Maps and city builders

harlan 2023-04-09 18:24:38 UTC #1

Re Elf Noir: one of my readers has requested that I do a map of Elftown that mimics the map on Jet's map table in the novel.

Has anyone found and used a city builder tool that they really like? Or an artist who does commissions like this? Or shall I bite the bullet and draw it myself?

Five 2023-04-09 18:55:31 UTC #2

Tbh, I think it’s actually better to find a map artist as they’ll draw it better, but you can first draft it. I don’t have an actual map of mine (yet) but I drafted it on Inkarnate.

fables.fauna 2023-04-09 19:04:22 UTC #3

Yeah Inkarnate is the only building software I’ve heard of but I’m sure there’s others since dnd players are always making themselves maps haha

Tbh tho I love just drawing maps myself but that’s a personal opinion. If you do end up drawing it yourself I’d be happy to share some resources to read up on for tips on drawing maps

Iris-Grimoire 2023-04-09 21:03:17 UTC #4

There's that and there's also Townscaper! It's specifically for towns rather than maps but it allows for way more interesting-looking buildings.

Hipiticus 2023-04-09 22:15:38 UTC #5

I saw some ads on some youtube videos on world anvil, you can use that to make maps and help with world-building I believe

miafou 2023-04-10 11:40:29 UTC #6

I have WorldAnvil and afaik it's more an organising tool than a building tool. You can upload an already existing file of a map and then add landmarks that you can link to your characters for example, but it doesn't have the tools to draw the map itself (at least I didn't find anything like that)

miafou 2023-04-10 11:46:02 UTC #7

Here's a random city generator with tweakable parameters, might help to get inspiration:

And here's a tiktok suggesting a whole bunch of map tools, both for cities and landscapes:

I know many people use inkarnate but I think it's more for landscapes than intricate city design...

Hipiticus 2023-04-10 17:59:15 UTC #8

ah, that's good to know

NickRowler 2023-04-10 19:05:29 UTC #9

Simcity 2000: Urban Renewal Kit was an add-on that allowed players to make custom cities (and buildings) without having to play through the game. It might run on DosBox if you can find an archived version of the game online.

harlan 2023-04-10 19:59:53 UTC #10

This is awesome! Thanks for all the good info!