Just want to jump in to say that “environmental determinism” can make a world seem kinda flat. So like you said, don’t get bogged down by the nitty gritty details too much. However, it’s good to learn the rules and norms of worldbuilding to gauge which one actually matter to your story. And more importantly which rules you want to break.
So yeah, rivers always flow into the ocean. But maybe there’s a reason why some of your rivers work the opposite way.
I usually like just enough detail to hint at a larger world. But, to quote my friend, “we don’t need to know every side character’s grandma’s sexual kink” 😂😂😂 it’s hard for me to stop sometimes, I really could label every rock if I didn’t stop myself.
Always ‘Rule of Cool’ above all else 😎 whenever it feels to flat I try and think of some weird wrench to throw into it. I figure real life ain’t so different! Still I should probably learn the basics of how rivers work…
Yes it’s important not to get too bogged down unless you’re making a hardcore sim of some sort, but having a realistic backdrop helps a lot when you want to highlight something unique to your world. A river that flows up from the ocean and ends in the sky is completely unrealistic but could be one of the greatest magical wonders of your world. Or a peculiar large river that diverges to form two more could become the center of a conflict between two downstream cities who want to divert it in different ways.
Just want to jump in to say that “environmental determinism” can make a world seem kinda flat. So like you said, don’t get bogged down by the nitty gritty details too much. However, it’s good to learn the rules and norms of worldbuilding to gauge which one actually matter to your story. And more importantly which rules you want to break.
So yeah, rivers always flow into the ocean. But maybe there’s a reason why some of your rivers work the opposite way.
Edit: By the way I really like your flag designs!
I usually like just enough detail to hint at a larger world. But, to quote my friend, “we don’t need to know every side character’s grandma’s sexual kink” 😂😂😂 it’s hard for me to stop sometimes, I really could label every rock if I didn’t stop myself.
Always ‘Rule of Cool’ above all else 😎 whenever it feels to flat I try and think of some weird wrench to throw into it. I figure real life ain’t so different! Still I should probably learn the basics of how rivers work…
And thank you so much!!
Yes it’s important not to get too bogged down unless you’re making a hardcore sim of some sort, but having a realistic backdrop helps a lot when you want to highlight something unique to your world. A river that flows up from the ocean and ends in the sky is completely unrealistic but could be one of the greatest magical wonders of your world. Or a peculiar large river that diverges to form two more could become the center of a conflict between two downstream cities who want to divert it in different ways.