The larger the map, continent or hemisphere, the less detail. Oceans, seas, one or two major rivers, borders, seaports and cities, deserts, ice caps, and mountains.
I would use symbols for cities, not detail them.
Do the detail maps on smaller coverage maps. Cities get a map by itself, with an internediate map showing the major areas of the city ( merchants, seaport, poor, rich) and the nearby villages.
Dank forest map page on my site is an example of a small country with detail maps. That page shows large scale, and the Brillar maps links on the bottom show more and more detail.
If youre going to start with a map of the world no need to worry too much about cities. Only the very large ones would be worth putting on that map.
When you get to smaller maps it depends more or less on what style tou choose for the maps. Most styles to map regional parts of your world contain their own city symbols. Or you can choose to present cities by using (colored) squares, triangles and circles. All comes down really to what style you prefer.
Comments
As I, and they, wondered what was over the local horizon, I added on to it until I got most of a continent.
No need to build an entire planet first off.
The larger the map, continent or hemisphere, the less detail. Oceans, seas, one or two major rivers, borders, seaports and cities, deserts, ice caps, and mountains.
I would use symbols for cities, not detail them.
Do the detail maps on smaller coverage maps. Cities get a map by itself, with an internediate map showing the major areas of the city ( merchants, seaport, poor, rich) and the nearby villages.
Dank forest map page on my site is an example of a small country with detail maps. That page shows large scale, and the Brillar maps links on the bottom show more and more detail.
Southern Continent of Crestar New version, work in progress.
I have slightly over 2000 maps on Crestar. Some need improvement.
edit: Oh, that site took years. And I doubt I'll ever get it done.
I'm not sure which symbol sets they come from... I'm sure someone around here can list that.
Only the very large ones would be worth putting on that map.
When you get to smaller maps it depends more or less on what style tou choose for the maps.
Most styles to map regional parts of your world contain their own city symbols.
Or you can choose to present cities by using (colored) squares, triangles and circles.
All comes down really to what style you prefer.
Browse the forums, lots of examples.