Cartographers Guild

[bryguy]

Archipelago sounds like a musical concept. Maybe its jsut a conincidence.

An archipelago (pronounced /ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ/) is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago literally means "chief sea", from Italian arcipelago (artʃiˈpelago) , derived ultimately from Greek arkhon (arkhi-) ("leader") and pelagos ("sea"). In Italian, possibly following a tradition of antiquity, the Archipelago (Greek: Αρχιπέλαγος) was the proper name for the Aegean Sea and, later, usage shifted to refer to the Aegean Islands (since the sea is remarkable for its large number of islands). It is now used to generally refer to any island group or, sometimes, to a sea containing a large number of scattered islands like the Aegean Sea.

lol gimil you didnt know what an archipelago was?


well, i do admit it sounds like a musical concept...

and it is a funny word.. archipelago

and i didnt know much except that it has something to do with islands...


oh well, now i guess im more learned

[wcaclimbing]

So i was thinking if we had some kind of Teamwork with this site. Like all maps and such is devolped in Carographers guild or you find layouts there and such. And is then taken up for the next step in cc. Would that be a bad idea if they say yes?

I think bad idea.
The Guild looks like an indavidual-based group. From what I've seen, people just post what they have and its done.
Here on CC, everything goes through multiple revisions, and it is more team-based development. Even though there are quite a few good artists over there, I don't think the two systems would mix too well.

[Androidz]

So i was thinking if we had some kind of Teamwork with this site. Like all maps and such is devolped in Carographers guild or you find layouts there and such. And is then taken up for the next step in cc. Would that be a bad idea if they say yes?

I think bad idea.
The Guild looks like an indavidual-based group. From what I've seen, people just post what they have and its done.
Here on CC, everything goes through multiple revisions, and it is more team-based development. Even though there are quite a few good artists over there, I don't think the two systems would mix too well.

kk=D

[t-o-m]

Archipelago sounds like a musical concept. Maybe its jsut a conincidence.

An archipelago (pronounced /ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ/) is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago literally means "chief sea", from Italian arcipelago (artʃiˈpelago) , derived ultimately from Greek arkhon (arkhi-) ("leader") and pelagos ("sea"). In Italian, possibly following a tradition of antiquity, the Archipelago (Greek: Αρχιπέλαγος) was the proper name for the Aegean Sea and, later, usage shifted to refer to the Aegean Islands (since the sea is remarkable for its large number of islands). It is now used to generally refer to any island group or, sometimes, to a sea containing a large number of scattered islands like the Aegean Sea.

Archipelago sounds like a musical concept. Maybe its jsut a conincidence.

Are you talking about the layout of the islands or the name Archipelago lanyards?
Because if im not mistaken an Archipelago is a cluster of islands isnt it?

dang fast posted by a scot

[bryguy]

So i was thinking if we had some kind of Teamwork with this site. Like all maps and such is devolped in Carographers guild or you find layouts there and such. And is then taken up for the next step in cc. Would that be a bad idea if they say yes?

I think bad idea.
The Guild looks like an indavidual-based group. From what I've seen, people just post what they have and its done.
Here on CC, everything goes through multiple revisions, and it is more team-based development. Even though there are quite a few good artists over there, I don't think the two systems would mix too well.

actually, that was my first impression also. After being a member for about a week now, Ive discovered that theres a section that you can post maps in if your positive they are finished, and another where you can post them if you need people to comment on them.

[fireedud]

lol gimil you didnt know what an archipelago was?


well, i do admit it sounds like a musical concept...

the music concept your thinking of is either a capella or arpeggio.

[bryguy]

lol gimil you didnt know what an archipelago was?


well, i do admit it sounds like a musical concept...

the music concept your thinking of is either a capella or arpeggio.

definately arpeggio. thanks


[/thread-jacking-my-thread]

[Gamerprinter]

I'm one of those mappers from Cartographers' Guild - just dropped in to say "Hi". I have no doubt I create maps really not of your flavor.

CG was actually introduced to the Conquer Club from a member named Widowmaker, from back in April...

http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1738&highlight=conquer+club

Which we thought were some awesome maps!

The idea of collaboration between our sites sounds cool, except, your comments throughout this thread is correct in thinking our maps and your maps are completely different animals, though I think we can both appreciate the work each performs.

Though many, like myself, post maps with no collaboration at all, many newbie mappers post their first entry and immediately an army of CG mappers descend to offer tips, ideas, and mini-tutorials within many posts - so their is some level of collaboration.

I really lack the time myself to collaborate as I spend most of my non-work time, creating commission paid for maps for small RPG publishers and individual game masters.

I'm also sure, I'm a user of software, no here has heard of, truth tell, only 2 other members at CG use's as well. Xara Xtreme 4.0 - kind of raster/vector hybrid application, inexpensive, but not free, like GIMP or Inkscape. I use it in my daytime graphics/digital printshop, so its my choice for mapping as well.

