Map Thread IX

[Revolutionary Todyo]

Originally Posted by Simreeve

Amusing typo!

(It was a typo, right?)

No, think of the Five Year Plan, and then dunk it in a pond. Hence the Moaist edge

[wolf_brother]

Originally Posted by Muwatalli'

Any comments/suggestions?

Seems awful small for a major power. I mean, its essentially the OTL Netherlands plus some of the choicer bits of the immediately surrounding territory.

[Martin23230]

Originally Posted by Muwatalli'

A somewhat implausible WIP. The world here is basically the reverse from OTL: countries who were not very important in OTL are the major powers, and the major powers themselves are screwed. So far I only have the Netherlands finished. The year is 1900.
Any comments/suggestions?

Please say I'm not the only one who read Eifel - Trier as Eiffel Tower ...
Still, looks cool. Other suggestions I've always liked: a major-power Hungary in the 1900s, bonus if it also controls Vienna ruled from Budapest, or a Saxony-dominated Germany instead of Prussia or Austria.

------------------------------------------
To save the awkwardness of double-posting:

My entry into MotF 58: show an alternate Industrial Revolution.

A PoD in roughly in the mid 1600s (Peace of Westphalia sort of time) links the crowns of Saxony and Brandenburg. The resulting powerful state ensures (mostly) peace in Germany for over 100 years, giving the major German state time to develop and industrialise. By the mid 1700s they rival the United Kingdom's OTL dominance of scientific and industrial developments, so when the Industrial Revolution kicks in it does so there in a much larger way.

A note: the terms for "rails" and "rail lines" still exist in ATL when referring to a singular section of track, but the term "eisenetwork" is used for the overall system of a rail network or railway (or railroad if you're American or similar). This comes from the German for iron combined with the English network, and is the term used in ATL English due to the German dominance of the early railways.

And the map:

[Future8]

Originally Posted by Martin23230

To save the awkwardness of double-posting:

I don't know, Martin. When I compare it with your older works, I feel like omg where did martin go?

I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I just prefer your insets and textures.

[Kaiphranos]

Originally Posted by Martin23230

My entry into MotF 58: show an alternate Industrial Revolution.

Interesting. Now I'm curious how the rest of Germany and Central Europe shook out. Is that Poland to the east?

Originally Posted by Future8

I don't know, Martin. When I compare it with your older works, I feel like omg where did martin go?

If his process is anything like mine, it tends to be a function of time and energy, and I know there are some tools and techniques that I've fiddled with at some times but not others. (I may be down on textures at the moment, but I've used them in the past, and I'll probably find occasion to use them in the future...)

[Martin23230]

Originally Posted by Future8

I don't know, Martin. When I compare it with your older works, I feel like omg where did martin go?

I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I just prefer your insets and textures.

It's for the very simple reason that I am right in the middle of exams at University so honestly don't have the time required to work on such a big project at the moment. Especially considering I spent so much time on my last MotF entry.

I admitted publicly that I'm not too thrilled about that map, but I do like the scenario and the ideas and would fill it out a lot more if I had the time. And in fact I did have plenty more insets on the first draft of the one I did.

In fact, I never post my first drafts, but just this once here you go:



Again it is a pretty simple style but most of the first drafts are, I just didn't have the time to do anything fancy. I wanted to keep the insets, especially the map and image, but I couldn't fit them in that easy with the style I finale decided on, which I do regret.

I like adding insets like the ones shown here, similar to the ones on the Russian one you linked - often one of subdivisions and one of flags, I will admit it's a bit of a style of mine: see here or here or here. I'm glad that someone appreciates it.

Also, you might think my entry is a bit plain, and you would be right, but considering the winner of the last MotF it's positively full of colour...

[jkarr]

Originally Posted by Martin23230

It's for the very simple reason that I am right in the middle of exams at University so honestly don't have the time required to work on such a big project at the moment. Especially considering I spent so much time on my last MotF entry.

even your lowest entries martin tend to outshine the rest x3...which is a good thing cos it drives alot more people to get better so we keep seeing more cartographers coming out with better stuff

[Future8]

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

If his process is anything like mine, it tends to be a function of time and energy, and I know there are some tools and techniques that I've fiddled with at some times but not others. (I may be down on textures at the moment, but I've used them in the past, and I'll probably find occasion to use them in the future...)

I actually do the same. It's just that I love Martin's more textured maps.

Originally Posted by Martin23230

It's for the very simple reason that I am right in the middle of exams at University so honestly don't have the time required to work on such a big project at the moment. Especially considering I spent so much time on my last MotF entry.

Ah, exams. The creativity-destroyers since the beginning of time.

Originally Posted by Martin23230

I admitted publicly that I'm not too thrilled about that map, but I do like the scenario and the ideas and would fill it out a lot more if I had the time. And in fact I did have plenty more insets on the first draft of the one I did.

I quite love the idea as well. I was just commenting on the map cause the contest isn't an idea contest.

Originally Posted by Martin23230

In fact, I never post my first drafts, but just this once here you go:

-snip-

Again it is a pretty simple style but most of the first drafts are, I just didn't have the time to do anything fancy. I wanted to keep the insets, especially the map and image, but I couldn't fit them in that easy with the style I finale decided on, which I do regret.

