WIP - Battlemaps for Curse of the Emperor's Stone...

[tilt]

oh yeah creeping deadlines... why can't they just walk upright like a man!

[Ascension]

Looks great, man. I owe you some rep cuz I hit ya up recently already.

[mearrin69]

Been a while since I turned to these. Lots more to go on this map but it's starting to look like something. I'm still creating furnishings and little details to try to make it pop. Right now I've only got "grounding shadows" worked out for some of the items...keeping it loose so I can see what's working and what's not. This will be a nighttime encounter and I'm still considering trying to do some dramatic lighting effects...but I'm not set on that by any means.
M

[Avengeil]

I can't wait for more updates on these battlemaps

[mearrin69]

Thanks. Here's another. Still nothing in the crew cabin yet but most of the basics are there except for that cabin. Still needs some more shadow work. The labels are a work in progress.

Assessing it this morning I see that the biggest missing item(s) at this point is ROPE. I think, in fact, that it needs a hell of a lot of rope. Anchor ropes, ropes coiled on the deck, ropy-netty things going up to the masts, and lots of other miscellaneous ropy things. The suck part is that I have to draw all of that by hand and I have to go do a bunch of research about ropiness on sailing ships. My Use Rope skill sits at a firm +2, and that's only camping-related from when I was in the Boy Scouts thirty years ago. Then, of course, the ropes need shadows...

After that, I think it mainly needs cups and saucers and mugs and sacks and other decoration. Maybe a map spread out on the mess table...edit: Anyone have a nautical map they'd like to "feature"? I'll put you in the credits!

C&C appreciated.
M

[geamon]

Just a question but this ship has three masts?

[Crayons]

Ropes. I wouldn't put too much in unless you're expecting rigging to be useable in "battle". If you are then you may need to have another level up, with just rigging and you have to decide what rig the ship has. It looks too small to warrant much in that area though.
In general, a "ship shape" ship is a tidy one, even in days of yore, health and safety was still a factor! A strict shipmasterwill make sure things are tidy.
You'll need fore and aft hawsers (for mooring), these can be singled or multiple. I'd suggest single here and have the excess end of the hawser coiled on the jetty. However it could be looped/hitched around the bollard a few times and then back onto the ship with the excess coiled up in the bow - or hung on the railing with belaying pins
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-2145...aying-pin.html.
Your halyards (for raising the sails) will probably be coiled up and hung on the masts and the sheets (for controlling the sails' angles when sailing) will be either stowed away or coiled and hung at appropriate points in the rigging. For example, if there is a boom (the pole at the bottom of a sail, e.g bermuda rig) then the sheet will be pulled in tight (to stop the boom swinging around) and the sheet coiled and hung on the boom.

However - if you want to be fancy? One way of stowing halyards and the like is coiled flat in a spiral flat on the deck, looks nice but still has a potential for hazard.
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-1352...-tie-down.html

[mearrin69]

Yes. It's supposed to be a caravel. I don't vouch for its authenticity.
M

[jtougas]

Looks great!!

[geamon]

After reading up it makes sense. Just seemed small for three masts, from my nautically declined mind. Also agree with Crayons that decks will very tidy from my knowledge.