Albion's Mediterranean Region

[Bjorn Schievers]

I'm looking to finish my map of the known world. I'm happy with the basics of it, but now I have to figure out the climate, vegetation and so on. I hope someone who knows what they're doing can give me some basic but essential feedback please. I lost the maps of the larger world, but this map is getting the right sea currents, and it's upside down because that's how the people of my world see the world. So the north is hot and the south is cold. I'll start posting a few pics to see if I can get a relatively accurate temperature, rainfall and vegetation set up. I hope people will correct my mistakes.

Map Of The Known World.jpg

[Mapsburgh]

If the north is hot and the south is cold, that just means you're in the southern hemisphere!

[Bjorn Schievers]

If the north is hot and the south is cold, that just means you're in the southern hemisphere!

True. But north or south is just a choice, right? There wouldn't be any difference if I turned earth's map upside down.

[Mapsburgh]

True. But north or south is just a choice, right? There wouldn't be any difference if I turned earth's map upside down.

Turning the map upside down also reverses east and west, which would reverse things like the prevailing wind directions, directions of ocean gyres, and location of rain shadows. (Assuming that the planet rotates in the same direction as the Earth.)

[Bjorn Schievers]

Turning the map upside down also reverses east and west, which would reverse things like the prevailing wind directions, directions of ocean gyres, and location of rain shadows. (Assuming that the planet rotates in the same direction as the Earth.)

Thanks! That's pretty darn important!

According to me, it all depends on what is the purpose of the map: Is it representing the layout on which a game will take place (in that case, you can define climate areas with different perks and disavantages like with the Total War's map), but if it's for your own world, I think it would be better for you to use real climate maps and try to see distribution patterns (mediterranean climate around the basin, etc.). That way, you could build your world in a believable way.
I suggest you take a look on phytogeographic maps, they usually give you a nice overview of what kind of flora you'd expect on a given area (it also reflects the temperature and climate). After building your areas, you then can focus on the actual vegetation you want to put inside and how you want to represent it.

That would be the way I would create a map of a world because vegetation is possibly one of the most characteristic feature to distinguish climate areas (along with geology, hydrology, etc.).
Here are some maps you probably can take a look at to see how you can build you areas.

world-natural-vegetation-map.jpg

Floristic_regions_in_Europe_(english).png

phytogeo.JPG

Thanks, the middle one seems the most helpful... I'm looking at what I can do, but by no means am I enough of an 'expert' to know if my map will be realistic or not.

[Bjorn Schievers]

Map Of The Known World sea currents.jpg

This is how the sea currents will influence the lands. I'm trying to guess the effect on rainfall and vegetation.

[Bjorn Schievers]

rome total war.png
Using the logic from Total War: Rome 2, I divided my map into four zones as well. This affects temperature and vegetation. Can anyone comment on the realism of it please? As in do you think the temperature zones are in the right area? Should some have more nations be in a different temperature/climate zone? Thanks.
Map Of The Known World climate.jpg

[BlindBlake]

According to me, it all depends on what is the purpose of the map: Is it representing the layout on which a game will take place (in that case, you can define climate areas with different perks and disavantages like with the Total War's map), but if it's for your own world, I think it would be better for you to use real climate maps and try to see distribution patterns (mediterranean climate around the basin, etc.). That way, you could build your world in a believable way.
I suggest you take a look on phytogeographic maps, they usually give you a nice overview of what kind of flora you'd expect on a given area (it also reflects the temperature and climate). After building your areas, you then can focus on the actual vegetation you want to put inside and how you want to represent it.

That would be the way I would create a map of a world because vegetation is possibly one of the most characteristic feature to distinguish climate areas (along with geology, hydrology, etc.).
Here are some maps you probably can take a look at to see how you can build you areas.

world-natural-vegetation-map.jpg

Floristic_regions_in_Europe_(english).png

phytogeo.JPG

[BlindBlake]

There's no need to be a climatologist, climates and flora distribution is really logic. It all depends on whether the region is close to the sea, in mountainous area, in lowlands, etc. Of course, if you want to display specific vegetation features, you need to learn a bit on what kind of plants you would find. Anyway, I believe there is some leeway in the delineation of your regions, so you don't need to be a hundred percent accurate (well, this is my personal opinion).