WIP - Map of Eredane. 1st version

[Dain]

All right guys, the map is now waiting to be called "finished". I'm just waiting for your approval.
I also have a big list that needs to be posted, integrating the MN Gazeteer. That will help to quickly get the references.






here is the most interesting picture, the quite large Jpg version of the map. 4716X4108 resolution, 15Mb!  Enjoy.
http://www.ombredunord.com/midnight/eredane-cs2-e-full.jpg
or with 85% compression (1Mb and 4.6 Mb)
http://www.ombredunord.com/midnight/eredane-1920.jpg
http://www.ombredunord.com/midnight/eredane-full.jpg

If the links don't work, follow this one:
http://www.ombredunord.com/midnight/


Once called finished, I'll work on the other versions:
Version 2 will be with black mirrors and version 3 with nexuses.

Then, after that, I'll use another technique to map Eredane, in a more colourful manner. Can't wait to try that one, it is a really nice technique

Hope you'll like it
Cheers

[sshagent]

truly excellent.  i wish i had a fraction of the talent you possess to create this.  thanks a lot for sharing

[Lgaard]

OMG, this is awesome.
Do you mind if I have it printed and pinned up to the wall in my room? 

[Doomed Hero]

I'm highly impressed. That being said, here's the critique (not that there's much)

- There is an unlabeled town near Al Kadil (to the northwest). There's another one next to the barren forest. Is that purposeful?

- I'd really like to see something denoting the burning line.

[Kane]

Dain,

The map is flat out amazing!  The colors used and the style of the mountains, forests, etc, really seems to fit the setting.  My wife will likely kill me, but I'd also like to get a big print of it.

Kane

[Dain]

Thanks guys,

I'm highly impressed. That being said, here's the critique (not that there's much)
- There is an unlabeled town near Al Kadil (to the northwest). There's another one next to the barren forest. Is that purposeful?

There are actually quite some towns unlabelled and this is on purpose. In fact, we can find a lot of towns unlabelled in the MN sourcebooks and sometimes, we get a name with the release of follow up sourcebook. Sometimes, they don't overlap and it's impossible to know anything about them. They are there, precisely drawn but they don't have a name. I suppose FFG planed to do something with them but didn't get the time or ressources to built a story about them.
I wanted the map to be as thorough as possible and that's why they are there In my mind (and since the original file of the map will be available) It is a good way for GMs to fill the blanks and add their own touch, by giving them a name and a story.

- I'd really like to see something denoting the burning line.

That will be done. A missing point for me :/

[dimitri mazieres]

This is simply marvelous, Dain. Would it be possible that the final version be in a standard printing compatible size (A0, A1, etc)? I'm fearing that were I to try print this work of art of yours, I may encounter problems due to the format.

Keep up the excellent work! 

[Dain]

Well honestly, I must admit that I didn't think deep enough about printing before starting and this is maybe going to be a problem. I blame myself not to have thought about this before 
When printing a document, the standard is 240-300 pixels per inch, to get a good quality. Unfortunately, I created the map with 100 pixels per inch. I actually just used the standard setting.

According to the European sizes we've got this:
A4: 210X297 mm
A3: 297X420 mm
A2: 420X594 mm
A1: 594X 840 mm
A0: 840X1188 mm

The file we've got is 4716X4108, an equivalent of 1197X1043 which I though should be enough to be printed in AO size.
but because of the 300ppi I was wrong.

According to Photoshop, with 300ppi we've got a printed size of:
240 ppi: 499X435mm or 19.65X17.11 inches
300 ppi: 399.5X348 mm or 17.52X13.70 inches
which are just fine for an A2-A3, which can be considered as an good size anyway.

I'll print it in A2 (4 times the size of a standard page) and see how it goes. It cost 29aud for me to print it but I need to see with my own eyes the result on a paper
What I'll do is to enlarge the folded parchment to make it bigger than the rest and fit the regular ratio of 1.4142. This way, I'll be able to burn the edges once printed and make it even nicer.

Next time I'll work with 300ppi, for sure :/

[Dain]

Hi guys,
I wasn't really happy with the glow effect around the labels which made a conflict between the old style/ hand draw thing and the digital glow effect.
So I try to find another solution 

Here is one I'm quite ok with. But what do you think?
Only some of the labels have been changes with an underlying banner scroll. Since there are about +100 labels to do, I prefer to get your approval first

cheers
Dain

[Dain]

So I'm in the last lap of finishing the map, using this old style kind of thing, and would like to fill the blanks about the unnamed Places/ Villages/ Strongholds.

