A Map of Europe

[Caelia]

Well I commend the effort I would be strongly opposed to replacing our current map with this one. It is far too similar to what we have to warrant a change, it would be better just to clean the map we have then to change to a new but substantively identical one.

 

[Khemia]

Well I commend the effort I would be strongly opposed to replacing our current map with this one. It is far too similar to what we have to warrant a change, it would be better just to clean the map we have then to change to a new but substantively identical one.

If you look at this map side-by-side with the former map, you'll notice that it's quite different. First, the amount of water available on the map is nearly halved - its replaced by a Europe which is more than doubled in size, and is made more viable further east by increased accessibility to warm water, it's replaced by more available land for Japanese-style nations in Toyou (previously unavailable), it's created a new region designed for Turkish and Persian nations that is relevant, keeps or increases the importance of northern Himyar while also making nearly twice as much area for people to play "Crusader states" if they please, and doesn't touch much on Occidentia.

We're always going to have dead regions on the map - the problem is that the desirable regions are filled up, and have been in the past. The best solution is to give those more space, keeping nations roughly the same size as they are on our current map but expanding the sizes of the landmass. If we were to go with a radically different map, we'd have to completely retcon all of RP and have people start all new nations on a new planet.

 

[Rheinbund]

I am folllowing this discussion. I haven't formed an opinion yet. My current intention is to follow the consensus reached.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

I am folllowing this discussion. I haven't formed an opinion yet. My current intention is to follow the consensus reached.

That is pretty much my course of action. It looks good. Other than looking good, I am holding my opinion. Ill go with whatever we decide

 

[Ivernia]

My course of action also. I like the way consensus is going I'll let the people who are already working on it sort it out.

 

[Salen]

In my experience, both in the past as a former forum cartographer, and as well as a RP'er, I can say that the aesthetics of land has a significant impact on whether or not it will be occupied. When someone joins a forum, they typically have 3-4 ideas of what they want to RP as. Show them a map, and they're going to rule out the ideas that fit into ugly regions. If we look at Occidentia, where colonies are claimed, people typically go for nicer looking areas because they aren't confined by ethnic constraints. For the "English Island" south of the Gothic Sea, there are two main issues. First, there's only two islands, and cartographers don't frequently make it so that two nations occupy a single island, so there's only 2 instances for people to copy-pasta England into RP (not a lot of people are that original, so the stereotype of England being an Island is almost always translated into RP - along with many other stereotypes). That also means that Scotland and Ireland analogues have to compete for those. Our history with Gaelics though says that they tend to be willing to look at non-Islands. Anyways, the second problem is that the northern island is too fat and bulky. If people choose to occupy an island, they want to feel close to the coasts. The centroid of that shape is almost further away from the coast than most of the peninsula's on the mainland. You could get rid of this by adding a Bristol Channel style feature that cuts into the island some.

After contemplating, I have to admit you're right. Or at least, I have had the same experience in the past as well so I can surely relate to this. I am not totally convinced about the island myself. You say adding another large channel, but perhaps I could cut the island in two new islands horizontally? Adds another 'Anglo-Saxon' option for players I'd guess.

In cases where the original post has been seen by a number of people, or the topic of the posts is vastly different, double posting is generally ignored. If you're abusing it to increase post count (which is pointless because we don't have a post count requirement for RP) then you'll be warned. Anyways, I like Illia for the Italian region, and Carelia for the main chunk of Europe (as opposed to Erofa and Europa - especially since I think our planet is named Europe). Spanish, Balkan, and English can come up with their own names, and Gallia, Germania, and Scania should be used still.

Actually, could we just flat out rename the planet to Illia? It reminds me of Illium, and I like Mass Effect.

Honestly I'd keep 'Europe' for the planet. Illia for our European landmass equivalent sounds good for me, but I would like some more suggestions made by other players too; or their opinions to say the least.

I'd advise against making the map too big and rather reduce it in size, as too much empty space has been rather discouraging for RP in the past and people tend to be more active if bordered by active people themselves. Smaller, more active continents are advisable.

It's as Yujin already stated: it had a strict geographical purpose. However, the map will certainly not be enlarged anymore. In terms of scale the map is actually smaller, or at least intended to be. The proportions land/water just make it appear somewhat bigger.

