Map help needed

[Harry Tuttle]

I'm trying to construct an accurate map as far as terrain and rivers go. Can anyone help a fella out?

[EZRhino]

Everybody seems to have their own mapping technique

I love the perspective the map. Very unique!

Something I noticed is that the alps seems to be higher than the Caucuses, and the Taurus range is practically non-existent. The solid hills in Iran would probably be dull for the Sassanid player to look at all the time. A plateau
can be simulated by having a mountain range with either forest of plains on one side and then slope gently away with hills on the other. A possibility anyway

Things that helped me when I've made, or tired to make, maps is that its better to focus on individual areas, one at a time, rather that the whole map at once.

Mountain rages look more interesting when you 'contour' the ridges, and add valleys, rather than having straight up block of solid mountains of tons of hills dotted with the occasional lone peak. I think that if its a particularly steep range, forgo the hill altogether, as they lessen the apparent height contrast. Instead use forests.

Use a combination of ecological, land use and topo maps. To get the most accurate result. The NGDC website has some great topo maps. As does individual wikipedia "geography of" articles.

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/image/2minsurface/1350/45N000E.jpg

edit: aiie. sorry for the huge picture dail-uppers

[Harry Tuttle]

Yeah I need to work on the hilly areas of the map and include some more detail. What about the rivers on the map?

[EZRhino]

I don't know what most European river courses look like, but I noticed that the Jaxartes aka. Syr Darya is missing. Its a important river in Tranoxiana/Central Asia. And in addition, the Oxus flowed from the Caspian sea in ancient times, rather than from the Aral sea as it does today.

Btw, I'm very curious. What are the tribes in your scenario? So much of the map is devoted to Central Asia, if you haven't already finalized your civ choices, you should give the oft neglected Kushan empire some love.

[Harry Tuttle]

Thanks! That's actually a great help. I'm actually going to try and work a Roman scenario into this, so you'll see the usual cast of civs with barbarians acting as fill-ins for the smaller kingdoms and nations.

[Harry Tuttle]

Ok, here's an edited version. I haven't moved the terrain around, just the rivers. Tell me what you think.

[Harry Tuttle]

And another update, this one with mountain ranges in Asia and high movement terrain around the rivers. Some other bits have been changed as well.

[Mercator]

High movement terrain around the rivers? Why is that? Rivers already give a movement bonus. Or do you want to give them a bigger bonus than roads?

EZRhino has given some very good advice. I think there are way too many hills, and too few pronounced mountain ranges. Try to pay attention more to slope than elevation... Well, places like Turkey and the Balkan are rather hilly, so it comes down to your own judgment in the end. You still have to add forests, and that will probably cut into the hills a lot anyway.

I've always found the National Geographic MapMachine to be an excellent source:

http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/

Especially look at the various "Nature & Conservation" themes under "More Theme Maps". Their vegetation and habitat types translate pretty well to terrain types.

Oh, and you should probably drop the lakes on the Dnieper and Volga rivers. They're all (mostly?) dam reservoirs.

And speaking of Russian rivers. The Ural river is missing.

[EZRhino]

That website is awesome! Thanks Mercator

Try to pay attention more to slope than elevation

This is key.

My personal opinion is that the Mongols map created by Harlan is the single best civ2 map ever made. I've tried to emulate his technique in making my own map. I especially appreciate the way that he present a somewhat dappled terrain, but remains able to give such individuality to the varied landforms. The map is a simple pleasure to explore.

[Harry Tuttle]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Oh and I meant low movement terrain, sorry. I want to try and create the effect of having to actually cross a river, which would require a bit more movement points then grassland.

[Von Bert]

Well, but if the scenario is set in modern time..
u can forget all this thinking on rivers.. as rivers here are gettin every day more thinner..
In april 2007 , in Italy we have the already the "water" of an average end of summer..
and the summer still have to come..
and my old Pc already crash for the warm..

just a un-needed comment... sorry..