A Map of Ilaros

[pyrandon]

I'm not sure the political water zones is a good idea: I worry it could confuse the map. I believe this is why on all but very specialized maps you do not see cartographers depicting maritime zones of control. But still, may as well try it and see how she goes! You can always turn that layer off later.

Nice map! Coming along well!

[RPMiller]

Oh, you know what you could do? You could make the political water zones appear to be below the surface of the water. That would keep them from being confusing yet get the point across.

[Sular]

I've done a new political draft which is both considerably "warmer" in color and draws a bit more on the whole board game look. I am not sure whether I will keep the rivers and the like visible in the final version, but for now they are there.

I'm still working on getting the political zones on the water to look decent, so it may be awhile before they make an appearance.

[OneSeventeen]

If you do keep the rivers in, I'd minimize them somehow... Maybe just make them all a uniform, very thin thickness. Maybe just drop their opacity down some. I just feel like they stick out quite a bit. I think the information is valuable, but since it's not primary, I'd find a way to make them look, you know, secondary.

I really dig the color of the ocean on this one. It makes the colors of the nations really pop out. Cool map.


117

[The Cartographist]

Sular - Couple of thoughts:

Really like the direction your map is taking. Very nice indeed.

I agree with 117 - attempt to minimize the rivers somewhat.

Maybe just make them all a uniform, very thin thickness. Maybe just drop their opacity down some.

I think that he is spot-on with this one.

Reiterating what Ravells said earlier - I think that you should minimize, slightly, the outerglow that you have on the text. A little thinner would still maintain the text legibility but lessen their impact on the look of the whole map.

My personal opinion is that the ocean is a bit too dark. If you could brighten the shade just a bit, I think that it would appear not-so-grim.

Finally, you said:

I'm still working on getting the political zones on the water to look decent, so it may be awhile before they make an appearance.

I don't think that you should wait; the whole point of the Guild is to offer suggestions for WIPs. You might find that someone has suggestions on how to make what you've done to this point better. (You might also find that everyone agrees that listening to that Cartographist guy's advice about putting in political zones in the water was a REALLY bad idea.)

[RobA]

117 is right on the rivers. Mayby just removing the stroke and leaving the river would help...

-Rob A>

[ravells]

Definitely make the rivers thinner unless there's a reason for their visual dominance. Outer glow on text could also use a bit of toning down to my eye (again, unless there is a reason not to).

I love the brown sea. I think this is the first map I have seen posted on the board where the sea has not been either white, blue or parchment colour (whatever it happens to be). It never occurred to me, until I saw your map that one could make the sea any colour at all as long as it fits in with the rest of the colours. So...thanks for that lesson!

I think these maps will look great when you have them next to each other which will really show off the different colour schemes you've used.

[Sular]

I love the brown sea. I think this is the first map I have seen posted on the board where the sea has not been either white, blue or parchment colour (whatever it happens to be). It never occurred to me, until I saw your map that one could make the sea any colour at all as long as it fits in with the rest of the colours. So...thanks for that lesson!

Thanks. I actually got the idea from the mat of a framed map of Europe I have on the wall. It seemed to work quite well.


--

And we have a new draft ready for comment. I've reduced the rivers, fixed the text a bit and added major trade routes, cities, and a border. I still have some tweaking to do on the border, and I am not entirely happy with the trade routes. They were all done by hand and thus are a bit more uneven than I would like them to be, but as I have no idea how to make photoshop produce a curving dotted line, it will serve.

[pyrandon]

IMO, this map took an incredible turn for the better since two posting ago. The color scheme, the rivers, the reduced outer glow...I think this is a great, great map. Wonderful work, Sular. You really took it to the next level.

I think you are almost ready for fine finishing touches (textures, blurring, warmth filters and such). I do not like the font you have chosen, but I can't say why other than it's too modern adn roundish for the rest of the map. That may be just my bias, though. (Also not saying you need to go 18th century calligraphy either, though).

This is great work!

[Sular]

I've done some more minor tweaking. The font has been changed, the scale redone, general color scheme adjustments made, and so on. I'm rather happy with the map at the moment.