[SHOWOFF] Plunder Isle Map Work

[Vortalex]

This is the map for a custom server involving the South Seas that I'll be coming out with probably in like a year.

This island:



Went from concept art:



To this in a few hours:

(Map updated to latest version)


I do plan on making a few changes, but let me know if you have any artsy or blizzlike suggestions for the map.

[Krang Stonehoof]

It looks great, but try to make it even more blizzlike.

For example, the water color is not that blizzlike.
The Inner Shadow of the whole map must be darker.

Anyway, keep up the good work, I like it.

[Milly]

Wow. This is amazing cartography. I really envy that. Did you make the map icons yourself?

Also the region names are really cool too. Everything about it is awesome xD

[Vortalex]

It looks great, but try to make it even more blizzlike.

For example, the water color is not that blizzlike.
The Inner Shadow of the whole map must be darker.

Anyway, keep up the good work, I like it.

Thanks for the feedback. I made the editions based from what you said, and I'll try to look for more Blizzlike features to add. Trying to make the water blend more.

Wow. This is amazing cartography. I really envy that. Did you make the map icons yourself?

Also the region names are really cool too. Everything about it is awesome xD

Thanks. The icons I took from different places and make a few tweaks to them. I'd like to say I made them myself, and might end up making some of my own to replace them in the future, but it takes a lot of time. These could be considered placeholders for now.

[Milly]

Sweet I'll definitely look back to this for inspiration next time I delve into map-making.

[Allifeur]

Lorely speaking this island isn't very big, has a lot of mountains with rocky coasts, and the bloodsail buccaners rule it mainly. Though the map you drew is really nice

 I will also probably do this island, though I don't think it will be as big as your version.  
I see it as a land with a lot of caverns, menacing sharp rocks with murlocs on the border, luxurious jungle at the top with even more mountains, wooden pirate city in the cliff of the coast with a curved citadel, and a plateau at the center with basiliks.

 Me not being an expert about drawing maps, I will instead give you advices about the way you could make your island : I would probably try to make some Gilneas texturing style, but with warm colors. Like orange colors for the mountains, but darker than Tanaris. It would be nice to have menacing mountains, inspiring terror !
 
 For instance something with spikes, like that (not with those textures of course) :



or even this if you're fearless :



 If you want something less agressive, you can also try this kind of cliff :



 About the forest/jungle zone, you can try different ways. You can go it the classical way with green colors like that.



Though you can try to make it more unique, by using for instance a more yellowish/orange tone. It would fit nice with orange or brown mountains I imagine.



 This works also quite fine with bluer colors.



... Or the darker way



 This should be enough, I hope, to give you some ideas  

[Vortalex]

Lorely speaking this island isn't very big, has a lot of mountains with rocky coasts, and the bloodsail buccaners rule it mainly. Though the map you drew is really nice

 I will also probably do this island, though I don't think it will be as big as your version.  
I see it as a land with a lot of caverns, menacing sharp rocks with murlocs on the border, luxurious jungle at the top with even more mountains, wooden pirate city in the cliff of the coast with a curved citadel, and a plateau at the center with basiliks.

 Me not being an expert about drawing maps, I will instead give you advices about the way you could make your island : I would probably try to make some Gilneas texturing style, but with warm colors. Like orange colors for the mountains, but darker than Tanaris. It would be nice to have menacing mountains, inspiring terror !

I realize the island is very small, and for the plans that I have with it, the size will be enough if not the perfect size for what I need. I've already done a quick sketch in Noggit of the perimeter and done the hardcore research to come up with the zones I've created for the island.

The description of the island you got from Wowwiki pulls info from a few different sources, and like Blizzard tends to do, the information contradicts itself. I've went further and read up on some features of the island from additional sources and have concluded that aside from the Basilisks, Murlocs, and other jungle creatures that inhibit this island, it also contains Gnolls, Ogres, Trolls, and even a few members of the Red Dragonflight.

The setting that I intend for this "expansion" to take part in, is right after the Shattering due to Deathwing's uprising from the ground. The shake that tore parts of the world of Azeroth also affected Plunder Isle, in this case creating a few inhabitable coasts, some damage to other areas, and causing the unsteady ocean currents that crashed your ship onto the coast of The Roaring Wilds.

