Quote Originally Posted by Tomalak View Post
1 - Good outlines. It is unashamed in how earth-like it is, but interesting particularly in the variations. I esp like the extra island off the Iberian peninsula & the double-India.
2 - Placing things like mountains should be simple. Do it like, but not exactly like, on Earth. The Alps are caused by Africa getting friendly with Europe; and the india-china-central asia area is home to three enormous ranges because of the meeting of continents. I would suggest making forests more common in Europe & China, because deforestation would likely not have been as heavy or consistent on your world (if it's a fantasy setting).
3 - One approach you could try would be to pick one area and zoom in on it. Decide what you want there, and fill in a more local map. When that's done, transfer the major features back to the global map and extrapolate from there. Does your "India" have a huge swamp or mountain range on the eastern formation? How does that affect the surrounding area.
4 - If you want to use realistic geography & meteorology for your world, there are people who can advise you on how mountains, coastlines, etc would affect climate - but you don't have to!

All in all, you have a very solid start - and I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress!
Honestly, it is those small changes that will likely make a huge difference. So far the way this setting is taking shape, this world anyway, even if it is very earthlike (It's even humans only) a lot of cultural and political differences already are arising as I try and place each society and how it interacts. That sea just north west of the double india area is a huge change. On another map I've made with more labels (Though less emphasis on climate details) that sea is more or less the nexus for trade and culture. A huge difference since realistically this world lacks a "Mediterranean" as the central sea and hub of for that part of the world.

As its developing the "Europe," is a lot more culturally, politically and socially isolated since its a bit more out of the way. As for trees and forests, massive deforestation has yet to happen. This campaign setting would be roughly about the 1000 BCE to 800 CE time range if we go by Earth time tables. Civilizations are taking off but magic helps to create other building alternatives and there has yet to be enough people in existence to consume that much forest. The general theme is low magic, antiquity, maybe a little Dark ages, ect.

Right now I'd say the biggest problem with the actual mapping is that I'm having trouble actually getting mountains unto the map and have it look right. This is my first attempt at a map of this style. I've found some tutorials but so far I'm a bit shaky on getting it done.