Hello everyone.

I seem to have reached 2 years on OGF, so it’s time to reflect on my progress as a mapper (just as I have done last year).

What’s happened: - Moving territories (not too far though) - More extensive planning

In general, I feel that I have improved significantly over the past year, though not yet to the level that I would like. Certainly, the only thing I can do now is to practice, and to continue mapping and improving until I reach that level.

One of the most important and positive changes in my mapping this past year is the major increase in my use of external plans. That is, I have been planning my maps better through off-site resources (i.e. paper maps). It’s much easier for me to edit and make any changes to a paper map (in my personal opinion), and it seems to look nice as is (so it’s something that I can keep as well). I think that using paper maps and external planning has been the biggest and one of the best improvements to my mapping so far this year.

I’ve made some great friends over the last year, and I have learned quite a bit from them. It’s great because I can ask them questions and get some more in-depth advice and criticism from them (as they would know the backstory and context of what I am showing them and can ask more questions that come to mind on a quicker basis). In turn, I can do the same for them, and all of us can improve as mappers together.

To sum it up, I have made amazing improvements this year, and I’d like to attribute it to my friends (you know who you are), the use of external planning (which I should have began doing long ago), and the use of JOSM.

I’m really determined to improve my mapping and I’m quite thankful for OGF and the people in it.

It’s time for round 3!

Thanks,
Zekiel

I was wondering about the status of making important religious sites - Like the Vatican, Mecca, and Jerusalem. I would think it is okay to do it, but after reading some wiki talk pages about it, I am not so sure anymore.
It would be great to see a place like that somewhere in OGF.

I plan on creating one of the above if I can indeed create one of those places.

Thanks,
Zekiel

As of right now, I have restarted my country once already, but it’s starting to become a mess now in my opinion. I’m wondering whether it is a good idea to delete it again or not.

Since I have rebuilt my country, I have felt good about the progress I was making at the start, but I am starting to get dissatisfied with the quality of my mapping. Much of the country is empty right now, which tells me that I have made some progress, but I don’t feel like I have made a lot.

https://opengeofiction.net/#map=10/-17.5787/22.0583

Notes to ignore:

• Deng-Ville, as I will be redoing it as well shortly.
• Bézers, as i will be redoing the primary road junction with the motorway.
• The fact that many roads are over-classified in Patin-Loud, I will be downgrading many of them.

Any advice on what to do next is appreciated!

Thanks,
Zekiel

Would it be safe for me to assume a specific country as the official parallel to a real world place if another future country will come with that intent?

As an example, I am assuming that Ataraxie is the parallel of France since there is no other parallel currently in existence. In the future though, there will be a future parallel (UL141 I believe) for it. So is it safe in this case for me to assume that Ataraxie is the “France” of OGF and write a history based on Ataraxie being “France”?

(PS on the wiki page for a proposed war in the past, I placed Bélice in one Pot specifically against Ataraxie as it was seen as the imperialists that were the closest to Bélice culturally like USSR against Russian empire in the rw)

Sorry if the wording is confusing.

(NOTE: I don’t own Ataraxie)

Thanks, Zekiel

Hi

So, I’ve counted the days (actually just looked at the day I got my OGFiD license and my profile says it), and it turns out that I have reached 1 Year at OGF. I don’t know what this means, but I can reflect on my mapping and how it’s progressed up to date.

I realize that I have progressed slowly but surely (just really slowly), and the quality of my mapping has only gotten better (I hope). I’ve deleted my country once because I realized how bad it is, I’ve tried European and North American style cities, and I’m still not pleased with what I have now.

What will the next year bring? Have a great day.

Thanks, Zekiel

PS: I’m removing the dyke soon.