Most of my maps are much higher resolution than those found here, but then I'm spoiled in owning a 42" wide large format inkjet printer - so my map designs are generally intended for printed output, not for use online.

However, I have been doing commission and contest mapwork strictly for Virtual Tabletop applications, like MapTools - online sharing of maps, chat, messages to play a tabletop game like Dungeons & Dragons with a group of friends or participants around the world.

I also operate Gamer-Printshop a website dedicated to printing large format color and black and white maps for individuals and publishers. I've become a print-on-demand shop where cartographers post their wares (add markup to printing and shipping costs I apply) to sell to clients around the world.

Again, not you're kind of maps, but here's my partial portfolio of maps...

RPG Map Portfolio

Anyway, just saying, "Hello".

GP

[ZeakCytho]

You've got some pretty awesome maps in that link there! Glad you decided to stop by CC

[pepperonibread]

Yeah, we all know Widow... he's alright, I guess...
Kidding of course. Seriously though, looks like there's a lot of cool stuff at CG. I really like some of the maps in your folder.

[wcaclimbing]

welcome to Conquerclub!

CG looks like a great forum. I've already learned a lot from the tutorials section, and it's helping me a lot.
Maybe sometime I might post a map or two over there. They'd be maps made for conqerclub to play Risk with, but it wouldn't hurt to show them over there also.

Feel free to invite some of your friends over here. We always need more mapmakers

[Gamerprinter]

This is my latest map I'm working on for my own gaming group. I'm currently working on the first of a series of regional maps that I may eventually repost to replace this existing map.

Though I could easily add national borders that could make this more like a RISK map. But I might require additional work to conform with your requirements.

Anyway, a design using Xara Xtreme, a technique I'm developing myself.

Note: this is a big map, still only 1.4 MB JPG (so I'm posting as a link, not a pic).

Continent of Celanta

If you're interested in Xara at all, you could try the free 30 day trial. I have several tutorials, including one for Regional Maps, using the same techniques as the above map all in the Tutorial Forum at Cartographers' Guild.

GP

[Androidz]

This is my latest map I'm working on for my own gaming group. I'm currently working on the first of a series of regional maps that I may eventually repost to replace this existing map.

Though I could easily add national borders that could make this more like a RISK map. But I might require additional work to conform with your requirements.

Anyway, a design using Xara Xtreme, a technique I'm developing myself.

Note: this is a big map, still only 1.4 MB JPG (so I'm posting as a link, not a pic).

Continent of Celanta

If you're interested in Xara at all, you could try the free 30 day trial. I have several tutorials, including one for Regional Maps, using the same techniques as the above map all in the Tutorial Forum at Cartographers' Guild.

GP

I love that trees below Sacrens rift (damn forgot the name) their xtremly good.:O

[gimil]

Sorry to be so vain but alot of that looks like cutting and pasting of photos. Tell me if im wrong >.<

[Gamerprinter]

Sorry to be so vain but alot of that looks like cutting and pasting of photos. Tell me if im wrong >.<

In a way, you are very much right, but I am using transparency, feathering, image fills for doing this particular technique I am developing.

However, I also do hand-drawn work, 3D modeling/rendering, etc. I use many styles and techniques. Many use image fills within hand-created objects from various site, though few use actual photo textures. I do not see anything wrong with it.

I am an artist, but in the end, all I care about is the result, not the method. If the end result pleases me, than I did good.

If you think I cheated - I don't care. I would have painted the textures if I thought it would be better, I didn't. And felt perfectly comfortable using photo textures instead. Although this map is for my own game - I get paid for creating maps like this...

Most of the photos are from http://www.cgtextures.com - check them out yourself.

GP

[gimil]

Sorry to be so vain but alot of that looks like cutting and pasting of photos. Tell me if im wrong >.<

In a way, you are very much right, but I am using transparency, feathering, image fills for doing this particular technique I am developing.

However, I also do hand-drawn work, 3D modeling/rendering, etc. I use many styles and techniques. Many use image fills within hand-created objects from various site, though few use actual photo textures. I do not see anything wrong with it.

I am an artist, but in the end, all I care about is the result, not the method. If the end result pleases me, than I did good.

If you think I cheated - I don't care. I would have painted the textures if I thought it would be better, I didn't. And felt perfectly comfortable using photo textures instead. Although this map is for my own game - I get paid for creating maps like this...

Most of the photos are from http://www.cgtextures.com - check them out yourself.

GP

Easy there kid! I didn't accuse you of cheating. The end result is all that matters. I jsut didn't want to sound like a jackass and so chose my word wisely.

