Rorke's Drift. [QUENCHED]

[natty dread]

Change the border colour back and add back the white glow. They worked wonders for your map.

[koontz1973]

You mean like this.

Click image to enlarge.

Just got to make them nice again.

[Bruceswar]

I like those borders better. Looking like you are coming along nicely. Much more clean and easy to read this way.

[Victor Sullivan]

I like those borders better. Looking like you are coming along nicely. Much more clean and easy to read this way.

Yes, though you need to fix the pixelation of the border along the river.

-Sully

[koontz1973]

Click image to enlarge.

Here they are.

What's next?

[DiM]

1. the black outside border from the river warriors terits (ayize bongani.....njabulo) looks very jagged compared to your other borders.
2. the warrior on the bridge doesn't have a shadow
3. i'm not too fond of the legend and title background. i think they're supposed to be a stone? it looks so clean.
4. if you want to change the bushes or the trees here the tutorial i mentioned. just make sure you chose a brush that looks like a tree/bush then toy with the settings i talked about.

tut

never underestimate the power of personalized brushes. create a shape of how you think a tree looks from above. let's say a star shape. now take that brush and set the background and foreground to 2 foliage colours (dark green and yellowy green) then do the following:

shape dynamics>
> size jitter 100%
> minimum diameter 0%
> angle jitter 0%
> roundness jitter 68%
> min roundness 25%


scatter> adjust as you please dependng on what you need

colour dynamics>
>fore/back 100%
> saturation 50%
the rest at 0%

and check smoothing.

then go ahead and paint what you need adjusting the brush size according to the height of the viewpoint.

after you paint put on some drop shadow and even bevel if it suits your need. but keep the bevel at a minimum.

here's a quick example. i didn't bother making a custom shape so i used a flower one. it looks rather bad on large trees but it works for small ones as the details are hard to spot.

[koontz1973]

1. the black outside border from the river warriors terits (ayize bongani.....njabulo) looks very jagged compared to your other borders.
2. the warrior on the bridge doesn't have a shadow
3. i'm not too fond of the legend and title background. i think they're supposed to be a stone? it looks so clean.
4. if you want to change the bushes or the trees here the tutorial i mentioned. just make sure you chose a brush that looks like a tree/bush then toy with the settings i talked about.

tut

never underestimate the power of personalized brushes. create a shape of how you think a tree looks from above. let's say a star shape. now take that brush and set the background and foreground to 2 foliage colours (dark green and yellowy green) then do the following:

shape dynamics>
> size jitter 100%
> minimum diameter 0%
> angle jitter 0%
> roundness jitter 68%
> min roundness 25%


scatter> adjust as you please dependng on what you need

colour dynamics>
>fore/back 100%
> saturation 50%
the rest at 0%

and check smoothing.

then go ahead and paint what you need adjusting the brush size according to the height of the viewpoint.

after you paint put on some drop shadow and even bevel if it suits your need. but keep the bevel at a minimum.

here's a quick example. i didn't bother making a custom shape so i used a flower one. it looks rather bad on large trees but it works for small ones as the details are hard to spot.

Thanks DiM, know you are a very busy boy right now but wow.
Some of it has already been fixed, territ lines and shadow.
Legend and title background can be changed but an idea would be nice. It is taken from a photo of a white washed wall (my house). This is in keeping with the theme but can look at alternatives.
Will give that tutorial a try and post some results later today.

[Dukasaur]

It's been quite a while since I've had a chance to drop by here. Looks like you've made a HUGE amount of progress. It's definitely a different generation of map from the version I remember!

Kudos!

[koontz1973]

Thanks Dukasaur.

Here is the latest image.

Click image to enlarge.

Ideas for consideration.
With the trees, do I go for a top down view or leave as they are. If I leave them as they are, do you want me to change trees.
The territ lines will stay as is.
Do I keep the white washed wall look (dirtied it up for DiM) for the legend or change it. If change it, then leave idea.
Got just under 3 weeks before work starts, so lets try to get this to the next level before then guys.

[isaiah40]

Okay this is looking good!.

Three things.
1.
Looks like the border goes through the grass but loses something.

2. Remove the drop shadow from the rocks as they look like they are floating slightly above the ground.

3. The color fill in the arrows is pixelated.

I'll take another look later! Keep up the good work!

[Victor Sullivan]

Better, but the dry river border is still a bit pixelated to me. Also, are the bushes flanking the 'wet' river necessary? I feel like you could drop them, especially considering you already have it in the legend as impassable.

