The Strategos
Thanatos
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Anyone have a good map of Europe and the Med? Thanks in advance
Though this was posted long ago, I don't think there have been any better posted since.
The Ultimate Map Thread
- Thread starter Abaddon
- Start date
Though this was posted long ago, I don't think there have been any better posted since.
Eltain
Deity
Anyone have a good map of Europe and the Med? Thanks in advance
This also might be of help.
These might help:
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
kkmo
世界
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- May 22, 2008
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Hi. I need some very specific help. I am going to post an atrocious map I have created. I am sorry it is so bad. I am working on it. I have some general questions and I would like some feedback and opinions.
1.) Is this map too unoriginal? Surely you can tell it takes a lot from real-life Eurasia.
2.) Does the continent of the "Kelks" look weird and a little too abnormal? Any suggestions on how to fix it?
3.) What would you do to change it to make potential socio-cultural developments more interesting? I know this is an extremely vague question!
Also, any general map making tips would be appreciated. I can draw with pencil, cut and paste icons and stuff, curve text, but not much else.
Here's the image.
1.) Is this map too unoriginal? Surely you can tell it takes a lot from real-life Eurasia.
2.) Does the continent of the "Kelks" look weird and a little too abnormal? Any suggestions on how to fix it?
3.) What would you do to change it to make potential socio-cultural developments more interesting? I know this is an extremely vague question!
Also, any general map making tips would be appreciated. I can draw with pencil, cut and paste icons and stuff, curve text, but not much else.
Here's the image.
Spoiler :
Eltain
Deity
kkmo:
Not a veteran map-maker, but I found reading through this tutorial (not hard-core, very easy read) helped me leaps and bounds. Think ahead. For example, where are the mountains? Rivers, biomes, et cetera.
I actually don't think it is that ugly. Add some mountains and rivers and think hard on what lives where, and boom, it's a wonderful world. What's wrong with taking inspiration from our world? I like the "med" especially, it adds a new dynamic. There's a whole flow that is not felt in our world. I don't think it is too unoriginal.
Kelks looks fine to me, and I'd make the northern isthmus of Kelks into a mountain-heavy "get everywhere by sea" type deal, and try to make greco city states there. Geographically? a very vague question to ask.
Not a veteran map-maker, but I found reading through this tutorial (not hard-core, very easy read) helped me leaps and bounds. Think ahead. For example, where are the mountains? Rivers, biomes, et cetera.
I actually don't think it is that ugly. Add some mountains and rivers and think hard on what lives where, and boom, it's a wonderful world. What's wrong with taking inspiration from our world? I like the "med" especially, it adds a new dynamic. There's a whole flow that is not felt in our world. I don't think it is too unoriginal.
Kelks looks fine to me, and I'd make the northern isthmus of Kelks into a mountain-heavy "get everywhere by sea" type deal, and try to make greco city states there. Geographically? a very vague question to ask.
Abaddon
Deity
Map looks fine to me! I agree with Eltain.
3) create some cramped "cradles of civilization" to both force players together, but also in perhaps two different places in the world. Fun to see how the two different cradles develop,
3) create some cramped "cradles of civilization" to both force players together, but also in perhaps two different places in the world. Fun to see how the two different cradles develop,
kkmo
世界
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Thank you kindly for your response, Eltain. I have thought ahead and I definitely want to add mountains and rivers and create some biomes, as you mention. I have a basic idea of where those things will be, but it isn't concrete. The article you linked to is helpful.
I am glad you think it is not too unoriginal. I felt that taking inspiration from the real world is immensely useful and makes sense. Then within that initial skeleton, I can change things around. For example, the Horaseans are polytheistic.
Any other comments are most welcome.
kkmo
世界
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It was intentional. I wanted to make it look similar to Eurasia, but not entirely so. I think I might have gone overboard, and that I could make some more variations. But the variations that exist now are significant, I think (the most significant being how compressed it is compared to Eurasia).
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
1) No, Reminds me a lot of rfRAND though.
2) Looks fine, but personally I would widen the northern coast a little bit.
3) Central Horaseans would be terribly unconnected until you add in some rivers. Conversely, you can add to the affect by dividing up said rivers with mountain ridges, forming lots of valleys,
Having the Himalayas as a Second Mediterranean would change lots of things... maybe too much. However, having the Tarim Basin equivalent a largish we oasis, perhaps by making some Himalayan rivers flow north instead of through China/India equivalent. This will still block contact during earlier times, but eventually speed up trade through the asian equivalent interior.
2) Looks fine, but personally I would widen the northern coast a little bit.
3) Central Horaseans would be terribly unconnected until you add in some rivers. Conversely, you can add to the affect by dividing up said rivers with mountain ridges, forming lots of valleys,
Having the Himalayas as a Second Mediterranean would change lots of things... maybe too much. However, having the Tarim Basin equivalent a largish we oasis, perhaps by making some Himalayan rivers flow north instead of through China/India equivalent. This will still block contact during earlier times, but eventually speed up trade through the asian equivalent interior.
Abaddon
Deity
A ^ for hills and a ^ for mountains would work for me 
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
rfRAND is Rhye's and Fall of Civilization Random.
Rhye's adds a bunch of extra stuff to model the rising and falling of different civs based on stability. Each tile has a city name for each civ attached to it.
