07-27-2010, 04:23 PM
Given the number of maps about Bears Armed that I've produced, as far as I'm concerned it should be either option #2 or a version of option #3 that leaves me with basically the same territories and to some extent the same neighbours. (Roumberre and Old Ceorana are both mine too, by the way, and there are "historical" reasons why they have to be where they are...)
EDIT: Addition _
Okay, I can definitely see that we need a map that can (and will) be updated more easily ? and, hopefully, one that will be stored in a way that permits more than one member of the region to access it in order to make those changes ? and that clearing some of the long-absent nations out to create more room for [relative] newcomers is also desirable.
Having said that, the amount of work that I?ve put into drawing my own maps for the details of Bears Armed means that I really don?t want to be forced into making major changes: So _
For the ?Mainland? section: the shape of this area should remain as unchanged as possible, as should the rivers running into it (and also most of those that currently run along its western borders?), and although my maps might not have followed Dom?s version ?perfectly? as far as the shapes & heights of the various mountain ranges & other highlands were concerned I?d definitely prefer it if there weren?t any major changes to the distribution of these around the borders. In order to avoid having to make major changes to climate (& thus to ecosystems) I?d also like to retain roughly the current latitude.
Possible changes: I wouldn?t object if a change in the map?s scale increased this part of the country?s dimensions by say 10-25%, although I could live without any such expansion okay. It would help my plans if the ?Marches? could be expanded a bit in the north-west (Could the river that forms my border with Keeslandia in that direction be curved ?outwards?, away from ?Bears Armed? proper, for the part of its current course that starts about halfway from the northern end of Mikitivity to the point where it joins a major west-flowing river [that flows along the northern edge of the ?Long March?] and the combined waters turn northwards through Keeslandia?) and also if north-south ?thickness? of the ?Long March? (along the country?s northern border) could be increased a bit, too. In fact, if the northern sea could be extended southwards across part of the land that?s currently marked as western Keeslandia and the Bears could be given a coastline there that would be rather nice... but none of those possible changes are ones that I'd consider "essential"...
The ?Wilderlands Protectorate? along the country?s southern & eastern borders should also remain basically unchanged, unless you want to widen it a bit on one or both of those sides, and there should still be a strip of ?Unknown Lands? (that nobody can get into) along its eastern edge as well.
My own maps aren?t quite as good a match for Dom?s version as far as the ?Northlands? are concerned, however, because ? with his consent to the general idea ? I added an extra peninsula and a LOT of islands? and then, while he was absent, I pencilled in an Arctic continent (not actually inside the nation, but with its coasts known of by us?) too. I haven?t created as many maps for that part of the country as I have for the ?Mainland?, so I?m less dogmatic about keeping its outline unchanged & dimensions undiminished ? especially if the Mainland gains the coastline of its own that I mentioned as a possibility above -- but I?d want the right to reject any MAJOR changes that the new Cartographer might think of making to its details & nearer surroundings.
Deadwood?
Although obviously we do have to make room for newcomers I?d be reluctant to see all of the region?s oldest-established nations swept completely off of the map in the current absence of their players: People do sometimes return after considerable intervals, after all, and it would be unfortunate if having lost their original place on the map led them to feel ?unwanted? here & to move into other regions instead when they might otherwise have become active in the IDU once again. At the very least, I think that the region?s five original nations should each retain some territories ? even if they?re currently ?dormant? ? and that any nations whose players were really active in fairly recent times should also do so just in case.
Neighbours
As far as the nations actually bordering Bears Armed and its attached territories are concerned, Mikitivity is written into the Bears? history & some bits of roleplay too deeply for me to see their removal from the map as viable: At the very least, they should retain lands equivalent to the eastern half of their current territories? and if you do insist on removing them from the map then I?ll probably create an appropriate puppet to take their place anyway?
Keeslandia, I?ve already discussed when talking about the Bears? ?Mainlands?. Its player dropped out relatively soon after I originally created the Bears & got involved in this region, and I didn?t interact with him or his nation as far as I can recall, so major changes there wouldn?t really bother me? but
1/. The Bears do have a Keeslander community living in various districts of the Marches & northern ?Mainland?, as refugees from the Keeslandian collapse into utter anarchy.
2/. The historical existence of Keeslandia is written into the backgrounds of various other nations that could potentially [hopefully!] get revived & return to us?
and so
I think that at least a diminished Keeslandia should remain, even if it lacks any ?national? government, on the new map.
