First described here: link
“There is only one goal, beauty in all maps. And there is only one path, to the goal, Mapism.”
And there begins the great board-religion of Mapism. There is only one goal, that of beauty in maps, and only one way to the goal. And upon reaching this goal you shall be transported to Mapvana, home of Beauty in All Maps. I Atom, and it's prophet, but naught more.
Lo, behold it in it's glory. Although faltered in many early days, with the use of only qord maps, and the lack of beauty it has become the greatest treasure in all the site! Diamond (may he reach Mapvana) founded it, and let all continue it. Should any of it's incarnations fail the world will end, and darkness shall set upon us! Let that never happen until the end days! Let no map go unposted on the Map Thread! Let all come as equals to seek the One Goal! Each incarnation has come, and will come again, for the Map thread is reborn with every 300 Pages.
Oh Blessed Thande, we thank you for starting the great and most holy New OTL Map Thread. And oh the blessed Trio (Knight Templar, Lord Sander, and Qazaq2007) we thank you for creating numerous maps to allow us to gain ever closer to Mapvana. But I your prophet most humbly ask that you do not use the UCS as your crutch and let your full talent be channeled and let it reach Mapvana! Let all look upon the UCS as the greatest resource for historical maps, but let none defile it by making gratuitous Random Maps, though those do have a place.
And let only those nations with far flung empires have a color. let none with Imajin's Monitor be confused by the difference between Carthage/Tunis and Communist China. Let us all use only the one true UCS as posted by Thande in the first Post of the OTL map thread.
And let all know that all tools are equal from the lowliest MSPaint to Photoshop 7. Let none feel inadequate as others outshine him with their effects and Filters, for let it be known that clarity is truly of great importance, and that having a map that looks like a textbook map is one of the highest honors, as the great Scarecrow has shown us.
At the end of all maps when the forces of truly Random Maps, and the Darkness of Unreadable Fonts and contrasting Colors has reached its peak, the messiah will come to lead us through the end days and to Mapvana. Let us hold off this day for as long as we can, so the messiah can gather strength so he can lead all of us ought of the darkness and into Mapvana. So he can put us back upon the path and he can let all see the glory that is maps! All Hail Mapism!