OpenGeofiction
Hi everybody,
some of you may have seen it already: I’m an unsystematic “here and there” mapper in OGF. So especially within Kalm my territory is kind of a patchwork between different levels of detail right now.
As a result of this problem, I created an overview of my most interesting mapping results so far, so that you can see what I’m working on: Mapping examples of joschi81 The examples are grouped by cities, islands and rural regions.
But it is quite frustrating to see that filling such large countries up to a satisfying level of detail would actually require more than a lifetime (supposing that one has not the chance to map in OGF as a “full-time job”). So my question is: How do you handle this? Or more generally asked: Do you have this problem as well? If yes: What are your ways to handle it?
Then I would like to know: How should I continue my work in OGF?
- 1) Just go ahead like I did so far, mapping here and there, large scale, small scale - because this seems to be my preferred way and step by step I will come closer to an overall very nice map.
- 2) Change to a more systematic way of mapping: drawing small scale features like railways, rivers/lakes, motorways/trunk roads and forests/natural reserves and maybe generalized urban areas (using landuse=residential) first, then moving closer to a large-scale level, layer by layer.
- 3) Stick to the cities, they are the most interesting part. Draw one city at a time up to a good level of detail. Draw the rural regions only very roughly at the same time.
- 4) Give up parts of my territory to reduce the area to be mapped by myself.
- 5) Start a collaboration with interested users who want to participate in developing (e.g.) Kalm and agree on (and are able to) adapting to my mapping style. (This kind of work might be hard for both sides…)
- 6) Other solutions…
Thanks for giving me your opinion.
Best regards joschi81
Discussion
Comment from Luciano on 1 March 2015 at 20:03
I recommend 1) if you’re comfortable with it. Actually, I’m doing my mapping in two very different ways. I’m doing “here and there” for my country Ardisphere - completely random. But for my country Mahhal I am trying to be much more systematic, more like what you describe as 2) … thus I’ve created all 400 of the prefecture and municipality relations, and currently intend to continue working on hydrology and vegetation-cover for the whole country before proceeding with towns or other man-made features. It seems much slower to do it this way, and it’s too early to decide if it produces a satisfying result.
Comment from joschi81 on 1 March 2015 at 21:02
Thank you, Luciano. I think yes, propably I will stick to 1) generally, but I’ll still try to fill the holes within the “general” features a.s.a.p. Thanks for your description of your two different ways. I’ll definetely have a closer look at Mahhal, as I have always have focussed on Ardisphere when I saw your work…
Comment from clik on 1 March 2015 at 23:44
I advise you the same. I have exactly the same problem with my country even if I’m younger and it’s smaller. Drawing maps is a quite unusual way to spend our time, but we do it only because we enjoy it, so as you want to continue I don’t think you would give yourself rules to map such as only mapping cities, cause I think one day you would be bored of it. It’s my point of view but sometimes I just don’t feel like I want to draw streets and metro but fields and forest… 4) Is not that good idea I think, if we think this way there will only be very small countries in the future (actually it’s a bit what’s been happening in europe) 5) I don’t think there are many people as talented as you that are free unfortunately… So I think you should keep doing what you like, even if your work will never be ended.
Comment from histor on 2 March 2015 at 00:23
Always the focus lay on the great towns and so it is logical, that they are drawn first and more detailled. So you can spent a lot of time for a realistic metro- or tramnet. And for all the units, the people in the town needs - from lawcourts over animal shelter to the waste-water. And it is clear, that it is more adventurious, to scetch the center as one outer suburb “sans mercy” after the other. So many towns long times may lay as torso. (In Latina ready are only Van Pelt and Porto Colon).
O.k - you have drawn your capital and some other towns, your railwaynet, your motorways, your rivers, too. And now you draw the - say we - greater town # 8 with all the same facilities as the other seven = from this moment it is hard work and you can not do it at every time. So make a pause and go in the rural areas. Next week - may be - you then have new good ideas for town # 9 or 10.
And - draw wood. Is good for the environment and saves a lot of work at mapping ;-)
Comment from Egen on 2 March 2015 at 03:49
One of the things I like about OGF is that there aren’t many rules. We’re each allowed to map how and what we want in the way that works best for us.
My mapping has been fairly random. I get very involved in a city, run out of ideas/inspiration/interest, and move on to a new area. Eventually I go back, and add more to one of the unfinished cities, and then start another idea elsewhere. Someday I hope to actually a finish a major city in a way that is organic and real, and comes close to some of the great cities that already exist.
My advice is to work in a way that makes OGF enjoyable for you. It that means skipping around, great. If it means finishing one masterpiece before moving on to your next, that works too.
Comment from isleño on 2 March 2015 at 05:07
As for me, I definitely prefer a sense of completeness, which is why so far I’ve chosen to focus on small countries. Everyone is different, of course.
That said, I’ve noticed that a lot of people who sign up for typical-sized OGF countries seem to abandon them; and I suspect that the difficulty of achieving some level of completion may be a factor in many of these abandonments. So I don’t think you’re alone in your frustration.
One thing I’d like to do in UL125 is to experiment with different mapping strategies for large areas, with the hope of maybe finding some solutions for people who want to map big countries but also want to attain some feeling of OGF completeness within their lifetimes. :-)
I think there might be a lot of users out there who would be interested in exploring new strategies for filling in large areas of land with efficiency and style. I think it would definitely be worthwhile to look into it and see what options might be out there.
Comment from joschi81 on 2 March 2015 at 16:51
Thank you all for your advices. Yes, I think I’ll stick to my random mapping. Once the railways, rivers and main roads (and mabe main forests and national reserves) are completed, the sence of completeness will already be there in smaller zoom levels (like in Latina, Andy’s countries…). So I will definitely include some “small scale mapping phases” within the next months.
@isleño: looking forward to UL125.
Comment from histor on 2 March 2015 at 23:58
After a while there is a second probleme: You see all the mistakes, you made at the beginning of your work. So ever the question: make it new - change a little - let it be?
Comment from Sarepava on 9 March 2015 at 18:55
I also go with option 1. Right from the start I had some definite ideas about interesting features that I wanted to include (mountains, a coastal capital half on an island, offshore airport) but the rest of the map is just blank space between cities. So I tend to get down what I know I want to include and hope that in the future I’ll come up with the rest of the country. After all, in the real world the majority of the land is without remarkable features.
There’s the obvious point that some methods of mapping are faster than others. Potlatch in a browser is going to take more time than fast drawing in JOSM using a digital tablet and pen. But even then things need to be labelled and named. I’d be interested to find out how areas such as Khaiwoon, Ardisphere and Tarrot are so complete in such a short time since the project began.
Of course, finding time to edit the wiki as well is another matter. There’s as much to write about as there is to draw.
Comment from isleño on 10 March 2015 at 05:16
The high degree of completeness in Khaiwoon is thanks to its small size. Big countries are overrated. :-P