My currently un-named world and its map

[OutsidersEyes]

My first thought heads toward climate with that amount of land mass. I've probably forgotten more than I know about such things since I haven't dealt with it for years, but my immediate impression is there would be a lot of brown for deserts.

I would actually be okay with that, I like deserts. I mean over all I'd like a variety but there's a lot of fun islands and that far east green area looks interesting.

And update to pmmg, also: I added the rivers you suggested feeding the one lake and used to height editor to lower the area where the other lake is. I ultimately connected the tiny lake and the bigger one to the right of it, but I like it. I'll re-upload my stuff to the gallery as I change it.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

It's kind of hard to say without a better idea of scale, but your main concern for deserts are going to be rain shadow deserts, which means where are the mountains? And if the land mass is big enough, deserts tend to form because the atmosphere drops its moisture before reaching the region... Air pressure is a major concern when it comes to rain. It's complicated, and like I said, I've forgotten more than I know now, LOL. But good enough isn't crazy difficult.

 

[OutsidersEyes]

It's kind of hard to say without a better idea of scale, but your main concern for deserts are going to be rain shadow deserts, which means where are the mountains? And if the land mass is big enough, deserts tend to form because the atmosphere drops its moisture before reaching the region... Air pressure is a major concern when it comes to rain. It's complicated, and like I said, I've forgotten more than I know now, LOL. But good enough isn't crazy difficult.

I was thinking the straight up and down mountains left of center should have more tropics on the left and more desert on the right. Maybe the lakes even need to go from the area between mountain ranges. I'm hoping that enough moisture might come up from the south to make the area to the right of the mountain ranges be something other than just more desert.

 

[OutsidersEyes]

I just uploaded a screenshot of the edit I made to the map. Lowering the height around the two lakes combined them, which is fine. Also I think that to the west of the up/down mountains I need to do some tropical rainforest close to the coast blending into grassland at the foot of the mountians. Sound okay? Also should I get rid of the lakes to the east of the up/down's and just let that be my desert?

 

[OutsidersEyes]

Thank you TheKillerBs for making my map into a globe! I wish I'd gotten an alert that it had been made. It does look like a lot of land with just what I've got, does it balance better to anyone's mind as maybe taking up half a globe and I'll just figure out the other side later?

 

[TheKillerBs]

Thank you TheKillerBs for making my map into a globe! I wish I'd gotten an alert that it had been made. It does look like a lot of land with just what I've got, does it balance better to anyone's mind as maybe taking up half a globe and I'll just figure out the other side later?

The reason I did not was that you said it was not a full globe. If it were, the image I posted shows a critical error - basically, at the 180° mark, the edges don't fit together

 

[OutsidersEyes]

The reason I did not was that you said it was not a full globe. If it were, the image I posted shows a critical error - basically, at the 180° mark, the edges don't fit together

It's a half-globe or a little less. For the rest of the globe I don't have any ideas but if I have so much desert on my huge continent I might try and do something smaller and more island-y for a change on that side, if it would make sense climate wise. Or just a small landmass that's unexplored, unknown and mysterious to everyone on the bigger continent. Something that broke off their Pangaea so long ago that no one has any record of it.

 

[OutsidersEyes]

I think I've fixed the problem of hot desert being assigned to the west of the mountains. But I'm still trying to find a spot for a nice desert or mostly desert nation. Would it be reckless to get rid of those lakes in the middle? Maybe just the lower, smaller one and put more desert there? Or maybe the hot desert area to the northwest of the lakes would be better? I could also add hot desert to the far east and push the forests there back.

 

[StrawberryCat]

I'm wondering how the desert nation would be able to survive without the lake or other water sources.

Every desert nation in history that I'm aware of had access to fresh water, whether it be wadis/rivers, oasis, or lakes. Your nation would need to have access to some of those, unless they can conjure up water magically. Maybe you could simply shrink the lake and surround it with a desert. The Aral sea is surrounded by desert on all sides. You could do something similar.

 

[OutsidersEyes]

I've uploaded a screenshot of an edit to the gallery. I basically moved a river to go through a hot desert biome on the eastern side of the map. If that looks implausible, I think my best bet is to just work with the towns it gave me near the smaller lakes to the west of the mountains and maybe give them a small outpost near the desert, or even just put some cool ruins there as an adventure destination and say that years and years ago people lived there when the landscape was different, but not anymore.

 

[Nighty_Knight]

I'm wondering how the desert nation would be able to survive without the lake or other water sources.

Every desert nation in history that I'm aware of had access to fresh water, whether it be wadis/rivers, oasis, or lakes. Your nation would need to have access to some of those, unless they can conjure up water magically. Maybe you could simply shrink the lake and surround it with a desert. The Aral sea is surrounded by desert on all sides. You could do something similar.

That poor Aral Sea. was it always surrounded by desert though? I know most of it was dried up by the main rivers being rerouted for agriculture since the 60s and the Aralkum Desert was a result of that. Unless that is what you meant of course.

 

[OutsidersEyes]

Another edit to my map is that I added some forest near the mountain ranges. My goal is a plausible map that actually works geologically, so if anyone sees anything that needs fixing before I actually start worldbuilding, please point it out.

 

[TheKillerBs]

That poor Aral Sea. was it always surrounded by desert though? I know most of it was dried up by the main rivers being rerouted for agriculture since the 60s and the Aralkum Desert was a result of that. Unless that is what you meant of course.

It's been surrounded by the Karakum Desert since the Middle Ages at least

 

[Nighty_Knight]

It's been surrounded by the Karakum Desert since the Middle Ages at least

I looked a little more into it. Karakum is directly to the south and the Kyzylkum desert is directly to the East. So not including the new Aralkum it is at least half surrounded by desert. Close enough, I didn’t realize that much area around it was also desert.

 

[TheKillerBs]

I looked a little more into it. Karakum is directly to the south and the Kyzylkum desert is directly to the East. So not including the new Aralkum it is at least half surrounded by desert. Close enough, I didn’t realize that much area around it was also desert.

Also the Aral Karakum to the north, I didn't realise the Kyzylkum separated it from the Karakum proper.

 

[OutsidersEyes]

Literally all I know about that area is that the 'gates of hell' is there. Which would be an interesting feature to add, definitely.

 

[Righmath]

If you're happy with this map I would go for it. I don't understand how deserts are only in isolated blobs and not across the entire map?

Personally, I think that you should have a go at drawing one yourself by hand. If you have a story in your mind, you may want to fit your cities and forests in certain areas, to make a more flowing adventure. Using a pre-drawn map, you're dictated by an already existing world. Drawing your own map can also get your creative juices going .

 

[OutsidersEyes]

Yeah that's part of what I meant by implausible. But if it's not a problem I'll be happy to continue. And the thing is, I don't have a story in mind. I just wanted a geologically sound 'playground' to work and build in. With the mapmaking squared away, which is not my strong suit or real interest, I could focus on stories, designing and painting scenes/cities, etc. I'm even happy to work within the city layouts Azgaar gave me because that's a backdrop for art right there.

 

[v_legolas_gleaf]

I never knew about Azgaar. Thanks for educating me about this great map building tool!

 

[OutsidersEyes]

I never knew about Azgaar. Thanks for educating me about this great map building tool!

I don't think it's without its flaws. I was hoping for a plausible map without needed to work on it, but I've had to fix a river going uphill so far and I'm still not sure if I should move or expand my desert. I think I'll ultimately leave the map as is unless anyone else comments with a glaring problem that makes the whole thing not work. That being said, it's a great tool to get started with, and you're welcome.