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Who can create a game board featuring real world geography?

17 replies [Last post]
Mon, 01/11/2021 - 07:56
Epistemologist
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Map 0.55

Using Worldographer I created this map for my playtests (with credits to Campaign Cartographer for the pictures of the buildings).

As you can see, the map contains five terrain types, cities, names and production values.

This map is fine for playtesting. However, I'd like to upgrade my prototype to a 'normal' map, without hexes. How can I best go about creating or attaining a real map?

I know that Campaign Cartographer is a useful tool for this, but it would take me a lot of time to learn to use the program.

Is there someone here with the skills to create such a map (for a reasonable fee)? It would just be for playtests, not for production.

Alternatively, is there some easy-to-use software out there that I'm not aware of, which I could use to create it myself?

Thanks!

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Mon, 01/11/2021 - 10:08
#1
terzamossa
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Inkarnate

Hi Epistemologist,
not sure if this helps, but for fantasy maps there is https://inkarnate.com/ which is free for most basic components. I am not sure if you can easily lay down a hex grid on top of it though.
If it is only for playtest anyway you can just as easily use the one you already have, or modify it on Powerpoint without having to learn any new software.
Cheers,
Antonio

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Mon, 01/11/2021 - 11:51
#2
Epistemologist
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Thanks

Thanks, Terzamossa. I'll check it out!

To make myself clear: I do not want a hex map. I already have a hex map, but that is merely because Worldographer was the easiest software to make a map. I want to upgrade to a non-hex map, with real, flowing borders.

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Mon, 01/11/2021 - 13:46
#3
Jay103
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Like.. Risk, you mean?

Like.. Risk, you mean?

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Tue, 01/12/2021 - 10:09
#4
Epistemologist
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Yes, like Risk! Except with

Yes, like Risk!

Except with different terrain types. And the seas are to be divided up in regions too.

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Tue, 01/12/2021 - 11:42
#5
Jay103
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Why not just take a

Why not just take a public-domain world map and draw your own borders where you want them?

I guess I'm not sure what it is you want done for you.

Are you looking for someone to invent a fantasy map that isn't a real-world map?

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Thu, 01/14/2021 - 05:51
#6
Epistemologist
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It's more complicated than that

No, I don't want a fantasy map. As you can see in the attachment of my opening post, the map features the eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia.

Jay103 wrote:
Why not just take a public-domain world map and draw your own borders where you want them?
I haven't been able to find a real world map of this region that has a high enough resolution. Also, as I said in my opening post, the map I want to make has five different terrain types, whereas the real world isn't divided into neat regions of different terrain types. Also, the mountain regions must include mountain passes (i.e. these regions can only be entered/left from/in certain directions). So making the map is going to take quite some work. It's not just a matter of drawing in borders over an existing map.

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Thu, 01/14/2021 - 07:01
#7
X3M
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A "do it yourself" option?

Maybe you can do it yourself if the quality is not a primairy requirement.

I assume you want to use a texture for each type of region?
If you are willing to draw the borders yourself. I could write a little tutorial here.

I experimented a lot in the past.

What you need in advance is an original map and the 5 textures you want as seamless textures expanded to the map size.

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Thu, 01/14/2021 - 09:54
#8
larienna
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I created this

I created this map

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/3085975/larienna

Using wikipedia creative common maps in vector format and modiying them by moving vertex, fusionning shapes and putting colors using inkscape.

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Thu, 01/14/2021 - 16:09
#9
questccg
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DIY ... but very technical. But DO-ABLE!

larienna wrote:
I created this map

Yeah I was thinking, IF you have a LOW-RESOLUTION PNG or JPG, you can PLACE the image into Illustrator and stretch it to the size you want (of your HI-RESOLUTION board). Then you can set the transparency to 50% of that layer and DRAW VECTOR lines and shapes ON-TOP of the low-res image.

This would produce a HI-RESOLUTION Vector file (.AI) which you can COPY/PASTE into Photoshop. And then you can COLOR the map in HI-RESOLUTION with whatever colors you like and complete the board/map.

