What to put on a regional/continental map

[Kafana]

I am looking to draw a map that will span about 1/3 of an archipelago continent. There are about 5 to 10 large island, another 20 to 30 medium sized and plenty of smaller islands.

A map of a single medium-to-large-sized island can be seen here. As you can see, there are plenty of labels and landmarks in this map.

Drawing all islands to this level of detail would be hard and overwhelming to the viewer, so I wanted to see what do you think should be pointed out on this regional/continental map? The major bioms through colors and the 3-5 most notable ports/cities/landmarks?

The goal of the map is to drive a seafaring campaign.

[Kaptin Keen]

For me, the most important distinction is whether it's a GM map or a player map. GM maps need as much info as possible, while player maps need only so much information as their characters would know. Making incomplete maps for players is an artform - say they found an old seafarers personal logbook and map, some position on the map is clearly marked as important, but not described as anything but, say: Wendrigs Isle. Definitely worth the effort. Important note: Bring salt!

Or something like that =)

[Lord Torath]

If it's a map for the players, have lots of "notes in the margins" added by previous owners of the map. "Here be sea dragons." "Friendly red-haired natives - watch out for the blonde-haired ones" "Good fishing" "Pearl beds" etc. And lots of white space. Keep the land more than a mile or so from the coastlines blank (although you can show mountains - ships can use triangulation to plot their approximate locations even if they can't see the intervening terrain).

[Man_Over_Game]

I am looking to draw a map that will span about 1/3 of an archipelago continent. There are about 5 to 10 large island, another 20 to 30 medium sized and plenty of smaller islands.

A map of a single medium-to-large-sized island can be seen here. As you can see, there are plenty of labels and landmarks in this map.

Drawing all islands to this level of detail would be hard and overwhelming to the viewer, so I wanted to see what do you think should be pointed out on this regional/continental map? The major bioms through colors and the 3-5 most notable ports/cities/landmarks?

The goal of the map is to drive a seafaring campaign.

Some things should stand out more than others. For example, oldschool maps didn't have proportions or distances right. Things near civilizations seemed larger, because they knew more details, but things further from the mapmaker's knowledge seemed smaller or less detailed, since information often varied based on distance. Highlight things that would be common knowledge to travelers, such as islands, coastal cities and the such. Use a simple key to indicate danger or travel paths. You can have many things of interest, as long as you keep the number of different types of indicators very simple and easy to recognize.

For example, don't indicate a difference between shark infested water, goblin infested forests, or a place where people say not to go; just put an X in bones to indicate danger for all of those locations, and it'll make it simple enough for a navigator to understand: Don't go there.

[Great Dragon]

@Lord Torath:
MoG's suggestions are spot on.

Although, I'd recommend a separate DM map with the same markings, but with numbered Skulls to distinguish between dangerous encounters. If you're low on printing ability, one map with numbered Skulls still works.
Since only you know which means what.

One Skull in water and a second Skull on land are obvious but - if you have more than one Skull in each, numbers help. Since you can quickly reference your notes on that numbered location.

[Lord Torath]

@Lord Torath:
MoG's suggestions are spot on.

Although, I'd recommend a separate DM map with the same markings, but with numbered Skulls to distinguish between dangerous encounters. If you're low on printing ability, one map with numbered Skulls still works.
Since only you know which means what.

One Skull in water and a second Skull on land are obvious but - if you have more than one Skull in each, numbers help. Since you can quickly reference your notes on that numbered location.

Eh, depends on the source of the map. Some explorers might take better notes than others, and some map-makers might be more or less skeptical about the veracity of those hand-written accounts. Also, is it a first-hand map taken from the personal effects of one of the original explorers? Do you have the journal that goes with this map? Or is it a "published" map many people have access to?

Really, you want a map that will fill the players with ideas for where they want to visit and will tease their imaginations.

You're definitely going to want a DM's map with all the correct information on it or referenced by it.