Quote Originally Posted by LS-Jebus View Post
As it says, I am in need of suggestions or examples for how to make a map that shows geographic features, but also political boundaries in an easy-to-follow format.

The terrain can be either general, such as highlands/lowlands/mountains, or detailed, showing swamps/forests/rocky land/etcetera as well.
Okay, I think you can do it. Shantadracule was working on one recently.

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...0&postcount=49

It requires merging two concepts, and you'll need to do a lot of secondary preparation work.

Preparation Work
#1 Define your Major & Minor Kingdoms.
#2 Sketch your map out (really rough, "river goes here", "mountains go here", "lake goes here" kind of rough)
#3 Create an iconography/heraldry for those major-minor kingdoms. I'd recommend that Minor Kingdoms have icons that mimic a Major kingdom they are closely allied with. If you are dividing this down to the Duke/Baron level, then associate the Baron with the Kingdom graphically as well.
#4 Determine where your Major kingdoms go (they will also be the ones with the best trade routes, best resources and most easily defensible)
#5 Stick the minor kingdoms in the "fuzzy middle areas" between the Major Kingdoms

Map Making Process
#1 Do a nice detailed "sat map" (or other style if you'd like). For a "drawn map" it's hard to go past Ramah's recent efforts.
#2 Insert the heraldic icons onto the landscape (say near capitals) and make sure you mark the MILITARY locations (forts, keeps, towers, checkpoints) because THESE will define your kingdom boundaries. Also mark these buildings with the heraldic markers
#3 Fuss about with the rest and write a backstory that meshes with what you've already done, the geography (armies don't like attacking over frozen mountains if they can find an easy target on the plains) and the rest of it.


If you've got questions about any of the separate steps, feel free to ask whoever happens to be reading the thread.