Community Atlas WIP - Panaur region of Doriant
Don Anderson Jr.
Surveyor
So besides all the other mapping projects I did want to contribute to the Community Atlas. It teaches me quite a few things and makes me feel good to add to the project.
I took a region in the lowest South East area of Doriant. A region called Panaur. Going to make it a bunch of Fiefdoms. Along with the Knights, will be some of the continents best shipbuilders.
The variety of trees they cultivate are kept hidden from other shipbuilders. They protect the trees from jealous competitors.
The climate is harsh in areas, but it is consistent, so every copse of trees can be assured to grow strong.
First map is the region I have chosen
Next map is the copied region from the main map, with all the city and town locations. My main starting point.
Last map is the current state. All the important details from the main map are filled in. Now to add extra character to the map. Lots of items will probably be tweaked a bit. Text definitely is a placeholder for now.
I will add in political boundaries for all the Fiefdoms. I looked at the map and realized the coast should be redone with more fractalization. It is way to smooth in my opinion.
Future plans are to do a few of the cities. Maybe do one isometrically. Also to do one map in perspectives. Maybe even a dungeon or two. Maybe even a small regional map in a totally different style. Kind of adds some pressure for me to work on my map making, and trying to improve.
Please do be kind, it is a WIP and I haven't worked on effects to much. The main forest for sure needs some TLC.
Comments
Don't forget that aside from adding more character to the coastline, you can also add smaller islands there in places to help break up that "smoothness" aspect, much as other features too small to have been added on the original larger-area map can be added inland. What's shown as a peninsula on a large scale, might be really an island with a tidal causeway headland instead when you start looking closer, say!
I'd definitely recommend using your Atlas mapping to experiment with different styles; it's what I've been trying to do for some years now! It does indeed push you into thinking in different ways about mapping, and trying out new things in terms of how to use the program.
Here is some further progress on my map.
Things I haven't done yet.
Text for rivers. I am not going to do roads, they are un-named, just arrows to destinations.
Text for biome's
City text. I numbered them with name, and will do that with Biome's so I can do a legend with all things. The legend will go in the sea on the right side.
Political borders for the Feudal states.
I am open to further ideas. If it was my own world I would add whatever I feel, but being part of the community map. I am struggling a bit to enhance the map more. The central forest has differing tree colours as the shipbuilders grow huge regions of specific tree types. So it may look odd to some people but it truly serves a purpose.
I am open to further ideas. If it was my own world I would add whatever I feel, but being part of the community map. I am struggling a bit to enhance the map more.
As long as your ideas don't clash with/contradict anything that's been written about the continent and/or nearby areas already (see the map notes in the Atlas FCW files for those there are - not everyone adds some to their maps), and the overall details from larger-scale already-mapped areas aren't changed significantly, you're pretty much free to devise as you please. You could even devise some undersea mapped areas, if that appeals 😁!
As Wyvern says, you can add pretty much what you want. The idea behind this project is that everyone can bring their own ideas to the table. A local map should obviously be consistent with the regional map it is taken from, but the general idea is to make it interesting by adding features and locations that wouldn't have been mapped at the greater zoom of the parent map. The marked city locations on the parent map are naturally going to be the largest cities in the region, but as you drill down to more close-up maps, smaller cities and other interesting locations will naturally start to appear. So make it yours, add your own lore to the area (if you want to), and make it an interesting place for subsequent mappers to pick for their maps.