There are many places unlabelled and I was wondering.
- Could it be better to leave the places unlabelled or to add one, even if it is non canon? So then, would you mind posting a list of nice names so I can pick some from it? (or even use specific ones for specific places)
- Better to leave it blank but with an empty banner scroll so you could easily write your own name above?
- No name, no banner scroll, nothing. Keep the mystery
- Something else?

My own opinion is to add names, just because it makes the map in a more "finished state" and that it is easier for GM to quickly talk about about these places without thinking about finding a proper name for them. Moreover, all these labels will have comments and references in a text file so then nobody will be confused about which one is canon or which one is not. I could also use a different color for these non canon names but I would prefer not, but keep a consistency in the scheme.

What do you think?

[Pheros]

Hey Dain,

Beautiful work, as always.

Personally I don't think the glow or the banners are needed...just the words on the map would be sufficient, and more olden style...and if it's hard to read, that's more of a feature than a bug.  But if you're keen on picking one, I'd say go with the scrolls.

I think more detail, even if not canon, is better.  Having blank scrolls around the map might be awkward.  Though, if there are no scrolls or glow, it makes it easier to customize.  But to answer your question, either more names, or no additions...meeting halfway would seem odd.

Keep up the great work!
Joe

[Dain]

Personally I don't think the glow or the banners are needed...just the words on the map would be sufficient, and more olden style...and if it's hard to read, that's more of a feature than a bug.  But if you're keen on picking one, I'd say go with the scrolls.

The thing is that reading the names when the label is over forests or mountains is really a pain in the A. Since I d'like to propose frames that will let GM able to easily print some part of the map, being able to easily read the lable was one of my goals. But I completely understand what you mean. Just that I'm not comfortable with the idea.

I think more detail, even if not canon, is better.  Having blank scrolls around the map might be awkward.  Though, if there are no scrolls or glow, it makes it easier to customize.  But to answer your question, either more names, or no additions...meeting halfway would seem odd.

Tha map will be available in several versions. Labelled, no labels, no scrolls etc. I'll make a zip file to make it easier.
The other thing I'd like to do is to make the the photoshop file (.psd)  available too. I just need to check with Nif whether I can upload a 311Mb file in the download section.

The last file is there, not good compression though:
Resol 1920x1672: http://www.ombredunord.com/midnight/eredane-1920-100%25.jpg
resol 4716x4108: http://www.ombredunord.com/midnight/eredane-full-85%25.jpg

Now, I'll work on the dark mirrors and nexuses

[Doomed Hero]

The smaller screenshot versions look beautiful, but the full map loses clarity for me by the time I zoom in far enough to read the scrolls.

[Dain]

The smaller screenshot versions look beautiful, but the full map loses clarity for me by the time I zoom in far enough to read the scrolls.

Yes, even with a big monitor you can't really see things until you zoom in. This happens with high resol maps and I can't really help with that.
At normal zoom the scroll banners seem a bit big though, and their location could probably fit a fit better if they would all follow the same pattern, meaning like all of them on the right side of their markers/ dots and 3pix away from them.
I'll try to change some little things...

[Pheros]

Could you possibly print the file as a PDF at full size and resolution?  That would preserve the detail lost in screenshots.

Of course, the file would likely be a hundred MB or so...

[Doomed Hero]

I certainly don't mind downloading the full res map, as long as the site (or somewhere we can link to) can handle it and host it.

[nightflier]

May I suggest uploading the map to rapidshare or megaupload and post links here? I would love to have this map printed.

[Dain]

May I suggest uploading the map to rapidshare or megaupload and post links here? I would love to have this map printed.

Something like that will be done once the map is finished, I promise. I'm almost done

[JustinInOz]

This is a pretty bloody nice map.

Any news on its progress?

[Dain]

The map is finished now but I still struggle to find nice frames.
And I need to finish the map with Black mirror and nexuses
Well, I guess I shouldn't wait and post what I've got so far

I'll do that

[Dain]

I've just finished to upload the file in the Download section.
This will be available as sson as the admins have a look and are reassured there is no illicit matter in it

Now, I need to keep going on the rest 

[Doomed Hero]

Awesome! Want!

[Nifelhein]

I won't approve it, ever, I want to keep it for myself.

it is approved, grab it while it is hot.

[JustinInOz]

That is a wicked map.

C'est tres bon!

[Dain]

C'est tres bon!

That's nice
I'll do my best for the other continents then