Worldbuilding the Atlantica Continent World Map

Title: Worldbuilding the Atlantica Continent World Map

Deck: A behind-the-scenes look at how the pre-Flood Atlantica Continent map was designed for the official Reveal.

Primary References:

• Atlantica Continent
  • Blog Post: “Atlantica Continent: World Map Reveal“

Metadata:

• Tool: ChatGPT image editor and Photoshop.
• Source Map: Gall–Peters projection (Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons).
• Terrain Source: South America (rotated and stretched).
• Method: Composite masking and visual reshaping.
• Placement Zone: Equatorial Atlantic.
• Alignment Reference: Southwestern corner of the Bermuda Triangle.
• Output Type: Global map (pre-Flood landmass).

Table of Contents:

• TL;DR.
• About the Project.
• Canon Guardrails.
• Source & Licensing.
• Key Challenges.
• Methodology.
• Design Decisions.
• Results.
• Open Questions.
• What’s Next.
• Changelog.
• Call to Action.

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⚡ TL;DR

• A Gall–Peters projection formed the base.
• South American terrain was sampled and reshaped.
• The continent was sized and placed between Africa and South America, centered just above the equator.

🗂️ About the Project

This article documents the internal creative and technical process behind the “Atlantica Continent: World Map Reveal.” Unlike the Reveal, which showcases the finished map, this breakdown provides the raw construction steps, design choices, and image evolution that led to the result.

🧭 Canon Guardrails

• The Atlantica Continent exists in the pre-Flood era.
• Sea navigation and compass anomalies apply only to the Atlantica Islands, in the Bermuda Triangle, not the entire Continent.
• The design evokes ancient continental connections without replicating real-world Pangea.

📜 Source & Licensing

• Base Map: Gall–Peters projection (Wikimedia Commons), chosen for its area-preserving qualities.
• Image Edits: Grids were removed. Terrain patches were rotated, masked, and composited to create the landmass.

⚠️ Key Challenges

• Avoid visual repetition from South America while still using it as a source.
• Keep the new landmass proportionate to the Atlantic basin.
• Maintain accuracy without revealing future features tied to geographic phenomena.

🛠️ Methodology

1. Initial Goal

The final map needed to portray a plausible pre-Flood landmass fitting seamlessly into Earth’s past, without contradicting Atlantica lore.

2. Sourcing the Base

I chose the Gall–Peters projection world map for its consistent area proportions, providing a grounded visual foundation.

3. Cleanup Phase

I removed the latitude and longitude lines using ChatGPT’s image editing tools, simplifying the base image for manipulation.

4. Terrain Sampling

I copied, stretched, and prepared a patch of South American terrain as the template for the continent’s geography.

5. De-Familiarization

To avoid recognition, I rotated and reshaped the sampled terrain, reducing any clear resemblance to its original source.

6. Shaping the Continent

I drew a black silhouette over the terrain. I aligned the eastern edge roughly with Africa and the western with South America, simulating a Pangea-like split.

7. Cutting the Shape

Using the mask, I extracted and isolated the new continent for positioning.

8. Scaling for Fit

I resized the continent, as the first version was too large, overwhelming the Atlantic basin.

9. Final Placement

I resized and placed the continent just above the equatorial line, with its northwestern tip pointing to the southwestern corner of the Bermuda Triangle.

🧠 Design Decisions

• Used real terrain for speed and realism.
• Rotation and scaling ensured uniqueness.
• Positioning was informed by lore, geology, and oceanic balance.

✅ Results

• A new, believable continent centered between Africa and South America.
• Canonically aligned with Atlantica Island’s future location.
• Visually distinct from the other continents, yet matches surrounding geography.

❓ Open Questions

1. Will the mountain regions match current seafloor mountainous terrain?
2. How will rivers and inland lakes be integrated in the next pass?
3. Which biomes should dominate the interior zones and surrounding areas?
4. Will regional names be revealed or stay hidden for now?

🔜 What’s Next

1. Add mountain ranges.
2. Add hydrology features like rivers and lakes.
3. Define biome zones (forests, rainforests, deserts, highlands).
4. Create a heightmap for the Atlantica Continent.
5. Create a heightmap of the world map, with the Atlantica Continent.
6. Create an Unreal Engine landscape map of the Atlantica Continent.

📝 Changelog

• v1.0 — Initial documentation of the Atlantica Continent world map creation process.

📣 Call to Action

Review the Atlantica Continent: World Map Reveal, then contribute lore-consistent feedback to guide future geography, hydrology, and biome decisions.