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World map creator?

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ElRigo I'm freezing! Send help! from Baja Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Awaiting my mail-order bride
I'm freezing! Send help!
#1: Jul 10th 2012 at 9:39:26 AM

Morning guys. I am planning on reviving an old campaign setting for dungeons and dragons and give it a revamp, making what was good better and plugging holes in what was one of my greatest failings. So, is there a program that will let me create a world map that doesn't suck? You know, mountains, cities, bodies of water, all that jazz. Does one exist?

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#2: Jul 10th 2012 at 8:00:31 PM

I believe that one of the Campaign Cartographer programs can create world maps from scratch. Otherwise, just draw out your own.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Oroboro Since: Nov, 2011
#3: Jul 10th 2012 at 10:28:34 PM

Last campaign I ran, I developed my world map by starting up a game of Civ V, playing till about the middle ages, then taking screenshots of the known world, piecing them together, and drawing over it with photoshop, letting the game dictate basic topography and national borders, to be fleshed out by myself later.

Obviously this specific approach may not work for everyone (Although Steam sales are coming up and Civ, or games like it will likely be available on the cheap. evil grin ) but the basic principle will work with any type of game that generates random maps on its own.

KyleJacobs from DC - Southern efficiency, Northern charm Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#4: Jul 10th 2012 at 10:42:41 PM

That is actually a really good idea.

Matrix Since: Jan, 2001
#5: Jul 11th 2012 at 3:55:28 AM

And in Civ IV you can use the worldbuilder if you want to place specific things yourself.

ElRigo I'm freezing! Send help! from Baja Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Awaiting my mail-order bride
I'm freezing! Send help!
#6: Jul 12th 2012 at 1:08:23 AM

If I could draw I wouldn't be here. Thanks guys, I hope this works.

Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#7: Aug 31st 2012 at 7:51:53 PM

I was going to suggest maping a minecraft world, but Civ sounds like a better idea.

I'm baaaaaaack
AndrewGPaul Since: Oct, 2009
#8: Sep 3rd 2012 at 1:46:10 AM

The other option is to, well, cheat. smile Pick an interesting-shaped bit of the real world, and use that. Somewhere like Indonesia or northern Canada, with lots of islands or lakes. Rotate it 90 degrees, reverse it, change the scale, add some axtra mountain ranges and alter the climatic zones accordingly.

Xiphoniii Cheeky son of a.... from Florida Since: Aug, 2009
Cheeky son of a....
#9: Sep 5th 2012 at 10:18:13 AM

Might I recommend Dawn of Worlds? Just punch in "Dawn of Worlds Game" into google. First result, it's a PDF.

:smug:
Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#10: Sep 5th 2012 at 6:56:14 PM

Well, you could always gen up a world for DF. It'll have a variety of biomes and a few towns/cities/roads etc..

Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#11: Sep 5th 2012 at 6:58:29 PM

Oh, and a google search reveals this.

AndrewGPaul Since: Oct, 2009
#12: Sep 6th 2012 at 12:58:27 AM

Here's one:

http://whatif.xkcd.com/10/

If you were to focus your game world on a smaller region of that planet - say, the temperate Aleutian islands, western Siberia or equatorial Canada - it might not be so immeditately recogniseable.

Alternatively, try a non-glaciated Antarctica: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Antarctica

http://www.robswebstek.com/2012/03/antarctica-without-ice-sheet.html

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=antarctica+with+no+ice+sheet

edited 6th Sep '12 1:05:38 AM by AndrewGPaul

Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#13: Sep 23rd 2012 at 12:56:08 PM

Plus, that can turn into QUITE the plot twist.

make sure they find Lady Liberty's head on a beach.

I'm baaaaaaack
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