[Region 1][Map 12] [Location 01] - Finger Islands

[Sigurd]

It involves lake Festus and the birth of the Kalabar.

I'd appreciate any comment.


Sigurd

[ravells]

Is there a typo in the regional population and distribution table ? It shows 1 town with 0 population and 0 cities with 2010 population.

[Torq]

I really love the history Sigurd. Great imaginative input. Make sure it finds its way into the wiki.

Torq

[Sigurd]

All the population data is incomplete. Just stabs at something to build ideas on.


I'm trying to come up with a sense of whats big and whats small. 10,000 people sounds like a lot for me - I certainly don't want to go and stat them all . But I don't really know.

The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. The first draft was completed in August 1086 and contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time).

The Random gen I use claims to be based on the numbers from the 12c Doomsday book. I figure that's not a bad comparison to start with. It claims typical cities of 2000 and hundreds of villages between twelve and seven-hundred people. That's quite a spread!

I like the idea of lots of villages. Kalabar's strength is its people. It doesn't have a lot of opulent wealth but it also has very few trappings. They are potentially warlike almost nomadic barbarians. I'd like the region to have high population density. Sun, land and lake water deliver good food supplies but useful land is scarce. Lots of water gives them good sanitation and low disease.

So it sort of depends on the populations in the adjoining areas.

Kalabar and Groam justify the fortification of Irontown.

In its rich days Groam would have been a courted ally or dangerous threat. Now, after the plague, the wall and the chaos, she is literally divided and perhaps a target. Barbarian clan leaders may be considering campaigns in Groam (Just as one possible plot device). Groam is bigger and wealthier but her resources are stretched thin.

Perhaps Groam is cultivating ties with Irontown? Paying a water tax to Kalabar for trade and security?

Or perhaps the barbarians control a large amount of trade by merit and ability? Maybe Kalabar is the great pirate hunter of inland seas? Maybe Groam is simply buying the threat away by hiring Kalabar Clans as mercenaries to protect and control the west. I can imagine mercenary camps anywhere on the inland seas.

These are the sort of hooks I like for gaming.

Kalabar is a little like Norse Scandinavia but much closer to other settlements.


Satisfying these questions, or choosing a good story line amongst them, is a pleasant challenge.



How big are world settlements?



Sigurd

[Sigurd]

I think the use of something like Fractal Terrains in a group project affords a huge benefit to accuracy and eventually usefulness.

I have a question however....

The last map I posted in this thread is a rectangle slightly wider than it is high. http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...7&d=1213241733


But if I look at the data from Fractal Terrains the 'real world' measurements are the reverse!

So the map square measured inside of FT...

4 corners:

51' Lat 51' Lat
67.5 Long 70.34' Long

48.9' Lat 48.9' Lat
67.5' long 70.34' Long


Width & Height. (Miles)
E/W Range 2.86527 deg, 129.12 mi
N/S Range 2.14052 deg, 149.84 mi

Picture Measurment in (Pixels w&h)
sml 1200w 897h pixels


This means that measured across a pixel is 129.12/1200 = 0.1076 or .1076 miles

And measured top to bottom a pixel is 149.84/897 = 0.1670 or .17 miles.


So the perceived size ratio on the screen is approximately 3hx4w while the mathematical ratio is 1.7 high to 1 wide.

That's a huge discrepancy mostly because of the lands position on the globe nearer the north pole.


I don't think there is anything wrong with ignoring the difference and choosing a value to measure your space with. I like to have a scale that I can express in number of pixels per unit. I envision my pixels as square. So I have to pick a value for my scale...

Realistically, I can probably pick .1 or .15 miles per pixel and make the project work. Nobody is going to suffer in any case. Still there's this hard to maintain thing called accuracy..... hm...

In this case I am going to average the two numbers which gives me a pixel value of .1373 miles per pixel. So I'll round it to .14 miles. 7.28 pixels is 1 mile or 15 pixels is 2 miles.

75 pixels is 10 miles


I don't know if there is a better route to go than averaging the x and y pixel size. This will work for me in my next step.


Ilwis!

Ilwis is free GIS software (Ilwis.org) that someone on the site pointed out. I've never used GIS software but I'm working with a small bit of land and this looks like an interesting excuse. So here goes.


NB- this is way too slow and too much micromanaging for any role playing game I"ve ever seen. But since I have such good measurements from the original FT map, and I've never done it before, I feel it might teach me things. Don't feel this is an advised or necessary step for any of your projects....


Sigurd

[Sigurd]

This is a poetic map of the region, found in a cache some distance from the lake. I tried to make something on a dried skin written with the crudest tools.

Its Ugly - I'm not sure I'm ok with that ? - but its believable. Yes its spelled 'wrong'. Maybe the green is too neon..... hmm. I'll probably redo it so it looks like verdigris.

(I think everyone has to try their hand at making parchment and skins to write on.)

Sigurd

<picture snipped for space considerations>

[Torq]

I really like the parchment and the land outline. It looks very authentic. The writing I dont like. Yes, I agree its colour is wrong and too bright, but also it looks like its been written with a felt-tip marker. I think something more crude would have been the writing implement.

Torq

[Sigurd]

Here's something more rough in writing - less neon more like a verdigris shade

Its really hard balancing realistic with obscure and unreadable.


Sigurd

[Sigurd]

I'm obviously doing more legwork than working out a single map for the contest.

I like the project -- the contest is not a focus for this.


Could someone please move this to the World Building Forums and off the contest forum?


Sigurd

[Redrobes]

Do it for the CWBP and just enter whatever you have anyway !