The Old Map Critique & Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Jydsken-Østveg
- Start date
As I mentioned in my previous post, not everyone will bother reading the wiki or looking at a national atlas. If it's on the official map, everyone sees it, everyone knows it.
The text from the last update(s) was not so small that it was impossible to read and it wasn't too large to get in the way. Granted, some places the text won't fit, but that's a small percentage.
Thank you, Sinhai, for looking into it, regardless.
Radilo
Establishing Nation
I like the strait. The whole lower half of Himar is almost empty because there are so few viable oceanic routes to it, and the strait will encourage more development... Plus it gives me a nice strategic location. 
Warre
Establishing Nation
- Joined
- May 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,384
- Nick
- Warr
Sure it does, when they separate the 'Americas' in two because of the Panama canal, which isn't even deep water strait. Boreas is a continent, no matter if it's separated or not. The entire intent by creating this strait [though I'd have preferred an inland sea, myself.], was to open up lower 'Boreas' [though it's firmly apart of Himyar now]/northwest & West Himyar up for players who want to play colonial states &/or colonial states that aren't 'lolol uroduah and nethlian filled because they're on the same continent as those races and as such those races were the natives.'
Very nice map, only problem is that now the whole reason for building a canal connecting the Green Sea to the Implarian is now gone.:sad:
I had considered that, actually, but felt that an Implarian-Great Sea connection had to be made somewhere. I'm typically of the policy that geographical retcons should not force political retcons, so if the change is too much I can alter the geography to add another Implarian-Great Sea connection somewhere else. Feel free to tell me honestly and I can make the change for you.
No, I am just saying any connection makes the canal redundant, but it is best that is happens now rather then after several months of RP of building the canal, which luckily hasn't seriously been started yet.
Thanks to Xyrael/Sinhai for taking up the map affair, it's good that we got someone to do this thing.
Radilo
Establishing Nation
Kadikistani Union
Established Nation
Indeed, nice going!
Saxe-Friesken and Polaben
Establishing Nation
So much for ethnic clustering. lololololololol
Yeah, that's a problem encountered with areas that have no free space and people are too stingy and would rather have minor city names rather than more neighbors or something... 
Also, I foresee a very grave accident hitting Culanor, it will be very sad and very very surprising, I asked a psychic and she said the name layer will accidently disappear on the next upload or something like that. I didn't put in another quarter to finish listening to the prediction.
Also, I foresee a very grave accident hitting Culanor, it will be very sad and very very surprising, I asked a psychic and she said the name layer will accidently disappear on the next upload or something like that. I didn't put in another quarter to finish listening to the prediction.
Saxe-Friesken and Polaben
Establishing Nation
My Little Map Thread - Cartography is Magic
I believe the time has come for us to rethink our map. We've encountered a clear problem with our current map in that we have no space where people want to be, and tons of space where nobody wants to be. Himyar is basically a wasteland of nothing. I might compare them to a fallout game, but with more oil. —that and people actually want to play fallout.
So... I believe we need to rethink the north. Looking at this... it's impossible to do without stepping on toes. I think the entire community should look into solving this problem which would altar borders and coastlines. I would like to also ping the best mapmakers on the forum to make proposals as to how to fix the map.
Opinions, comments, questions?
I believe the time has come for us to rethink our map. We've encountered a clear problem with our current map in that we have no space where people want to be, and tons of space where nobody wants to be. Himyar is basically a wasteland of nothing. I might compare them to a fallout game, but with more oil. —that and people actually want to play fallout.
So... I believe we need to rethink the north. Looking at this... it's impossible to do without stepping on toes. I think the entire community should look into solving this problem which would altar borders and coastlines. I would like to also ping the best mapmakers on the forum to make proposals as to how to fix the map.
Opinions, comments, questions?