-Sully

[DiM]

i just realised the map is not signed (unless you count having a terit named after you as a signature).
i think you should definitely sign it. perhaps in the bottom right corner.

[natty dread]

The borders drawn with the path tool seem a bit too simple... When compared to the dry river borders, for example.

I think you could try your hand in freehand drawing. If you work real carefully, it should turn out ok...

Alternatively, add some more vertexes in those paths, make them a bit more complex than simple straight or curved lines.

[DiM]

how about making the legend in the form of a parchment decorated with some victorian artwork that contains battle orders.
something like the image bellow. also i changed the bushes between dingane and zethembe using the tutorial i posted earlier. obviously without the psd file there's only so much i can do. i'm pretty sure you could make it better.

Click image to enlarge.

[koontz1973]

Okay this is looking good!.

Three things.
1.
Looks like the border goes through the grass but loses something.

2. Remove the drop shadow from the rocks as they look like they are floating slightly above the ground.

3. The color fill in the arrows is pixelated.

I'll take another look later! Keep up the good work!

That line in the bush was part of the bush and not the territ line. Broke it up so it no longer looks like that.
Removed drop shadows.
Sorted arrows.

Better, but the dry river border is still a bit pixelated to me. Also, are the bushes flanking the 'wet' river necessary? I feel like you could drop them, especially considering you already have it in the legend as impassable.

-Sully

Where is it pixelated. Can you give me a name as I truly cannot see it. I know there are areas where the line juts about in a short space but that is because I stroked the selection. I can do the territ line by hand next time.
The bushes by the river stay, because they would be confusion over the territ boundaries. Players would say why can I not attack that region. I know the water but they also cover the ends of the bridge.

i just realised the map is not signed (unless you count having a terit named after you as a signature).
i think you should definitely sign it. perhaps in the bottom right corner.

Signed it, just ran out of Zulu names with 3 left to do.

The borders drawn with the path tool seem a bit too simple... When compared to the dry river borders, for example.

I think you could try your hand in freehand drawing. If you work real carefully, it should turn out ok...

Alternatively, add some more vertexes in those paths, make them a bit more complex than simple straight or curved lines.

Only got a mouse so I will not hand draw the territ lines. I do not have that confidence yet. Maybe map 2 or 3 if I get that far. As I said above, I will re do the dry river border to match the rest. Will add a few more vectors in.

how about making the legend in the form of a parchment decorated with some victorian artwork that contains battle orders.
something like the image bellow. also i changed the bushes between dingane and zethembe using the tutorial i posted earlier. obviously without the psd file there's only so much i can do. i'm pretty sure you could make it better.

Click image to enlarge.

The parchment treatment is done way to much. It is also out of context for the time period. The symbols would also feel out of place. But thanks for looking at it. The orders would of been printed on clean linen paper like money is today.

Lastly, you bastard, 5 minutes gets you that bush, I have been trying for the last 3 hours to get something remotely similar and not having much luck.
Will take another look at the tutorial tomorrow and give it another go. Are you using GIMP or PS?

Tonights version. Not as much has changed as I would of liked but here it is.

Click image to enlarge.

A big thank you guys for all the help you have given up to now. This map would never of gotten this far without you all contributing.

[DiM]

The orders would of been printed on clean linen paper like money is today.

then do a printed linen paper legend if it fits the time period. i'd rather see a legend printed on paper than typed on stone.

Are you using GIMP or PS?

PS CS5.

[koontz1973]

Will do the paper for tomorrow then.

[natty dread]

never underestimate the power of personalized brushes. create a shape of how you think a tree looks from above. let's say a star shape. now take that brush and set the background and foreground to 2 foliage colours (dark green and yellowy green) then do the following:

shape dynamics>
> size jitter 100%
> minimum diameter 0%
> angle jitter 0%
> roundness jitter 68%
> min roundness 25%


scatter> adjust as you please dependng on what you need

colour dynamics>
>fore/back 100%
> saturation 50%
the rest at 0%

and check smoothing.

then go ahead and paint what you need adjusting the brush size according to the height of the viewpoint.

Translated to GIMP:

Firstly, to create custom brushes in GIMP, you can go two routes... if you need just a temporary brush, you can just select an area, copy it to clipboard, and it will appear in your brush window and stay there as long until you copy something else to clipboard. If you need something more permanent, you can create a new image, draw something, and save it as a brush (it needs to be saved in one of your brush folders, though).

