Straylands: Cry of Eskalion

[Irbis]

Overview:
I am developing a video game. A fantasy/RPG one. A very open-ended. Which means it has a main plot/quest, but kind a Elder Scrolls style. So 80% of them gameplay circles not about player finishing the game but about exploration, adventures and traveling. So now i am making a overworld map for S:CoE. This is a huuuuge Work In Progress and many things will change on the way. Because the game is a commercial project i won't be posting the whole map, but it's parts. It's also the first time i am making a fantasy map from scratch.

Whats done:
-water, oceans
-land shape
-forest
-mountains
-basic coloring

Whats NOT done:
-rivers
-roads
-swamps [DONE]
-deserts [DONE]
-final coloring
-details

Screenshots:
14th November 2013
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15Th November 2013
1.
eXzqdYa.jpg
Mountains almost finished.

2.
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And desert/wasteland region.

3.
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And Swampland

16 November
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New world region - Deadlands (undeads, demons, evil monsters - you name - they live here.

[eViLe_eAgLe]

It looks good, my only qualm is that the swampland looks extremely busy to me, too much so.

[feanaaro]

It looks good, although to my taste is over-saturated, even for a video game.

[Lingon]

This is really nice! I think the contrast is a bit too high, and the colors a bit too strong, but I guess that's a question of taste Good job on the coastline and the textures. Howeve,r I think the swamp needs some more work to come across as a swamp – look at satellite pictures of swamps, and you'll see that there's a lot more water. Rivers and lakes everywhere.

[Irbis]

This is really nice! I think the contrast is a bit too high, and the colors a bit too strong, but I guess that's a question of taste Good job on the coastline and the textures. Howeve,r I think the swamp needs some more work to come across as a swamp – look at satellite pictures of swamps, and you'll see that there's a lot more water. Rivers and lakes everywhere.

kCadmvl.jpg

I had problems with swamps. I mean, desert is obvious, forest too, hills are hills, but swamps? And the swamps i've seen thru Google Earth doesn't look like swamps at all lol. So i thought about thing.

As for saturation and contrast - well i like it. The game supposed to have kind a HoM&M3 style. Take a look.
Heroes-of-Might-Magic-III-screenshot1.jpg

Its a very unique mix of fairytale and realistic. I like it. And i am fishing for "nostalgy factor".
Remember guys. The thing you see is not just a map you print and hang on your wall. It'll be interactive and animated. Sea waves, wind, moving trees, rain. For a print i will decrease the saturation - of course.

[Irbis]

This is really nice! I think the contrast is a bit too high, and the colors a bit too strong, but I guess that's a question of taste Good job on the coastline and the textures. Howeve,r I think the swamp needs some more work to come across as a swamp – look at satellite pictures of swamps, and you'll see that there's a lot more water. Rivers and lakes everywhere.

How about now?
AJoMz2Q.jpg

[Diamond]

I guess I'm in the minority in that I like the vivid colors and saturation. It's immediately obvious what each terrain type is - everything's clear and works well together. I had my doubts about the swamp, but that latest version is great.

Special shout-out for that Evil Volcanic Land - epic looking.

[Irbis]

I guess I'm in the minority in that I like the vivid colors and saturation. It's immediately obvious what each terrain type is - everything's clear and works well together. I had my doubts about the swamp, but that latest version is great.

Special shout-out for that Evil Volcanic Land - epic looking.

THANK YOU!!! Actually thats exactly the reason for the high saturation. I want the player to always know what kind of terrain he is encountering (which is very impportand because diffrent terrain types has diffrent interactions. E.g in forest you can forage for herbs, in snowy mountains you losss your stamina faster, etc)

Thank you for the Evil Lands! I wasn't sure will it blend well. I still have to work on it a bit more. To my taste its not enough "dark and evil" hehe. I want the player to know that "You'll asking for troubles going here".

I am working currently on rivers and i must say i am not very happy with the outcome. They look just so artificial =\
And i don't want to use the ocean texture/blending because thats a totaly diffrent pair of shoes.

Anybody knows a good tutorial for Rivers? (Style of rivers, not shape)

[eViLe_eAgLe]

THANK YOU!!! Actually thats exactly the reason for the high saturation. I want the player to always know what kind of terrain he is encountering (which is very impportand because diffrent terrain types has diffrent interactions. E.g in forest you can forage for herbs, in snowy mountains you losss your stamina faster, etc)

Thank you for the Evil Lands! I wasn't sure will it blend well. I still have to work on it a bit more. To my taste its not enough "dark and evil" hehe. I want the player to know that "You'll asking for troubles going here".

I am working currently on rivers and i must say i am not very happy with the outcome. They look just so artificial =\
And i don't want to use the ocean texture/blending because thats a totaly diffrent pair of shoes.

Anybody knows a good tutorial for Rivers? (Style of rivers, not shape)

Wow, just saw the evil lands actually. They look really great, amazing job on the Volcano.
As for the rivers, I think it's just a matter of experimenting so in that factor i'm not very helpful.

[Lingon]

Great improvement on the swamp! Deadlands are looking awesome too. For the rivers, could you do them the same way as the lakes maybe?