WIP: [no name] world project

[urxed]

Well, my first two thoughts are:

1) Minimize the polar land masses and maximize the temperate and tropical land areas. There's a greater variety of life in those in those regions.

2) Maybe save the borders for when you have the map finalized. Depending on the detail in your actual map, excessive backgrounds and borders can be distracting. Also, it depends on what look you're going after. Antique? Scientific/technical? Atlas?

One other thought...I like the idea of thinking of the place as an actual planet, and thus the circular hemispheres, but it's very hard to visualize actual land area on a hemispherical map. Is there a reason you've not plotted out the map on an equirectangular layout or other projection?

1. Yeah, I've been thinking about that - the only problem is that with no polar landmasses the average temp. of the planet (comparing with earth) rises significantly. I don't know if that is a problem. I'm also going for semi-supercontinent: I would like to have one or two pieces of major land mass. Maybe I'll go for some kind of "ring" world (I've been into that before... in the crescent world).

2. Yeah, absolutely. That was just a minor detail I did when I had some spare time over. Generally I'm looking for some kind of neo-atlas style with scientific feel - I'm not going all out science though, my knowledge is not enough. But that map will be for me to look upon so that I can flesh out good stories and so on. I'll be creating other maps of areas throughout the world in a "old style" manner (I love this style:
).

(3). Well, I don't really care about the right projections or if it's distorted or not - I just like the feel of it when it is portrayed as a planet. I find it gives a better view of how large/small things are. When looking at an atlas map of earth you don't really understand how humongous some of the oceans really are, such details looks better in a "fake" planetary style. I might just put it on a flat area map later on though.