Fantasy maps created using Xara Xtreme

[Gamerprinter]

The carriage tracks are a nice touch!

FYI -the carriage tracks are drawn 8 point lines with a 25+% smoothing applied. I convert Line to Shape, give a zero fill and 2 point outline. Then I cut off each end, to end up with two parallel lines to represent the tracks. In case you were wondering how I create them.

[Gamerprinter]

Qashya Mal, the hobgoblin town of the arid deserts. A natural amphitheater and oasis springs made this the ideal location for a regiment of hobgoblin raiders and an elite unit of siege engineers called the Diaballistae. Wealth gained through gambling of the gladiatorial games and mercenary work as engineers for other hobgoblin hordes has civilized this community of hobgoblins, more than most. Enjoy!

[Gamerprinter]

Like my previous gothic castle map, the purpose was not to create a map, rather to provide inspiration to create photo-realistic map objects for my upcoming Gothic Horror Map Icon set. I went for something more modern...

The 7th ward of the, now abandoned, State Psychiatric Asylum which is said to be the most haunted location known. Unknown to the paranormal investigators this is what can be found: (top left) padded cell inhabited by shadow people, (top 2nd) a patient room with active poltergeist activity, (top 3rd) invisible spirit sleeping in bed, (top 4th) disembodied spirit, (top 5th) elevator shaft with a victim's spirit waiting, (bottom left) lobodomy/electro-shock center with an aberration serving as entrance to the "other side", (bottom right) office with a pool of ectoplasm serving as the exit from the "other side". Why is there a ghost dog at the top of the stairs? One of the patients believed his was a dog and is so in the afterlife... Enjoy!

Created in Xara Designer Pro 9, the floating chair and book in the poltergeist room are the only 3D objects, everything else is vector work.

[Gamerprinter]

Mikko Kallio of A Sword for Hire (RPG gaming blog) just posted an interview of me - check it out if you'd like!

[Acorn]

Congrats on passing 100,000 views for a single Post.
Acorn

[Gamerprinter]

Congrats on passing 100,000 views for a single Post.
Acorn

I was going to comment on that too, but I didn't want to pat myself on the back too hard.

[Gamerprinter]

So I had the most interesting visit to my shop this morning. A Buddhist regional bishop (?) approached me about the possibility of developing a board game (or other format) as a teaching tool to help people understand the process of achieving enlightenment and personal understanding using the process and states of mind in the Buddhist Wheel of Life and Death. At this point, though I know the games goal is achieving enlightenment, I don't yet fully comprehend the process or the various stages on the wheel - or even if there is a viable game in this proposed project. Despite that, its sounds interesting, and something to explore in pre-development. I happen to be the only person the bishop (she) knows in the game industry.

Among the thoughts forming in my head at this point:

• A cooperative game where all players win or lose - the path to enlightenment is a selfless journey
• Multiple spinners on each (3) layer of the wheel for random progression
• Multiple card decks to draw from depending where you land on the wheel, step by step
• Random placement of steps of the wheel that change session to session

Due to the complexity of the Buddhist Wheel of Life and Death concepts, there would need to be a detailed Instruction Handbook, thus I don't think this game would work as a phone app, rather a physical board game. I've never designed a board game before, so I will be recruiting help from various game industry pros, I know or will know as the process moves forward. Once I fully understand the game, and design the board itself, the project will probably become a Kickstarter project to fund it.

Here are some initial thoughts. A major part of Buddhism involves the eschewing of material things. So imagine beginning the game requires drawing a number of cards from a deck (say 7 or 9 cards). Whenever a player is forced to deal with worldly issues, more cards need to be drawn from the deck. The ultimate goal is ending with no cards in your hand. I'm not yet sure what the cards will do, but it might cause movement on the wheel of life board, it might cause one to draw or discard cards.

Thoughts?

Attached is a classical illustration of the Buddhist Wheel of Life and Death.

[Gamerprinter]

Pen & ink, hand-drawn, digitally scanned. Grayscale color scheme, bevels, drop shadows, feathered edges, linework fills with stain-glass transparency.

[Gamerprinter]

The arboreal village of cannibal halfling spider riders and their cliff cave stronghold near the falls of the Torinocco River in the rain forests of the Lost Realms. Enjoy!

[Big Frank]

normally your drawings delight me
but this black outline shadow looks wrong
looks like the upper rock layer is floating over the lower layer