List the Most Common "Reality" Errors!

[Chick]

Would it be possible to edit the first post and add list items there? Then all the goodies would be right at the start and you could just include a note along the lines of "for discussion and exceptions, please see the rest of the thread."

Good plan! I'll do just that

[Azélor]

We could include something on how lakes form.

Meandering : someone posted a nice link in February : http://thebritishgeographer.weebly.c...processes.html
Accumulation of water in a depression, because of a river input or because of precipitation.
Past glaciations: only affect poleward latitudes, unless the whole planet froze at some point. It creates lakes but also valleys like fjords, making the coasts more rugged.
Also, poleward temperate latitudes will have the most lakes. Areas close to the tropics tend to have less precipitation and more evaporation but close to the poles, the evaporation rate is lower.
Outlets: Again as I mentioned earlier, not all lakes have outlets. I think they are common enough not to be considered exceptions. In fact, a lot of people think they are simply impossible. It needs to be explained, separately if needed.


A swamp can form anywhere if enough water is accumulated in the lowlands. A mangrove is different because it's made of partially submerged vegetation in salty water.
Deserts rarely form close to the equator since it's the wettest and most humid place on the planet. But it can happen in extraordinary circumstances.
Temperate latitudes must be very dry in order to turn into desert. They either need to be very far inland (Kazakhstan) or blocked by mountains (Nevada?) and even then, it's just a steppe.

Just some ideas...

And of course, one thing that newcomers always forgot (but I'm not sure if it's always relevant) is that they do not know what map projection they are using.

[Chick]

We could include something on how lakes form.

Meandering : someone posted a nice link in February : http://thebritishgeographer.weebly.c...processes.html
Accumulation of water in a depression, because of a river input or because of precipitation.
Past glaciations: only affect poleward latitudes, unless the whole planet froze at some point. It creates lakes but also valleys like fjords, making the coasts more rugged.
Also, poleward temperate latitudes will have the most lakes. Areas close to the tropics tend to have less precipitation and more evaporation but close to the poles, the evaporation rate is lower.
Outlets: Again as I mentioned earlier, not all lakes have outlets. I think they are common enough not to be considered exceptions. In fact, a lot of people think they are simply impossible. It needs to be explained, separately if needed.


A swamp can form anywhere if enough water is accumulated in the lowlands. A mangrove is different because it's made of partially submerged vegetation in salty water.
Deserts rarely form close to the equator since it's the wettest and most humid place on the planet. But it can happen in extraordinary circumstances.
Temperate latitudes must be very dry in order to turn into desert. They either need to be very far inland (Kazakhstan) or blocked by mountains (Nevada?) and even then, it's just a steppe.

Just some ideas...

And of course, one thing that newcomers always forgot (but I'm not sure if it's always relevant) is that they do not know what map projection they are using.

Excellent ideas. I'll summarize them into short line items in the list, but eventually we'll want a little content to go with each item.

[ascanius]

Got one more for the list. Uniformely jagged coasts or uniformely smooth coasts.

[Meshon]

Got one more for the list. Uniformely jagged coasts or uniformely smooth coasts.

I imagine this would vary somewhat with scale, but it's a good point. I just had a look at some maps and for example, Victoria Island has some nice jagged coastline and then a graceful smooth curve to the southeast. Labrador is pretty much jaggy all the way, but the northwest coast of Hudson's Bay has a great example of jagged to smooth.

cheers,
Meshon

[Azélor]

8. Deserts form in middle latitudes, not equatorial.

more precisely: Tropics: yes, equator: no, mid latitudes (45) usually no, poles: technically yes but generally not considered as a desert by most people


and also another idea: when making a realistic map, consider putting less rivers in dry areas, or none at all in some cases. It rain less but then can still have water flowing from rainy plateaus like it's the case with the Nile.
and, if it's realistic, a settled region will have less than 10% of forested area if it's on a plain. At some point it keeps declining as population increases but there will always be some patch of lands that cannot be settled. This topic might also contain interesting stuff : http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...t=20743&page=6
So, if you put forests somewhere like in eastern China, you do it for artistic purposes but it's inaccurate.
On the opposite, temperate hilly regions and mountains will have a large forest cover but most people do not mix these 2 elements.

oh and another fine topic on a similar subject: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ad.php?t=26743

Some that might be interesting:

desert in the south, tundra in the north (Game of thrones) but this is only true in the north hemisphere above the tropics
vocaloes are evil! seriously, where do I put my volcanoes?
also from Madcowchef: naming place according to their appearance as seen from above even in medieval times. Italy = boot, France= hexagon, was that a flying dinosaur ? http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...1&d=1378874254

[Mark Oliva]

poles: technically yes but generally not considered as a desert by most people

Probably because they're usually defined as tundra instead.

[Mark Oliva]

As already noted, I'm in disagreement with a number of things in the original list. I think they unnecessarily restrict the design of a fantasy world as well as falsely portray what actually happens in the real world. In addition, I'm not a big fan of rules. I prefer guidelines.

Unfortunately, I had too little time available to do this yesterday, but the following is my suggested alternate list for folks who are designing and making maps for fantasy settings for RPGs or novels:

1. Almost all lakes have one outlet. There are some exceptions, but they are unusual. If you make exceptions, it's a good idea to have a reason for doing so, one your readers or players will understand.

2. Most rivers flow into an ocean. They may flow through lakes, they may be tributaries that flow into larger rivers, etc., but eventually, they usually flow into an ocean. There are a number of exceptions. These usually flow into inland lakes where the water evaporates and percolates into the ground water table, or they flow on into underground rivers, which again often reach the sea. It's a good idea to avoid such rivers in fantasy novels and settings unless they serve a real purpose.

3. Rivers seldom split. If they go around an island, they rejoin at some point. A river may have multiple channels through a final delta to the sea, but the river still is just one river. Those real world rivers that do split are the result of geological actions such as earthquakes. Many geologists believe that only one part of the split will survive in the long run. In a fantasy setting, such splits are confusing unless they serve a clear and understandable purpose.

4. Most mountains form in linear or gently curving ranges. Real world ranges don't meet at sharp angles. If they do in your setting, you need an explanation, such as the might of Sauron in creating the mountains of Mordor in Lord of the Rings.

5. Large, lonely mountains usually form only as shield volcanoes. Most mountains are part of a range.

6. Rivers do not naturally run through a mountain range. When they do so, it usually is the result of some event other than the river that has split the mountains.

7. Swamps and lakes form in depressions, not on hills, although lakes may form in craters and depressions atop hills and mountains

8. Rivers almost always flow downhill. But there are some exceptions near coastlines where rivers temporarily flow upstream at high tide.

9. Rivers usually follow relatively straight paths down hills and mountains, but they often tend to wind and meander on flat land.

10. Rivers often taper wider downstream, at confluences and in areas where their descent becomes gradual. They tend to be narrower where their descent is greater and their flow faster.

11. Coastlines usually are jagged and irregular.

12. Most forests are shorter than nearby mountains adjacent to them.

[Chick]

"6. Rivers do not naturally run through a mountain range. When they do so, it usually is the result of some event other than the river that has split the mountains."

Actually, you missed the most common exception: The river was there before the mountains rose

[Gamerprinter]

"6. Rivers do not naturally run through a mountain range. When they do so, it usually is the result of some event other than the river that has split the mountains."

Actually, you missed the most common exception: The river was there before the mountains rose

The New River in the Eastern US is actually one of the oldest rivers in the world and it bisects the Appalachian Mountains with the New River Gorge. The New River existed when the world was one supercontinent of Pangaea, and thought to be 325 to 260 million years old, and preceded the uplift of the Appalachians.