SimCity 4: Map-Making Discussion

[vovan]

Well, since we started going a little off-topic in the SimCity MP thread, I figured we need a map-making discussion.

Everybody who makes a region map for SimCity 4, feel free to post it here, as well as your questions / suggestions / concerns about mapmaking.

I'll kick it off by providing a link to Maxis' Art Director's article:

Creating Custom Regions in Photoshop by Ocean Quigley.

Please go through it before posting further questions. However, you don't have to use the photoshop method for the regions to submit them here. I am sure we would all like to see all and any creations.

So, all in all, this is the place to discuss, and show off, custom SimCity 4 regions.

[vovan]

I'll start us off by posting two of my own creations.

Region number one: My very first attempt at a region in Photoshop. Kind of rough on the edges, but quite playable. Though it is geared towards a more experienced player (just look at those mountains everywhere. )

[vovan]

The Second region I wanted to post might look familiar to some of you strategy players out there. If not, just look at the name in the lower-left corner. It really is still a work in progress, but I think that the contours of the continents came out pretty nice. I still need to add some mountains in Lordaeron, and Khaz Modan, and some forest closer to Azeroth, but the main continents and rivers are done.

[Adagio]

Here's my map... Well, and old picture of it, I have made some changes on it, to make it look better... On this picture you can't see all the map, but the island at the edge, is about as big as the other islands...

I have tried to make some other maps, but couldn't make one, I liked better than the one I got now, so I haven't saved them...

[General Ludd]

Here's the map that I'm currently playing with:


The bitmap I used (14x14km grid, if I remember correctly)

As you can see, I'm touching it up and modifying it as I create cities. and the islands didn't turn out very well so I'm just going to sink them into the sea and make my own when I want to. I had to rework the river alot because it didn't related to the grid very well.

And you may of noticed that I acidently saved the image with my "water layer" merged to the terrain by mistake.



After making the mountain ranges in that map, I went over the taller mountains with some random small lines of darkness, and then went over it again with a light brush untill they where only just barely noticeable, I find this helps make the mountains look a bit better.

[vovan]

Hey, Osweld,
I think it's a really cool map that you made. The problem with your river was that you used a rather bad config.bmp file to configure your city grid. Thus you had to edit the river so it wouldn't be on the edges of the cities, but entirely inside, so that you would be able to make bridges.

I messed around with your elevation file a little bit, and made a brand-new city grid, and the result is attached. As you can see, all the cities have both banks of the river inside, so you can build bridges, and also the islands are not cut into pieces. If you want, I can post the zip with the new elevation map, and config.bmp, so that you could download it and then import the cities you already have into the new and improved region.

[General Ludd]

I wouldn't be able to import my cities since the lots that they are on have changed with your grid, but I'd like to have it anyways - it's much better.


I've already bankrupted all those cities anyways.

[vovan]

Originally posted by Osweld
I wouldn't be able to import my cities since the lots that they are on have changed with your grid, but I'd like to have it anyways - it's much better.

There ya go.