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Thread: September 2019 Challenge: The Sunken Pyramid

  1. #1
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected XCali's Avatar
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    Map September 2019 Challenge: The Sunken Pyramid

    Ahoi!

    Hope you all are doing well.

    So, here be I entering another challenge. And as most of my challenge entries, I'm taking on something that pushes my limits. But that is the fun of these kind of events.

    Anyway, I started with the lineart for the pyramid, which took a few days, and then started shading it. Then I was thinking in line of placing the Pyramid in a open air cavern. But somewhere I wondered if it would be a cool idea to have a lot of the thing underwater in said cavern and with that Autumn that is setting in. So, here I go.

    The Pyramid.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    The landscape texture
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    The open air cavern
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    Last edited by XCali; 09-16-2019 at 03:38 PM.

    ~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project ~

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    ~The heavens declare the glory of God;
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  2. #2
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected XCali's Avatar
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    Map

    Here I got to getting the pyramid submerged and filling out the forest with a nice fall coloration.

    I would appreciate hearing your feedback on this.

    ### Latest WIP ###
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Name:	Sunken_Pyramid_v4.jpeg 
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    ~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project ~

    My web novels
    Instagram handle: instagram.com/omrihope
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ~The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
    Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
    ~ Psalm 19

  3. #3
    Community Leader Bogie's Avatar
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    OOOHHhhh I love it! A pyramid in it's own quarry that has now flooded!!! So many gaming ideas!!!

    A little unusual color for the water, but weird minerals leaching from the mine/quarry can do that and it is a great color combination with the reddish rock!!

    One suggestion, maybe vary the coloration on the plants, some full autumn, some still a little greenish to show they are changing.
    Last edited by Bogie; 09-16-2019 at 05:18 PM.

  4. #4

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    Hi XCali, this is looking cool, but the plants look exotic rather than autumn-colored. You know, like pretty potted plants. The leaves are so large as well, which adds to the effect. They look very alive and lush, instead of drying up. Maybe if you scattered some leaves on the ground, it would look more autumn-themed. Then again I would imagine them more curled up and turning brown or straw color, rather than this rich red. I'd add some trees in the style of your previous map to see if it feels different. That would also add some variety to the vegetation, which could look cool. Also from your previous map, you could bring back the boars, I liked them a lot lol silly suggestion that has nothing to do with autumn.

  5. #5
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected XCali's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bogie View Post
    OOOHHhhh I love it! A pyramid in it's own quarry that has now flooded!!! So many gaming ideas!!!

    A little unusual color for the water, but weird minerals leaching from the mine/quarry can do that and it is a great color combination with the reddish rock!!

    One suggestion, maybe vary the coloration on the plants, some full autumn, some still a little greenish to show they are changing.
    Hehehe, thank you! I can absolutely see it having adventuring potential.

    I'm thinking about this place having ancient pumps. That the pyramid was submerged by will. What do you think?

    The water color was kinda a happy accident. But, you are right sometimes minerals play a big role in water color.
    And about the trees, yeah I completely agree, it was just my first run over the trees yesterday.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kisachik the Wanderer View Post
    Hi XCali, this is looking cool, but the plants look exotic rather than autumn-colored. You know, like pretty potted plants. The leaves are so large as well, which adds to the effect. They look very alive and lush, instead of drying up. Maybe if you scattered some leaves on the ground, it would look more autumn-themed. Then again I would imagine them more curled up and turning brown or straw color, rather than this rich red. I'd add some trees in the style of your previous map to see if it feels different. That would also add some variety to the vegetation, which could look cool. Also from your previous map, you could bring back the boars, I liked them a lot lol silly suggestion that has nothing to do with autumn.
    Hi, thanks.

    To be honest, top down trees are notoriously tricky to get right. So, it is a bit of an experiment most of the times. Still, I did some tweaking so maybe it works better.
    (Sorry, the boars would be exceptionally tiny on this map. The pyramid is massive. )
    Last edited by XCali; 09-17-2019 at 07:20 AM.

    ~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project ~

    My web novels
    Instagram handle: instagram.com/omrihope
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ~The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
    Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
    ~ Psalm 19

  6. #6
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected XCali's Avatar
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    Helloa!

    Today, I tinkered with quite a few things. The trees, the ground coloration, the water and lighting up the Pyramid a tad.

    I would like to hear your thoughts.

    ### Latest WIP ###
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Sunken_Pyramid_v5_WaterRipples.jpeg 
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Size:	3.34 MB 
ID:	117625
    Last edited by XCali; 09-17-2019 at 07:29 AM.

    ~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project ~

    My web novels
    Instagram handle: instagram.com/omrihope
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ~The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
    Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
    ~ Psalm 19

  7. #7
    Guild Master Falconius's Avatar
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    It's looking really good Xcali. The ripples add a lot. I prefer the new lighter values.

  8. #8
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected XCali's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Falconius View Post
    It's looking really good Xcali. The ripples add a lot. I prefer the new lighter values.
    Thank you. And yeah, I agree the slightly lighter tone works better for me too.

    ~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project ~

    My web novels
    Instagram handle: instagram.com/omrihope
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ~The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
    Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
    ~ Psalm 19

  9. #9
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected XCali's Avatar
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    Hi hi,

    I wanted to add the fountains that was activated to submerge the pyramid. It is a bit of an experiment, so I would really like to hear your feedback on them so far.

    ### Latest WIP ###
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Serpent_Fountains_Experiment_v1.jpeg 
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    Last edited by XCali; 09-17-2019 at 01:45 PM.

    ~ Maps-DriveThruRPG ~Free Maps and Assets ~Current Project ~

    My web novels
    Instagram handle: instagram.com/omrihope
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ~The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
    Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
    ~ Psalm 19

  10. #10
    Guild Apprentice Hardacre's Avatar
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    What an inspired idea. As other have said the colours are very complimentary and the water effect is magic.

    For the fountains, go bigger, that's a lot of water and I feel a massive pyramid would have grand fountains!

    Great work can't wait to see the next update.
    "It is not down in any map; true places never are."

    Herman Melville - Moby Dick

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