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Thread: The Known World

  1. #11

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    A very nice looking map. The only suggestion I would make is to soften the map a bit. Since you are using a faded parchment type background, a slightly softer look to the actual map may work better. This way you get a worn feel all around. However, even with out this, its a very nice map.

    Marc
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  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by jfrazierjr View Post
    In most cases, a desert forms when wind (bearing moisture) encounters high mountains that disrupt the wind patterns. Rain/snow generally falls on one side of the mountains and the other side gets far less rain resulting in a dessert.
    I believe that, if the tropic of Arvad has the same properties as our tropics, in terms of high cold air coming from the equator usually "lands" around it, Aznoth's and the smaller desert near it are perfectly explainable.

    My biggest concern here is actually with the one along what seems to be the planet's "Equator". That is a zone where usually we have enough evaporation and the air flows up, chilling fast and raining. The wind coming from the sea in the west would most likely carry enough water to make that desert unlikely.

    But then again, it IS a fantasy map, so if you want a desert, then let the desert be

    Just for future reference, this site gives two examples of reasons for deserts forming. while there are others, these two are the most frequent.

    http://weathersavvy.com/Q-Climate_DesertsFormed.html

    jfrazierjr seems to be referring to the rain shadow effect, but I believe that wouldn't be much of a problem in the landscape you're building. Except that I'm not sure where the winds would be flowing: In a basic fashion, you'd have wind from world rotation going west, but being a coastal line, difference in temperatures during different times of day would make wind come and go from the land to the sea and the other way around.
    Last edited by alexandream; 12-07-2009 at 03:27 PM. Reason: Badly written in general... still not perfect, though.

  3. #13
    Guild Apprentice bengaijin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by alexandream View Post
    My biggest concern here is actually with the one along what seems to be the planet's "Equator". That is a zone where usually we have enough evaporation and the air flows up, chilling fast and raining. The wind coming from the sea in the west would most likely carry enough water to make that desert unlikely.

    jfrazierjr seems to be referring to the rain shadow effect, but I believe that wouldn't be much of a problem in the landscape you're building. Except that I'm not sure where the winds would be flowing: In a basic fashion, you'd have wind from world rotation going west, but being a coastal line, difference in temperatures during different times of day would make wind come and go from the land to the sea and the other way around.
    Interesting... I didn't think about world rotation as a determinant of prevailing wind direction (though I think in some vague way I did know it was a factor). I was aware of rain shadow effect and did factor that in - my concept was that the wind prevailed from the southeast, making the windward sides of the continents along the Shining Sea predominantly jungle, and the leeward sides desert. Azoth (the eastern waste) would have been much smaller naturally, but since it was grafted with a full plane of the Abyss, it has been expanding into its semi-arid neighbours.

    Actually, I suppose I could argue that the Bahranni Desert also used to be smaller, as in my mythos it is at least in part a result of the battle between Aroden, God of Destiny and Father of Humanity, and Rovagug, the God of Hunger, the Destroyer. This is centered on the Pit of Gormuz, where the two gods slew each other.

    But it might just be a result of wind currents. Could go either way

    _ben

    ps. Those who know the Pathfinder setting probably recognize the names Aroden, Rovagug, and the Pit of Gormuz, but know that my narrative diverges from the original significantly. History is getting the same mash-up treatment as geography here. I love the source material, but really feel confined by a strict canon.

  4. #14
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    As I said, I'm not entirely sure of the wind patterns there. The globe rotation would actually give you winds coming from NE and from SE in the Equator, if I recall correctly. Looking at it like that, the rain shadow effect would be a reasonable explanation for that desert.

    I just think that there would be more to the wind patterns there than simple globe rotation: Water and land heat at different speeds, so usually coastal areas have a wind pattern that comes from the sea at some time, and goes to the sea at another. So I believe there would be a regular flow of of moist wind on that part of the world.

    But then again, I was just mentioning it for consideration. As you said: It *is* a fictional fantasy world. With magic and other sorts of things taking place, it's best to keep with what suits the story/campaign better, anyways

  5. #15
    Guild Expert Eilathen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bengaijin View Post
    Eilathen: I've got a ton of info on the world, but as of now it is quite poorly organized. I'm in the process of putting together a gazetteer, but it's got a long way to go. A couple of major points:

    *snip*

    _ben
    Cool, thanks a lot. I'd like to get my hands on the gazetter, if you're ever finished (read: satisfied enough to put it up here or something like that)

    Are you planing on doing detail-maps of some (or all) of the regions?
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  6. #16
    Administrator Redrobes's Avatar
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    Like the map a lot. I'm with ravs that the drop shadow is quite far offset. The text is hard to read in many places cos its black on shapes with a dark brown edge. The bottom islands look like the "Isles of E" to me. Perhaps moving the text into the sea or having a fade around the black or using a different color would help with this. Its probably a lot of work to fix any of this on this map but bear that in mind for next time.

  7. #17
    Guild Expert rdanhenry's Avatar
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    I preferred the original text, largely because Treasure Map Deadhand doesn't seem to look good on a curve (I, too, like it on the seas). The original text shadows really made the labels float well above the map, but it was done consistently and it worked. I wouldn't have changed it.

    There are deserts that pretty much go down to the sea. Just because there's liquid water, doesn't mean there's a load of moist air set to precipitate (and you can have a fair amount of water pass over a desert if the conditions to have it actually rain there aren't present -- cloud seeding would never have been invented if it weren't possible to have substantial amounts of water pass overhead without getting any to the ground.)

  8. #18
    Guild Apprentice bengaijin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redrobes View Post
    I'm with ravs that the drop shadow is quite far offset. The text is hard to read in many places cos its black on shapes with a dark brown edge.
    Is the drop shadow still too far off in the second iteration? I tried to pull it in tighter. Maybe it wasn't enough...

    What if I did the drop shadow in a white instead? Would that just look bizarre?

    Maybe I'll replace it with a glow. Or do a glow and a drop shadow. I'll play with it.

    As of now, this map is still a live vector file with everything split into layers, so the types of modifications you're talking about should be relatively easy.

    Also, what do people think about the font switch? I think it looks good from afar, but I'm worried about legibility.
    _ben

  9. #19
    Guild Apprentice bengaijin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rdanhenry View Post
    I preferred the original text, largely because Treasure Map Deadhand doesn't seem to look good on a curve (I, too, like it on the seas). The original text shadows really made the labels float well above the map, but it was done consistently and it worked. I wouldn't have changed it.
    Nice one. I was typing about this issue and you answered my question preemptively.
    _ben

  10. #20
    Guild Apprentice bengaijin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eilathen View Post
    Cool, thanks a lot. I'd like to get my hands on the gazetter, if you're ever finished (read: satisfied enough to put it up here or something like that)

    Are you planing on doing detail-maps of some (or all) of the regions?
    I would be happy to share the gazetteer whenever it is at least somewhat done. I'll include references to which published adventures fit where, if that would be helpful. As long as that doesn't set me up for a lawsuit with all of the material I've ripped from other places...

    I figure I will do detail maps as my players adventure in specific regions. Right now, I'm very happy to stay at this zoomed out scale as it gives me plenty of leeway to insert campaign-appropriate stuff as the plot shapes up.
    _ben

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