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Trying to create a map for my fictional world. Obviously, I can do bits like color a paper blue and throw some random green shapes on there to create the land masses. However, the more I look into this the more I realize it's very very difficult. Rivers flow a certain way, vegetation grows in some places but not others. This is hard to fake.

Ideally, I would like to find some kind of program (free) where I could just click "generate" and get a map world with oceans, rivers, lakes, vegetation, etc.

If this isn't an option, are there tips and tricks I can follow to create a natural, authentic feel?

Any ideas for this?

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You may be interested in the world generation engine behind Dwarf Fortress. In world gen mode, you can adjust a huge variety of parameters. The Dwarf Fortress Wiki contains detailed instructions; using the advanced world generation options, you can adjust properties like rainfall, ocean placement, and mountains. It will take care of placing realistic mineral formations, rivers, and biomes (as well as a detailed history of the world's civilizations, which you can probably ignore for your purposes).

Otherwise, the link mentioned in the comments (Creating a realistic world Series) provides great resources.

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