Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: New Member, Trying to make some decent maps.

  1. #1

    Default New Member, Trying to make some decent maps.

    Hi all, I'm new here. After messing around with maps both on paper and in GIMP I've arrived here and am amazed at the quality people can get with GIMP. The tutorials I have followed have been very insightful and useful. So this is just a thread introducing myself.

    The main reason I like to make maps (other than just for the enjoyment of it) is to create a world to creatively write with, for both role-playing and just for fun. I was wondering whether any of you have any tips on town/city placement and how many roads/other attractions should be on a map. I realise that it depends on scale.

    So a bit of information about me. My name is Will, I'm from the UK and have just started university over here studying physics.

    Thanks for all the awesome tutorials, the main ones I've followed so far are by Jon A so thanks to him.
    Last edited by ninjapenguin981; 01-14-2012 at 08:03 AM.

  2. #2
    Guild Expert jbgibson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Alabama, USA
    Posts
    1,429

    Default

    Welcome, ninjapenguin !

    Placement of human features depends on so very many factors. Scale, sure - the larger the scale (smaller area), the more & smaller items will be shown. But also, WHEN is your setting? What's the culture? An archipelago could do with no roads at all; an underground city could technically be nothing BUT roads :-). The purpose of the map would matter too -- a topographic map or the like could make do with just enough cities and borders to make clear who owns the mountain range, what nations the river connects, and so forth. If 'tis a political map, you may need every settlement above village size. If it's the log of an adventurer, it might have just the places he's passed through.

    So -- what's the style you're shooting for, and what's the purpose for your map or maps?

  3. #3

    Default

    Wow, I may have to have quite a bit of a think about all those questions because some of them I don't actually know the answer to. Thanks for your feedback, it was most enlightening into the sort of things I need to be thinking about.

  4. #4
    Community Leader Lukc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Seoul, South Korea
    Posts
    1,573

    Default

    If you go into worldbuilding, here's a short list of stuff that helps:

    astronomy
    planetology
    geology
    meteorology
    evolutionary theory
    human evolution and physical anthropology
    anthropology in general (social, cultural, linguistic too)
    archeology
    history
    geography
    sociology
    political economy
    economy in general


  5. #5

    Default

    Good job I'm not doing any of those subjects then

    So I've done the landscape of my first map. It's not labelled or got any towns/roads on it yet, but I was wondering whether I could get your opinions on it.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	FirstMap.png 
Views:	33 
Size:	253.1 KB 
ID:	41265
    Last edited by ninjapenguin981; 01-16-2012 at 03:42 PM. Reason: Added Map

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •