World Map, Take Two
Alright, I've had a similar thread on an overworld in the past but its been awhile and now I've actually gotten something drawn up. I've got the basic shape though I need to check and make sure I've got everything inside it I want.
What I hope to get input on right now is:
1) Constructive criticism
2) A better way to lay out details (Mountains, woodlands, etc.)
3) What I'm missing, there's a lot of empty space in the map. The map is supposed to be a world map so I know details are meant to be general but I still see a lot of empty space I'd like to fill.
4) Is this scale about right for an overworld? I beleive I made it 10,000 by 8,000 and its given me a lot of space to work with, perhaps even close to to much.
5) Anything I didn't think to ask?
What I hope to get input on right now is:
1) Constructive criticism
2) A better way to lay out details (Mountains, woodlands, etc.)
3) What I'm missing, there's a lot of empty space in the map. The map is supposed to be a world map so I know details are meant to be general but I still see a lot of empty space I'd like to fill.
4) Is this scale about right for an overworld? I beleive I made it 10,000 by 8,000 and its given me a lot of space to work with, perhaps even close to to much.
5) Anything I didn't think to ask?
Comments
Use many varied symbols for mountains. There are so many and they can really liven up a mountain range.
Same goes with trees.
When you add in some random symbols that don't make sense it really adds character to the world. Like a Volcano in a mountain range, some dead trees in a forest. Let the symbols add some magic for you.
I add in polygons filled with colour to serve as climate regions. IE yellow for desert and purple for swamp.
Adding to what cobra mustang said about adding polygons of colour, you can also add polygons filled with textures that indicate desert, grassland, farmland, swamp and forests. If you use a drawing tool to add them you can trace the coastline as part of each polygon, so that you can accurately fill an area of farmland (for example) right up to the coast if you want to. When you add texture polygons, however, you might want to read up a bit on Sheet Effects, since they look much better with an Edge Fade Inner effect on them to blend them more naturally together like they would be in the real world.
The other thing I noticed straight away, is that if this is a world map, there don't really seem to be all that many rivers. You may want to add quite a few more than there are, or this world would surely be a desert. You will find that increasing the number of rivers significantly reduces the open space feeling about the map straight away
Can't wait to start playing with that and update some of my old projects.
I enjoy the people on this forum and the projects they are doing.
You're right about the forum. I love this place
After you make your world map and start focusing on more regional maps, the major rivers will help you place smaller rivers not visible on the world map. Many smaller rivers flow to the sea, to lakes, or to the major rivers (one of the reasons they're major rivers to begin with).
Also, on that topic, maybe add some major lakes, if your world has them. They can help you map for much of the same reasons as rivers.
So far, so good!
Cheers,
~Dogtag
Shessar's Overland Mountain Tutorial
Ghost cactus... they look like ghosts of cacti; however, if a character moves their hand through them... they feel nothing, but spines show up in the hand and arm the next day.
Yalk Trees, a white tree that is a scourge from another dimension. These trees are a pale gray; leaves, limbs, trunk. No other vegetation can grow near a Yalk tree. Somehow these trees cause timber buildings to crumble up to 5 miles away.
Jim's solution should solve the repeating pattern in that texture fill (called 'redundancy'). An alternative action is to increase the existing scale by a factor of at least 10
I think I follow the reason for the suggestion, its to make sure that the terrain is distinguishable right?
- Use the edit functionality of the drawing tools and subtract the parts you don't want
- Use Cut and Break on the polygons, removing the parts you don't want, and join the rest back together with Path to Poly
- Use the trace functionality of the drawing tools to trace the area you want, then delete the original entity.
JimP-Alright, I'll make it a few shades darker. Do you think that color I'm using for the nation's borders should work? That dark red?
Additionally I've added some lines next to the islands over Arthen (NW corner) and want those yellow lines leading from the island names to the islands themselves less...fat I guess.