Josepania
Establishing Nation
Personally, I think the core problem to this whole conundrum is the familiarity of the north, aesthetically speaking. Ask most any person, I'm sure they'll say that the northern continent looks like a slightly modified Eurasia, and the similarity is more appealing to would-be nations than the more original-looking Himyar. That thinking is, at least, true for me. You can even look at my spot and see the exact same thing. Notice how it looks uncannily like California? I requested it be altered to look like that, because it's a shape familiar to me and, somehow, easier to RP with.
The solution, I'm convinced, is to change the shape of the northern continent, to make it look more like an original continent, rather than a modified Eurasia. The easiest way to do that is to just add liberal amounts of pixels to the north. That will probably, however, fuck with people's histories and climates, so their input is necessary. If they do not agree with the proposal, I believe it should then be there responsibility to throw out suggestions of their own. But, as you have said coro, it seems impossible to do this without altering borders, coastlines(especially coastlines) and RP dynamics (though those aren't QUITE as important as the aesthetic changes).
/me resumes not RPing
The solution, I'm convinced, is to change the shape of the northern continent, to make it look more like an original continent, rather than a modified Eurasia. The easiest way to do that is to just add liberal amounts of pixels to the north. That will probably, however, fuck with people's histories and climates, so their input is necessary. If they do not agree with the proposal, I believe it should then be there responsibility to throw out suggestions of their own. But, as you have said coro, it seems impossible to do this without altering borders, coastlines(especially coastlines) and RP dynamics (though those aren't QUITE as important as the aesthetic changes).
/me resumes not RPing
Theoretically, hell yeah. But as I said in the IRC: I'd like to see an example before throwing down the gauntlet on what we have already.
Saxe-Friesken and Polaben
Establishing Nation
Well, if we're looking for examples I wouldn't be able to provide one until next week. Busy from this point until Monday with real life affairs. But I encourage other map able image artists to submit their own ideas and perhaps we can make something the forum as a whole can agree to for the betterment of our map, our eyes, and our new players and/or nations.
Polasciana, although not very active and in and out, has excellent map sklills and knows how to create nice-looking and original borders and coastlines. Even if not a regular RPer, I would certainly consult him.
As for altering things, let us try not to do this too, too much. Some change is needed, but as others have said, it will majorly alter histories and the way we RP. I also think that Himyar's main problem is the abundance of landlocked spots. This isn't the RL world and people do not like RPing landlocked spots. Reducing them could help, as well as shaping the continent into something other than a giant block with some flared edges.
As for altering things, let us try not to do this too, too much. Some change is needed, but as others have said, it will majorly alter histories and the way we RP. I also think that Himyar's main problem is the abundance of landlocked spots. This isn't the RL world and people do not like RPing landlocked spots. Reducing them could help, as well as shaping the continent into something other than a giant block with some flared edges.
Gunnland
FTR
The north is crowded and popular - and also has detailed (ever fragile, as always) common history projects that spawning new landmasses - i.e. a "further north" - or changing the geography of existing countries might threaten. So I suggest minimally changing existing geography, and making any new additions encourage player-interaction.
1. I think the best thing to do is morph Helena or Brettaine into a new subcontinent - close to Batavia and Arendaal so quite "northern" indeed - and erase/move Platte, "filling in" the Great Sea and moving it south, closer to the Bay of Narino.
2. I'd also nudge the far-western continent (with its mutation) up a tad - this will change the map minimally and reshape/maintain the Great Sea as a conflict zone for a lot of nations' spheres of influence.
3. And you can shave Himyar too.
1. I think the best thing to do is morph Helena or Brettaine into a new subcontinent - close to Batavia and Arendaal so quite "northern" indeed - and erase/move Platte, "filling in" the Great Sea and moving it south, closer to the Bay of Narino.
2. I'd also nudge the far-western continent (with its mutation) up a tad - this will change the map minimally and reshape/maintain the Great Sea as a conflict zone for a lot of nations' spheres of influence.
3. And you can shave Himyar too.
