AdventureDepot,
Hello and good afternoon. Dwarven establishments are some of my favorite to build, explore, and study. Thank you for sharing your work with us! Dwarven settlements call out to me because (in my world) their craftsmanship is heavily influenced by tradition, grandeur, and functionality. In your setting, what cultural factors drive the development of infrastructure? What are the limitations of technology? Do they use magic, or are they more traditional?
Looking at your map gives me the feeling of a dwarven district. It is grand in size, reciprocal without being redundant, and feels like part of a much bigger structure. Have you considered what parts of the district (if any) are carved from a preexisting natural cave system, and which areas were mined out for ore and building materials? How about ventilation (I can recommend some basic reading on the subject if you are interested)?
I enjoy the colors you have in your map, and the texture of the background is quite nice. I am having a bit of difficulty comprehending some of the walls in the darker areas (like 7, and the hall to 8 ). Perhaps you could use a shade with better contrast to make it pop from the background? I enjoy the golden color of the markers on the revised version much more than the teal; however I feel given the in-depth and immersive addition of accurate light sources (my favorite part), the text takes a bit of that away by being so similar in color. In continuing to agree with Tilt’s review, I feel a more uniform color would greatly enhance both your work on lighting and legibility. My eyes are not the best, having spent many many long nights poring over books without a proper light; so I find the text you used in the previous version to be much more readable. I see such potential in your map, and can hardly stop myself from prattling on and on with ideas that may not fit your desired style; so I shall conclude my rant by asking if you had considered a harsher border? Something that gives it a “dwarven frame” feel?
In closing, I am truly thrilled by your work, and am inspired to invest more time into the dwarves of my world! I hope my input was constructive, helpful, or at least a bit entertaining. I look forward to following this project, and the ones that follow!
~Syd
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