I'm attacking my setting from a "believable" angle. The world is Earth 50 million years in the future, and I've placed the continents where they both could be and serve my purpose. I've also created a map showing mountains and general rainfall.
Now, I need help establishing where the different biomes are. I don't need to get too complicated, just what is needed for an rpg (forest, plains, mountains, desert, ...; with cold, temperate, and hot). I haven't found any good resources online, and looking at how the earth is now only helps so much. I've already asked the Cartographer's Guild for help, but I wanted to see if our few resident mappers wanted to lend a hand.
Rainfall map (dark blue is wet, yellow is dry): http://s441.photobucket.com/albums/qq131/Xeviat/Three%20Worlds/?action=view¤t=Krellshah_S.jpg
Outline map (with latitude and longitude lines): http://s441.photobucket.com/albums/qq131/Xeviat/Three%20Worlds/?action=view¤t=Krellshah_S_Outline.jpg
I am not familiar with this type of projection so I just assumed that the equator is in the center. Anyhow based on what knowledge I have and using that assumption you might get something a bit like this (green = high rainfall; yellow = medium rainfall; gold = desert climate).
[spoiler=map](http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/34/16373005uc9.png)[/spoiler]
Wind and water flows at different latitudes due to the Coriolis Effect will create a back and forth climate shift between the sides of a landmass as one heads north/south. In addition, mountain ranges will create a rain blanket and rain shadow effect. The side of the mountains facing incoming storms will be lush as will be the land downhill from there since the rain forms rivers that flow down the mountains and into that area. The side opposite the strong incoming storms is alot drier and rain heavy areas there will be very near the coast, quickly going dry farther in.
Excellent! That's far more organic than the way I had it. I had plotted water and air currents in a different map.
Now, heavy rainfall areas are going to be forest, mid will be plains, and light will be desert, right? Or is there more to it than that?
OH, and this projection is the Fuller Projection method, with a few slight tweeks. Basically it's projecting the map onto a d20, so it can be opened up into a very accurate flat map. The line in the middle of the two continents is the equator, and the dotted lines are the tropics and arctics. Does that change your examples?
Quote from: Kapn XeviatOH, and this projection is the Fuller Projection method, with a few slight tweeks. Basically it's projecting the map onto a d20, so it can be opened up into a very accurate flat map. The line in the middle of the two continents is the equator, and the dotted lines are the tropics and arctics. Does that change your examples?
No that keeps my example about accuarate.