World map scale and style advise (full atlas)

[palanolho]

Hi everyone.

So I think this is my real first post on cartographersguild (well, at least the first one that could be relevant or interesting at least).

So, first of all I would like to thank all the cartographersguild community. I has inspired me to try what I'm trying to so and I lose maps .. I really love them! I could easily hand some map posters on my wall with some work shared by many of you here

Now, a little background from where this post comes for ...

I like to play boardgames and I love boardgame design. Some people play PS4 or Xbox, I design boardgames (in hoppe to play them). I also love roleplaying games and seeing all the maps around gave me many ideas for games, adventures and such. So I decided to build a world of my own where later I can create adventures for my Fantasy roleplaying games.

Note: I'm no designer nor artist, I'm simply an enthusiastic that happens to have some thing for design and arts and have learned what I know from tutorials, asking or trial and error (if I know anything at all....). I also dont have a digital pen si I need to stick to my good old mouse.

So, first thing I did was to try to build the world as in the continents. So I took planet earth has an example and there you go, I made a full "atlas" map. Yeh, I hear you... I should have started with something small, I know I know, but what I can do ? ... Big or small it will be a challenge anyway

Here it is (download it to see the real size)
I don't really like the colour of the ocean but so far I was not able to do better. Maybe I will be able too after some recommendations and suggestions for the map general style


Now I'm struggling a little bit with the style because I know what I like but not how to do it or what would be better. I'm looking for a simple style with a fantasy look (not really looking for a realistic look). with colour so that it's easier to identify the different things (water, mountains, snow/ice, desert, swamp, forest, plains, volcanic areas, etc...)

Some examples of things I like:

• example 1
• I like the simple approach to the trees on this one
• I like the general look of this one
• the trees on this one look nice too
• this one is really cool. I was really looking forward for something like this but with different style (not so colour heavy and dark I think)

Now, all the examples I game they are done in a scale that it's not even close to the scale of my map, which means that most of the examples I gave would be probably nice and doable for gerinal /continent maps but not for a whole world/atlas but you tell me what you think.

So to finalise, what I'm here kindly and humbly asking is: please help me make this happen...

What style do you think would be better for a fantasy world map like this ? what approach (symbols and/or style) could I use in order to populates the map with mountains, forest, plains, etc....
And finally, what about the scale? I know that the scale wont be exact but how big/small (for example) can I do the mountains ?


Many thanks in advance for any help, guide, orientation you can provide.

Cheers!

[alhoon]

Congratulations on the effort and ambition!

May I suggest you switch to hex maps and then use a program like the hexographer to paint your map?
I would also say that 125 miles per hex is a bit impractical.
If I also may suggest, perhaps double the number of hexes in each side (i.e. x4 for the whole map) and turn them to 48 miles per hex. Sure the map would cover a smaller area, but it would be more representative.

A final suggestion: Your map seems to be of a spherical world and seems to suffer the problems of the Mercator projections. To put it simply: the hexes in the middle of the map may be 125 miles\hex but the higher up you go, the less area they cover.
Perhaps you should shave off the top 10% and the bottom 10% of your map?

[Hai-Etlik]

In order to do a map of a whole planet you really need to have a basic understanding of spherical geometry and map projections. You need this before you start drawing ANYTHING. If you get it wrong early on its not something you can easily "fix" as you will have by that point baked the problems right into the shape of your world and its features. It will look wrong to anyone who knows about geography or maps. If you are OK with your world being a cylinder, a flat plane, or a doughnut or even not making sense as any real world geometric shape at all and you don't care what other people think, then you can do whatever.

I can't go into a lot of detailed explanation as I have a broken hand and typing is difficult. alhoon's comment is sort of along these lines but makes the assumption that the cylindrical projection you are using is mercator. Any uninterupted projection is going to mean that your hex grid won't work but the way it won't work varies. Chopping off mor of the map if it's meant to be mercator is a stopgap solution at best. If you want a hex map of a sphere, an icosahedral projection is usually the way to go (although you will have a few pentagons mixed in at the corners). Basically it's the unfolded surface of a d20. It's decidedly "un-fantasy" looking though. Modern scale maps are anachronistic for a medieval fantasy world but it's generally accepted that fantasy wolds have cartography, navigation, and surveying far in advance of their other technology. Still, full planet maps are necessarily somewhat advanced looking. Mercator or stereographic hemispheres are probably the best choices for maps that manage to look old while also making sense as something to use for a full planet map.

Sorry I would normally try to explain more about how to deal with this but that's the most I can manage.

[palanolho]

Oh yes, I have omitted a couple of hex from the top and bottom of the map (around 7?) and assumed that they were a packed layer of ice.

Well I don't really want to go on the realistic, geography expert map. I just wanted to have an overview layout of a full world that later I can then slice and make more detailed regions. I have looked to planet earth for some inspiration and guidelines but I really don't intend to make it a planet in the exact word (in any case, we never know what fantasy worlds are so, a Mercator cylinder type with tops that it's not possible to travel through would be just fine).

I initially started with this website for some startup inspiration (great site by the way): http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world/

And based on some analysis that someone dis (taking into account that there would be extra hidden hex to the top and bottom) he came up with the 125 miles per hex in "atlas view".

So:
- Atlas 1 hex = 125 miles
- Continent 1 hex = 25 miles (atlas hex / 5)
- kingdom 1 hex = 5 miles (region /5)
- local 1 hex = 1 mile (local /5)

This is the math I was following, if it makes any sense at all.

[alhoon]

Your scales make sense.
As for the projection, in the end, for a fantasy world you could do what I do: Make it a (mostly) flat world. Gravity works because it works. Earthquakes happen because they happen, not because of tectonic plates crushing together. Dig too far and you're on the other side.

Personally also I give my worlds a different property: There's veeery thin mist that blocks visibility at 60-100km (35-60 miles)

[palanolho]

Your scales make sense.
As for the projection, in the end, for a fantasy world you could do what I do: Make it a (mostly) flat world. Gravity works because it works. Earthquakes happen because they happen, not because of tectonic plates crushing together. Dig too far and you're on the other side.

Personally also I give my worlds a different property: There's veeery thin mist that blocks visibility at 60-100km (35-60 miles)

Yup, that's exactly what I had in mind

[johnvanvliet]

I initially started with this website for some startup inspiration (great site by the way): http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world/

i thought that the shape in the first post looked rather familiar
that program makes a very "unique" look of image

as to "whole planet" maps there is no GREAT format
they all have issues

But , "simple cylindrical" is used a lot


and the CUBE format is used a bit in games


this very well known map is in simple cylindrical format


start with the wikipedia page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_map_projections

yours , from the dropbox link looks to be in Mercator ( maybe ) at least the added noise dose
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection

[palanolho]

As for the style, does anyone have any suggestion for what would be a good option for a fantasy world map like this ? what approach (symbols and/or style) could I use in order to populates the map with mountains, forest, plains, etc....

What about the scale ? how big or small should I make mountains and the rest?

many thanks

[KutthroatKing]

Hexographer does have a fun option to start with an Icosahedral world map projection from a separate Java app found HERE. You can then save your overall planetary projection and edit it in smaller chunks in Hexographer.

EXAMPLE

Discalimer: I'm an old school dungeon gamer, new to making anything other than graph paper maps.