OpenGeofiction

WOW NEIGHBOR!, That a very big forest, i mean this: http://opengeofiction.net/#map=11/37.2596/103.0380 , Try to make it not so FAT and more detailed, like 1 km = 1 node and make grasslands, tiny towns and farms like this: https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/46.1266/15.3582 , Also build Farmlands with grass and near towns, that will make a very realistic feel.

Hi, Austin. While it looks like a big woodland, it’s perfectly rational if it is protected land and has remained as such for a long time. No, it’s not “FAT.” I think it is plausible, even if it is a chase or some other type of protected land. I’d mark it as such if it is. (Also, technically forests are managed lands and woodlands are straightly natural. This may or may not matter here.) The thing that makes your woodland stand out is the lack of detail. I know you’re going for a sketch, and this is fine as just that. For details, here’s what I’d consider:

• Where are the streams or waterways in the area?
• Are there any natural clearings or near clearings that would be better tagged as natural=scrub? Small strips from streams or floodlands and pockets of lower depressions would go a long way to adding detail.
• Perhaps the railway strip would be a bit of landuse=grass with a power line tossed in there? Minimal environmental impact to have both in the same right of way.
• Also keep in mind that some areas on the outskirts of the forest might be scrub too. Others might be heath or wetlands, depending on the topography.
• Are there topographic changes that might make the limits of the forested area undulate? The sketch is okay, but adding detail to the boundary would make it more interesting.
• The pond is an interesting feature, so add detail around it. In some parts, the woodland will go right up to the water; in other parts, there might be scrub or marsh. Vary it a bit. Plus, if there’s one pond, the topography/geology is probably good for a few ponds of varying sizes and shapes; two or three more?

Just somethings to think about. Good luck!

Thanks Alessa! I have drawn some heath around, as well as land clearings around the railway. I’ll add some watery features and some more smaller-sized clearings later on.