The Roaring Wilds is a tropical jungle area mostly inhabited by jungle creatures such as tigers, basilisks, gorillas, monkeys, snakes, and the sort. The area also contains the home to the trolls of Zul'radir. The temple is completely fictional, though based around the idea that the trolls were the first to inhabit this land thousands of years ago before the Shattering of the Well of Eternity. A similar plot of land is also referred to as "Hiji" on a few Warcraft maps, and so the island has been speculated by many on forums that it may refer Plunder Isle, and that "Hiji" may be the official name given to it by the trolls years ago.

The Swale is a mostly swampy but still very tropical area heavily renowned for its association with the Basilisks that patrol the zone and the Den of the Cold Eye. I've also decided to create a small port on the north-western coast on The Swale that will be the landing point and base camp for the Blackwater Raiders who you will assist as they are the mortal enemies of the island's official hosts, The Bloodsail Buccaneers.

Stonemaul Plateau is the central, very rockey and mountainous zone mostly held by the Stonemaul Ogres who bunker in their den in the caverns of Mt. Hiji (the large volcano in the center of the island). It was already implied that the island had Ogres on it, but deciding which Ogres they were was going to have to be an answer derived from research. After looking at every clan of Ogres in Warcraft's existence, the best and most ideal candidate for Ogres that may have settled on this island was the Stonemaul Clan. If you want to know why, just let me know, but for now I'll just leave it at that.

The Forlorn Reef is a mostly cursed and humanoid-free area. The idea for this zone was that warlocks and dark mages from the town bordering the Bloodsail Fortress (compossed of family and members of the Bloodsail Buccaneers) may have believed the world to be lost to the Scourge that took over their homeland and have decided that the dark arts was the only direction to go in. They ventured off into the woods and over time corrupted themselves into patriarchs of darkness, eventually becoming the witches of the Forlorn Reef. They came into the town and took unattended children away in the night and perform sacrificial rituals with them to the Old Gods in exchange for power. An order had to be brought up to defend against these witches and hunt them down in search for stolen children. You end up helping the witch hunters defend against these witch attacks and help them to bring an end to the madness. The coast is also littered with ships that have crashed into its rocky coasts, and the spirits of lost sailors haunt the areas and the black waters. The Locker is a dungeon that players will visit to find the source of darkness that lingers in the area and put an end to it.

Polder Crag is a mostly dry but still very tropical area of land inhabited by the members of the Bloodsail Buccaneers in Bloodsail Hold. Many spots in the zone are scare of trees due to the lumbering of wood to build the town and hold that they have resided in for many years now. The leader of the Bloodsail Buccaneers, Duke Falrevere, has gone power hungry in his struggle to hold his place in the band now that new struggles have risen and more people begin to doubt the intentions of their leader. Taxes are placed on the town, and people are starving. They no longer want anything to do with their crazed leader. A power struggle will take place, and it is ultimately up to you to assist the Blackwater Raiders in advancing to liberate the town before any more danger can be caused.

[Allifeur]

I see, it does sound nice, though you'll need a lot of quests to make so much levels feat into those restricted areas.

 The theory about Hiji is nice, though if the name changed, then you have to imagine that Troll are not so much in shape right now because of pirates.

[Vortalex]

I see, it does sound nice, though you'll need a lot of quests to make so much levels feat into those restricted areas.

Well if you notice on the concept art, the levels are listed. I only plan for 5 levels per zone (10 for the Roaring Wilds). It shouldn't be too difficult to make this work how I want it. And yes, I do plan on quite a lot of quests being added.

The theory about Hiji is nice, though if the name changed, then you have to imagine that Troll are not so much in shape right now because of pirates.

Which would make sense why they mostly reside in their temple (and nearby areas) and aren't scattered across the island. Also, many pirates and trolls alike avoid wandering the jungles of the island too much in fear of the Cold Eye Basilisks. This should help tie it into lore.

[phucko1]

If your Noggit work of this place will be anywhere near the level of detail you got on the worldmap, it will be awesome.

Goodluck with the project.

[Solarion]

I love the map. Looking forward to level design on the same level. Hehe

[Vortalex]

Made a few minor adjustments to the map.

• Each subzone now has its own outline color specific to the subzone's color.
• Ocean blind-styled lines are more of a gray color and are a bit distorted (more blizzlike).

[monoman]

I take my hat off for you sir, such a fine map and icons, keep up the good work and I really liked those bright colors, makes the whole thing look interesting.






Kudos to you Sir.
Monoman

[MR. Farrare]

very nice