2017 release Map work

[DRG]

I'm still experimenting with it myself. The Goldap map started as a Venhola generated contour map ( I LOVE that program and HIGHLY recommend that anyone who wants to try their hand at map making for the game learn to use..it is NOT difficult at all once you understand you need to flood fill the entire map to start with page 2, upper left button clear terrain to see the contours..(and also that you need to click maybe three or four times to make sure all the contours are placed...sometimes the game needs to "build" a hill in steps and those additional clicks ensures that is done ) then I add details based on Google map info and working from a 1940's era contour map of the area as the Town is larger now than it used to be.

Depending on just how big an area you are working on the splatter effect can be adjusted to suit the particular circumstances...an entire 200x160 map or a tiny 20x20 but I find for adding in final random details something like 8 or so for area then maybe 12 for splatter allows you to say...add random bits of red earth through a forest that can be built up with extra clicks here and there that can enhance the map.....same thing with pines.....build a forest using the regular trees then add a swath of pines building more here......less there. Or blending combinations of high grass and the other grass types with a touch of earth or red earth or the forest ground cover terrain creates a visual effect on the map that was possible in the past but would have been highly labour intensive.

I also find adding those details is best done with the map zoomed all the way out to see the "big picture" but afterwards you have to check roads for gaps but setting fill range to 2 and splatter to zero allows you to line a road with trees as trees do not paste over roads....other terrains will, but not trees which is VERY handy .