Mar/Apr 2015 Lite Challenge: Shilfah - The Floating Village

[ChickPea]

I love the buffalo cows!

[Meshon]

This is a great WIP thread, your map has developed from a concept into awesome. Well done! It's always good to see something a little bit different in a map.

cheers,
Meshon

[Belgath]

I know this is been stated but your water buffaloes are awesome, they're really fun to look at especially the ones you have swimming.

[Abu Lafia]

So, the "five-to-twelve-lite-challenge-fever" has got me, and it seems i'm not the only one in the contest who had a long weekend XD . Here is my final WIP update:

@Bogie: Thanks fot the hint. I reduced some of the Grütze and i'm indeed more happy with it now.

@chickpea & Belgath: Thanks alot, it was fun modifying and arranging them but as stated, i only did minor changes to already very nice objects made by others.

@Meshon: Thank you, much appreciated!


- I added three scenario ideas for the GMs but had to rearrange the overall layout (again) because of it.

- On the village-map i added some heaps of reed and spread some more baskets, mats and stuff. I also tweaked the colouring here and there.


I learned so much during the process. I had a lot of doubts (and still have some) whether the project isn't a bit too big for my limited skills.
A thousand thanks for all the helpful critique and the motivating comments by so many fellow cartographers!
A special thanks again to chick for the help with the text!

Well i'm not sure when exactly the challenge closes, but it's a good (and oh so rare ) feeling to submit something before time!

### LATEST WIP ###
Shilfah_the_floating_village_by_Abu_Lafia.jpg

Some notes on my resources:
Besides the magnificent cows from Darkness, falcon and Raven_Starhawke over at the Dundjinni Forum and the relief on the "Uruk Trough" that i traced and modified
i found some great textures for the reed-mats and carpets on Mayang's Free Texture Library. I forgot where i have the water and parchment (edit: found it!) textures from, but it was one of the sites listed in Redrobes' texture Web Sites thread.
For the drawing i used some of the brushes and brushdynamics from Vasco Basqué's fantastic brushset. The Font is "Wizzta" from Adien Gunarta
Edit: last but not least, the triumvirate of my old toaster, the clunky mouse and ofc the incredible gimp!

Cheers,

Abu Lafia

[Bogie]

Absolutely wonderful! A big part of the reason behind these challenges is the time frame. Training you to do a job, under pressure, and get it done on time. Bravo!

[ChickPea]

This is quality work. Fantastic!

[whump]

A lovely map and very successful in giving the feel of a real place. Lots of little details tell their own stories. As others have said the little vignettes are an especially nice touch.

[Abu Lafia]

Oh, i totaly missed your recent comments... i maybe should start to subscribe to my own threads ...

Absolutely wonderful! A big part of the reason behind these challenges is the time frame. Training you to do a job, under pressure, and get it done on time. Bravo!

Thank you Bogie! The alledged german virtue of punctuality(?) (as some other of those "virtues") and i never had a overly intimate relationship It seems i made some progress in this regard too...

This is quality work. Fantastic!

Thanks a lot ChickPea for your nice comments! They always helped keep motivation high.

A lovely map and very successful in giving the feel of a real place. Lots of little details tell their own stories. As others have said the little vignettes are an especially nice touch.

Thank you whump! I'm glad you like it.

Cheers,
AL