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The hobbit map river trick I keep seeing in film adaptations

Noticed in the last 3 fantasy shows I watched, rivers on the maps go from a mountain range to an ocean with zero tributaries. Has anyone else caught this shortcut in worldbuilding maps and does it bug you as much as it bugs me?
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ray648
ray64823d ago
Maps in fantasy shows are more about telling you where the story goes, not how water actually moves. They zoom way out to show the whole journey, and at that size, tiny creeks and streams just don't show up. Real maps do the same thing, you don't see every little tributary on a state map either, just the big rivers. Plus, adding a bunch of random lines would just clutter the screen and pull your eye away from the important stuff. It's a style choice, and honestly, I'd rather have a clean map that's easy to read in a two second shot than a super accurate one that looks like a mess.
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