Please, a cartographer to create a map.

[giordanno]

First of all: good night to all of you. After this, I can't pay much, ok? Just for you to do not loose your time. I'm cool, see?

Hello there, lads. I'm new at Cartographer's Guild but I can say now that this is the most awesome website I've ever seen. It's legendary.
I was talking with a friend of this "guild" that made a real awesome map from an entire world, and it gave me inspiration on the book I'm currently writing (No, it's not a book to sell, it's not a commercial book, it's a book that is going to be sell'd just to pay for the expenses of itself, and just for those who want it... You'll know the reason shortly).
I just need some help or somebody to create a map for me, please. Like, someone who can actually help me via email or chat or somebody who can create the map itself.
So, let me tell you a story. I'll just copy and paste, because I've already told this to one of you, so...

Remember the old role playing games? D&D, wizards, barbarians, dragons, beholders, and stuff? Sure you remember, nights of pizza with Coca-Cola, lots and lots of cigars, some friend almost asleep in the couch another one almost throwing you the dices... So, I was a game master for twelve years. I was the best at the time, everyone had to play my stories (I still have the books). That was my favorite game (much better than this MMORPG's today). My friends were always with me, playing my adventures and such. I had a group formed by six players (two warriors, a thief, the ranger, one priest and the mage, the dream group hehehe). It was fun and I miss that days. The time passed, some of us got married, some of us traveled the world, some of us became great businessman, three of us got kids... but one of us got cancer. The thief got lung cancer, and... well, he's not good. The worse part is that he was the soul and spirit of the group, the most funny bastard I've ever met. Sure, nobody deserves cancer. But him the less of all.
You want to know why I'm writing this book? Well, it's for them. The players. For the thief, actually. I'm writing down in the book most of their adventures with me as a game master, back in the old times (don't be sad... everybody is saying he will be alright, the **** part is treatment).
So, why am I telling you guys this? I'm telling you this because most of the stories I'm going to use came from this RPG time we've had. Most of the stories are older than my nephews. And this map, the world map, the map from my fantasy world, a 12 or so years old map, is going to be the best part of it (can you imagine a fantasy book without a good map?).
So, that's it. Boring stuff, huh?

I can send the shape of the world, the locations of the geographical stuff. The cities, names, captions, kingdoms and places are on me.
I don't know how to pay somebody to do it, I have no idea how much money does it costs. Actually, you that wants to do this for money, tell me how much money it will cost me, please. But I know some of the maps in this site are great, and I always wanted to see a map, a good map, of my beloved fantasy world (twelve years seeing it in some notebook papers and after one I created on MS Paint... Yeah, I know...).

So, the bureaucratic stuff:
The map I want could look like these: idea1, idea 2, idea 3, idea4 and idea5.
This ones from the user Ascension look awesome. The map of Argontath doesn't fit me just for one reason; no place for names of the forests, rivers and such. But for me is the coolest map here.

No time limit. I don't think is going to take to long, because I've spend some hours myself trying to do it and I used about one day (it's the first time I tried it, so one of you who did some times already should be faster).

I'll post here just what I've done on Photoshop using a tutorial that a friend sent me, but with no names and stuff (actually, I think besides the mountains, the map I created is cool... it took me four times to create this, but still no mountains... that's why I gave up).
project_cartographersguild.jpg

(the new map should have about the same time).

Can't say much about this world, It is 12 years old, since I've played Dungeons & Dragons for the first time (no Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance for me). It's formed by two great landmasses, the one in the north, one in the south and a huge archipelago between both. At the very north there's an island, the whole north is under ice, there's a huge chain of mountains separating the big continent of the north from it's icy region (the ice region is the land of the giants).
The continent on the south is a huge desert, with some big mountains aswel and a great river from up to bottom at the landmass.
The continent of the north have some big gulfs, an inner sea, a chain of mountains at it's left side from north to south. There are some gulfs, some rivers in both continents, nothing very difficult.

NOTE: I'll be responsible for the insertion of the kingdoms, names, legends, and all that. I just need hills, mountains, grass and sand. After that is on me (I've got a question here, is it possible to insert that colored borders of kingdoms, names of the cities, roads and stuff in a .jpg image? Or I need the .psd file?).

Semi-professional.
Required for a print.
Dimensions: 4000x7500px
If it's possible, I would like to have the .psd file to edit it where I think it's needed.

About the copyright I would like to use the right to use the image for commercial purposes if the opportunity shows (you never know...), the artist will have the right to exhibit the image as part of his portfolio and to exploit it for commercial gain (after all, it's made by him). But he will not be able to see the map done, with names, kingdoms. Just the "landmass" part of the map.

I would appreciate if somebody just... read this and post something like "I know somebody that..." or something.

[Steel General]

Give it some time, we have members all over the world. I'm sure someone who's interested will be along in good time.

[Jaxilon]

Great idea - I have thought it would be nice to put together a document of my player's adventures in the World I created as well. Someday when I have the time I am sure I will do it. Sorry to hear about your thief friend, hope he gets to feeling better soon.

Do you have a simple outline of the lands you want or is the image you provided above it? Placing borders can be done in a jpg but obviously it would be integrated into the map on a single layer. In other words you wouldn't be able to turn it off. You might want two copies of the map one with borders and one without. I did a map that had two layers so the client could not only turn the borders on and off but could change them as their game progressed. I use GIMP however so not sure if PS can open the layers.

Am I understanding you in that you want it in four days?

[giordanno]

Hi, Jaxilon, how are you, brother?
So, there's no time limit. It could take one day, or one month. I'm still researching data for the book. Translate rpg stories into a book is harder than I expected.
I have the .psd file here, with all the layers in it. The file I provided above it is just for the general idea. I want the file in a way I can add kingdoms, names and stuff. The geographic stuff is easy to be done. Just the chain of mountains in the north and the big river on the south continent should be done anyway. The rest I can improvise. The idea of two copies of the map isn't bad, but I think it would cost more, I don't know.
Thanks for replying this.

[Jaxilon]

The "river on the south continent"....can that be more of an ocean channel because rivers don't really run from ocean to ocean? I probably have 15 year old maps that have the same issues and it wasn't until I joined here and started really thinking about it that I learned to fear the river police If it figures prominently in your gaming sessions of yesteryear then you will just have to leave it but if it's not actually called a river then I would just say it's a narrow channel of Salt water. Of course, it's a fantasy world and you can do whatever you want with it.

I might be able to help out on it since you aren't under a crunch. Take a look at my Signature links and let me know if anything like what I have done would work for you.

[giordanno]

Jaxilon, your maps are just fabulous. I wish I could have found you before to add one of your maps at my "ideas of maps". This map Xperemiante is awesome, very close to what I want.
About the rivers, I can't say you're wrong. I was researching for this right now and... well, you're right. It's a river called "River of Souls"(yes, like the river Styx), so I tought it would be awesome if it was a really big river. Never tought in a channel of salt water. For years and years I was telling people that was a river... shame on me.
So, if you can help me, it would be an honour. I really like your maps, but this Xperemiante one is particularly cool.
I don't know what to do next. Do you have Facebook or something like it? I can send you the .psd files, or something. And talk with you while you create the maps. I think you are going to like some of my ideas.
I can promise you something, you can bet a map of yours that your name is going to be on my map.

[Jaxilon]

You can go to my website or just shoot me an email: Jaxilon <at> gmail <dot> com

If you use gmail we can chat using that, if not we can work something out I'm sure.

[Jaxilon]

I have been given the go ahead to do this in return for a donation to the Guild.