A Plea for More Realistic Deserts

[Ibrahim]

not exactly; arabia isn't covered in shrubbery in the literal sense; the flora tends to be herbs, some grasses, and small bushes. and the floor isn't typically rock, its more a gravely sand mix, especially to the east.

there are however parts of western arabia that are covered in rocks as some of you envision; they're called 7arraat; they the remains of old dorment volcanoes (they have erupted several times in the last 2000 years).

a 7arrah (at least I sssume so, from the rocks):

http://www.photoforum.ru/f/photo/000/036/36344_84.jpg

some parts are even suptropical; this is so on jabal-3umaan and parts of 3aseer (in oman and SW saudi arabi/NW yemen) respectively. here is a valley near jabal 3uman:



these are from 3aseer, around Abha (warning: will violently smash stereotypes regarding the arabian peninsula):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

and this website, which has 'asir and the rest of arabia:

http://plantdiversityofsaudiarabia.i...Topography.htm (its mostly Saudi arabia, but it has it all)

tihaamah (on the west coast, ahead of Hijaaz) is a marshy place, with plenty of sand dunes, a few scatered oases, and bad to sail near.

[Alsatia]

Wow... that's a lot of green on a typically (I thought) dry continent.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Arabia Felix. Felix As in: _very_ fertile & lush.

Because the geography of the area provides the region with several large natural bassins....
Because of the location at the `right' side of the mountains (the effect of hot air containing quite a bit of water suddenly being pushed up a few km into colder layers of air...). Same effect explains why Wales gets so much rain compared to East Anglia.

[Iasonis]

Would it be possibly to bring back some of the medieval 1 effects of deserts on troops, mainly fatiguing the heavy armorered troops so even if they stand around in the sun not moving they still become fatigued and cannot recover while the units with no armor can recover and are uneffected. It really was a great strategy feature and made it desert combat very interesting. thanks!

[Ibrahim]

Wow... that's a lot of green on a typically (I thought) dry continent.

its only dry on the inner side of Hijaaz and the main central plateau; the coasts are actually darn humid; its said you can tell the difference between a salimiyyah and al-ahmadi resident (in Kuwait), because the latter will have no trace of sweat on him, since it evaporates faster in the dry al-ahmadi weather. the al-ahmadi residents live on a high* plateau a few miles inland; salimiyyah is a coastal town.

actually, much of arabia is theoretically arable, but there is too little rain, and occasionally the soil becomes alkaline from water shortages, to support much. its why acidic fertilizers, especially from phosphates, are widespread there. that's why forests and subtropics are only in 3aseer and 3umaan as well as northern yaman. arable plains of the agricultural type can be found in Yamaamah and around Dumat, as well as some coastal enclaves. and IIRC, there are reed marshes on the south east coast, from where ancient arabs made their spears. (a wood called murraan)


*relative: less than 300 ft, but its still dry.

[miotas]

I'm not sure about the deserts in asia and africa, but in australia the majority of deserts don't have dunes, they tend to be vast, flat, rocky expanses covered in tough desert grasses and flowers. And the deserts that do have dunes they tend to be much flatter than those in RTW, but there are a few deserts that do have dunes that are just as big if not bigger. And then there are the salt plains. Nasty places. No water and no life. Just cracked white earth as far as the eye can see.