Rheia: one final try at ground-up worldbuilding

[Peter Toth]

Thanks for the topography tips, Tiluchi!

I'm diabolically picky about the look of my topography.

I must have tried hundreds of times to render realistic topo, for I believe it's the foundation for any aesthetically pleasing map. Never once could I find an easy, no-hassle technique, and even after 6 years of drawing maps, I'm no closer to that neon rainbow. I always tried avoiding satellite DEMs, as I believed that using them was tantamount to plagiarism, towards mother nature. So naturally, hand-drawing a map, using mother nature as merely a guide, seems to be my preferred option, although I also enjoy using Wilbur.

Wow, thousands of hours! It definitely shows! I've accumulated just under 500 hours since the beginning of this year, when I started my most recent project. (Of course, I can only afford to work about 16 hours a week on my maps.) Most of this time was spent, like in your case, on going back to the drawing board due to dissatisfaction with my results. I can only hope that my topo turned out okay. (Still dissatisfied with regards to that, lol).

At any rate, congrats on a project completed! I especially enjoy reading your descriptions of the geology, meteorology, and geography of your world; it shows a keen mind and an obvious expertise in those fields. This is the kind of map I'd like to have on my bedroom wall, to perhaps lull me into a lucid dream, where I can visit the exotic locales you've written about.

Peter