Perhaps Ilium (Ίλιον) like the alternative name of RL Troy?

I am more in favour for names ending on -ia or -a, such as is the case already for Sarmatia and Occidentia. =)


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Since you are deliberately not getting involved I do hope you are somewhat pleased with what you see so far. Otherwise I really would insist you state your opinions, though I am aware chances are we won't all be on the same level. Nonetheless I strongly believe this would be beneficial for all parties in the long run, especially now we are aiming to (re)shape a new world. Once again, nothing is official but I am very much pleased too we're having this debate and constructively working on this. Cheers! =)

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

I wasn't precisely talking about absolute size of the map and understand your reasoning (and it makes sense), but rather about landmass. I think "less is more" in this regard and we should make sure that any map leads to clustering of players.

Ultimatively I think what is mostly needed is a purge of inactives from the map. We could use the old one for that or we use this new one and have a small restart of sorts in this regard. It doesn't matter, I think. We should just encourage a map that involves active players in direct proximity to other active players, rather than isolated by blobs of inactives that stay on the map for nostalgic reasons.

Edit: just seen this

We're always going to have dead regions on the map - the problem is that the desirable regions are filled up, and have been in the past. The best solution is to give those more space, keeping nations roughly the same size as they are on our current map but expanding the sizes of the landmass.

I reckon this makes sense, but it should go at the expense of the less desirable regions then or else we'll just end up filling the large Himyari landmass we have now with inactive colonies.

 

[Touzen]

Just form a new map based on the reality of far, far, FAR few players being here these days. Cluster them. Make it about the most relevant region - Eurodisney and its periphery.

 

[Salen]

Make it about the most relevant region - Eurodisney and its periphery.

A number of players here today have already shown the significance of outer regions I would say: Asian nations to be (Yujin, Sixia, Sikandara), Wiefel is aiming for a Russian-styled nation (so probably transcontinental or multicultural in nature too) and I myself am trying something new too: a Native American-like nation-state... I fear a mere Eurodisney-map and surroundings would result in either a less diversified role-play sensation or otherwise players not participating as the choices are limited. =/

 

[Touzen]

A number of players here today have already shown the significance of outer regions I would say: Asian nations to be (Yujin, Sixia, Sikandara), Wiefel is aiming for a Russian-styled nation (so probably transcontinental or multicultural in nature too) and I myself am trying something new too: a Native American-like nation-state... I fear a mere Eurodisney-map and surroundings would result in either a less diversified role-play sensation or otherwise players not participating as the choices are limited. =/

The past few years we've had a big map. It didn't do us any good.

 

[Volkova]

My course of action is just like Ivernia, Bourgogne and Eiffelland. I will go with whatever everyone decides.

 

[Salen]

The past few years we've had a big map. It didn't do us any good.

Is it not about scale and proximity? The current map we're using is 5000 pixels in width, with an estimated +65% being water. I honestly don't know its scale but in proportion it sure looks wide and far this way. =)
We haven't discussed scale yet for this map proposal, but I roughly had in mind 1 pixel to be 3 square km (or 2 sq mi) approximately. With the map being 3200 x 2000 px large, roughly calculated the total surface (flat map) of this 'earth' would be 57,600,000 square km (or 22,240,000 sq mi): almost 9 times smaller than our Earth. I know these are actually unjust calculations (map should be square and calculations should be done as if it were a sphere) but I think you get my point, right? =) It would really be 'a small world'.

Thing is: it just has to be clear how proportionate it is. I don't think merely a large map would be the cause of a decline in activity or role-play, right?

 

[Touzen]

I don't have the numbers in my head, but the (not recently updated) EuropeGlobe is the current authoritative scale, so if you wanted to have some ideas how big a map would be, just wrap it around the globe!

Anyway, an area that is condensed like RL Europe (while hopefully not looking like it) would work wonders, I think. And a large map had a large part in our problems as player numbers dwindled, I think. Not exclusively, of course.

 

[Khemia]

I feel like we know everyone's arguments currently, I'd like to see [MENTION=2]Vithrais[/MENTION] comment with his opinion.

 

[Caelia]

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