custom region My First Custom Region - Critic Please

[greener07 8]

Hello,
Just right now I learnt how to make custom regions.

I didn't used any SC4 tool to make this.. I completely did the grayscale map and config file using
Photoshop.

So this is my First Custom Region .. What do you think about it? Is it nice enough or just a hanky
panky gibberish out of the world alien homeland?


Thank you

 

Personally, myself I am not too much happy with it.

 

The highlands in the North looks ugly...

 

Any suggestion or tips for making good realistic looking regions?

  Edited January 7, 2014 by greener07  

[Lost Realist 762]

There is a mapping community room that this actually belongs in, not General Discussion.

Since I'm already here though, why not comment a little. The highlands do look pretty bad to be honest, the plateaus don't look realistic and uninteresting. The biggest problem is generally that there are no elevation changes apart from the harsh cliffs - everything is either high and flat or low and flat and this does not give the appearance of a real landscape because it lacks more subtle elevation changes, gradual inclines and hills, mountain ranges and peaks and more variation along the coastlines. The layout isn't bad at all and with some work it could become an interesting terrain and considering this is your first region you should definitely not feel discouraged to go on, you had some good ideas here. Just work on the inclines and swap all those huge cliffs for gradual slopes, transitioning the flatter lands to mountainous areas gradually and smoothly.

[greener07 8]

Thank you LR

I have already toured Josephinia and the holiday spent there was amazing

 

The fact is I don't yet know how to work more on it to increase its subtle details since I just used the Brush tool in Photoshop.

 

Anyway Thank you

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You need to feather the slopes on your highlands.  You can either feather your tool or add some foothill layers.  Not bad for a beginning.  More detail is needed in the plains.

[Terring 6,476]

The map is very nice and it can be considered as "realistic", since it looks like a Martian landscape after the terraforming progress have been completed. But if you're trying to make a Terran landscape, try to smooth the steep elevation changes and make the flat lands a bit less too flat. Take your time to learn any Photoshop trick that may comes handy to you and experiment a lot. Just don't forget to make some backups

[Prophet42 1,503]

I think the basic layout is good.  If you smooth out the transition between the highlands and the plains it would make it "flow" better.  I think the way you have the city borders divided out in the config file is good and does not need to change.  The region needs some work but definitely has potential.  It is a good effort for your first try.

[greener07 8]

OK...

Thank you for all your suggestions...

 

So here is my final region "Diamond Valley"... and I am pretty happy with it...

 

I wanted land and mountains in the North and ocean or water in the South...

 

The mountains in the North... I will use the Terra-forming tools...

 

Thank you

 

[Cottoncandy Cyanide 145]

I personally like your region.

It looks very lovely & elegant. ^^

Great job!

[greener07 8]

Thank you Yuuka

[Terring 6,476]

I agree, it's very nice

[greener07 8]

Thank you Terring