Byrn 102 Share Posted August 23, 2020 I lost my map I had made so that I can expand on it as the site grows. ((highly annoyed about this and I am willing to bet my left foot that when I finish and complete this one, that I will find the old one...)) So this time around I decided to draw land features by hand because I am control freak and like details to be 'just so'. I've got all the important stuff sketched out and I am looking to really fill this map out! I don't want boring empty spaces of just NOTHING. Even if you are not sure where to put it, I'd love to hear what land features that [i]you[/i] love seeing on fantasy maps. Hopefully to help... Blue is a very cold area of ice and snow orange is cold but more in a way that a desert is cold at night. it's very rugged and dry. green is warm and humid with some wetlands red is a happy mix of everything but is overall a moderate and very green and lush place. pinkish is jungle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem 8 Share Posted August 23, 2020 If you happened to have zoomed in versions of those individual regions, you could potentially have significant landmarks drawn for each region--fortresses, natural wonders, areas of interest or treasure, etc. I've seen sites that do that with a sort of, "overlay" effect when you can see the map's natural topography at default view and then hover over to see region boundaries or important places highlighted in certain colors. It sounds very involved but it's really just coding one image to appear on top of another when you hover over them. I think, if you're doing some detailed world-building, an interactive map with those features drawn in would look really neat. Tenebrae: 3-3-3 Dark Superpowers Modern New York City Genesis: 3-3-3 X-Men AU Modern New York / USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrn 102 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 This is actually something I plan to try to do! The only thing I don't know how to do on my own is the zoom in portion with there being multiple layers. My worry for the most part was having a lot of empty space in the map where there was just nothing. Here is what I have so far. And all these little elements and labels I do intend to separate into their own layers when I execute it. 😄 I suck at drawing buildings and things like ruins ( gave it a shot ). So this was the route I went. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naboo 5 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Personally when I look at a map (or even the corresponding forums) I really like it when there is a lot of opportunity for fun and creative writing. I like something that inspires. Kind of like what rem said above, landmarks, something unique, something that stands out there that your character could focus on if you're looking for that in a thread is always a good place to start. I try and think of things that are relatively uncommon here but would be great to explore. Ie; Glaciers, "stonehenge", etc. It's also nice when maps have a full range of variety in their biomes. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somniac 207 Share Posted August 27, 2020 Love that you've got climate zones down, really helps add to a rich world. Territory lines are big for me. Landmarks are awesome, too. Rivers, oases, landmarks, common travel routes marked. Any cities and towns that are getting narrative attention. 1 [Plot] | [Rules] | [Wanted] | [Discord] 18+ | Victorian Era | No App | No Word Count | PoC & LGBT-friendly | Newbie-friendly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhenya3 0 Share Posted August 31, 2020 that is a very nice looking map! I agree, rivers, landmarks, etc. always adds a nice touch for realism's sake! ENLIST. DISCORD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RottenEmu 4 Share Posted September 1, 2020 I agree with the rest of the people here on the part of landmarks, especially when they're connected to some ancient civilisation or even forgotten gods from eons ago. Added bonus if the civilisation seemed to be much more advanced than the current civilisations roaming the world. This works especially well in Fantasy worlds, I feel, I mean look at the Elder Scrolls Dwemer ruins for example. I also loved how they did that in Horizon: Zero Dawn, you have this very rich current state of affairs but it's all built on top of the 'old world', something that was completely and utterly lost in some sort of apocalyptic event. 1 Mayterial Droz Captain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrn 102 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 (edited) Thank you everyone for the responses!!! So here is a link to the map. I decided to stick with World Anvil simply because of it's flexibility and its MUCH easier to continue adding new locations and information. I'm slowly filling it in and absorbing the suggestions. I also want to HIGHLY reccommend this site for mapping out locations! They have TONS more world building features if you pay but I can't afford that myself but that option is of course there! https://www.worldanvil.com/w/elesya-dragonlorerpg/map/9fbb484e-57ef-4585-ae14-27650c117ad9 Landmarks I am going to be ALL over. There is history available that would easily lend itself to ruins and overgrown areas of the land of past civilizations so I will take advantage of what's already there and build on it. I love having that bonus layer of information. I do also plan on venturing a little more in depth with trade routes and a climate map, which I may have to create separately because World Anvil only allows one added layer. If anyone thinks - in terms of what I can draw in - part of the map is a little empty where I could draw a forest or mountains or a ravine or anything... throw it at me lovely thing about this is I can easily alter the base image of this map without it altering the pinned locations. 😄 Edited September 2, 2020 by Lavi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts