I've been a lurker for ages, but this is the first time I post.
I've been working on a setting for a while. I'm quite familiar with Phtotoshop, but I've never used it to make a map. I hope I'll learn as soon as I start the actual work. Anyway, I digress.
I was wondering how big a fantasy world should be? I know this is a hard question to answer, but I'd like your input nontheless.
I'll throw some of my setting's key points at y'all and see what you return.
This is a fantasy setting. With regards to technology, we're talking standard fantasy. G. R. R. Martin's world is a good comparison with regards to tech (a mix of alchemy/magic, viking, medieval, and rennaissance). Travel is predominantly done via horse or ships. Although certain adventurers and their like can claim to have seen most parts of the known world, few commoners ever travel far from home. The exception to this rule is merchants, of course, who often travel between several big city-states (although rarely all of 'em).
The world is based on the premise of viking culture and aethestics somehow spreading throughout other represented cultures. That is to say: cultures in the world that resemble cultures from our world incorporate some viking beliefs, traditions, and aethestics.
The world doesn't have (m)any countries per se. Instead, settlements are organized into city-states - settlements (typically) consist of one larger city and its surrounding farms and villages. Typically, there's several days of travel from city-state to city-state (although this depends on how big the world ends up being - I'd like some input on this too, actually). When travelling from city-state to city-state, travellers typically rest at lodges made for the purpose, on castles, farms, and inns located along the highways, at outposts or travel posts, or the like. If you go by ship, you reduce travel time, naturally.
Now, I haven't decided how many landmasses my world consists of, but I know that I would like to include versions of the following historical cultures:
- Scandinavia.
- Russia.
- More medieaval Europe.
- More early-rennaissance/southern Europe (like King's Landing, I suppose).
- Some areas of Africa (predominantly the savannah, not so much egypt).
- Some areas of the Middle East/deserts (inspired by One Thousand and One Nights).
- More deserts, home to very few people (probably an extension of the African-inspired area).
- An arctic area (probably an extension of Russia/Scandinavia).
- India (although that is probably somewhat included in the above).
- Some areas of asia (predominantly China/Mongolia).
- A host of islands (some of which are uncharted) (here be viking pirates).
Any suggestions on how big I ought to make this world? Dunno how one would measure that actually... like, maybe compare it to an existing setting, to real-world continents, or whatever. Naturally, my African-inspired area doesn't need to be as big as real-world Africa. Niether do any of the others. I hope the size of the world will make sense in the end, however.
Thanks!