Hmm, I've never really liked pictures within maps, for some strange reason. I love the population-in-cities thing though.

Originally Posted by Martin23230

I like adding insets like the ones shown here, similar to the ones on the Russian one you linked - often one of subdivisions and one of flags, I will admit it's a bit of a style of mine: see here or here or here. I'm glad that someone appreciates it.

I've voted for all for those in the MoTF contests. I've always loved your insets and those are actually my inspiration for a lot my own maps. Whenever I don't know how to style a map, I simply open a new tab and press m. martin23230.deviantart.com is the first thing that comes up.

Originally Posted by Martin23230

Also, you might think my entry is a bit plain, and you would be right, but considering the winner of the last MotF it's positively full of colour...

Aah! It's too colorful! The color is making my eyes burn and my head spin!

[Lone Wolf]

A federal Italy with borders drawn on linguistic areas.

Explanation for territorial changes: South Tyrol is not Italian and never will be, while Venezia Giulia and Istria have been ruled by Venice for centuries until Tito decided to go Stalin on them. This does not mean he was not an excellent ruler. I forgot to add Nice, Corsica and Dalmatia though. Savoy can go **** itself along with its House.

Explanation for the flag: to be honest, I would change our present tricolour. It is openly inspired by the French flag, and i really do not like how Napoleon treated the ancient and glorious Most Serene Republic of Venice. For similar reasons, i would change the colour of our national teams' shirts, since blue is a Savoy heritage.

[Emperor-of-New-Zealand]

Originally Posted by Yorel

This looks interesting... I'll watch the developments with interests. Just a question: does your world has "Fantasy" races or at least other sentient species than Homo Sapiens?

Not as such, I'm not really into fantasy races. However many of the 'unknown' peoples have mysterious/fantastical mythologies about them, and then there are the Water-Movers of the north who literally have powers. Not to mention the omniscient water witch living in Loch Ness. I'm still working out a lot of erroneous details though.

[metastasis_d]

Originally Posted by Emperor-of-New-Zealand

Not as such, I'm not really into fantasy races. However many of the 'unknown' peoples have mysterious/fantastical mythologies about them, and then there are the Water-Movers of the north who literally have powers. Not to mention the omniscient water witch living in Loch Ness. I'm still working out a lot of erroneous details though.

So can the water movers kill people by pulling the water out of their cells?

[Mr. BoJangles]

Originally Posted by jkarr

even your lowest entries martin tend to outshine the rest x3...which is a good thing cos it drives alot more people to get better so we keep seeing more cartographers coming out with better stuff

Except for me. I just make maps. I know I don't have the time and the skill to really make great maps. So instead I just do things that I think look nice and based off of the last map... I'd think I did okay.

Also, if anyone remembers the 1400 TL I did... I can come up with some wacky scenarios.

[Abhakhazia]

Another one down the chute. Cared about good quality this time

[Ephraim Ben Raphael]

Originally Posted by Abhakhazia

Another one down the chute. Cared about good quality this time

Rule #5 of making quality maps;

Never leave those little random islands that everyone knows are unimportant uncoloured. Always fill in the extra specks of white.

[Abhakhazia]

Originally Posted by Ephraim Ben Raphael

Rule #5 of making quality maps;

Never leave those little random islands that everyone knows are unimportant uncoloured. Always fill in the extra specks of white.

unless their unclaimed...............

[Ephraim Ben Raphael]

Originally Posted by Abhakhazia

unless their unclaimed...............

Then if you're using the standard colours you show the unclaimed land as light green. Antacrtica is an exception to the white rule, so are independent countries too minor too have their own colours. But leaving lots of untouched islands and fjords makes the map look sloppy, like something you dashed out after only a few hours worth of work.

[Nekromans]

Originally Posted by Abhakhazia

unless their unclaimed...............

Then I'd be interested to know how the Isle of Wight, half the Aegean, and the Po Delta have remained unclaimed this far into history.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Ephraim Ben Raphael

Then if you're using the standard colours you show the unclaimed land as light green. Antacrtica is an exception to the white rule, so are independent countries too minor too have their own colours. But leaving lots of untouched islands and fjords makes the map look sloppy, like something you dashed out after only a few hours worth of work.

I hope by hours you mean tens of minutes. Hours on a map would be high quality.

[Revolutionary Todyo]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I hope by hours you mean tens of minutes. Hours on a map would be high quality.

I can spend hours on a map, and mine aren't high quality.

[Kaiphranos]

Originally Posted by Ephraim Ben Raphael

Rule #5 of making quality maps;

Never leave those little random islands that everyone knows are unimportant uncoloured. Always fill in the extra specks of white.

Sometimes I find it's less hassle just to crop the map so those parts aren't visible. (The Canadian Arctic is a particular unfavorite of mine.)

Originally Posted by Beedok

I hope by hours you mean tens of minutes. Hours on a map would be high quality.

I've spent multiple hours on a map before--especially if "research" is taken into account. Especially if you have to draw/trace a bunch of fjords and such--or something like that map of southern Finland that Future8 posted a while back, with fifty bajillion lakes...