Of course this is a VERY DIY method. But it WOULD work... I've used this technique for card LAYOUTS and it is very effective.

Note #1: You can use the COPY/PASTE technique on each individual area (or one layer at a time). And then build layers in your Photoshop file (.PSD). Once you are done, you can SAVE AS a PNG or JPG and you will have a COLORED "HI-RESOLUTION" version of the initial map...

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Fri, 01/15/2021 - 12:17
#10
Jay103
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Or hire someone to do that,

Or hire someone to do that, which I think is what he was asking originally :)

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Fri, 01/15/2021 - 13:00
#11
Jay103
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You might not get something

You might not get something you'd want to publish, but at least for a prototype I bet you could find someone decent at

https://www.fiverr.com/gigs/fantasy-map

I went to fiverr for a few things.. I got two things I didn't end up using (manual layout, which I did myself, and the game logo, which I handed to my artist to make a real logo), one person didn't finish and I got a refund, and one person I ended up using for all my final-version map tiles (24 pieces of art)

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Fri, 01/15/2021 - 16:53
#12
Epistemologist
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Thanks!

Hey, thanks for the suggestion, Jay! Fiverr is a good idea. I already went there and contacted someone. :-)

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Fri, 01/15/2021 - 21:59
#13
questccg
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Something to consider

Epistemologist wrote:
Hey, thanks for the suggestion, Jay! Fiverr is a good idea. I already went there and contacted someone. :-)

Just remember to ASK for a LAYERED Photoshop file not a PNG or JPG. Why? Because it gives you more "flexibility" to add Text and other details at a later time (if this ever does happen). Also you would have the SOURCE file in the event that your Map Designer no longer has it or that you NEED to deal with someone else. It might be a bit pricey-er ... But worth the aggravation if you do have the source file handy.

Cheers!

Note #1: Notice that you should ASK for an ADOBE "CS" Compatible Layered file (.PSD). "CS" is the first version and ensures the maximum compatibility of the file, even if some fancy or new techniques are not available... This ensures that you will be able to open the file and other people you deal with will also be able to open it as well...

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Sat, 01/16/2021 - 09:44
#14
Epistemologist
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Thanks, Quest. Yes, I will

Thanks, Quest. Yes, I will make sure to get all the source files, not just an output file.

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Sat, 01/16/2021 - 18:12
#15
Jay103
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Actually you'll probably want

Actually you'll probably want illustrator documents, not PSDs.

Usually on fiverr you need to get a premium package to get either source files or commercial rights (if you need the commercial rights).

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Sat, 01/16/2021 - 18:22
#16
questccg
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Rendered images are done in Photoshop (.PSDs) with layers

Jay103 wrote:
Actually you'll probably want illustrator documents, not PSDs.

I don't think COLORED maps are in Illustrator. Those fantasy maps that have all kinds of Textures are made in Photoshop. Even if some of the basic elements are made in Illustrator (like subdivisions and areas), the "rendering" of the image is ALWAYS done in Photoshop.

Jay103 wrote:
Usually on fiverr you need to get a premium package to get either source files or commercial rights (if you need the commercial rights).

That's why I told him he should ask for the SOURCE files because the artist may no longer be on Fiverr or he/she may not be doing commissions, etc. There are all kinds of reasons which would encourage YOU to get the SOURCE files to ensure the longevity of the MAP and it's "editing"...

Note #1: Also remember that multiple applications may be used: Illustrator and Photoshop. In that case, you would want BOTH files. And FONT files too... If the artist uses non-standard FONT types. So it may be file(S) with an "S" for plural.

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Thu, 11/10/2022 - 18:07
#17
kpres
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snazzymaps

If you can overlay a hexagonal grid over any map, then what you're really looking for then is getting a realistic map with the right colours, labels, and lineweights. You can do that using https://snazzymaps.com. It takes the same data source that Google Maps uses, and lets you configure everything that's visible. It's very useful, and I use a greyscale version for doing location maps for projects in the real world.

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