General Mapmaking Considerations and Tricks

[Janden]

Hi all, I apologize if this is already a topic somewhere. I was unable to find it. I was hoping to get a list of general mapmaking tips for details people might overlook when making their own maps. Things like

• Rivers are wider where they meet the sea.
• Coastlines are more detailed.
• A city usually happens organically, so there will always be some streets that don't seem to make sense. Other streets will appear more planned-out.
• A city on a major port will likely have a larger population than a city in the middle of nowhere.

Things like that. I find that some of the details get forgotten in the thick of things, and I'd like to know of any you might have that I can apply to my own work.

[ladiestorm]

you mean things like... trees/forests and villages/towns tend to branch out from water ways, since they need water to survive? Fresh water ways, I mean, like streams and rivers.

[Janden]

you mean things like... trees/forests and villages/towns tend to branch out from water ways, since they need water to survive? Fresh water ways, I mean, like streams and rivers.

Exactly. Anything that might be overlooked. How things come about organically.

[johnvanvliet]

Rivers are wider where they meet the sea.

this tends to be true BUT , it depends on the scale

if you look at a map of the earth unless it is VERY VERY HUGE the Nile is LESS than one pixel
and the amazon mouth is just about one pixel