Hi. Been working on this map a while now and had initially set out for it to be released today. I've been busy and couldn't even get close to finishing it in time. I chose today because Game of Thrones Season 5 premiere's today, and the map is based upon Westeros and The Free Cities of Essos. Still haven't quite named it yet though.

I want to first mention Dameon and thank him for his existing maps being a HUGE inspiration. I've set out to make the most complete map I could regarding the known locations of Houses with accuracy to the lore. Considered the complete ASOIAF world, but Westeros had much finer detail to make it balanced and practical; I didn't wan't to dilute the main continent. Essos' Free Cities however were possible to include, and let's be honest, is far more interesting when it is. This brings me to where and why I'm asking for help:

In a chance encounter with Dameon on Warlight, I mentioned what I'm working on and he gave me permission to borrow territory names from his map's Essos. But I still don't quite know how to go about diving this land because there's just not enough source material to base it upon, and keep similar detail/balance to Westeros. I also don't want to just copy Dameon's entire Essos even if I were to borrow it as a source. I really have very little time to keep working on it for the next couple of months. And so, I look to the community to at least keep the creativity behind the project going during this time.

https://www.warlight.net/SinglePlayer?PreviewMap=42539
This is as far as I managed. I can slowly, and comfortably finish Westeros.

All territories created so far and their bonuses have been provisionally named in the SVG file. The artistic detail will sadly have to be reduced once the map is complete as the file is currently nearing the size limit. Any tips on how to avoid that maybe? I'm hoping there's someone with whom I could share an SVG of Essos, and they could offer their ideas on how to divide and name the territories. Even a crudely drawn guide for me to later implement would help.

I know it's not a quick bit of help I'm asking for and it'll take up your time, but I promise you'll be credited! And in the optimistic chance that more than one person offers help, maybe I let the community vote? Dunno how I'd do that... but we'll cross that bridge if and when. That's all I think. Thanks in advance.

Really promising map! So if I understood it well, you want to make this map in collaboration with someone right? Good idea I think, i dont even know if any map makers tried to make a map collaborating with other people.

I'm a GOT fan too, I have Inkscape and tried to make some maps (not finished), and I'm interested in helping you.

Thanks. Wow, that didn't take long. Yes, in case anyone else comes along, I'll clarify here. I am looking for a collaborator to help finish this map. Particularly, someone who has the time to map out The Free Cities of Essos. Stick to the limited available source material at every opportunity of course but beyond that is where you can get creative with some divisions and names. I forgot to mention there are some mountain ranges yet to be put into the map. Try plan around some of those highest and more defined peaks and ridges; they're displayed in the first link below.

You can try find other accurate sources but these are the main sources I've used so far:
http://quartermaester.info
http://westeros.org (they have a wiki: awoiaf.westeros.org)
http://gameofthrones.wikia.com (Careful, this wiki's based on the TV show and not always accurate to the books)
And the books from the ASOIAF collection by George R. R. Martin.

Still on board? I can send you a PM with a link to your canvas SVG if you want to get started right away?

Edited 4/12/2015 12:14:59

You need to make one of the tyroshi islands big enough to put a territory on
darken the background of house tyrell (its a darker, more (sorry this image will be huge) foresty colour)
edit: Red Army put that in so I deleted the picture
Oh and the simple fact that its amazing map

Edited 4/15/2015 01:18:28

@ Right Red army, send me a pm, I have time the next week to work on it, I will send you back once I achieved progress on it, then you can give me a feedback.

This map looks amazing! Shame there are already tonnes of Westeros maps though...

You drew curved, freeform edges for the coastline and the background which is what is probably taking up the most memory so if you can simplify the edges, it should take up less space.

Thomas 633, I've double checked my usual sources. You're right. One said pale green, but the books clearly say grass-green. Thanks. Also yes, I need to make all those islands larger as I've done elsewhere like with the Iron Islands. Been doing them as I get to them continent by continent. I'll get there after Dorne.

MrOobling, I've noted your advice on the coastlines. Cheers. I'd only been trying to reduce the nodes in the artwork thus far. Yeah, I know of the three most popular GoT maps, but at least they're different, despite being a little similar. They're divided and balanced differently and can lead to different games, kind of like the many world maps can do. It was just easier for my first map to be fictional lol. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so historical and real world maps had a little too much information for me :)

And thanks again for the praise guys.

WINTER IS COMING!

the new book (the world of ice and fire) has some good map drawings of westeros and beyond that can be use as references: pages 135, 150, 162, 174, 194, 206, 220, 234, 277.

Page 274 has a depicted map of the districts of braavos city, which could be a much more interesting map then another westeros remake :) just saying.

ps you are right :)

Do you thing we could make a collaboration platform through google drive? then we could together divide the work?

*bump* (why useful threads are less active than those stupid homosexuality debates full of trolls?)

Looks really good, well done. The shield flags are probably taking up a bit of size. Don't forget the writing takes up quite a bit also. You should constantly check the size of things you are adding, then you would know what to remove later on. I'm not going to lie, I don't really like the look of those mountains. However aside from that everything looks good, I like the fact you've done it on an actual map.

I would have loved to help but I'm retiring, so not taking anything else up. Sorry.

Edited 4/12/2015 20:35:15

Thank you for your tips ps and Apollo. Did anyone else not like the mountains? Which bit exactly? I'm open to suggestions cos I know they're not great. I thought about just leaving it as the contours, but I wasn't sure if they seemed immediately obvious as mountains.

Lovely design. Looking forward to the completed map!

*disclaimer* I know nothing about making a map

Is the House Stark north thing done yet? Cos the little shield in the north is almost impossible to read. Also I like the amount of detail that went into the iron islands

Sorry Thomas 633, I don't understand what you mean by "House Stark north thing", so I don't know if it's done myself! I'm can only guess bonuses? The bonuses are 99% done for all the territories so far but only in the SVG file. Haven't entered them on warlight cos I think uploading an updated SVG would need me to do it all over again. It's my first map so I'm just assuming that's how it works... anyone know?

I can however tell you there's nothing to read on the little shield in the North. There will be a bonus link above all the little shields for the respective region, for example, a bonus for "The North". The shield's just been put there to immediately know what the bonus is for without hovering over the bonus link. It's like a label for the large regions using a smaller and more basic version of the larger shields; nothing to read.

As for the Iron Islands' detail, yeah, I like it too and hope I don't ever have to remove the text. Makes it feel more like an actual map with that scratchy ink-coloured writing. But I'll have to see how much it all increases the file size once I've labelled all the other significant islands.

Lastly, thank you M. Poireau!

P.S. Thomas 633 could you possibly edit your post with the massive image and remove it? lol. I'm not entirely sure if you can, but it's no longer necessary :P

oh yeah I can