I'm back! This is the Jungle Shrine (30x30)- it's a platform in the middle of a pool of water with some plants and moss on it. I don't usually include my reference or inspiration pics for my maps but this one is cool- it came up on my desktop a while ago as a daily random Bing wallpaper
I have no idea where this is or what its purpose is, but I love the look of it so I took a screenshot and tucked it away for later reference, I came across it last week and realized that now is the perfect opportunity to use it with some tweaks! Side note- I really hope it isn't AI, I'm realizing now that I probably shouldn't expect anything else from Bing. In fact, now that I'm looking closely at it I am a bit suspicious. Bummer. :|
Here's what I started with. I liked the idea of a square platform in a large square basin with some sort of notable prop placed on the middle. The stairs down felt like a fun detail, like maybe the pool was used as a part of rituals here once, though I suppose it does sorta limit how deep the water could potentially be.
Like I was talking about last week, I've decided I want to see just how jungle-y I can make a map feel using overgrowth, rocks, and roots to achieve that dense jungle vibe I'm aiming for. Now, did I go too far this time and now this map is overcomplicated and difficult to parse? Maybe. Maybe. I suspect I should take small step back in detail so that the ground doesn't get lost in the props. For my next map I think I'll try to group up the plants a little more so that they're a bit less scattered, I feel like having clear groups of overgrowth will be better for the shape of the map.
Sheesh, I really get lost in the colors for these jungle maps. I swear, I start off with the best intentions and spiral quickly out of control. The lighting and effects for this map are so overcomplicated that it was difficult to adjust productively. The funny thing is this sort of thing always starts as an attempt at simplifying my lighting effects but never really pans out. Either way, these are the right colors for this map, even if it took me too long to get them on paper, so the next map might not look quite the same.