Quote Originally Posted by JsinOwl View Post
I like what you've got going here. The numbers are there for effect, not accuracy right? So it doesn't really matter, but if you want to go for maximum authenticity, the elevation change between contour lines in USGS maps is constant (though it varies map to map), say 50 feet/meters between each line. In your map it looks like the interval is approximately doubling, 30, 60, 120, 300, 600. The interval you use would depend on the terrain. So for a really mountainous region, an interval of 100' or more would be appropriate. Out on the plains, you might want an interval of only 10'. Most maps will live somewhere in between.
The numbers are just there for aesthetic, but I think believability factors into a good map. The reason I chose those specific depth intervals was because the USGS map I am using for references uses those. I found it to be strange initially, because I expected them to be constant. On that map, it appears to have terrain elevation lines every 100 ft, however, the numbers are only present at 100, 200, 1000, and 2000. Admittedly, I haven't looked at more than a few maps, so I'm sure I would find more common ranges elsewhere. I'll tweak a lot of these details once the map is mostly put together.