Let's talk about the map

[WDeranged]

 

Purdy ain't it.

 

To be honest, there's not much I don't like about it but as a conversation starter I think some of the names are a bit blunt, Sorcerer's Tomb and Lake of Drow Tombs niggle me the most.

 

C'mon

Edited September 15, 2012 by WDeranged

[ComradeGoby]

Seems very generic but it won't matter if the places on the map are good and fleshed out.

[WorstUsernameEver]

According to Sawyer on Something Awful it's actually meant to be the Lake of Drowned Tombs.

[WDeranged]

That's actually a relief but it's still a little bit vanilla DnD sounding, most of the other names sound good and sturdy though, I get quite caught up on names in fiction, good names really help.

[Humanoid]

I like the descriptive place names over the generic fantasy type gibberish names - as a civilisation trait, I think having the prevailing one having a very literal sense of nomenclature is interesting in itself.

[Vaeliorin]

I'm curious if the "White" is supposed to be part of "Ruins of Eir Glanfath", part of something cut off, or just an area called "White", which would honestly seem a little strange to me.

 

But I do agree that the names sound pretty typical fantasy (which isn't necessarily a bad thing.)

[Humanoid]

Looks like "White March" to me.

[Bos_hybrid]

I wonder if Free Palatinate of Dyrwood is just a name, or if it's 'free' from something.

[LadyCrimson]

My main complaint about the map we have at the moment is that the given screenshot is too small and I have to put on my reading glasses to read the names.

"Lake of Drow Tombs/Lake of Drowned Tombs" ...

 

Many of the names do feel a bit simple but like Humanoid said, I kinda like it vs. the often made-up gibberish language stuff. Having a mix of both types might feel a bit more realistic tho, as a world of multiple race/areas probably aren't all going to be commonly known with only descriptive "common language" names. That said, I have no idea what concept they have in mind for language among current race or historical (to the game world) races.

[Vaeliorin]

Looks like "White March" to me.

Ah, you are right. I missed the March bit under the fancy edging.

[Humanoid]

Actually makes me wonder whether it's just a screenshot of a scrollable map, or if those are the hard limits of the world as used in the game. Will the cloth map be an exact facsimile of that image, or show a wider perspective?

 

In terms of a playable world, what we see is more than enough, but would be interesting in terms of both lore and aesthetics to have a bit more revealed.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Humanoid

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Fancy edging why do you mock me so!

 

I think it looks great. 'Dyrwood' is a bit Jim Darkmagicesque but I can live with it. Seems like a good big area too I hope there some sense of travel in the game like in BG1.

[OldRPG'sAreGood]

Echo Bay, for some reason, caught my attention. Will there be scary echoes there? Also a some castle in the tip pesters me by concealing it's name, apart from the 'castle' end part.

[LadyCrimson]

Actually makes me wonder whether it's just a screenshot of a scrollable map, or if those are the hard limits of the world as used in the game. Will the cloth map be an exact facsimile of that image, or show a wider perspective?

I have a feeling there's more map than can be seen in that picture. There's more red lettering under the border at the bottom. How much more tho, I couldn't guess. Could be just a little more ... or another half continent more.

[Oerwinde]

I wonder if Free Palatinate of Dyrwood is just a name, or if it's 'free' from something.

 

A Palatinate is generally a substate with more autonomy than other substates of the same nation. Could be a name leftover from a greater empire in the past, or this could just be part of a larger nation and we only see a small part.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Oerwinde

[GrayCodex]

I've always wondered why we have such fantasy maps which seems to be scrolling beyond the edge of the frame. Like we have in Wheels of Time, Middle Earth. I know an common explanation is that area beyond that point is desolate/unexplored, but even then a rough sketch of the area and lore explaining why that is so desolate enriches the world.

[The Sharmat]

I've always wondered why we have such fantasy maps which seems to be scrolling beyond the edge of the frame. Like we have in Wheels of Time, Middle Earth. I know an common explanation is that area beyond that point is desolate/unexplored, but even then a rough sketch of the area and lore explaining why that is so desolate enriches the world.

Huh. That is kind of a neat idea. Perhaps fuzzy, obviously poorly charted areas along the edges of the map like those antique maps of the world where they assume a northwest passage in the Americas and California is an island.

[Semper]

I've always wondered why we have such fantasy maps which seems to be scrolling beyond the edge of the frame. Like we have in Wheels of Time, Middle Earth. I know an common explanation is that area beyond that point is desolate/unexplored, but even then a rough sketch of the area and lore explaining why that is so desolate enriches the world.

 

simply because as a designer you can't create a whole world with different cultures, climates, vegetation, mysteries and so on within a few days. you also don't want to lock all those things right from the start. landmass beyond the border of the map is there to give the impression that there's way more to explore in this universe. what you're holding right there is just a local map, for everything else you've to use your imagination. the more the ip grows the bigger the known map will become.

Edited September 16, 2012 by Semper

[Littlefinger]

If there is one thing I hate about the game so far, it's the map. Very generic, very forgettable. And yet, it's not a very important aspect of the game. Sure, it does have an effect on what story could be told in it, but in the end of the day, it's a trivial problem, one writers should have little problem adapting to.

[Tamerlane]

Echo Bay, for some reason, caught my attention. Will there be scary echoes there? Also a some castle in the tip pesters me by concealing it's name, apart from the 'castle' end part.

Confession: I can't not think of this when I look at that bit of the map.

[The Sharmat]

Echo Bay, for some reason, caught my attention. Will there be scary echoes there?

I'm reminded of that one place in the Silmarillion where, after Ungoliant attacked and wounded Morgoth, the latter cried out in fear and pain. A near godlike being crying out in fear and pain is a really big deal, as it turns out, and anyone at the site where it occurred could still hear the cry, even thousands of years from then. It never faded.

[Sammael]

The first impression I got from the map was "Wow, it's Myth Drannor... er... Eir Glanfath". If elves are in the game, I bet this section represents the ruins of an ancient elven civilization. Could be good, could be bad.

 

The map is also somewhat reminiscent of the Dragon's Head Peninsula which is a part of the kingdom of Tethir, south of Amn, but the area seems to be larger.

 

Godhammer Citadel is likely dwarf-related (although I'd love to be wrong on this one).

 

For whatever reason, I think the campaign will begin in Loghome, be centered around New Heomar,and include extensive trips into the Dyrwood. Eir Glanfath is where Eternity II will take place.

 

I know they are going for original IP, but I don't think the resemblance to FR is necessarily bad for the type of game they are trying to create (spiritual successor to BG/IWD series). Since I think I know a bit how Josh thinks, that map very likely included enough materials for a trilogy.

[Shadow501]

I think the fancy outlining of the map definitely makes me peeved since it covers the names of locations. As for the names themselves, yes some of them are a tad bland but I'm sure Obsidian will expand and/or make them better. But I hope the cloth map we get won't have that obstructive outline!

[Xantomas]

I dunno about you guys, but I'm going straight to Maiden Falls. Nearby mountains, a river convergence with waterfalls, pretty maidens?? I'm going to build a log cabin and retire there after I save the world/solve all my problems/conquer my inner demons.

[The Sharmat]

You know the maidens will end up being horrible man eating demons or something, right?