[WIP] Avegost

[Alyais]

Hey Folks,

I've been lurking for quite some time. I own and run Avegost LARP which is a LARP in Georgia. I have high hopes for Avegost and in just one year we've grown to nearly a quarter of the size of other LARPs in the area which have enjoyed their successes for many years.

I have worked on the Avegost Map for a long time through D&D campaigns to other renditions of Avegost and have drastically changed things as I've gone. I'd like to share my progress with you over about 6 years. You can see where I found this site and how my art drastically improves.

The reason for doing this is that in my best version yet I am stuck. This is a world-based overland map and I've tried to do mountains and forests but never feel like they fit well enough. I'm looking for ideas and help. I've linked these maps from my own webserver instead of uploading them.

I know some of these look busy but it is mainly due to having all the layers on as a preview. I don't even have old editable versions of some of these maps.

Version 1.0 - Made with Paint.

Version 1.2 with Geography - Macromedia Fireworks

Version 1.3 with Cities - Macromedia Fireworks

Version 1.3 with national borders - Macromedia Fireworks (learned a lot here)

Version 2.0 with limited cities.

Version 3.0 with lots of stuff, lol. - Macromedia Fireworks

Version 3.2. - Macromedia Fireworks

Version 3.75 (repeating 5). - Macromedia Fireworks

Version 4.0 - Photoshop

Another view...

I'm a medieval history student and enthusiast and will be pursuing my Masters shortly. I learned a lot about realistic borders, rivers, and mountains from lurking on this website and it has been a lot of help.

Unfortunately I am STUCK!

I am stuck big time. On those last two images, which are images from the same alpha map with different styles, I am unsure of what mountains to do.

I like the mountains in the sepia tone one (good brushes, thanks guys!) but the mountains in the other one while they look cool they do not fit. I'm stumped.

So please I beg this wonderful community to shoot some ideas at me! I am not an artist and TBH have a hard time with inspiration artistically.

Also, I wouldn't mind some feedback on what I have so far!!!

Thanks guys,
Joe Landolfi

[tilt]

I dont have resolution enough to give ideas at the moment, if it is the map or due to browsing on the iPhone I can't say. But I like to applaud you for the great progress so far

[Alyais]

I dont have resolution enough to give ideas at the moment, if it is the map or due to browsing on the iPhone I can't say. But I like to applaud you for the great progress so far

Clicking on the images should expand them to their proper 2000x2000+ resolution.

[Diamond]

I think the reason the mountains don't fit in that map is that they're the only photorealistic thing on the map. If you were to add more detail to the land surrounding the mountains, they'd blend in better. Having said that, I like the sepia map much better, although you could do with lightening it up a bit (the land, anyway). Right now it's a bit hard to read text and make out detail. You've also got a whole mess of river violations, especially in the eastern part of the map(s).

And have some rep for your hard work!

[Alyais]

I think the reason the mountains don't fit in that map is that they're the only photorealistic thing on the map. If you were to add more detail to the land surrounding the mountains, they'd blend in better. Having said that, I like the sepia map much better, although you could do with lightening it up a bit (the land, anyway). Right now it's a bit hard to read text and make out detail. You've also got a whole mess of river violations, especially in the eastern part of the map(s).

And have some rep for your hard work!

What could I do to make it better? The rivers that is.

[Diamond]

Well, I'm not the River Police , but off the top of my head:

-Rivers join together as they flow from higher elevations to lower elevations, eventually emptying into the sea or other large body of water. You've got rivers crossing, splitting, going every which way in that northeast section. Looks like puzzle pieces.

-Rivers follow the path of least resistance. That long, long, LONG river in the center of your continent, the one that seems to start in that lake in the bottom center and then flow in a big letter C up to the northeast seems kind of convoluted. Why would the river flow north, through what seems to be the lower ranges of those mountains, when it could more easily drain to the southern shore?

Of course there could be magical reasons to explain all this, in which case, disregard.

[MarkusTay]

Definitely the sepia-toned one - might I ask where you found that 'mountains' brush? I need something just like that!

I agree with Diamond about everything - it needs to be lightened up. As for river placement, This Thread is very informative. The rivers on the west side of the map aren't bad - a few of them need to be run up into the mountains - For instance, that small lake in the bottom right corner should have a source-river going up into those mountains there.

As for the upper-right side, its very 'cluttered'. You'd have to really pull things apart there to get the rivers to make sense. If you follow that thread I'm sure you can figure it out. We can't place your rivers for you, because we don't know how important they are to your campaign, or which direction they are supposed to be flowing in. Rivers are a huge indicator of where major settlements should be placed, so that's something only you can tweak.

Also, keep the islands in the bay the way you have them on the sepia map - that layout looks the most realistic. I really like the potential of that big one. Otherwise, really great work and its really cool to see your progress - have some rep.

[tilt]

yep Diamond said it all... couldn't add a thing... straight to the point he is
I like the sepiatoned one too.. and yes, the other mountains really aren't that bad once you texture the background too ... maybe they could be a bit more edgy thats all