Chimpman’s Hollow Moon, 40 miles per hex Map Layers
In March 2012, John was once again working on his Hollow Moon Nearside map. In the Geographical Mapping subforum at The Piazza, DJ Shade asked about the map:
Do you still have the moon map you made this from? I’d like to see what you started from and how you got here. All in all, this is awesome work and a very interesting setting thanks for continuing it.
John replied by posting five different layers extracted from his map file. Together, these layers showed the genesis and construction of the map. In his own words:
Ok, I was able to tease out a few of my layers, though I’m not sure that this is exactly what you wanted to see. Let me know if you’re curious about some other parts of the process. The images below are 25% their original size.
Layer_1_MoonBase1, Layer_2_MoonBase2, Layer_3_Crystalbarrens, Layer_4_Oceans, Layer_5_Terrain
I went back and forth on the two base layers to try and figure out what the best type of terrain would be to overlay on them. I believe that MoonBase2 was more helpful with figuring out where I wanted the Crystalbarrens and Oceans, while MoonBase1 was a little more helpful with the actual terrains. Sharons descriptions were also used (where they exist), but I’m pretty sure I went in with my best guess first (based solely on the images) and then came back over the top and modified based on any region descriptions.
Of course I have other layers for the hex grid, borders, and cities (though I’m not sure there are cities at this resolution).
These layers provided a fascinating insight into John’s process as well as the map’s design. The five layers are presented below, in reverse order with Layer 5 Terrain at the top.
He used a real world map of the Moon as a base, with two different variations forming the first two layers. These he adapted and painted over, first deriving the crystalbarrens, then the oceans, using the images to naturally shape everything. Finally, he overlaid it all with his terrain hex layer. The result was a truly unique and very special map.
Fan-made Maps by John Calvin (March 2012)
This is an original map created by one of Mystara’s excellent fan cartographers. For more information on the cartographer, including a gallery of all their maps, see also Appendix M: Mappers of Mystara.
Sources
Fan Sources
- Hollow Moon: Nearside, 40 miles per hex discussion thread at The Piazza (April 2009)
- Chimpman’s Hollow Moon Nearside, 40 miles per hex v1 (June 2009)
References
- All of John’s maps at the Atlas of Mystara
- John’s entry in Appendix M: Mappers of Mystara (upcoming)
- John’s author page at the Vaults of Pandius
Chronological Analysis
This is a fan-made map. It was published in March 2012. The updated Atlas version of this map is not yet available. See also Appendix C for annual chronological snapshots of the area. For the full context of this map in Mystara’s publication history, see the upcoming Let’s Map Mystara 2012.
The following lists are from the Let’s Map Mystara project. Additions are new features, introduced in this map. Revisions are changes to previously-introduced features. Hex Art & Fonts track design elements. Finally, Textual Additions are potential features found in the related text. In most cases, the Atlas adopts these textual additions into updated and chronological maps.
Under Construction! Please check back again soon for updates.
