[WIP] Asentyne

[Daelin]

It's been a while since I've made a WIP-thread for one of my maps. I guess I just don't value ya'll's feedback and criticism enough to let you have your say on my work while it's being made... ah, that's not true, I'm kidding! My finished map posts have a tendency to turn into WIPs anyway, since I receive loads of great feedback from the CG, and then I go back and fine-tune the "finished" map and post the updates.
Well, I thought I'd try posting a genuine WIP this time.

This is a city map. Been a while since I've done one of those, too. Of course, everything you see is subject to complete reworking or deletion, but so far, I'm happy with most things. This is about 10-15 hours of work. The vast majority of that is simply placing the buildings, especially the small individual blocks. I use Photoshop's shape tool, so the buildings are actually path-based. I find it gives me the best control of the layout of my city. It's dang cumbersome work because PS's vector-based tools aren't that advanced (obviously). It would probably be easier to use a vector-based programme, like Illustrator, and then import that to PS but... meh.

Anyway, let me know what you think! Anything you particularly like, or don't like at all?

[Weery]

I really like the design and variety of the buildings. And there's great character in the locations named so far (especially having an Oliphant Oil Processing Plant ).

Maybe some areas of the map could do with a little more saturation (the trees and some of the land and coastal areas maybe) but the colour scheme is actually really nice and suits the desert-like theme indicated by the Cenotaphs.

Thanks for posting your progress

[XCali]

Wow, nice job!

And you say 10-15 hours... incredible. I really like a lot about your map. But I'm just going to comment on how your forest which is reeeeeelly nice and your buildings which has their own character. It suits the map. In fact, I would like to ask YOU how you did your buildings.

Keep up the good work.

[Daelin]

Maybe some areas of the map could do with a little more saturation

I'm guessing that by saturation you mean variation in color? Because, yeah I definitely plan to do that. But that's a final touch thing, and I am nowhere close to that, yet!

In fact, I would like to ask YOU how you did your buildings.

As stated, I use polygonal shapes in Photoshop. These are then rotated, stacked, and/or joined, when I place them. That way, I "plan out" the layout of streets and buildings as I place them. The shapes have various layer styles attached to them, obviously a bevel, a drop shadow and a few others.
So far, I have used over 2000 shapes. And my estimate is that I am about 20% done placing all the buildings I want in my city. Yikes!

[Matthew VE]

Wow, fantastic! I really love the buildings. Actually, I love everything. Keep it up, I can't wait to see it finished!

[jizerai]

I like the map a lot. Getting a mixed futuristic and old civilization feeling from it. Really cool!

[The_Sleeping_Dragon]

Beautifully drawn and wonderful attention to detail. I echo the comment on the variety of buildings and one can see the evolution of the City or so I believe so just wish to check

There is an inner wall by the sea and the cenotaph of great heroes perhaps the Romulus and Remus of this ancient fantastical world. In anthropological terms this would potentially represent the first settlement and might have the most primitive housing and least organised street layout. The city has then developed in layers (often wall might go up first and then one see infill but as often we see housing creep as the initial defences become too constructed so houses are built outside the defensive wall necessitating a second and then third wall)
We then have a further period - a change in Government or religion has seen a new complex built, more orgnsied building layout, based by a better port (possibly an older port facing to the east has silted up?), and the new complex has straight paved streets and shiny new buildings and has begun to knock down and declutter the older city. The new power base sits outside the three walls of the city and this perhaps is my only concern for surely they would seek to extend defences OR has technology become such that walls offer no defence?
Essentially just the design so far already is suggestive of a fascinating history but still begs questions over the social structure eg would the older inner part of the city have become a rich sanctuary or a deserted slum? Has the new order taken full control or is there risk of civil strife? What is the technological change that has seen the new buildings and complex to the centre of the map and how will this eventually interact with the rest of its attached community? What ecological, topographical or geological change led to the new order, what political consequences resulted and has this seen a change in technology making defensive walls redundant or is a fourth wall now envisaged even taller than the first three, built of modern substances and techniques, bright grey white compared to their dark granite grey and many times as thick or is this society now civilised to the point of passive resistance?

Brilliant map, wonderfully drawn, just trying to live there hence asking questions

[Daelin]

Brilliant map, wonderfully drawn, just trying to live there hence asking questions

Oh my. Thanks for the kind words. Also, so much thought and interest you've put into the lore of this city... I must say, that's even more of a compliment than the literal praise.
And all of these questions. Dude, I haven't even put as much thinking into it as you have, so I don't have many answers, if any.

But yes, I have tried to make Asentyne look like a city that has naturally evolved through centuries, into a comparatively modern age, and the street layout does indeed attempt to reflect that. Who are those people that the cenotaphs were constructed? I have no idea. Founders of the city? Sure. Saints of some old religion? Maybe. Sorcerers of fantastical magic? Why not. The trio of walls do reflect the "pre-industrial" origin of the city, and so yeah, the streets inside the walls are more organic but what the rest of of Asentyne will look like, including the outskirts and possible additional walls, I don't know. I'm making it up as I go along, homie. As to the ecologi-, topographi-, geographi-, politi- and all the other -cals of the city? That you assume that I have put any thought into that, haha, that's sweet, you're cute.

Anyway, so very much thank you for the comment, it always feels great when let you know that they care about your stuff.

[Steel General]

This is coming along quite nicely

[Daelin]

A small update.

Moved the building labels down to the legend and made district labels instead. This is the same layout as in my Maffaton map, and I really like it, and this is probably what I will go with. That's because it enables me to come up with a metric ton of silly names for the various interesting places in Asentyne, I that's basically what I make maps for. The map will have a small regional map in the lower right corner to situate the city in the world. Also, added a relatively few (read: A LOT!) more building, including the central market in Asentyne. The striped black border is somewhat of a placeholder until I come up with some cool-looking embellishments, or I might just make a whole new border altogether, who knows...

Anyway, feel free to comment away!