Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

Honestly to tell the truth, I'm much more content with the jungle as it currently is even though that's mainly because it allowed me for ample room for the plains while allowing Ne Quin'Al to be all big, bad, and sandy.

I haven't posted in this thread yet, but I've been tracking the progress, and the blending on the jungly bits has improved by a lot, but I still think it stands out a bit too much. The overall location seems good to me though.

On the OB issue, I dislike the direction Bethesda took, however as it is the latest installment we do have to accept the changes made, and that's that, really.

You have been in now way wronged by Beth.

Also, I think there needs to be a tad more desert.

I think we must start calling you Jaggy-Jak the Desert Cat, DAs. Be not disconcerted - the heightmap size will give you more area than you might have thought to have - and there was the capricious nature of the desert winds and dust and sand blowing about will serve to thoroughly disorient the weary or impatient traveller.

Plus another quality of the sands themselves is that they might uncover stuff as the traveller approaches, and then cover those bits and pieces :evil: :brew: once the traveller has passed

Plus the shape of the Dunes themselves might change?

Plus there will be a problem with maps and other means of guidance in the desert. Maybe it is Khenarthi's capricious and playful winds that do this, or maybe Nirni does not want people there for some reason?

From what I see on the maps the deep dune Desert runs from Dune to Orchrest. Generally it is the Ne'Quin-al that people call the Desert and that is where it is. So the rest is badlands that would have to taper off as they approach Cyrodiil and Valenwood or we would be reading about some kind of encroachment.

There may be bluffs that parallel the Xylo River banks and shelter the River from the desert winds?

Therefore not sure that the Desert needs to be bigger. No mention of desert in Cyrodiil or Valenwood anywheres = so there has to be a Green Border, and then transition to Savannah before Badlands and Desert.

Rimmmen would be rocky more than sandy I think from your pics? So that would be a tail of badland type desert stretching that way.

It does seem that the Cities ring the desert?

Southward is more problematical. :yes: and open to interpretation, but jungle needs a lot of moisture so there has to be a lot of land separating the two.

This is one of the reason's why I was thinking about holding off slightly until the Alpha 3.0 release (aside from still not being satisfied with the methods of coloring the desert I've attempted so far hrug: ). Once that's out I can see closer the regions and adjust the map accordingly. Possibly something like instead of coming up with a color for the dune section of the desert I could attempt a coloring of the shadows that would be cast by the dunes. Possibly do something similar for the badlands and color in the more rocky areas and some of the (assumed) rock formations sticking up from the dry cracked earth.

Just wondering if you have a layers option in the graphics package you use?

More often that is how reflective light, sunlight etc are represented, but layers can be very good with shadows too if you add a little paler reflected light to illuminate them from within.

Raggidman, of course I have layers, what kind of novice do you take me for? :lmao:

Aaaaaaanywho, another reason why I'm anxiously awaiting the alpha 3.0 release is that I'll get to draw up a map for Orcrest (it is going to be in it right?).


I'm still fully undecided how I want to draw it, but I'm definitely leaning more towards a simple line drawing (no actual coloring, per se), with the city drawn like one of the old panoramic maps of cities like 1800's maps of Manhattan Island. A nice little drawing of the map at a (roughly) 60 degree angle looking downward.

I could still do a top-down rooftop drawing which would better layout the streets, but with the proper angle a panoramic map could still effectively display the roads and buildings of interest.


If'n all yinz would like an example of what I had in mind, lemme know and I'll dig up an image.

p.s. for all you international types (which I'm under the impression is, well, most if not all of you) "yinz" is the Pittsburgh, PA equivalent of y'all. Don't ask me how that came about but I'm assuming several centuries of predominantly Dutch/German immigrants coupled with the strange dialect that is American English spawned this odd and strictly regional term.

Why I felt the need to say this... I'm guessing I had one too many cups of coffee.

That would be really cool. Orcest will be in the Alpha 3, but it is still unfinished....its a BIG city....

BIG city, eh?


I'm getting all giddy thinking about it. This will be the first time in awhile I've had the chance to create a city based map that isn't just a top down/basic layout deal. I'll get to draw buildings! I haven't had much opportunity lately aside from random architectural studies based on the old Armory near my dad's office building.

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner that I've never heard that expression 'yinz' from the Steel City But I saw a great film about how things went over there when they started laying off the steelmen! Good to know that people from Pittsburg still have hot fire in their hearts and a strong imagination.

The derivation of yinz has me baffled too! - unless there is a connection with Hebrew? A lot of different folks wandered over your way from Europe over the centuries.

Lot of people here have good skills and experience, but use very simple software. hrug: So it's useful to know which ideas are within your reach.