OpenGeofiction
So, I recently got a new territory (thanks, admin), and there was already the beginnings of a city in it. I decided to re-purpose this as my capital, but BOY are these streets a mess. I’m not sure what the previous owner was thinking. Even using them as older-style, European-type streets that got their beginnings as pathways still requires loads of straightening and reconnecting and such. Also, there are no names, which is something I have yet to rectify.
Leave a comment
Log in to leave a comment
Discussion
Comment from zhenkang on 12 June 2019 at 07:36
Well, for names you should be free to come up with them. It is more creative to come up with your own ones. The wiki has OGF:Resources for names to help. What is the language of your nation?
To reconnect/realign JOSM can help, with many shortcuts to intersect ways, angle snapping tools to continue a line in a straight line etc.
Have fun building the capital! Though it isnt recommended to start with it too soon. Start with some small towns before taking on a huge task of reworking the capital.
Comment from Luciano on 12 June 2019 at 15:47
@Duncan - there’s a huge irony when you say “these streets are a mess.” You see, these streets were drawn by a previous user who was notorious for directly copying huge amounts of data directly from OSM. That user was later banned for breaking the rules against copying from OSM.
Thus “these streets” are very likely an exact copy of some real-world location - though no one has been able to identify where these streets were copied from, so it’s a bit moot.
Conclusion: Reality is messy.
Comment from thilo on 12 June 2019 at 16:34
I remember that one. It’s Dunkirk.
Comment from Duncan on 12 June 2019 at 16:40
Holy crap. I put in my own rail lines and canals, and ended up filling them it in very similar positions to the ones in Dunkirk, without knowing. I guess the streets just framed them? Anyway, I’ve been altering streets and coastlines, and plan to extend the city, so by the time I’m finished it should only bear a very vague resemblance to real life.
Comment from donnamaw on 12 June 2019 at 16:46
Funnily enough, I was going to comment that I didn’t see the problem with them, they aren’t a mess at all, they are very realistic. It just goes to show - human geography is not all clean lines.
Comment from zhenkang on 12 June 2019 at 17:40
Hmm well. Maybe in some way if you need help to change it or eraducate it, tell us.
Comment from whateversusan on 12 June 2019 at 21:11
That’s part of the art of this site, we’re not urban designers! We’re creating very flawed and realistic human geography.
Comment from Pawl on 13 June 2019 at 06:01
I looked at this place and thought “where’s the madness? This looks normal to me!”. Old cities have grown organically. The original layout is framed by natural features such as coastline, rivers, streams and hills; later additions are influenced by all these plus what’s already been built.
I have been mapping Porthbrenin century-by-century in partly for this reason (I’m currently at the early 20th century).