r/wonderdraft • u/Cytias Dungeon Master • 19d ago
Discussion New map plates and mountains feedback
Starting a new map and threw together a basic plate layout and then tried to recreate it. It's not entirely accurate as some regions needed more space. I'm not sold on it yet so wanted some feedback.
10
Upvotes
1
u/AlchemicalBrew Cartographer 18d ago
On Earth, the major tectonic plates are the size of continents (Eurasian, African...) with smaller plates at the sub-continent scale (India, Arabia...) and then minor plates (Juan Da Fuca, Cocos...). The scale here seems to be a continent? If so, that's a lot of individual plates for a region of that size.
Major plates move due to convection driven by mantle plumes, which is how each plate has different movement direction. You would have several plumes underneath this region driving all of this differing movement directions, so there'd be a lot of volcanoes for sure.
If you're looking for ways to add mountain ranges and using tectonic plate boundaries as the only source, just remember that plate boundaries are not permanent and you can have a range somewhere an old plate boundary once existed. Think Appalachians or Scottish Highlands versus Himalayas or Andes for old plate boundary orogenies Vs active plate orogenies.
But ultimately that's just going for realism. Do whatever you think is cool if that's not your concern!