August/September 2017 Challenge: Darkwood Harbour

[Mouse]

Its all looking very beautiful, XCali

[ChickPea]

This is going well! I love the harbour area particularly.

[XCali]

Its all looking very beautiful, XCali

Hehe, thanks Sue. Much appreciated.

This is going well! I love the harbour area particularly.

Thanks! I find it curious that you like the harbour area so far. Any reasons that stood out for you? If I may ask.
I'm a bit in the dark about where to go next with the harbour. This is my most detailed one yet, and I've only started. So any feedback is more than welcome.

[ChickPea]

Thanks! I find it curious that you like the harbour area so far. Any reasons that stood out for you? If I may ask.
I'm a bit in the dark about where to go next with the harbour. This is my most detailed one yet, and I've only started. So any feedback is more than welcome.

Mostly, I like the layout with the harbour area at sea level, then a cliffside path to the village. It has a nice authentic feel and it's visually very appealing. Also, I love the boat that's docked. It looks fantastic.

A simple thing you could do is to add some boxes or crates on the harbour, to make it look like the boat is either loading or unloading. It gives the sense of a working harbour. You could possibly dirty some of wooden boards too, either to simulate water patches or, you know, dirt! Maybe some fishing paraphernalia too? There's bound to be fishing of some sort.

[XCali]

Mostly, I like the layout with the harbour area at sea level, then a cliffside path to the village. It has a nice authentic feel and it's visually very appealing. Also, I love the boat that's docked. It looks fantastic.

A simple thing you could do is to add some boxes or crates on the harbour, to make it look like the boat is either loading or unloading. It gives the sense of a working harbour. You could possibly dirty some of wooden boards too, either to simulate water patches or, you know, dirt! Maybe some fishing paraphernalia too? There's bound to be fishing of some sort.

Thank you. I appreciate it.
I tried adding some boxes as a start. So, I hope it begins to add more of that flavor.
After I finished with all my building placement, I'll start with adding effects around the map.

[XCali]

Hi!

Today, I took the advice and placed boxes around the harbour to start making the it more, well, a harbour that is geared for trading.

I'm probably finished with my building placement to the right, so what still needs attention is the harbour area and to the left. It brings me to a question, however. What do I need to fill the left space with. An older part of the city? Or a rural area, or a cattle farm? I'm not too sure what would make the most sense in this city.

Just to make a note, after that, I will have to start with shading and touching up the land and sea textures.

### Latest WIP ###
Darkwood_Boxes and buildings_byOmri.jpeg

[Mouse]

Looking good, XCali

As to what to put on the right, that is very much up to you. Everyone has the same problem when designing a city out of thin air. I have it too right now with my own city.

I find it helps sometimes to just daydream about it without any pressure. I just sit and stare at the map (not necessarily focussing on it, but thinking about it, and what it would look like if I was walking around it.

I know larger more complicated buildings are more time consuming to draw, but maybe you could move some of the residential buildings out to the right, and add a few more buildings of key importance closer to the heart of the city - a town hall of some description, perhaps, or a library. Some kind of shopping street or market might work - something like that. Though like I say, these things are usually more central, rather than peripheral.

Think about what a city needs to function properly

[Falconius]

What I found useful was that tutorial with the scatter diagram idea generator for the city: CG Guide on Fantasy Cities 2nd Ed - R Shankar

[aeshnidae]

This looks wonderful! I particularly like the largest building in town. It has a great design and gives me a sense of the interior, too. I also like the gate in the cliffs to the left. Lots of possibilities there!

Falconius - Thanks for the link the scatter diagram idea generator. Looks like a fantastic resource.

[XCali]

Before I start, I just wanted to say, sorry I've been absent. I was working hard at getting my novel ready for publishing, so I didn't have the time to go on with this yet. But, I do see a few days ahead where I might be able to touch up on the map before the voting start.

Looking good, XCali

As to what to put on the right, that is very much up to you. Everyone has the same problem when designing a city out of thin air. I have it too right now with my own city.

I find it helps sometimes to just daydream about it without any pressure. I just sit and stare at the map (not necessarily focussing on it, but thinking about it, and what it would look like if I was walking around it.

I know larger more complicated buildings are more time consuming to draw, but maybe you could move some of the residential buildings out to the right, and add a few more buildings of key importance closer to the heart of the city - a town hall of some description, perhaps, or a library. Some kind of shopping street or market might work - something like that. Though like I say, these things are usually more central, rather than peripheral.

Think about what a city needs to function properly

I do, but it all needs time that I don't have at the moment. This map is far more ambitious than my Nessa'Mor map, so I feel I'll definitely have to see about doing a WIP after the challenge to get it to where I imagined it.

What I found useful was that tutorial with the scatter diagram idea generator for the city: CG Guide on Fantasy Cities 2nd Ed - R Shankar

Thanks! If I get a moment to really read into it, I'll be sure to do so.

This looks wonderful! I particularly like the largest building in town. It has a great design and gives me a sense of the interior, too. I also like the gate in the cliffs to the left. Lots of possibilities there!

Falconius - Thanks for the link the scatter diagram idea generator. Looks like a fantastic resource.

Thank you Aeshnidae I'm glad someone commented on the door finally. Hehe, I was quite happy with it. And yeah, I like the big building too. I'll see if it is going to be my campaign starter building.

So, here is to hoping I get the time and inspiration to finish most of the map before voting starts.