three projects. Now, I'm going to have to continue using Photoshop Elements on my work laptop to try and complete the projects.

I'm so bummed out...

Regards,

Gary

[Steel General]

Do you maybe have to run them as 32-bit apps?

[Vandy]

Hi, SG.

I already tried running them as 32-bit WindowsXP apps but no joy.

Regards,

Gary

[Redrobes]

I run 64 bit but XPx64 not vista. Still heres what I recommend with a little explanation.

With 64 bit windows there are Program Files, and Program Files (x86). So if you install to the normal C:\program files etc etc then depending on whether you are in a 64 bit or 32 bit environment depends on where they get installed to and thats not the same as running them as legacy 32 bit mode. Theres a system folder, a system32 and a SysWOW64 folder too now. Curiously (and only MS could do this...) the system32 folder contains all the 64 bit DLLs and the sysWOW64 contains the 32 bit DLL's - dont ask ! But its true...

So heres my opinion and it might save your skin - it ought to work anyway.

There are also two versions of IE. There is start menu / Programs / IE (32 bit) and start menu / Programs / IE (64 bit). Run the 32 bit one and launch the installer from IE. Again - dont ask why we have to use IE....

Anyway, the 32bit IE sets up a 32 bit environment before it runs so everything run from there goes into program files x86. The registry is also split into 32 and 64 bit areas and get that wrong and its not going to work so you need to be in 32 bit land and then install it. So run IE32 and install from that - its the only way.... (not really but its the easiest).

Try it - its worth a shot. I expect that its failing to install cos its putting all sorts of files into the wrong directories and not finding them and hanging.

I can boast that my app comes in two flavours 32bit and 64 bit native and I see that Joe's Wilbur does too. Not everyone seems to be taking up the slack tho. I don't know why tho cos its not a big deal to switch on a few 64bit flags and recompile.

[Steel General]

That's interesting info RR, thanks. - I have no experience with the 64bit stuff (yet) so was taking the proverbial 'shot in the dark'.

[Vandy]

Hi, RedRobes.

I tried your suggested but it still didn't work.

bummer...

Regards,

Gary