Forum:Request help/Update to mapping of Exintor

Forums → Request help or feedback → Request help/Update to mapping of Exintor

I have tried to upgrade my mapping for more realism and even begun use of JOSM. I feel like my mapping is now good enough in order for it to be migrated into Archanta. Does anyone have any suggestions for Exintor and upgrading it, or do you think I'm ready to move on? If I need to upgrade realism much more than already done, please give specific suggestions. (Yes, I'm still to develop some of my provinces, and I do have some unorganised territory, but I'm currently working on other projects and cities, like Lotus City and Kumplas.) Eshaan011 (talk) 11:58, 18 April 2022 (UTC)

Your motorway network is too large, nonsensical, and is overall poorly designed and mapped (e.g. the northern shore of Lake Breezer). Your urban street grids are similarly not well planned or executed, with irregular, illogical shapes and sizes, like kilometer-long blocks in Laketown. Your tram networks defy logic and realism, everywhere they exist but specifically in Monarchyaña and Lotus City. Your river network, sparse as it may be, is also poorly done, with rivers crossing mountain ranges in the far south and the Prishyerzo River doing unnatural things in terms of splitting into downstream branches, and likewise whatever’s happening with the Morris River west of Malstirrovile defies all logic.

We have some helpful wiki pages in the Help namespace that I recommend you review and consider implementing to improve the quality of your mapping. It’s clear that you’re having fun mapping and I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, but at this point I do not think you’re ready for a standalone nation in Archanta. -TheMayor (talk) 13:21, 18 April 2022 (UTC)

@TheMayor Thanks. I'm going to fix Laketown (I forgot to add some streets). I really need some more feedback on the train network, i.e., what should I fix? The network is still in progress, and I've yet to add extra details. Thanks for the feedback on the rivers, I'm going to delete the Chatturbo river and remove the confluence of the rivers, and remove that weird branch on the Prishyerzo River. Likewise, besides the Northern shore of Lake Breezer, what should I fix on the motorway network? (EX3 and EX1 will merge) My inspiration for the network kind-of comes from the American Interstate. In addition, I'm definitely going to fix a lot of my much older mapping, which really has too many problems. Lastly, I got my inspiration for the rivers crossing mountains in the South from the Chinese section of the Bhramaputra River, which crosses the Himalayas. (But is my confluence realistic if I were to remove the Chatturbo River? The Wełna and Nielba rivers in Poland cross without mixing.) Eshaan011 (talk) 15:10, 18 April 2022 (UTC)

Your metro system is quite literally all over the place; any rail-based transit should be pretty clearly mapped with trunk lines and branches so routings are apparent (or at least can logically be assumed). Additionally, trains can’t make 90° turns, so junctions should be properly tapered and curved. There are many, many, many real-world examples to look to.

Keep your river system simple. Water flows downhill; rivers only fork heading upstream, not downstream. The handful of “exceptions” you cite overlook the 99.999% of rivers that don’t violate those very basic guidelines. Realistic mapping isn’t about finding one or two places in the real-world that justify your unnecessary complexity, but rather creating something that looks logical to a typical observer.

Motorways are high-speed roadways; as such, motorways should be as straight as possible with gradual curves added only as needed, rather than randomly scattered about. This is even more important for bridges, which historically needed to be as straight as possible due to construction constraints. The dual carriageways of a single motorway should also be consistent with each other; while they do not have to be perfectly parallel, the median should have a mostly consistent width barring more extreme geography that would require more creative engineering.

It’s good that you’re actively seeking input on how to make your mapping better, and I know there have been other mappers that also offered their advice and suggestions. Making some of these recommendations to improve your mapping will go a long way. -TheMayor (talk) 15:41, 24 April 2022 (UTC)

@TheMayor Thanks for the feedback. Here is what I will do: the current confluence will only exist but just be when the Opal and Morris Rivers get very close but not merge. The area will be partially redone. For the trains, I really needed some explanation (I never knew that they curve since it's been many years since I've last been on a train), so thank you. Eshaan011 (talk) 19:46, 28 April 2022 (UTC)

If you feel that your mapping is good enough for Archanta, then have you looked at existing mapping in Archanta to compare existing mapping to your mapping? Have you also compared your mapping to your real-world inspirations to assess the quality of your mapping? What I notice right away with your mapping is that the street systems feel incomplete. Your cities are also missing a lot of elements which would make them vibrant, such as schools, parks, gardens, libraries, and more. If you compare to my first mapping (I did it all in iD) which is now Citrus Fair, you'll see that I had mapped some schools, parks, hills, and a relatively neat street system in my city. It wasn't high-quality, but it was enough to get me my first territory. If you can figure out on your own how your mapping can improve and then you revise your mapping to look as good as the mapping of other territory owners, I think you'll have a much better chance to move to Archanta. Chazeltine (talk) 06:34, 19 April 2022 (UTC)