Fantasy Realms Style
Modric
Traveler
This came out better than I thought. The font is Neverwinter Nights (which is appropriate).
Modric
Traveler
Comments
Below is a map of the major river systems of the United States that I aquired from the internet - and is useable here under United States copyright allowances for the purposes of academic examination and analysis. I have taken the liberty of highlighting "isolated waterway systems" to demonstrate that rivers can take any number of kooky, offbeat pathways that you can imagine. They don't have to originate - or end along major tributaries that lead to oceans, lakes, or seas. They can literally pop up out of nowhere - and terminate anywhere.
It didn't make much sense to me either - until I started mole surfing for info - and - sure enough - believe it or not - it's a sound design concept. You can even have isolated rivers within a few miles (or kilometers) of each other that flow in opposite directions! There actually seems to be no set rules at all governing the placement of rivers and streams in the real world. Weird but true.
One thing that "could" be suggested though - is that a few more minor stream and riverlet branches could be added to a few more of the major rivers, and that the paths of the rivers could "maybe" stand to be a little less smoothly curved, and a little more fractalized / jagged to more accurately represent changes in terrain surface and elevation - especially since the O.P.'s map seems to have a straight "Top Down" viewpoint - as opposed to being more isometrically stylized - but it's not my map - so to each their own.
I would like to say that I do like this map (the original poster's map) a lot because it does have a very unique character. I like the font and terrain color choices a lot. This map has personality.
B&W reference map:
http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=3254&page=1#Item_6
#1, There are really no set rules on where a river will begin or end - but generally the longest and widest rivers (like the Mississippi river, The Amazon River, The Brazos River, The Nile River, The Danube, etc.) - either start, end, or start AND end at delta spillways into larger lakes, seas, and oceans. Usually on continents and larger islands you'll have anywhere from one to ten or more of these "mega-rivers" that have larger delta systems. NOTE that the second largest / longest river in North America - the Mississippi river - begins in Minnesota, and terminates at a major delta spillway emptiing into the Gulf Of Mexico. I'd guess that roughly 30% of all of the major rivers in the U.S. connect to the Mississippi.
#2, Most of your vegetation distributed on a given land mass will be associated with an adjoining body of water, i.e. Forests and swamps will be most numerous and dense along and around rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, and coastal sea shores. Wetlands, Marshes, and Swamps are often found at the forking areas / branching origins of multiple river systems that connect or branch off of each other - and along / atop the shallowest areas of freshwater seas, lakes, and ponds in locations along shores that are nearest dry land.
In short - wetlands, marshes, and swamps will be located primarily in FLOODPLAINS where flooding is relatively a common occurrance, either seasonally - or due to terrain orientation (local land elevations and the abundance of flow in sources).
#3, Civilization LOVES water. Towns, cities, hamlets, villages, settlements, and camps will nearly ALWAYS be close to some kind of water source. Human civilization first began next to a river. The more geopolitical boundaries (political borders) a body of water intersects - the more settlements will be situated near it as a trade artery. The largest / longest body of water within any political division will have the highest concentration of civilized settlements (more accurately - POPULATION) within that division.
anyway, geographically, the NE river looks like it is running down from the northern hills and then up into the southern hills. I would suggest removing some of the southern hills and letting the river flow into the greenish area (like the marshland you mentioned earlier). of course if its a fantasy map, water can flow in any direction you like.
heck, my fantasy map has a 10 mile wide whirlpool which sucks in islands!
#1, wetlands, swamps, and marshes are generally found in flood plains.
#2, flood plains are generally found where rivers are thickest, and where they branch out - and in the shallows of lakes closest to the shoreline.
#3, Rivers are thickest - and branch out - in areas of uniform lower elevation in comparison to the surrounding terrain - typically in the lowest regions of valleys, or areas that are generally flat or depressed terrain.
#4, Warm, humid areas will have more swamps and marshes than any other - irregardless of whether or not they (other areas) fulfill the prior criteria - due to greater rain fall.
The bottom graphics are an elevation map of the Continental United States, and a relative humidity map of the U.S..
In both maps - the deeper greens are lower elevations and the browns / yellows / pinks / brighter greens are higher elevations. More water can be found in the eastern third of the U.S. because (A), it has a higher rainfall rate due to the influences of humidity transported up from the Gulf Of Mexico, and (B), because it is at lower elevations than the western and west central remaining two thirds of the continental U.S. (CLOSER TO SEA LEVEL = MORE MOISTURE!), rivers flow from higher to lower elevations = WIDER RIVERS, MORE RIVERS, MORE FORESTS, AND MORE SWAMPS at elevations CLOSER TO SEA LEVEL!
hence - there is a greater abundance of rivers, streams, creeks, and wetlands in the Eastern third of the U.S., And thus - a greater abundance of reliable flood plains. Note the clustering patterns and abundances of river networks in prior maps that I've posted on this thread - specifically how tributaries are distributed along the Mississippi, and the location of the Mississippi river itself?
Just wanted to give you some reference / research material Modric that I hope will be helpful / insightful / inspirational.
Remember that the TOP MAP = ELEVATIONS, and the BOTTOM MAP = WETNESS:
Despite all the evidence that its perfectly "legal" still don't like the river that goes nowhere :-)
According to Wikipedia (and you know that's the most reliable source on the internet!),
"A river is a natural watercourse,[1] usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water."
And,
"Most but not all rivers flow on the surface. Subterranean rivers flow underground in caves or caverns. Such rivers are frequently found in regions with limestone geologic formations."
Even though I have changed the Veldta area to now have the rivers flow into the three grassland areas, the NE river could have either dried up or proceeded underground. The dissipation of the rivers and streams, either in or under ground, would contribute to the groundwater through the aquifier, which would explain the presence of vegetation that is not necessarily adjacent to the above ground waterways.
I try to follow the principles that rivers generally flow from areas of higher elevation to lower elevation, and that their paths take the path of least resistance. That may not be true in every situation, but they are good rules of thumb!
Also - I am very sorry if it seems that the images and rather wordy entries that I posted were a bit overtaking, that was not the intention.
Great overland map for an adventure setting.