MISC | Fantasy Network Maps

[Alargule]

Don't use the thumbnail code, but the direct link url. Insert that url between [img]X[/img] - where X is the url. That way your images are posted directly. But thumbnails are OK as well; that way the pages don't get that blown up...

[Alargule]

Originally Posted by Weirdo@Rotterdam

I want to draw a fantasy network for a fantasy city too... can you tell me what is the best point (lines, stations, city shape, streets?) to start with to avoid giving up early?

I always started with the network, and designed the city around it. That way, at least I had a network... Later on, I'd fill in the major streets, major stations, rivers, parks, railway lines etc. If necessary, I'd change some line configurations - or street patterns for that matter. You can mould it in whatever way you want it - that's the whole idea of a fantasy network...

[jserradell]

Worl-city metro:

[jserradell]

[Weirdo@Rotterdam]

Awesome map... funny idea, too, to use existing station names from around the world instead of dreaming them up yourself

[Bitxofo]

Originally Posted by jserradell

Great worl metro map!!

You are the best in this, Jordi!

[vichase]

Great!!

[sbarn]

Originally Posted by Alargule

@ sbarn: Yes I do. I'll post some as soon as I get home...

Dude... these maps are f**king awesome. Thanks for sharing!!

[Alargule]

I really like that World Metro Map too. I see you included some Amsterdam names (Wibautstraat - Amstel - Bijlmer) as well. Any more I didn't find?

[micro]

Originally Posted by jserradell

Worl-city metro:

Hi Jordi,
That map is really great! A fascinating idea! While looking at it, it brings up memories from those cities. It must have been a lot of work. I don't know if you are still working on it but I have a few suggestions on how to make it even more enjoyable: Use more stations of full metros and less (or none) of light rails (speaking for Germany, there's too much Rhine-Ruhr in your map and too little Berlin, Hamburg, or Munich). Try to include stations of all major cities equally. Distribute the stations randomly but put stations in city centres (like WTC) in the centre of your map and put those that are outside the centre in the original city also outside the centre in your map. Include some characteristic names like "Times Sq/42 St" or "5 Av/59 St". And perhaps make the shape of your World City roughly resembling a world map (e.g. using rivers as oceans; this idea is not new, however).

[Alargule]

Originally Posted by micro

...a few suggestions...

You call that 'change the map completely according to my insights'-wish list 'a few' suggestions?

[jserradell]

First of all: thank you for your comments, and sorry for my poor English.

Here you have another metro-world system map: ths stations have the name of a city with a metro system.
In the light blue line (circular line), you can find the biggest metro systems (New York, London, Paris, Tokyo….) and inside the circle there are the world´s main cities with a metro system. Of course, the importance of a city is a relative matter, and for sure, you will find exceptions…
In the light pink and grey lines we find the cities with systems under construction, planned or even rumoured. From Singapur, there are the newest openings: San Juan, Kazan, Nanjing, Torino…). I sign it in dark blue. The next city will be after Daejon.

Of course there is a problem with transfer stations between constructed / under construction lines… Sometimes I write a city with a metro system: Mumbai, and sometimes a city with no metro system yet: Jakarta.
Brilliant ideas welcomed…

To Micro: it is difficult to draw a correct world map, as many metro systems are together in Europe or Far East Asia.
Some metro station names are too much long, so I have to use a shorter version of them.

Yes, there are too much Stadtbahn / Europe names. But for me, Spaniard, it is easier to remember european names than asian names. I am sorry for it.

Yes, I will change some names (in fact I have find some errors…). I will try to write in the city centre the most important / emblematic names: Times Square, Ginza, Otemachi, Piccadilly Circus, Sol, WTC…).
What is “important”? Well, that´s another discussion!!! (City population, beautiful stations, a nice name…).
What is “a nice name”? Well, that´s a very personal issue. But it is very simple: I like some names and I do not like others!

More suggestions are welcomed.

And of course, I am waiting for your own maps!!! Please, share them!

Jordi Serradell

[Alargule]

Great! I could get from Rotterdam to Amsterdam via Frankfurt and Cairo!

[Alargule]

Just finished: a fantasy Amsterdam map, somewhere around 2026...



Not that unrealistic, though. Many if not most lines are plans (either present or past), and some are u/c (line 52). I just filled in the 'blanks': stations, their names, and possible routings.

[chicago2stlouis]

my rendering of a fantasy metrolink in st. louis

[micro]

Originally Posted by jserradell

To Micro: it is difficult to draw a correct world map, as many metro systems are together in Europe or Far East Asia.

Yes, it makes no sense making your city's shape like a world map because this would contradict with the reqirement of placing downtown stations in the centre of the map. Maybe your World City could be roughly of a round shape to resemble a globe.

Both your maps are nice, but I prefer the one with station names.

By the way, Mark Ovenden has put a map with metro city names in his book 'Metro Maps of the World', and it resembles a world map with rivers making the oceans.

[Weirdo@Rotterdam]

Here is my map (again, geographically total crap) of a helicopter/flying metro system for a fantasy city... And yes, I know helicopters will never be used as serious urban public transport - they use gargantuan amounts of energy and the purchase price is too high - but (if you replace the turbine engines with fuel-cell-powered electric motors to reduce noise) it's a cool idea, isn't it?

[Jape]

Wow, great to see that some people use to do these maps as well! I thought I'm the only one on earth with my transit maps.

This shows the metro system, city rails and regional trains in Helsinki area (it's not a fantasy map):

I did that with Photoshop 7.0. It's pretty good software to design maps once you learn to use the right tools.

I will post some more maps later.

Btw. Huge thanks to Gartenzwerg! I'll try to get Powerpoint as soon as possible!

[micro]

Originally Posted by Weirdo@Rotterdam

a helicopter/flying metro system for a fantasy city... And yes, I know helicopters will never be used as serious urban public transport -

Flying metro:

[Weirdo@Rotterdam]

Originally Posted by micro

Flying metro:

Oops... I didn't know the "flying metro" term is already being used to describe the Wuppertal Schwebebahn (suspended monorail)... Well now I know, thank you for that Anyway, I meant helicopters flying between stations which are about as far apart as metro stations, with the speed and frequency of a metro.