Discussion: The World

[Ravenspath]

Ok 20 civilizations may be an easier number to work with, but they would have been HUGE! So I mapped out 41 regions. Not all of them have to be inhabitable. As soon as the pantheon thread comes to a decision (which looks like it will be soon), I will start a new thread for civilizations.

Here is a Regional Map:
[spoiler] [/spoiler]

Nice work! I think a map always make is easier to work on a world since it helps you visualize everything.

[Poseptune]

Anybody have any suggestions? Make some regions smaller? Bigger? This is just an example of what it would look like, since Uranium asked how big they would be. (I still have to put the scale up. Trying to make it look good.)

Does anyone have a good looking compass rose that I can add to the map?

[Higgs Boson]

they all seem fairly large, save for the two tiny, tiny ones.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Here's a really nice looking hand-drawn compass rose, but it could use some touch-up work, if anyone is appropriately handy with a graphics program.

http://www.dragonlordsnet.com/comprose.jpg

[Poseptune]

they all seem fairly large, save for the two tiny, tiny ones.

Yeah, I don't quite like their size either. I was going to shade about twenty regions, but they almost rivaled the empire. I have some ideas how to fix them, but I wanted to see what everyone thought before suggesting things.

1. Double the number of regions. This would halve most of the regions, and maybe cut the really large ones in thirds. Downfall many more regions to populate or describe.
2. Change the scale. Maybe this map isn't the whole world, just one small section/contintent. If this is the case, I can add some more regions to the areas that don't have any.
3. Keep the number of regions, but grow the Empire's conquered area. Which regions do I get rid of and make them Empire?
4.???
5.???

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Well, first of all, how large is the planet itself?  The scale may not need to be changed.  If the planet is the size of mercury, or mars, instead of earth, then those country sizes are pretty similar to countries here on earth, just with a lot less room between to spread out.  Maybe we should figure out this planet's circumference real quick-like, and see if maybe those nations aren't too big.  I'm voting on a smaller-ish planet, possibly size of mercury, meaning the circumference (from one side of the map to the other) will be roughly 9,500 miles.  That still makes a majority of those nations very large (over 500 miles across for many of them, over 1000 miles for a few), but not abnormally compared to many earth nations (china, india, usa, russia, canada, brazil, a few others).

[Poseptune]

That could work. I tried to leave the civilizations where the old Empire had conquered relatively small, since they would've had to rebuild, or begin a new. Some may even be old Empire colonies that broke away (that is up to who ever picks the region :) ). The larger regions haven't been warring with the Empire (but maybe with each other). If there any regions you would like to see modified, speak up now. This map is just to help visualize the regions.

About the space to grow, not all of these regions need to be populated with a city-state or nation. Some could be desert areas, or other unihabitable areas. Some might just might no be areas of neutrality between warring nations. Or anything else you can think of.

A smaller type planet is fine with me. If this is a map of the entire world, I will post the size of the map that Jurgen sketched, and I colored (I've been reducing it to about 15 - 30%), when I get home. This way we can get a real inch to mile (cm ot Km) scale.

[Túrin]

I thought the smaller (non-Empire) nations were supposed to be city-states (which seems to imply very small)? Or is that just 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5?

Either way, I'd suggest turning 6, 39, 40 and 41 into Empire territory and perhaps placing some mountains between 38 and 39.

Túrin (yeah, I'm still trying to keep up with this ;))

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Going on what Turin just said, it may be wise of us to go ahead and outline some possible mountain ranges.  Just the major ones (such as the ranges that come from tectonic grinding, and such), and not all the little off-shoots.  That will help us figure out some other placements, I believe.

[Poseptune]

Does anyone have good techniques for adding mountains? I never like the way mine come out.

I think the decision for city-states came in before we had a large continent to work with. Some could be nation, that formed from city-states. It is quite possible also to have each region have a few city-states in them. For Example: region 7 could be a loose affiliation of city-states like Greece was. They could all worship the same r similar Totem or ideal. There may even be two or three Totems in this region. I don't know, I'm just throwing out suggestertons. It has been about 800 years since the fall of the Old Empire (IIRC).

It is almost time for me to go home. When I get there I will post the size of the map. I will also make regions 6, 40, 41, and 39 into Empire country. The question that comes to my mind though is why did they head across the land bridge and head north, before making sure they secured at the very least 2, 3, 4, and 5? Who ever plays with region 1 already has a fun time of explaining why the Empire hasn't conquered them. (You know all of this is going to cut into  my installing and playing Starcraft time :P)

[Túrin]

I was deliberately not picking 2, 3, 4 and 5 so they could be the cool dudes resisting the Empire's influence. We could lower their number though. Having two or three of those might be enough.

If we're having larger nations, I'd say the nations would be closer to the Empire while the city-states would be farther off, for two reasons: small city-states would be more easily absorbed by the Empire (so there are no longer any near it) and the cultural advancement required to form nations would be more likely to occur near the cultural center of the world, which I assume is in the Empire.

Túrin

[Poseptune]

The Empire could also be using very bad tactics. "We don't need to worry about those to the south. Spread across the land bridge, let's conquer there first." Or someone was throwing a dagger at a map and conquering that area. :P I don't care where the Empire has gone it just seemed odd, so I pointed it out. :) Those to the south could be united against the Empire and thus harder to conquer. There are many options for them.

Two or three? Which one would you conquer 2, 4, or 5? Or should they stay the way they are.

The other question that has yet to be answered, is: Are we making the Empire a naval power, or army power, or a balance between the two? If they are naval, maybe the majority of their fleet is in the northern sea/ocean and that is why they went north along the coast.

[Poseptune]

The map is 20 inches by 10 inches. So if the map is about 9500 miles wide, then 1 inch would equal 475 miles. Here is a map so you can visualize the scale.

[spoiler=Map] [/spoiler]

[Ravenspath]

I kind of like the more regions to play with. If, as has been mentioned here, the different regions are picked by people to fill in then that gives us plenty of areas for members to choose from. The idea of a region consisting of multiple city states and multiple totems is a good one. I wish my mountains came out well as that will really help make some decisions about who the empire would have conquered.


I already have some ideas for various area so can't wait until we get to the point that we can choose!

[Poseptune]

As I was driving home, I grew more fond of the idea that some of the regions can represent city states that are friendly toward each other. Much like ancient Greece was. If they go to war with another region, they can ask other city-states in their regions to aid them in their war (like the Iliad :) )

I am going to make the civilization thread after the pantheon thread is finished, this way everyone works with the same set of world rules.