Mission failed gimil >.<

[Gamerprinter]

Sorry, my response was too strongly worded. I didn't mean to offend. I was a little shocked that someone would find using photos to be a problem. I just wanted to emphasize I use whichever techniques best suits my needs at the time and using aerial photographs and digital camera shots for natural textures seem natural in map making.

If you look at my portfolio, in my first post here, you'll see that about half the maps are hand-drawn, scanned and digitally colored. So I do other things than just use photos.

I see nothing wrong with that, that's all.

GP

[lanyards]

Sorry, my response was too strongly worded. I didn't mean to offend. I was a little shocked that someone would find using photos to be a problem. I just wanted to emphasize I use whichever techniques best suits my needs at the time and using aerial photographs and digital camera shots for natural textures seem natural in map making.

If you look at my portfolio, in my first post here, you'll see that about half the maps are hand-drawn, scanned and digitally colored. So I do other things than just use photos.

I see nothing wrong with that, that's all.

GP

It would be cool to see someone from the Cartographer's Guild make a map in the CC forum, and have it run through the process. The map would get different types of feedback and the maps might turn out looking nice and different then other maps.

--lanyards

[Gamerprinter]

Actually there are rare instances where I use pretty much a photo cut and paste technique to create map objects. In RPG mapping, "map objects" are pre-made content like individual trees, buildings, monsters, etc used to place into a map. I never use map objects created by someone else - I consider that cheating, so I create my own.

Here's a photo I cut with a mask, then sliced into multiple pieces with a glow shadow added to create a broken statue map object. I generally prefer to the work more creatively, but I draw/create "things" much better than I do "people".

Attached is my broken statue map object laid out in tutorial form - I used Xara Xtreme 4.0 to create this:



GP

[t-o-m]

Here's a photo I cut with a mask, then sliced into multiple pieces with a glow shadow added to create a broken statue map object. I generally prefer to the work more creatively, but I draw/create "things" much better than I do "people".

Attached is my broken statue map object laid out in tutorial form - I used Xara Xtreme 4.0 to create this:



GP

Couldn't that just be made using any old programme? That isnt hard to do.

[Gamerprinter]

I must have been unclear. I was showing an exception to my rule, "where I usually don't rely on photographs exclusively for the creation of map objects." Generally I create shapes, apply varying levels of transparency, layer effects, bevels, edge feathering and sometimes photo fills to achieve realistic terrains.

The above example relies on the photo for the object creation - something I normally do not do, nor condone in my creativity. And here's an example where I break my "rule."

Yes, this could have been created in upteen dozen different applications. The difference is creating that map object in Xara only took 5 minutes. The previous continent map took about 3 hours to complete.

One particular mapping commission project I am working on as sole cartographer will be involving hundreds of maps over the next couple years with completed maps being used in game after each one is complete (or within that week.)

Being that this is the case for much of my work, I require an effective application that can create very quickly, Xara Xtreme is my choice for fast, effective software. I could have created all this in GIMP, it just would have taken me twice as long or longer to duplicate.

Again, timely results is what matters and that's my only goal.

GP

PS: I keep hitting "save" when I want to hit submit - I'm not used to the navigation in this forum... its different than most forums I'm used to.

[whitestazn88]

um... their maps aren't like... game maps... they're like... real maps... from what i'm seeing

[wcaclimbing]

um... their maps aren't like... game maps... they're like... real maps... from what i'm seeing

but they could easily be turned into game maps without too much trouble.
Just simplify the textures a bit and add some borders and names and you've got a fairly decent map.

[bryguy]

um... their maps aren't like... game maps... they're like... real maps... from what i'm seeing

but they could easily be turned into game maps without too much trouble.
Just simplify the textures a bit and add some borders and names and you've got a fairly decent map.

yep, what he said



like a picture i posted a page or 2 back, the one by steel general, that could easily be made into an awesome map

[Gamerprinter]

Although Cartographers' Guild caters to all types of mapping, especially for use in games. The majority of maps are for storytelling games - like Dungeons & Dragons, but there are hundreds of others from cowboys to Battlestar Galactica, in every timeline real or imagined.

There are generally 3 levels of maps: world/continental, regional or urban map, and tactical scale. In Roleplaying Games continental and regional maps serve as flavor and background to give the gaming group a sense of where they were at in their ficticious world. These maps would probably best be used and converted to RISK type gaming scenarios.

Tactical scale maps are 1" = 5' scale used for print or online map application for use in painted lead miniature figures or character tokens for digital platforms. It helps determine things like: range, terrain movement difficulty, obscured vision and an immediate lay of the land for both combat systems and aesthetics.

The tactical scale map is the closest thing to "board game" scenario for Roleplaying Games.

I think there are many experimental mappers at CG who would be willing to give a try at creating board game maps, like those here at Conquer Club.

The maps we create are "game maps" just for a completely different kind of game.

GP