The continent of Odrian (Fantasy Worlds style)

I posted this long enough back that I am posting again with some of the changes I have made. Its not done yet but its getting there and should be done this weekend. I like it so far. I am looking for little things that I could add to bring spice to the map at this point.

Comments

  • DkarrDkarr Traveler
    This is a good start, I'm liking the colors used, they are muted and feel right. I like the font used, which one is it?

    Is this from a particular style template?

    The forests don't look too natural, as their borders are a bit "blocky". A little bit of blend on the edges of the forests might to a long way to make them fit in better. However, it looks like you are creating a "regional/political" map so that "blockiness" might be by design.

    Keep it going.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    Very nice. I've always liked this style for world maps and you've used it to good effect. One thing I notice is a lack of lakes. Perhaps consider adding some of various shapes and sizes.

    The map has a very nice feel to it and I would love to explore it which, to me, is a major goal for any map. Bravo!

    Thanks for sharing — again!

    Cheers,
    ~Dogtag
  • This map is absolutely beautiful! I especially love the colors, and the way you did your borders. The gradual color change is excellent!


    There is one thing, however that... it's throwing me off, and I don't know if it's just me... it probably is... but the mountains. I don't know if it's the fact that there are two long, seemingingly unbroken, same width mountain ranges that almost mirror each other in width and length....

    Maybe it's just the terrain fill behind them. I don't know, but it looks to me as if someone took a paintbrush and 'drew' a line, then stuck the mountains on top. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be... but mountains aren't supposed to be that.... uniform, I guess I would say.

    Or maybe it's just this particular style, and I don't know what I'm talking about. It really is a beautiful map.
  • Interesting map. I like the colors and the names you chose. Very cool.
  • Posted By: DkarrThis is a good start, I'm liking the colors used, they are muted and feel right. I like the font used, which one is it?

    Is this from a particular style template?

    The forests don't look too natural, as their borders are a bit "blocky". A little bit of blend on the edges of the forests might to a long way to make them fit in better. However, it looks like you are creating a "regional/political" map so that "blockiness" might be by design.

    Keep it going.
    Thanks! I know one of the fonts is Goudy Gothic, I can't remember the other font name off hand. I will look it up and let you know when I get back to the map. :)
  • edited March 2016
    Final product. I might still make some tweaks here and there but for the most part the continental map is done. Now I am going to dig down into the Republic of Eglandia in the northwest section of the map. I am thinking about using SS1 for this map. I hope you like the Continent of Odrian in its completed form.
  • edited March 2016
    kevbeck43,

    Nice overall map!

    I cannot help but to notice that some of your trade routes (for ships) appear to cross land.
    You may limit the ports of call since most ships would usually just stop at the larger ports instead of individual villages.
    It would make it less busy and identify your major trade centers.
  • Thank you! I didn't notice that. That is an easy fix to.
  • edited March 2016
    A great start!

    Just a few things to think about:

    Why do your rivers split as they go downstream? Usually, streams combine into rivers as they go downstream. Lakes usually have a water source(s) that brings water to them, and an outlet that allows the water to travel on to the sea/ocean. Some bodies of water have no outlet, such as the Dead Sea.

    Why is Zhoolat a major city? It is not on a major waterway (for trade inland), it is not located in hills or mountains where it could be a mining center, nor is it located on key terrain such as an island at a narrow part of the sea or controlling the route between mountain ranges.

    Just some food for thought.

    :-)
  • edited March 2016
    Charles, thanks for taking the time to comment. The rivers split as they are going downstream because the branches that split are distributaries. Unlike tributaries which are streams that contribute to a larger river, distributaries do the opposite and spring off from the main river. A great example of this in the natural world is the Nile Delta, I believe the biggest river delta in the world. It used to have many distributaries attached to it that over time have been altered by man. I believe even the Mississippi River here in the US has a river delta that once contained many distributaries. In my fantasy world this is taken to the extreme as all the major rivers split off and form river deltas. The land around these deltas can create some of the richest soils for agriculture which is the backbone of civilization. I wanted all of my civilized areas to be rich and fertile so that they could all develop complex civilizations.

    The lakes are the source for tributaries that feed the larger rivers. The tributaries are to small to put on the big map though. I will represent them when I go into making the regional maps of each empire. I might just move them to the mountain sources for the bigger rivers though since you are right about rivers usually springing from some kind of lake body.

    Zhoolat is a major city because it is at the center of a magical nexus that extends 100 miles out from the city center. On my world these nexus are all over but only a few are powerful enough to recognize as a nexus. Zhoolat is the capital of The Magocracy of Negrax, an empire ruled by the ancient wizard of the same name. (That is the plan anyway.) The nexus is not marked on the map because very few people outside of magical circles know it exists.
  • edited March 2016
    Thanks kevbeck43,

    That is why I like to include text descriptions with my maps. It helps to frame it, especially for areas that are magical in nature. Now I understand what you are trying to depict.

    My Shrouded Isle map required a good "story" so viewers would understand what they were looking at: http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=5887&page=1#Item_23

    It is a "Bermuda Triangle" type place with all kinds of strange happenings. Without framing the viewers expectations first, they would have been hard pressed to understand such things as the "Green Ship" and "Waterspouts" just to name a few - LoL!

    Thanks again for taking to the time to share your world with me. :-)
  • I remember this! I think you've done a great job improving it, particularly fixing the mountains. I'll be interested to see how you develop Englandia. And the geopolitics nut in me sees the narrow straits between Badashar and Silvianna and sees a beautiful source of conflict between those who'd want to control those straits and those who'd fear such control. :)
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