For now, we'll go with the easier route. Create a transparent layer, and draw your tree shape there - colour doesn't matter. Select it with the rectangle selection tool, copy it, and then go to brush selection and select the very first brush, named clipboard. Your tree shape should be there.

Now, take the paint brush tool and set these settings...

Under brush dynamics: on the random-row, check "size" and "colour". Leave all other boxes unchecked.

Rest of the options: check "Apply jitter" with amount 1,20 (or so, between 1 - 1,50 is best I think), and "incremental", others unchecked.

Set the foreground and background colours as dark and light green. In case you want more than these 2 colours, you can check the "use colour from gradient" option and create a gradient with various shades of green.

[koontz1973]

Version 39.

Click image to enlarge.

What's changed.
Trees
Bushes
Legend
Territ lines
Little men (placement) Now icons
Rocks
Title legend picture
Font of legend
Arrows (removed pixelation)

[mr. CD]

Looking very good, nice koontz.
The lightgreen bushes look a bit fake though.
What are Zulus? The legend doesn't make that clear. Same goes for iButho.

The sentence "The 11 British Soldiers named all won the Victoria Cross" is a bit weird. Were there only 11 soldiers inside the outpost or did only 11 get the Victoria Cross?
Don't think you can win the Victoria Cross either.
If there were just 11 soldiers I'd propose something among the lines of: "All 11 soldiers defending the outpost were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour."
If only 11 got the Victoria Cross, something like: "11 British Soldiers, here inside the outpost, were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour.

~CD

[koontz1973]

Looking very good, nice koontz.
The lightgreen bushes look a bit fake though.
What are Zulus? The legend doesn't make that clear. Same goes for iButho.

The sentence "The 11 British Soldiers named all won the Victoria Cross" is a bit weird. Were there only 11 soldiers inside the outpost or did only 11 get the Victoria Cross?
Don't think you can win the Victoria Cross either.
If there were just 11 soldiers I'd propose something among the lines of: "All 11 soldiers defending the outpost were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour."
If only 11 got the Victoria Cross, something like: "11 British Soldiers, here inside the outpost, were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honour.

~CD

Can darken the bushes up a tad.

What are Zulus? The legend doesn't make that clear. Same goes for iButho.

Zulus = territs. iButhos = regions (different colours).
Was told to take out the iButho part of the legend. Do I need to put it back in?
You do not win the VC, it is awarded to you. Will change the wording.
Will post updates later but here is the small version for now. Having a lot of trouble with the legend in this one. Anyone have any solutions?
Large

Click image to enlarge.

Small

Click image to enlarge.

[DiM]

1. you lost the shadows for the soldiers and they now look very flat compared to the rest of the elements.
2. could you tweak the bevel on the bushes to make it less strong? (especially on the yellowish-green ones)
3. on the title you had the shield and the coat of arms. now you have 2 shields. bring back the coat of arms
4. i really like the new legend aspect. however i'm a bit bothered by the many fonts used there. some consistency would be great.

[natty dread]

The title font does not work...

Also, the new forest looks like a space alien's vomit. Not fond of the new bushes either.

[koontz1973]

1. you lost the shadows for the soldiers and they now look very flat compared to the rest of the elements.
2. could you tweak the bevel on the bushes to make it less strong? (especially on the yellowish-green ones)
3. on the title you had the shield and the coat of arms. now you have 2 shields. bring back the coat of arms
4. i really like the new legend aspect. however i'm a bit bothered by the many fonts used there. some consistency would be great.

Removed shadows just for the men. Will place back in.
There was no bevel on the bushes.
The coat was for the 24 foot regiment. Now that I have the armies coat of arms in the legend, I will keep it like this unless a few others say to change it back. Others have asked for the two shield. Damned if I do, damned if I do not.
The legend only has two fonts, just different ways of them. Will lose the differences. The small one only has one because of the size.

The title font does not work...

Also, the new forest looks like a space alien's vomit. Not fond of the new bushes either.

I like the title font. Got any suggestions on what it should be?
Did you not know, they cut that out at the end of the film. The bit when ET comes down and pukes all over the dead Zulus.
The bushes I like and they will stay. The trees I will have another go at.
Next 2 for you all to peruse.

Got the small ones legend problems delt with.
Changed some wording in the legend to exclude confusion.
Added iButhos back to legend.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

To do list.
Trees.
Legend font.
Man shadows.

Thanks for this and keep it coming.

[Sniper08]

what was wrong with the old trees? i didnt think they need changing. the trees look more like the bushes, revert back to the old trees they were much better.