In Rand, it uses varying styles of Earth Maps with varying degrees of randomness, while still giving some familiarity (Usually Japan won't end up in Britain equivalent, but Britain Equivalent might be a peninsula not an island)
Rhye's adds a bunch of extra stuff to model the rising and falling of different civs based on stability. Each tile has a city name for each civ attached to it.
In Rand, it uses varying styles of Earth Maps with varying degrees of randomness, while still giving some familiarity (Usually Japan won't end up in Britain equivalent, but Britain Equivalent might be a peninsula not an island)
erez87
Lord of Random
just something I wanted to share. It finally starts to look nice, but all of the layers are hidden
It might become a NES soonish. Might not. Depends on whether or not I succeed in designing a family-based stat rules that aren't too strict or too unstrict, easy to update and easy to maintain.
It might become a NES soonish. Might not. Depends on whether or not I succeed in designing a family-based stat rules that aren't too strict or too unstrict, easy to update and easy to maintain.
Attachments
nutranurse
Unlikeliest of Slash Fics
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Yeah, that's the problem with family-based stats/rules. I would love, love, love to participate in one, but god knows I don't want to mod one. Too much stuff to juggle.
erez87
Lord of Random
nutranurse
Unlikeliest of Slash Fics
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I actually really like the simplistic maps.
edit: Though I would say make the base map color something other than blinding-white.
edit: Though I would say make the base map color something other than blinding-white.
Eltain
Deity
I like the simplicity too, and the different sized mounains/hills just add to it. What's beyond the outer mountain range? And I'm really like how the mountains end in a peninsula and islands in the north, very realistic without drawing away from the rest of the map. Which are the olives vs farmlands? And I have trouble distinguishing between the rivers and roads, just me.
erez87
Lord of Random
The white is only the base color. There are also a nations map and a biomes map to explain stuff out. I'm still thinking about how to go with coloring the sea...
As for hard time distinguishing, I took away from the pictures look on purpose to it might be easier when It's on 100%. I don't want to give away everything
Beyond the mountains there is nothing really other than what the "design layer" that has just basic information and some names of stuff. There will be more groups of people there. Go read the Ethnos of the world on that ideas thread to know what you will see on the starting map.
As for hard time distinguishing, I took away from the pictures look on purpose to it might be easier when It's on 100%. I don't want to give away everything
Beyond the mountains there is nothing really other than what the "design layer" that has just basic information and some names of stuff. There will be more groups of people there. Go read the Ethnos of the world on that ideas thread to know what you will see on the starting map.
kkmo
世界
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To erez: I really like your map! Like others mentioned, the simplicity is wonderful.
To everyone: Here is my work so far on the new Sekai map. I would appreciate feedback.
Up until a few days ago, I barely knew how to use Photoshop. I was upset because I paid for a student version a while ago. I spent a few boring days at work on Cartographer's Guild. Have any of you (besides Eltain) seen the site? I just registered. Find me as kkmo and friend me.
Here it is, in spoiler:
Sekai 2.0
And just for fun,
Sekai 1.0
Now I have gone through a few tutorials. And I borrowed all of my texture patterns from that site. But actually, I sort of prefer the simplistic style to a map (like erez's, or the old Sekai). So I might not even use this version I am posting now. Thoughts?
Lots to do, I imagine. I want to have one map that shows regions, such as this one, and another for player nations, roads, etcetcetc. I wish I could put them all together, unified in a single map. Any tips on how to do that? Adrogans also gave a nice idea: I could label racial distribution once players have established their nations.
Any tips would be helpful. I posted this at the Cartographer's Guild, too (actually an older version). Is the font terrible? How can I make more contrast between the text and the darker features? This a long-term project, so any advice you give I will undoubtedly have time to try it out. Work has been uneventful for the last few weeks.
Oh and a big thanks to Eltain. His helpful work on my LotRS map inspired me to get more self-sufficient with this stuff.
To everyone: Here is my work so far on the new Sekai map. I would appreciate feedback.
Up until a few days ago, I barely knew how to use Photoshop. I was upset because I paid for a student version a while ago. I spent a few boring days at work on Cartographer's Guild. Have any of you (besides Eltain) seen the site? I just registered. Find me as kkmo and friend me.
Here it is, in spoiler:
Sekai 2.0
Spoiler :
And just for fun,
Sekai 1.0
Spoiler :
Now I have gone through a few tutorials. And I borrowed all of my texture patterns from that site. But actually, I sort of prefer the simplistic style to a map (like erez's, or the old Sekai). So I might not even use this version I am posting now. Thoughts?
Lots to do, I imagine. I want to have one map that shows regions, such as this one, and another for player nations, roads, etcetcetc. I wish I could put them all together, unified in a single map. Any tips on how to do that? Adrogans also gave a nice idea: I could label racial distribution once players have established their nations.
Any tips would be helpful. I posted this at the Cartographer's Guild, too (actually an older version). Is the font terrible? How can I make more contrast between the text and the darker features? This a long-term project, so any advice you give I will undoubtedly have time to try it out. Work has been uneventful for the last few weeks.
Oh and a big thanks to Eltain. His helpful work on my LotRS map inspired me to get more self-sufficient with this stuff.
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