Towers … a big map - John Jason Fallows

Hey fellows,

Today, after two big maps I can finally post my biggest to this day and probably for a long time (seriously, it almost broke my computer !). It’s a 102×69 cm map for a private RPG party. The final .psd file weighs 1.68 Go and opens in about 20 minutes and that’s after I merged some layers to avoid hitting the file size limit (at a time I ran three separate files : one for the linenwork, one for the colors and shades and one for the added effects and locales), a real pain…

That’s also my longest work on a single map. I was commissioned to draw this one in March of 2018. It took me more than a year to complete. There are reasons to this.

First, I hugely misjudged the amount of work necessary (nearing 400 hours !). Second, at some point, I just couldn’t figure out how to continue the map. I used to open the file, stare at the screen for ten minutes and close it again. I just did not knew how to tackle such a big task anymore. It’s been a difficult, even a painful map for me but it is finally done and I took it where I promised the client I’d take it and then some.

You’ll be able to spot some fun locations on the map. Most of them weren’t client’s demands. I proposed some visual adventure hooks and he gave me full liberty to invent stuff for his players. The only thing that were mandatory are the four towers (hence the name) which have a great importance for the game. He was very specific on the look of them giving me strong references. You’ll spot two that are (heavily) based on designs by Sapiento. I reached out to him explaining the problem and proposing to post the map without the towers and he was kind enough to give me permission to keep them so, many thanks Robert !

Had I to redo it, I’d draw my mountains smaller to have a better relief but what’s done is done and I’m pretty sure it would have killed me