No real tut for that. I make a white rectangle of a certain size, say 10 x 50 and estimate how this shape represents distance (feet, yards, miles, etc) on the map...say 50 pixels equals 50 feet. Then I make a black rectangle the same size and put it right next to the white one. Lather, rinse, and repeat until happy. Then stick some numbers above or below it.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
AH ok I was going to use swords and dagers to try to emulate distance, but after the post about cities I think I'll go simple with this as well. Auto realm has a few of them in one of its libraries so I placed two togather and made a jpeg then import and resize.
Ok minus the Title lable and maybe a minor legend here is the map. Let me know what you guys think please.
Developing nicely. Should the road north from Medvein just abruptly stop at the river? Or should it carry on to Stengim? I imagine that it would be the Frost Blade Mountains, given the scale. The Pool of Stars lacks an outlet. Unless this part of the world is supposed to be isolated, you might want to add a road or two going off the map.
For the road I was going to do somthing different to designate bridges but good catch.
The lake: Most of this area is supplyed through natural aquaducts and under ground streams I prolly should make somthing to show it going under ground.
Rouds out: Completely slipped my mind I'll have to change this.
Good cathches though Ill add these to my list of things to do.
Oh and the Moutains was my mess up your right it should be.
Last edited by shantedracule; 10-03-2009 at 11:30 PM. Reason: Missed somthing
Let's see...couple of things that stuck out to me.
1) The mountains I like the overall look, but for me there is to much of the stark white at the western end.
2) The 'Witches Haunt Lake' label is nearly illegible - using red text against the green can be problematic (think of those color-blindness tests).
3) Didn't go back thru the thread - but one of your rivers splits incorrectly - if you have a reason than just ignore this.
My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...
Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Honestly I don't have any real reason for the river.
The way the map evovled was out of need. I was running a game and needed to show the party a map of the locations of the major cities. THen I decided to make the map better forcing me to try and trace water to the exsisting locations rather than visa versa. I can work on this though.
I was worried bout the color. I'll see what I can do.
The wext mountains is too whight but at this time I am unsure what I want to do with it.
Please continue to post C&C I think I am going to take a step back and come back to this in a few days though.
"A witch did it." (Fits the name of the little lake, anyways. And if he's already committed through giving the players a map, explaining it is more legitimate than changing it at this point.)Originally Posted by Steel General
Well the game world does have an ancient "cousin" to the elf. These ancients are so intuned with elements that they actualy exhibit some of the traits. The water elves, or Meru-parli, have changed areas of rivers for a specific purpose in other parts of the world (Blood Plains map and history forth coming). I would like not to have to go that route for a few reasons.
- I prefere not to use the its magic explanation
- I would have to wright a backstory on it
- The kingdom that this represents moved away from a high magic culture just for this type of reason
- I can not curently think of a good reason that a "whitch" or a Meru-Parli would change the course of this particular rver.
The history behind the Lakes name is as follows.
Until the Endless war the imperium hated, and feared magic. It began inocently enough, wanting to protect its citizens from coruption. But like all good intentions this one led to corruption. First was the banning of all arcane, people exhibiting power would be sent away with food and water. Then came the purge a time where the forces of the empire actively sought out and killed all arcane casters. There autrocities where naught compaired to the next step. The cropping period, arfued to still being continued to this day was a dreadfull time. People found with arcane talent where handed over to an elite unit ran by the church. The units sole purpose was to control Arcane casters. Praetors, as they where called, drew the most extreme people to their ranks. On one hand the infallible, such determination and selfless intentions that they would even make a paladin feel shamed. The other though, the majority, was those that reveild in controling others by any means. These Praetors, sadistic and cruel did atrocities that where unimaginable. It was during this time that a resisitance group started undermining the Empire and the church. Calling themselves the Scalmein Principality, a word meaning dirty secret. over time there numbers grew and with it there strength. It was during the hight of the endless war that the Scalmein Prince launched his full power against the empire. Fighting a war on two fronts was arguably the deciding factor in the war, but the Praetors where split none the less half of them sent to hunt the Prince and the others to aid against the Nuelm forces. Eventualy the path of coruption led back to the Evergrow forest and in there a small lake. The battle waged for two weeks resulting in most of the praetors lives, in the end only a handfull of praetors and their flock was left standing. The lucky members of the Scalmein Principality where killed, the rest where left to the devices of the Praetors. The prince was never captured nore his identity confirmed, he is presumed dead.
Sorry for the seguie, and the atrocious spelling
Alright I lied to my self. This is the current list of things to do any other sugestions will be added as I go.
Map Changes
1. Frost Blade Mountain >> Frost blade Mountains
2. Pool Of Stars Outlit
3. Trade roads of map
4. West edge of mountains reduce wigh a bit
5. Witches Haunt Lake label color
6. River split needs to be a tributary Falsea river
A: After correction rerout roads for ease of travel
b: Continue the Falsea river into Pool of Stars (see change # 2.)
Other things I need to do for the feel of the map
1. Experiment with the color scheme trying for a more Sub-artic/artic enviroment
2. Find a decent border
3. add map title
4. Afte finalization re evaluate map to reflect changes after the "Endless" War
Reply With Quote
