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Theoretical Map for the Continents


shadowwulf
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I am new to gfx art to begin with but here is a first try at using paint.net to make a map. I read through a tutorial that i now think is crap after making this. but please tell me what you think.

remember its a rough/first attempt mainly to get the feel for the program, but also any pros out there that can tell exactly what i did, please offer contructive alternatives.
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Well, as a long time follower of the whole Crystal Genesis project, I decided to take a stab at the map…I rarely do my maps as textural representation, but thought it seemed like an interesting project, anyways.

Obviously, it's the same map you posted, but with slightly redrawn borders and textures. Check it out. Tiny version is preview only, real map is the link below it:
![](http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo14/Amperglyph/TinyCGMap.png)
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo14/Amperglyph/Reindex.png
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Using my usual technique, which is to photograph things and process those into textures…which is a complex and rarely the same set of sampling, color adjusting, scrambling, and such until it looks sufficiently arbitrary. Grasslands and mountains were both patterns I made a while back, forest was a new one for this map, but I've definitely had others turn out better. Mountain also had some low-opacity beveling in order to give it the "shape." Ocean texture was actually just the original, but at a different scale with some color tweaks.

Generally, when texturing things, you want to have diversity in the textures. Because you used the same texture on every surface for the original map, it became much weaker, say, when done in black and white (Which would be a dealbreaker if you want to publish it in a book). The pattern diversity of the edit allows it to carry equal information whether the colors are present or not.

By the way, if you're looking for anything else, like minor changes, labels, stuff like that, I'd be happy to do them for you. Just make sure to give me credit, that's all I ask.
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hmmm if i did some really crappy(i would be giving an honest try though) conceptual designs in paint… would you be willing to do them?
I would only be able to offer full credit when it comes to the game...
If i add it(them) to the book as full color 2 page spreads... then maybe we can work something out if you want more than just credit.(i did sell one sample work! lol)
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rofl. was a bunch of random shaped to be honest…

my suprise is no one else thought the SE continent was a grunt from Halo...

EDIT: in regards to MrMiguu's comment- I plan on completing a small continent fully... it will have all the major aspects thoguh such as, plenty of wilderness to roam free in(more like get yourself utterly lost in), many areas of civilization from small towns stranded in the wilderness, to great kingdoms decked out medieval style with outerwall peasent living, inner plots for lords and vassels, and of course the castle for the king.

I am unsure at this point if I will make the kingdoms some kind of rewards for active players... or maybe guilds... would be interesting to see a guild have a kingdom rather than a small guild hall...

If you are thinking about awesome raids and castle seiges... stop, you will ruin one of the great suprises... :)
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@MrMiguuâ„¢:

> The one thing it doesn't have is a well blended transition between the actual land and the sea, If that was better it might not taste so good.

Um…I honestly can't comprehend the meaning of that phrase...I don't really see how an improvement would make it taste worse. But, I'll agree that the disagreement between the appearance of the land and that of the sea was my biggest disappointment coming out of this map. May put in a little more work to fix that, if Shadowwulf asks for it.

EDIT: Seems like I missed a few things, here and there...what I had thought was one reply was actually four.

Also, in response to the southeast continent thing, I thought it was a cardinal. Northeast looks like an arm making a thumbs-up...
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@Amperglyph:

> Um…I honestly can't comprehend the meaning of that phrase...I don't really see how an improvement would make it taste worse. But, I'll agree that the disagreement between the appearance of the land and that of the sea was my biggest disappointment coming out of this map. May put in a little more work to fix that, if Shadowwulf asks for it.
>
> EDIT: Seems like I missed a few things, here and there...what I had thought was one reply was actually four.
>
> Also, in response to the southeast continent thing, I thought it was a cardinal. Northeast looks like an arm making a thumbs-up...

Well that was supposed to be a metaphor to make it look more realistic, as in not taste so good. lol sorry if I confused you. Anyways It looks great and I think it looks fine as it is, but the actual layout makes it literally look like food on a plate.
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this isnt the actual layout. I am honored that Amperglyph took on making it look better, but i am concerned about making the full map available to anyone as i would hope to keep the possible other continents a suprise…maybe... idk.

all i know is i suck at shaping and texturing and transitioning the areas....
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I think the main problem is you have basically the same texture (or atleast texture style) for every geographical feature. Plains look different than mountains, and forests, and oceans, more so than their simple color. The second map was really nice in this regard; the only thing I didn't like is the political borders are distinct and stand out; they should blend more so you can see the geography under them.

But anyway, I prefer the simulated "ink on paper" drawn style of map, like I did for Seven Nations:
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/annacomnena/gfx/7nations/world-map-geo-1.png)
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@Anna:

> But anyway, I prefer the simulated "ink on paper" drawn style of map, like I did for Seven Nations:

Right, I had mentioned that I wasn't too into the idea of textured representation, which seems to be generally what people in the independent game industry use…I usually like to make my maps look like they've been drawn on paper, as you demonstrated. Not to mention that I try to come up with more random shapes than seen here; I wanted to completely reshape the western continent, but was worried about how that might affect his game design. I'll definitely see what I can do about more delicate political boundaries, though...wasn't really taking them too seriously this time.

Just a random note, though...Shadowwulf, you mentioned that the continent shapes you used were just random ideas, which seems to conflict with the fact that the title is "Actual Map for the continents."
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@Anna:

> But anyway, I prefer the simulated "ink on paper" drawn style of map, like I did for Seven Nations:
> ![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/annacomnena/gfx/7nations/world-map-geo-1.png)

cough… cough... Tolkien... cough.
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