Map - Looking for Advice.

[Dysterkvist]

Hello!
Rushed headlong into my second mapping attempt. The first one is as noted a bit empty, trying to remedy that here!

Here is the idea, I have a map I like very much. It's the paper map that came with the game Ultima Online's first expansion. I have kept it framed since 1998 and still have it on my wall. I figured I would try to make my own map in the same style as that one.

I gathered some reference:
Reference.jpg
The small maps are from in game and uses the same map, but only the lines etc.

And then I made a sketch, using the clouds filter technique I picked up on the forum to generate some interesting landmass shapes. I blocked in the general shapes of where I wanted forest/mountains/etc. The spotted line will be a road up top and its just a general border at the desert edge. I am especially proud of the monster.
Map_02_Sketch.jpg

And then I just went for it and started drawing it. It's obviously missing a lot of things still but I figured I should post the WIP as soon as possible so I have a chance to actually incorporate the feedback.
Map_02.jpg

My initial feeling is that the swamp area in the upper right corner is too big and boring, so I will probably change that up a bit to break it into smaller shapes somehow.
My intent is to color it similarly to the referenced map. Any tips are welcome and if you see something stupid I did or am about to do just tell me!

Thanks for looking!

[Azélor]

For the swamp you could add more types of plants, add trees, patches of water etc. All this to try to break the monotony.

It's a very decent map overall but my main critique is that the jungle looks like a leopard.

[Dysterkvist]

I agree that the jungle looks like a leopard, good that you mentioned it though as I didn't see it myself. I will get back to work on this tomorrow and see what I can do about the jungle leopard and the swamp.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Diamond]

It took me a long time to figure out that those were shorelines, not the edges of plateaus, even with your first stage to refer to. Why do all the coasts have the little lines coming off them?

[Dysterkvist]

The map I'm referencing has them as well, I guess it's meant to indicate it's not quite at water level?
I did notice I made mine a bit too long and thick, as I don't think you can see them in the reference I posted.

I have the printed version of that on my wall though and if you look closely at it you can see them. I will be redrawing those today though so I'll post a new hopefully better version later tonight.

Thanks for confirming it looks odd though!

[Dysterkvist]

I changed up leopard island a bit, drew a few trees instead of the more abstract shapes I used first time. I also did a pass over the swamp area, the forest and the mountains down on the right hand side.

I'm not sure what I think about the mountains, I like them on the one hand but then again something looks off. So any feedback about anything is welcome. Oh and I redrew the coastline lines to make them smaller and less noticeable.

Map_02_04.jpg

Oh and I was trying out the grass, it mostly looks like chicken scratches at the moment so that will probably change.

[Diamond]

Oh wow, those new mountains are great! Love 'em. It looks like you toned down the little lines a bit too, that looks a bit better. It's a little easier to tell land from water anyway, now that you've got more features in place.

Looking pretty good!

[Azélor]

A nice improvement although I'm not sure about the coast lines. They seem to suggest that the viewer is looking at the map from above (more or less at a 90 degree angle) but the other elements are clearly show with an angle.
What I mean is that the lines that are not facing the south should be shorter or completely erased.

I'm not really good for advices on this topic since I'm running into the same problem with my latest map.

[Diamond]

Good point, Azelor. That would give it a little more perspective.

[Josiah VE]

Forest and mountains are looking awesome. Those palm trees really give the middle island a tropical feel.