World Design Questions

[Krix]

Thank you for your input, everyone. Gumboot, thank you especially. My world is certainly high fantasy, but that doesn't do much to dismiss my need to make things logical. I realize how much more planning I need to do the further I get into writing.

My main issue with population and civilization concerns was my own misreading of maps I've seen in other fantasy novels. They're not like Google Maps. They don't show you every little village - just the big or important ones. I think that was my biggest problem.

I found the page that Falconius linked shortly after I made this post. Gumboot's interpretation and personal insight definitely helped too.

As for the climate stuff, I didn't get a chance to research much about that, so the information Gumboot provided will be a great start to (re)designing my world.

Central place theory is always a fun place to start.

Man, that might be too much research. But I'll probably make myself read it...

I just want to point out that the era described by Gumboot mostly reflect the end of the medieval era, when the population expanded due to technical advances. The Europe from before the 13th century was different as villages where more or less isolated from each other. Many regions where mostly unsettled before that. As an example, the population on England tripled in 150 years or so.

Hmm, that is definitely an interesting note, but I don't think it will matter too much. My civilization may include a bit of industrial elements to it so it shouldn't be too great of a concern. If anything I need to look into what the population did after that, but I think it's important to know the origins as well.

There's a nice thread around here somewhere that analyzes the settlement pattern around, I think, Herefordshire in England.

There was a bit left out of the above analysis regarding feudal settlement patterns, and that's the manorial system. Often, towns would grow up in service to a feudal lord's estate if the lord permitted it. A city, as a self-governing unit, required a charter from an authority capable of granting freemen the right to settle, typically the crown. Cities are full of middle-class professionals, who as a class were a threat to the aristocracy. Therefore, cities were somewhat rarer through most of the middle ages than those small town networks. As we enter the high middle ages, the middle class rises to prominence, more cities arise, and the existing cities grow. We also see a corresponding weakening of the monarchy, at least in England and France. I am less familiar with the history of other parts of Europe.

That is also very interesting and important to note. I'll see if I can find that thread.

I want to be done with the specifics already and just start writing again, but I know it would kill me if I didn't do it right. Thanks again for the help and pointing me in the right direction!

Edit: Gumboot, why do you say rivers don't split? I know they do, but is it just rarer than I realize?

Thankfully, I'm not as far behind as I thought and I don't have to change my plans too much. I have a better understanding than I expected, though I still have a long way to go. Again, thank you so much for your help!