[WIP] World of Aduhr

[Charerg]

Ok, I added some textures (deserts and grasslands), adjusted the height map (I'm still a bit unsatisfied with a few areas, so this isn't final yet), and added that "background texture" I mentioned in my previous post. This is what the result looks like:

Arche.jpg

[Ilanthar]

Really nice addings Charerg. The mountains are just great, and the colors are good. I'm not so convinced by the blue you have along the coasts though.

[Charerg]

Thanks for the feedback Ilanthar, do you think the blue "coast highlight" is too dark then?

A little update:

I finished my adjustments with the height map, so now I've moved on to tuning the rivers to fit the new topography. That is somewhat time-consuming, but the map is progressing:

This is what the most recent version looks like:

Arche.jpg

[antillies]

Thanks for the feedback Ilanthar, do you think the blue "coast highlight" is too dark then?

Not directed at me, but I would agree that it is too dark, since generally deeper water is also darker in color. I think though the issue may be the color itself, since it is rather dissimilar than the paler blue you've used for the ocean. Maybe desaturating it a bit to make it blend more and not contrast as much with the other blue might help?

[Charerg]

Not directed at me, but I would agree that it is too dark, since generally deeper water is also darker in color. I think though the issue may be the color itself, since it is rather dissimilar than the paler blue you've used for the ocean. Maybe desaturating it a bit to make it blend more and not contrast as much with the other blue might help?

I'll have to try that out once I finish with the rivers, thanks for the suggestion!

[Ilanthar]

Changing the brightness could partly solve it. I was mainly thinking that your two "blue" (for coasts and for open sea) are too different. Your coastal blue seems much more saturated and less blended with the paper texture. I would use the open sea blue and make it a bit brighter.

[Vigilus]

Basically it's done using Wilbur. The most important tutorial is the Fun with Wilbur Vol 1.

First I draw the basic outline of the mountains in Gimp. This is what the most recent version of the mountains for this particular map looks like (pre-Wilbur):

Attachment 84566

This map is then exported as a PNG file and uploaded into Wilbur. Note that I made the map smaller (5000x2500 in this case) because Wilbur has difficulties with processing large maps, so I'll have to do different sections separately for a 6000x4100 map like this one.

Once I have the basic outline in Wilbur, I use a mix of Precipitation Erosion, Percentage Noise, Incise Flow and Fill Basin to create a more realistic topography. The process is covered in detail within the Fun with Wilbur Vol 1 tutorial (by Waldronate). The usual process is something like this:

- Span the height Range (Filter->Mathematical->Span), for example Low: -1 and High: 4000
- Percentage Noise followed by a few cycles of Precipitation Erosion
- Fill Basins followed by more Noise and Erosion
- Fill Basins followed by Incise Flow (adjust the settings until you create large valleys)
- Erosion, then Fill Basins again and Incise Flow (this time I try to create more narrow river channels instead of wide valleys)

Finally, I turn the result into a height map (Texture-> Gray Maps-> Height Map) and save it as a PNG file.

This is what the "Wilburified" mountains look like:

Attachment 84567

Then simply add your mountains into the main map (Open as Layers). At this point you have what you seek: a black-and-white height map. Then simply colour it with whatever gradient you want (I use a simple tan -> dark brown gradient) and choose the appropriate Mode for the layer (Burn in my case). The basic process of doing this step (Gradient Map) is covered in Arsheeh's excellent Eriond tutorial. The Eriond tutorial also has an alternative way to do the mountains, which you may find interesting.

Anyway, here's what the final result looks like (so far, still WIP):

Attachment 84569

Note: The mountains look slightly different (in terms of colour) from the previous version largely because I used a different Span this time around (-1 to 6000 instead of -1 to 4000).

I think I found my next project, this is so simple and so cool!!

[Charerg]

I think it's time for another small update:

Arche.jpg

Still working on the rivers (maybe 50% done), but I've implemented your suggestions regarding the "land glow" effect, and I think it looks much better now, many thanks for the advice!

[Ilanthar]

Yes!! I really like the whole color palette now, very harmonious.

[antillies]

Rivers are looking great, and I completely agree with Ilanthar. Coast blends so much more nicely now. Excellent color choice.