"Rivers: Fixed or Free-form?" Topic

I run the PaperTerrain company. I already sell dirt road kits where the roads are "fixed". By that I mean there are straight sections and curved sections and intersections, etc. Since they are paper you can easily trim down the width, but basically a straight section will stay a straight section. I also sell sheets of cobblestone paving. This isn't like the dirt roads. These are 'free form', meaning there are no straight or curved sections, just a big sheet of cobblestone pattern that the buyer can cut out however he likes. I sell quite a lot of both of these products.

But now I have people asking me to do rivers and streams and I'm not sure which way to go. Should I have actual sections of river like I do with my dirt roads? Straight sections, curved sections, sections with forks? Or would it be better just to print large sheets with a water pattern and let the buyer cut them out however he likes?

What would you rather see in a product?

Prepare the inevitable "Both!" reply, probably from folks who won't buy either. ;)

And for my part, I honestly don't know. I don't do paper terrain at present, so I don't have an educated opinion.

Rivers are tricksy, though. I've used strips of felt ad I've used river tiles I've built up and painted. I didn't really like either, and I'm not see what my ideal practicable solution is. Sadly, carving unique rivers for each battlefield isn't an option for me. :(

Well, for what it is worth, here is what I would do.

Do the "fixed" option with nice mossy/green banks, bubbles, little islands and sand bars. Makes for a very appealing look.

The do a sheet of free form so I can make pieces on my own where needed (though these won't have the nice edges).

I think my mind just left the box…

Print edges in fixed patters, and print water as a sheet.
Customer can then make them as wide as needed.

Wouldn't you do banks if you did a "fixed" section, whereas the other option could – perhaps – be used to either cut up for custom work or used to fill in larger water areas.

If I had to choose only one, I'd go with the sheets. I can then make my rivers as wide or narrow as I like (or need) and I can also make ponds and lakes. I'd also be able to do my own terrain edging to improve the 3D look.
Bob