In what computer program do you create your map?

[Kiveria]

I don't know where to create mine!

[Davinhia]

OOC: RAT *coughcough* roblox *coughcough*

IC: Something like PDN, or GIMP, or PHOTOSHOP...

[Wraland]

Nothing to recommend, but i actually use Microsoft Paint. I really use it because of my laziness to adopt a new program, so i'm pretty neat with MSPaint. For example, i created the current map of my region (Atlas) with it.

[Kiveria]

OOC: RAT *coughcough* roblox *coughcough*

IC: Something like PDN, or GIMP, or PHOTOSHOP...

I am amazed that someone here can recognize it.

[Davinhia]

OOC: RAT *coughcough* roblox *coughcough*

IC: Something like PDN, or GIMP, or PHOTOSHOP...

I am amazed that someone here can recognize it.

I recognized it off the bat.

[Kiveria]

I am amazed that someone here can recognize it.

I recognized it off the bat.

Well, I'll change it some day.

[Ainin]

I use PowerPoint for my maps.

Examples:
http://iiwiki.com/wiki/File:Ainin-Map.png
http://iiwiki.com/wiki/File:HartlyRail.png
http://iiwiki.com/wiki/File:Map_htl.png

It's not the best software for it, but it gets the job done nicely.

[Yukonastan]

I don't know where to create mine!

First off creative logo you rat. recognized it immediately.

Secondly, the last map that I made was one that I GIMPed. Fairly easy, although you want a fair amount of RAM to work with it, otherwise you'll get slowdowns with large (16384x16384px) documents, or documents with lots of layers.

---

I use PowerPoint for my maps.

Examples:
http://iiwiki.com/wiki/File:Ainin-Map.png
http://iiwiki.com/wiki/File:HartlyRail.png
http://iiwiki.com/wiki/File:Map_htl.png

It's not the best software for it, but it gets the job done nicely.

This deserves recognition. That's VERY nice for powerpoint. I applaud you thrice over.

[Salekhardia]

Microsoft Paint, I use it for everything. Including mapmaking, which is very time consuming with MS Paint, but it gets the job done.

[Scepez]

Mostly MSPaint.
Sometimes Paint.NET

[Turmenista]

I recognized it off the bat.

Well, I'll change it some day.

Hi RAT person!

[Yukonastan]

Microsoft Paint, I use it for everything. Including mapmaking, which is very time consuming with MS Paint, but it gets the job done.

I wish I had Paint.NET on my mac.
Hell, I wish it was available for macs.

But to recap @ :not:RAT what you can use is generally divided into two classes of program.
Raster editing and vector editing.
Raster is easier, vector is better for infinite rescale.

In raster editing, you generally have the following:
Paint (comes on computer, what most get started with)
Paint.NET (has layers, free, easy to use, getpaint.net)
Gnu Image Manipulation program (a :not:Photoshop clone, utterly free, works on anything, gimp.org)
Photoshop CS6/CC (generally the highest-end program here, if you can get it with a student licence, do so. photoshop.com)

In vector editing, you're more limited, but there's still programs out there.
Inkscape (What Gimp is, but for vector graphics, is a :not:Illustrator clone, utterly free, inkscape.org)
Illustrator CS6/CC (generally the highest-end vector program here, if you can get it with a student licence, do so. illustrator.com)

These are all programs I have experience with. The Adobe programs are well polished, but EXPENSIVE as I don't know what. Inkscape is trickier in some ways, Gimp is very much like Photoshop, and Paint.NET is the best if you're just getting started.

[Flussbund]

Autorealm.

[Charlotte Ryberg]

I hope to create my country's map using the same technology as OpenStreetMap (OSM), with Mapnik, Potlatch and JOSM.

For those new to OSM, it's a open source wiki-style world map that I've contributed to for nearly two years, and recently I have decided that I want to export OSM's implementation to realise Minoa as a unified world map, at home obviously.

Now, I know some players think I am going over the top by using a physical server to create a map, but creating maps solely with graphics software risks inconsistency if there is no centralised database to ensure that the shape of one political constituency is maintained throughout its lifespan. Also, I am not ready to put the database to the wider internet due to vandalism risks that OSM and Wikipedia often suffer from.

So, I envisage a two-server implementation wherein a local server will be my workspace and I would use a part of my server on the Internet to host the output tiles, and update when required. For sake of simplicity and to prevent unnecessary disk space waste, the map will only be detailed in Minoa and any relevant nations: other countries will appear as political borders in a way that reflects the political world that Minoa lives in, but not necessarily in the way they influence it (meaning that there will be a North Korea even if Minoa does not recognise it).

[Anollasia]

I used Microsoft Paint.

[Dracolich]

Adobe Illustrator is my program of choice.
http://www.nationstates.net/nation=drac ... /id=208742

[Arkiasis]

Photoshop CS6 for general map outlines/landmasses and Inkscape for labels.