[Unofficial] Steem Monsters Map Design Suggestion Post

Want an upvote? How about a shout out? Yep, free — well sort of. Keep reading...

Steem MonsterUniverse (1).jpg

As you may be aware, I placed as a finalist in the Steem Monster's Cartography Contest. You can read the announcement here and see my submission here.

Next week they'll be announcing the next round. For the next round we've been given some private feedback from the team, which is really cool, and sort of top secret. That being said, my previous map submission — although successful — fell short in communicating a vision. This is mainly because my draft drawing was considered the submission, and not the model concepts (which actually worked out better, ironically.)

Since my map is the whole Steem Monsters world "zoomed out", which is impossible to capture in simultaneous detail within an 8x11 drawing, I feel it lacked presence and didn't quite communicate how maplike a 3d model can be. To worsen matters, I didn't bother adding additional details to my post, or rendering a top view — mainly because I wanted to keep them private to just to the team.

As a result, my map lacked personality. In my final submission, I'd like to go much deeper. Labeling various parts of the map in various viewpoints helps to communicate what's going on in the map. Dividing areas into territories, making landmarks, and labeling things all make it look more map-like.

So I thought I would reach out to my followers to see if they have any good ideas for names of places on the map, ideas for landmarks, or any other effect of cartography. If you've been following along all of the official channels, the map and what it communicates is a key part of how not only the stories unfold, but may effect game play in some ways. So here would be your doorway to getting in your feedback, potentially, in the alpha map.

Please note, this post is not endorsed or funded by Steem Monsters, Steemmonsters.com, or any subsidiary. I'm a voluntary participant in their contest which is ultimately focused on graphic design. If I should win, I'm rewarded based on design, not based on associated literary detail.

Your contribution to me/"this" post is purely for the sake of making the map more "map-like" and to show what is will look like — if it should win — once Steem Monsters applies the official labels to the map. Of course, they may decide to stick with some of your ideas. And I cannot be responsible for that, so if you wish to contribute your ideas directly or wait to see if they do their own contest, that is fine too. They may make their own post in the future for naming schemes that may become official. This is just for my map submission only, nothing more or less.

To submit ideas officially to the Steem Monsters team, use their Discord: https://discord.gg/VKFqhm

What I will do is, if I choose to use any of your label ideas or other cartography suggestions in my map submission, I will be sure to give you some credit in my submission post. In this respect you will be acknowledged by the team for your idea — since essentially they will be reviewing my finalist submission.

Why am I doing this?

I noticed a lot of people have some great ideas, but they're either not designers, or not able to make the long term commitment to Steem Monsters as an ongoing cartographer; so just don't bother entering.

By adding your feedback below in the comments, and if chosen to incorporate into my map submission; if selected, there may be (and by that I mean maybe) a slightly greater chance your ideas get considered by the team.

So what could these ideas be? Anything really. For the most part, my model concept is complete. What could be used to enhance it are the same types of things you'd see on any ordinary map such as names of territories, names of landmarks, names of main roads, names of major landscape features, points of interest, etc.

I will do my best to upvote comments that make thoughtful contributions, whether I choose them or not.

Thank you in advance. :)

As suggested by a friend, here is the actual draft drawing:

And here is what a model looks like unrendered. This is only an outline of the center "water element" continent.

For scale, while this looks small; the center continent is scaled to the size of Australia. So that mountain is SKY HIGH. It's not a tiny map. A large building would not even be visible unless we zoom in.

In addition, the low poly-count of the model suggests it's chunkier than it is. Rendered, it's smooth and highly detailed. I would post it, but since it's a contest, I don't wish to give away too much. Plus I'm a sucker for shock and awe ;)

Hopefully, you can simply visualize in your minds eye based on the descriptions I'm making and what is available to see thus far.

If you wish to talk privately instead, there is a Discord Link in my page bio. It goes to my private server. There you can acquire my username on Discord and DM me privately.

You're absolutely right @rakkasan84 and I'm also a co-writing contributing volunteer, making private, semi-private, and public contributions to story lines. The first active aspects of the game aren't until around September anyway. And to some degree, the map competitors are working together, as well as, the content groups as well. So no worries.

So far I have lightly brainstormed on every current character. But of course, 2 (or 10) heads are better than one. I've generally drafted habitats and climates, some territories, etc. And I'm not looking for the actual content. I'm essentially asking here for "Dummy Content" if you will. Lorem Ipsum. — Just to enhance the "renders" of the map.

Although it's also a good opportunity as mentioned, if you have some real suggestions as well (especially if you ALSO post those ideas in the Discord.)

For instance, I could better use my time modeling than researching unique cool sounding names for each territory that will very likely be changed by the team. And I don't want to use a "fantasy name generator" because those won't make enough sense and sound too random.