# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Virtual Tabletop/Battlemap Mapping >  Sunken Temple...

## Simon33600

Ok, my initial idea was to create an abandoned temple to a sea godess, that was taken over by Sahuagin...

Now, my initial thought was for a fairly decrepit thing, half inundated...


Now, the end result is actually in a much better shape than that initian thought...

I might revisit it at some point, however, but right now, this is the result as it stands...



Ideas and suggestion are welcome and, as usual, furniture elements come from Dundjinni...

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## Simon33600

Ok, so I went ahead and made the decrepit version I was talking about**:




*Shrug*; I don't know how much I like it yet, but I am rather happy with the partly underwater statues...

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## Jacktannery

Hi there - I love your columns - I think they look really great. Also your wave mosaic is very lovely indeed - I like how the mosaic and columns are nice and big, and that the map in general is quite simple and not too cluttered.

For the decrepit version (if you don't mind me offering my opinion) I'd consider toning down the saturation of the entire piece significantly (particularly of the grass, bush and desks), then adding some bluish-green (rather than greenish) water over. This might help to reduce the 'cartoonish' effect. Adding some ripples might also make the water look more watery. The only other thing is a line of green pixels along the length of the right-hand fallen column which looks very pixelated and should be fixed.

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## Simon33600

> Hi there - I love your columns - I think they look really great. Also your wave mosaic is very lovely indeed - I like how the mosaic and columns are nice and big, and that the map in general is quite simple and not too cluttered.
> 
> For the decrepit version (if you don't mind me offering my opinion) I'd consider toning down the saturation of the entire piece significantly (particularly of the grass, bush and desks), then adding some bluish-green (rather than greenish) water over. This might help to reduce the 'cartoonish' effect. Adding some ripples might also make the water look more watery. The only other thing is a line of green pixels along the length of the right-hand fallen column which looks very pixelated and should be fixed.



Thanks for the advices.

What do you think of it now...

Mostly, I am not sure about the ripples...

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## Jaxilon

It's looking very nice. 

If you want to get really technical about it, the water would go up the grout lines a bit farther than where it stops along the tiles do to absorption and the fact that a grout line is a lower than the tile surface. Very minor detail but true, unless everything is really waterproof which for an indoor space would be unlikely. I'm just pointing out a really small detail so feel free to ignore it.

What is the feel you are going for here? Is it a happy place with the sun shining down that has just been abandoned or are you heading for a darker scarier feel? The reason I ask is because to me the coloring seems fairly..I dunno...friendly maybe?

You could add in some rubble around where the columns are busted up and to show some wall erosion but it depends on how long entropy has been at work.

Maybe I've given you a couple ideas to add in but either way, keep up the good work!

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## Jacktannery

Hi Simon, yes its an improvement, though I would have de-saturated the map a LOT more (desks are still way too reddish and bush too green/red; grass is looking better though). The colours still clash to my eyes. One thing to consider is your purplish floor tiles. Purple+Blue/green=brown. Please note that I have very odd views on colour and that you should ignore all this advice completely. 

Also you have two types of water on your map: the nice clear blue water, now flooded by the yucky green water. This is a bit confusing - I recommend removing the nice clean water completely from the flooded map.

Getting rid of the column pixelation improves the map - well done. Also the ripples are pretty good, but I have an idea for you water. Rather than using a block shade to represent your water, why not use a 50% opacity water image. To do this, do as follows (based on you using GIMP, as you note in your profile):
1) google images 'water texture'. This gives you a LOT of options. Pick one (or if you prefer pick 2 and overlay them). For example, this one http://th08.deviantart.net/fs11/PRE/...e_by_Jshei.jpg or this one http://www.soultravelmultimedia.com/...er-Texture.jpg are similar to your orginal greenish dirty water.
2) Go to the largest version of that image and then either right-click and 'save as .png/.jpg' to your desktop and then bring it into your temple map, or else 'copy image' then paste it into your map.
3) Scale the water image/rotate the water image until it covers the temple - note don't worry about using this as a 'texture'. Reduce opacity to c. 50% or whatever. Do NOT delete the bits you don't want yet.
4) Find your existing water layer. Place this new water layer directly below it. Don't delete your old water layer yet.
5) Add layer mask to water layer. Make this BLACK.
6) Select your old water layer and ALPHA TO SELECTION, then select the new layer mask of the new water layer and FILL WITH WHITE. Now you can delete your old water layer.
7) Run a GAUSSIAN BLUR (Filters menu) at c. 100 pixels on the black and white layer MASK (not the image of the water!)
 :Cool:  Adjust opacity and decide how it looks. At this point you can delete the water image and replace with another ones, to try a bunch out. Also use the HUE/SATURATION option to play with the colour.

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## Simon33600

Thanks guys for the very good advices!

Here, I tried to take everything into account...



The central water pool is needed as the Sahuagin reinforcement will come from there (it connects to the deeper sea and, when the temple was active it was used for propitiatory sacrifices).

The place is mostly neutral, it used to be the temple of a neutral divinity of nature and, when the humans move away, the Sahuagins move in. Still, these creatures are not all that evil. Violent and cruel, to be sure, but not metaphysically evil as demons would be...

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## anomiecoalition

Its really cool...but maybe some shadows on the objects to give us a sense of depth.

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## Jacktannery

Huge improvement - great job. I like how you've allowed the water to lap up the bottoms of the columns. The entire focus of the map has shifted since your first one: the first map was too busy colourwise and my eyes were drawn to the edges of the map. Now, my eyes are instantly drawn to the flooded temple - A + + +!

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## jtougas

That looks great !! The map really sets a scene and it has a great feel. Have some rep  :Smile:

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## Simon33600

> Its really cool...but maybe some shadows on the objects to give us a sense of depth.


Hurm, for some reason, the shadow layer got lost at the bottom of the pile of layers...

I took it back up and added a few more shadows, mostly to have the shadow of the standing columns project further, a "sense of depth" as you said...

Now, I wonder if I may have overdone it a bit...






Anyway, what do you think guys? Should I officially class it as a "WNLIP"? I know there is a section of the forum specially for finished maps; but I have never used it as, so far, I always found my maps to be kinda blah...

But, thanks to all your advices and kinda words, I feel that this one could end up there and not tarnish the guild's reputation too much...

What's your opinion?

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## jtougas

I think it's great. If you like it (and that is all that really matters) post it in the "Finished" map section. We all know maps are never really "finished" only "Complete to the best of our knowledge and current skill" Great work  :Smile:

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## Simon33600

Very true... I shall do that on Friday...  Thanks for everything!

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