Problems with making lakes in Editor

[BornGinger]

On the map I'm making I have a problem that I can't find a solution to. I have looked at other maps to try to find out what the solution can be but haven't managed to find it. I hope that someone on the forum can be of help.

All six pictures show three lakes in both 3D-view and with the elevation. One of the lakes look normal in 3D-view but two are deep wholes. At first I thought it had to do with the elevation and I did some changes without any good result for the two faulty lakes. Later on I encircled the lakes with a fixed elevation, just as the lakes have in other maps, but that didn't help for these two lakes either.

What should I do to make those two big wholes look more like lakes should do?

[H1nd]

All lakes are in same map? Water can only have single elevation value per map and is always the lowest value. :/

[BornGinger]

So you mean that the lakes with elevation 45 and 55 are lowered down to 28 because that's the value on one of the lakes? OK, that's the solution. Thank you very much H1nd. What happens if I put a river on the map? Does either the river go down to 28 or if the river has a lower elevation, of let's say 23, does the lake with elevation 28 get a whole too because the water in the lake is lowered down to the elevation of the river?

[benpark]

Yes- any "water" tiles (beside "streams") will sit at the lowest elevation. This is because it is a flat plane, like a table (appropriate for water in general, but problematic when one needs different elevations of it). I use streams mixed with various swamp and mud tiles to deal with elevation issues (see my Stavelot map for a bit of this).

This person may be on to something, though. I have to see if it is indeed getting the water table to warp if used with a "wall" alongside (which I think is what they are showing- there's no text):

 

[benpark]

I'd also try to set the elevations back a few tiles from the water's edge, then use something like dirt/red dirt/swamp/mud around the sides. They will tend to slope a bit more gradually into the water (once you get the water table up to the ground level). That generally yields a believable pond, swamp or lake. Then surround with small trees and bushes as needed, with a few forested tiles surrounding.

Google Earth is helpful for seeing how natural or man-made patterns look, as long as you avoid the obviously modern stuff. But it will show how wooded certain areas are, and how far these generally extend from the water, how close, etc.. Aerial maps from the period as well, but GE is great for getting a handle on the general pattern of things like tree growth in particular areas.

Edited June 19, 2018 by benpark

[BornGinger]

20 minutes ago, benpark said:

I use streams mixed with various swamp and mud tiles to deal with elevation issues

I made the lower lakes into swamps with mud and made sure the higher elevation got it's lake. No need for any river on this map. I was just qurious.

Thank you for explaining how water works. Now I know til next time.

13 minutes ago, benpark said:

but GE is great for getting a handle on the general pattern of things like tree growth in particular areas.

I used Google Maps to find out a bit more what kind of trees grow in this area and how the forest looks like with bushes and stuff. I lived there myself about 20 years ago and know there are mainly pine trees and conifer in the north of the country but some leafy trees as well.

Edited June 19, 2018 by BornGinger

[benpark]

Yeah, swamps are the go-to for small lakes and ponds on different levels than the water table. Just made made one myself.