Now Viewing: How can you make a good Isekai map?
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Posted on: 10/14/24 11:24AM
Have you written the actual story that will use this map yet? One mistake people make doing this is fleshing out the map too much before they flesh out their story. You don't need to pinpoint the names, locations or specifics of things you haven't used yet except at the end of the process as flavor/polish. It's fine to have an overall idea of the whole world, but the part you spend your effort on should be a narrow skeleton around the events in your actual story. Don't get bogged down writing a detailed account of a place your characters don't visit or discuss(like 20 random "major dungeons.") You might need the place to be something else later. But if you've already mentioned the details in passing somewhere, now suddenly there's a contradiction, you see? Think of those features like capital that you can spend to move your story along or add detail in later stages. Be thrifty with it.
Posted on: 10/15/24 01:55AM
Well, i'm digitalizing my map to tune it and improve the details based on the new info i gathered. I only need advice in how to come up with town names.
arrow189 said:
Have you written the actual story that will use this map yet? One mistake people make doing this is fleshing out the map too much before they flesh out their story. You don't need to pinpoint the names, locations or specifics of things you haven't used yet except at the end of the process as flavor/polish. It's fine to have an overall idea of the whole world, but the part you spend your effort on should be a narrow skeleton around the events in your actual story. Don't get bogged down writing a detailed account of a place your characters don't visit or discuss(like 20 random "major dungeons.") You might need the place to be something else later. But if you've already mentioned the details in passing somewhere, now suddenly there's a contradiction, you see? Think of those features like capital that you can spend to move your story along or add detail in later stages. Be thrifty with it.
Actually, Tolkien's advice was planning the map first and then structure the story around it. I have a vague idea of a plot, though i prefer laying out my world so the events of my plot can make spatial sense.
arrow189 said:
Have you written the actual story that will use this map yet? One mistake people make doing this is fleshing out the map too much before they flesh out their story. You don't need to pinpoint the names, locations or specifics of things you haven't used yet except at the end of the process as flavor/polish. It's fine to have an overall idea of the whole world, but the part you spend your effort on should be a narrow skeleton around the events in your actual story. Don't get bogged down writing a detailed account of a place your characters don't visit or discuss(like 20 random "major dungeons.") You might need the place to be something else later. But if you've already mentioned the details in passing somewhere, now suddenly there's a contradiction, you see? Think of those features like capital that you can spend to move your story along or add detail in later stages. Be thrifty with it.
Actually, Tolkien's advice was planning the map first and then structure the story around it. I have a vague idea of a plot, though i prefer laying out my world so the events of my plot can make spatial sense.
Posted on: 10/15/24 08:59AM
well actually you can make a map based on a story or a story based on a map, both are valid.
Posted on: 10/15/24 02:28PM
Only_Kemonomimi said:
well actually you can make a map based on a story or a story based on a map, both are valid.
well actually you can make a map based on a story or a story based on a map, both are valid.
Technically, yes, but let's keep in mind that Tolkien was a turbo autist (in the good sense), who's goal was to create not a story, but an entire fake history, including it's world and languages. So, unless op wants to spend the hobby-time of his next fifty years on this, with hundreds of smaller or larger stories set in the same world, keeping some things vague is a good advice, I'd say.
With that said, mapping things out visually sounds like a good sanity check for consistency, so if this is how your brain works, sure, go for it! Most likely it's going to be an iterative process anyway with some progress on the map, then on the story, then back to the map, etc.
Posted on: 10/15/24 10:18PM
You know what? Here's the barebones of my map: files.catbox.moe/gz06md.png It needs mountains, lakes, forests and biomes. Right now is a blank canvas.
Have fun with it. I'll be working on it too.
Have fun with it. I'll be working on it too.
Posted on: 10/18/24 06:46PM
Do isekai anime even have maps? Well the other type yeah but y'know what i mean
Posted on: 10/22/24 09:33PM
Another question, relevant to the thread, how do you come up with names for each city, kingdom and country while remaining consistent? I have the name of the main kingdoms, but i think i will struggle coming up with names for each city within those kingdoms.
Posted on: 10/22/24 10:00PM
In the Middle Ages the truth is that many villages and small towns did not really have a name, they were only crossing points between two larger cities, so they were only “the city between the capital and {important city}”, if the city became relevant for some reason, such as a battle or the discovery of a mineral deposit, it was given a more or less simple name that alludes to that fact, sometimes it was given the name of an illustrious citizen, ruler, or myth.
Posted on: 10/22/24 10:02PM
Making a town in the middle of the ocean.
Posted on: 10/23/24 02:42AM
Only_Kemonomimi said:
In the Middle Ages the truth is that many villages and small towns did not really have a name, they were only crossing points between two larger cities, so they were only “the city between the capital and {important city}”, if the city became relevant for some reason, such as a battle or the discovery of a mineral deposit, it was given a more or less simple name that alludes to that fact, sometimes it was given the name of an illustrious citizen, ruler, or myth.
In the Middle Ages the truth is that many villages and small towns did not really have a name, they were only crossing points between two larger cities, so they were only “the city between the capital and {important city}”, if the city became relevant for some reason, such as a battle or the discovery of a mineral deposit, it was given a more or less simple name that alludes to that fact, sometimes it was given the name of an illustrious citizen, ruler, or myth.
Ah, yes, the Tolkien approach.
Tolkien getting out of the bathtub
"Mmmmhhh... How should i name this demonic creature that is going to separate Gandalf from the rest of the fellowship?"
Tolkien stares at the towel he used to dry his nether regions
"Oh ho ho! You are a genius, Ronald *smokes his pipe*"
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