N
Ner0
Guest
Maps are...
a delicate topic.
Before continuing through this guide I need you to ask yourself a question.
Does my rp need a map?
90% of the time the answer to this question, is no. A map, while extremely helpful as a grounding tool and way of communicating information to your players, is very binding and can result in some awkward situations for longer lived role plays.
If, however, you still find yourself in need of creating a map, allow me to assist you with my own natural method.
Tools needed: A Pen, A pencil with an eraser, a piece of blank, or lined paper, an hour and a half to yourself, and your creative mind.
Close your eyes and put your PEN somewhere on the paper. Where ever it lands will be the start of your first continent or island. Create a rounded line with a slight scribble, do not overlap any lines with each other and do not try and plan where the line will go. Let your hand guide you, your only goal should be to have your line end at the place it started without crossing over the edge of the page. Once you have completed this you will have the basic outline of your first continent. If you deem necessary add more land masses, there is no such thing as over kill, as long as you leave space for significant ocean masses you will be fine.
Once this is done look at your map, Do some research on plate tectonics and decide where it would be most likely for mountain ranges to form in your world. Fill them in. I personally use small bottomless triangles for mountains, remember to make your mountains point towards the top of you map. This gives the illusion that they are lifting up, off of the paper. Judge where the top of your paper is by decided which direction is North for you world. (NORTH IS TOP)
Once you have filled in your mountain ranges take a look at the map as a whole again. Tweek until you are satisfied with the size of your ranges and their natural appearance. Remember to only ever add to your mountains. We use a pen so as to prevent ourselves from taking back steps.
Upon completing this step do some research on real world biomes and decide where you would likely see similarities in your world. Using your pencil, LIGHTLY trace out the general area that certain biomes occur in. Next we do our rivers. It helps to start at the shore and work your way inland. Remember what type of area your river is in. This is why our mountains were put in first. It is safe to assume that Rivers near mountains will be straighter and that rivers in apparent flat lands will be wavier. When drawing rivers use the same technique you used for drawing the Continents themselves, just remove the slight scribble.
Next we do the Forests. I first draw a bunch of lines in the area I want to be the forest, and then draw lines at forty five degree angles from the main line at a length of about a third of the main line on each side. This will make a tree. I prefer to do my trees individually because I believe it adds flavor to the map. Do not worry if the trees are the same size as the mountains. Perhaps these are rebel trees who are just too cool for regular sizes. (either way it is fine, as long as you can tell the difference between the mountain drawings and the tree drawings.)
After your tree's are done you can add in whatever biomes you happen to feel like adding in. Deserts are created by lightly spamming dots around the edges of the desert itself. To this day I don't understand how it works, but it just does. Once you are happy with the diversity of your maps biomes put away your Pen, in fact, burn it, it is a thing of evil from this point onwards.
Grab your Pencil and start building Cities (with dots) roads (with lines) and boarders (with dotted lines) remember to do this lightly. These elements are non permanent and may change throughout the course of the Role play. Our pencil and eraser are our best friends for this reason, and feel free to Pencil in some of the stuff I told you to do in pen as well. (Just don't accidentally erase half of a desert, did that once, let's just say the locals were a tad confused for a decade or two).
Once you have finished take one last look at your map, if you aren't satisfied, feel free to start again. Each time you do it will improve and evolve into something entirely different and new.
I hope this was helpful to some of you,
Have a good play :P
~Sincerely,
A.
a delicate topic.
Before continuing through this guide I need you to ask yourself a question.
Does my rp need a map?
90% of the time the answer to this question, is no. A map, while extremely helpful as a grounding tool and way of communicating information to your players, is very binding and can result in some awkward situations for longer lived role plays.
If, however, you still find yourself in need of creating a map, allow me to assist you with my own natural method.
Tools needed: A Pen, A pencil with an eraser, a piece of blank, or lined paper, an hour and a half to yourself, and your creative mind.
Close your eyes and put your PEN somewhere on the paper. Where ever it lands will be the start of your first continent or island. Create a rounded line with a slight scribble, do not overlap any lines with each other and do not try and plan where the line will go. Let your hand guide you, your only goal should be to have your line end at the place it started without crossing over the edge of the page. Once you have completed this you will have the basic outline of your first continent. If you deem necessary add more land masses, there is no such thing as over kill, as long as you leave space for significant ocean masses you will be fine.
Once this is done look at your map, Do some research on plate tectonics and decide where it would be most likely for mountain ranges to form in your world. Fill them in. I personally use small bottomless triangles for mountains, remember to make your mountains point towards the top of you map. This gives the illusion that they are lifting up, off of the paper. Judge where the top of your paper is by decided which direction is North for you world. (NORTH IS TOP)
Once you have filled in your mountain ranges take a look at the map as a whole again. Tweek until you are satisfied with the size of your ranges and their natural appearance. Remember to only ever add to your mountains. We use a pen so as to prevent ourselves from taking back steps.
Upon completing this step do some research on real world biomes and decide where you would likely see similarities in your world. Using your pencil, LIGHTLY trace out the general area that certain biomes occur in. Next we do our rivers. It helps to start at the shore and work your way inland. Remember what type of area your river is in. This is why our mountains were put in first. It is safe to assume that Rivers near mountains will be straighter and that rivers in apparent flat lands will be wavier. When drawing rivers use the same technique you used for drawing the Continents themselves, just remove the slight scribble.
Next we do the Forests. I first draw a bunch of lines in the area I want to be the forest, and then draw lines at forty five degree angles from the main line at a length of about a third of the main line on each side. This will make a tree. I prefer to do my trees individually because I believe it adds flavor to the map. Do not worry if the trees are the same size as the mountains. Perhaps these are rebel trees who are just too cool for regular sizes. (either way it is fine, as long as you can tell the difference between the mountain drawings and the tree drawings.)
After your tree's are done you can add in whatever biomes you happen to feel like adding in. Deserts are created by lightly spamming dots around the edges of the desert itself. To this day I don't understand how it works, but it just does. Once you are happy with the diversity of your maps biomes put away your Pen, in fact, burn it, it is a thing of evil from this point onwards.
Grab your Pencil and start building Cities (with dots) roads (with lines) and boarders (with dotted lines) remember to do this lightly. These elements are non permanent and may change throughout the course of the Role play. Our pencil and eraser are our best friends for this reason, and feel free to Pencil in some of the stuff I told you to do in pen as well. (Just don't accidentally erase half of a desert, did that once, let's just say the locals were a tad confused for a decade or two).
Once you have finished take one last look at your map, if you aren't satisfied, feel free to start again. Each time you do it will improve and evolve into something entirely different and new.
I hope this was helpful to some of you,
Have a good play :P
~Sincerely,
A.
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