[Map] Here be Orcs!

[La Bete]

brain unfrozen

aha! i finally figured out why i (somewhat irrationally) didnt like the idea of straight lines for roads/rivers... Last year, while I was looking for a mapping program, i came across wilderness mapper, a utility similar to hexmapper. it had a roads/rivers function which drew straight lines for them. i remember doing a couple of quick maps with it, and didnt like the results. suffice to say, i was much happier with hexmapper, and esp. after i got darrakeths tileset.

 

[hong]

Okay, I now know a bit more about how to drive PSP.

Take 2, on the area around Skara Brae. Added in rivers, roads and text labels. Any feedback most welcome. I'm basically clueless when it comes to design aesthetics.

 

[Darraketh]

Okay, I now know a bit more about how to drive PSP.

Take 2, on the area around Skara Brae. Added in rivers, roads and text labels. Any feedback most welcome. I'm basically clueless when it comes to design aesthetics.

Hong, *sniff* that map is beautiful.

I was thinking that when drawing rivers and roads that one could vary the color of them to denote their differences.

Examples
highway - black or dark gray
road - brown
trail - lt brown or lt gray

fast flowing river - dark blue
slow wide river - bluegreen
rapids on a river - lt blue
lava river - dark red
stream or creek - blue

I guess the key *hee hee* to using all these different tiles and colors is to make a key and that is easy enough with HexMapper.

Just start with a blank hex grid and place one or more examples in the case of terrain, and label it off to the side. Do the same for rivers and roads, draw an example place a label.

Personally I use PSP for all labeling and drawing. The results are so much nicer IMO.

 

[Darraketh]

Re: brain unfrozen

aha! i finally figured out why...

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Hey La Bete, I has thinking that one can use your seacoast overlays to depict lakes! What might be useful is a series of lake overlays that fit on one hex. Perhaps using those lighter colored shallow water tiles.

More importantly I've come to the conclusion that it is to everyones benefit that there be no definitive tileset. Instead it should be mix and match. Each mapmaker should build their own set. Editing the hexlist.txt file is pretty straightforward.

With that in mind we could just churn out all manner of tiles for everyone to use.

I've mentioned before that some of the tiles I made originated from PC games and wallpapers.

With that in mind, if anyone has seen something, that would make a good hex ,in a game, a textured wallpaper or any other pic, they could do a screen capture, crop it to the relevant portion, leaving room for editing, and post it so we can make a hex out of it.

 

[GravyFingerz]

Darraketh, could you please send me your tileset?

It looks very pretty, and I like it better than the default tileset.

My email is talath@psnw.com.

Thanks

 

[La Bete]

Lakes.... mmmm. Pretty straightforward really. I'll get to work on it, i\suing the shallow tiles.

Aso to "default tilesets". essentially you are correct. given different peoples different requirements for maps, and preferences for handling coasts/rivers etc, it really is up to the indivdual to mix and match what tileset they want.

that said, the tileset youy used intially is a good start

for ease of mixing, its best if different tileset components have different UIDs. IIRC, the habitation tiles (overlays) can have any UID from 001-999. ditto for the terrain tiles. For example, with my seacoast tileset, I think I gave them UIDs of H500+ (not at my normal PC, so Im not sure. Obviously this isnt practical for all sets, but it might help for those creating bulk sets to stake-out a UID range.

In any case, I'm out of here for three weeks, so enjoy yourselves, and lets see some more cool maps. Im with Darraketh on this -GO HONG!

Also, if anyone wants the coast/seacoast tilesets i have created, email me at
beastliness and I can send them to you before I leave tomorrow. If youve already asked, and I didnt give them to you, its not because I dont like you, ive just been V. busy

Lastly, a request. IMC campaign, one of the worlds my party goes to is an Iceworld - if any artistic types out there feel the need to create some some snowy moutains/hills etc, I would be eternally grateful...

 

[hong]

Okay, here's instalment 3 of the Britannian map series. This is the West Road between Ember (where our heroes are at the moment) and Paws. Technically there is no West Road in Ultima, but I'm claiming artistic license.

There's a bunch of artifacts resulting from squashing the pic down to fit under the durn 100Kb attachment limit. The full-size map, and the previous two, are also on my web page:

Trobridge and environs

Skara Brae and northern Spiritwood

The West Road

PS. Hope you like the town name, D.

 

[hong]

Hong, *sniff* that map is beautiful.

Ta. I'm finding this to be remarkably fun, in a retro sort of way.

I was thinking that when drawing rivers and roads that one could vary the color of them to denote their differences.

Examples
highway - black or dark gray
road - brown
trail - lt brown or lt gray

fast flowing river - dark blue
slow wide river - bluegreen
rapids on a river - lt blue
lava river - dark red
stream or creek - blue

Not a bad idea. I'll have to experiment to see which colours look the best. And I was having enough trouble just deciding what colours to use for text.

Personally I use PSP for all labeling and drawing. The results are so much nicer IMO.

Yeah, that's what I'm doing too.

 

[Darraketh]

Hong, I'm truly honored.
I've been experimenting with the line width of rivers making two smaller rivers combine into a larger river as denoted by its darker color and greater width line.

I made my world map with the 24mi/hex scale and I've come to the conclusion that depicting roads at this scale may be pointless. One could assume, in more populous areas, one or more roads would be present. At the least there could be a web of dirt roads connecting all the villages and towns or is this a misguided view?

Perhaps at this scale I should at least indicate paved roads.
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La Bete, that is an interesting idea regarding UIDs. I wonder how many tiles the program can keep track of.

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I'm disappointed that I haven't see more maps considering the number of people who've requested the tilesets.

I am so grateful that Hong is posting his maps. I find them truly inspiring. I'm looking forward to taking my 24mi/hex world map and zooming into a smaller scale.

 

[drowchick]

Hi Gang-

Just for kicks and giggles I created a Yahoo group where hexmapper enthusiasts can upload/download custom tilesets, get links to groovy software and learn more about hexmapper. You can also put your custom designed maps in the files section for all of us to admire.

This Yahoo group is by no means meant to detract from this brilliant forum, but is a place where we can put our creations in cyber space that is relatively organised and easily accessible. That is, until one of us makes a mega-site with maps and links and download ares and whatnot dedicated to this fun program.

The picture I put up is one I quickly threw togther, don't be too harsh in judging it. If you do join, please feel free to add links and folders and the cutom tilesets (hint hint).

If I see you guys in there, groovy! If not I will pout and cry and all will be chaos.

Okay, I won't pout.

Ciao-
drowchick
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hexmapper_Haven/