I?m not too bothered by the question of what nations exist to the east of the ?Unknown Lands? (where Antrium & South Antrium, and Fonzoland, were), but I would appreciate (for climatic reasons) it if the ocean wasn?t more than about twice as far from the Bears in that direction.
Malabra is also written into the Bears? history, but if it CTEs or gets moved then it could be replaced by another nation easily enough as long as their players would agree to accept certain ?established? facts (1/ rugged uplands occupied by lower-tech tribes, exist along their border with our ?Wilderlands Protectorate?; 2/ Tigers & various other species whose ranges currently extend into that edge of the Bears? lands, are present?)
(I?m running out of time that I can spend online this evening, so will have to complete this post [i]tomorrow instead?)
:Bear:
EDIT: Addition _
Okay, I can definitely see that we need a map that can (and will) be updated more easily ? and, hopefully, one that will be stored in a way that permits more than one member of the region to access it in order to make those changes ? and that clearing some of the long-absent nations out to create more room for [relative] newcomers is also desirable.
Having said that, the amount of work that I?ve put into drawing my own maps for the details of Bears Armed means that I really don?t want to be forced into making major changes: So _
For the ?Mainland? section: the shape of this area should remain as unchanged as possible, as should the rivers running into it (and also most of those that currently run along its western borders?), and although my maps might not have followed Dom?s version ?perfectly? as far as the shapes & heights of the various mountain ranges & other highlands were concerned I?d definitely prefer it if there weren?t any major changes to the distribution of these around the borders. In order to avoid having to make major changes to climate (& thus to ecosystems) I?d also like to retain roughly the current latitude.
Possible changes: I wouldn?t object if a change in the map?s scale increased this part of the country?s dimensions by say 10-25%, although I could live without any such expansion okay. It would help my plans if the ?Marches? could be expanded a bit in the north-west (Could the river that forms my border with Keeslandia in that direction be curved ?outwards?, away from ?Bears Armed? proper, for the part of its current course that starts about halfway from the northern end of Mikitivity to the point where it joins a major west-flowing river [that flows along the northern edge of the ?Long March?] and the combined waters turn northwards through Keeslandia?) and also if north-south ?thickness? of the ?Long March? (along the country?s northern border) could be increased a bit, too. In fact, if the northern sea could be extended southwards across part of the land that?s currently marked as western Keeslandia and the Bears could be given a coastline there that would be rather nice... but none of those possible changes are ones that I'd consider "essential"...
The ?Wilderlands Protectorate? along the country?s southern & eastern borders should also remain basically unchanged, unless you want to widen it a bit on one or both of those sides, and there should still be a strip of ?Unknown Lands? (that nobody can get into) along its eastern edge as well.
My own maps aren?t quite as good a match for Dom?s version as far as the ?Northlands? are concerned, however, because ? with his consent to the general idea ? I added an extra peninsula and a LOT of islands? and then, while he was absent, I pencilled in an Arctic continent (not actually inside the nation, but with its coasts known of by us?) too. I haven?t created as many maps for that part of the country as I have for the ?Mainland?, so I?m less dogmatic about keeping its outline unchanged & dimensions undiminished ? especially if the Mainland gains the coastline of its own that I mentioned as a possibility above -- but I?d want the right to reject any MAJOR changes that the new Cartographer might think of making to its details & nearer surroundings.
Deadwood?
Although obviously we do have to make room for newcomers I?d be reluctant to see all of the region?s oldest-established nations swept completely off of the map in the current absence of their players: People do sometimes return after considerable intervals, after all, and it would be unfortunate if having lost their original place on the map led them to feel ?unwanted? here & to move into other regions instead when they might otherwise have become active in the IDU once again. At the very least, I think that the region?s five original nations should each retain some territories ? even if they?re currently ?dormant? ? and that any nations whose players were really active in fairly recent times should also do so just in case.
Neighbours
As far as the nations actually bordering Bears Armed and its attached territories are concerned, Mikitivity is written into the Bears? history & some bits of roleplay too deeply for me to see their removal from the map as viable: At the very least, they should retain lands equivalent to the eastern half of their current territories? and if you do insist on removing them from the map then I?ll probably create an appropriate puppet to take their place anyway?
Keeslandia, I?ve already discussed when talking about the Bears? ?Mainlands?. Its player dropped out relatively soon after I originally created the Bears & got involved in this region, and I didn?t interact with him or his nation as far as I can recall, so major changes there wouldn?t really bother me? but
1/. The Bears do have a Keeslander community living in various districts of the Marches & northern ?Mainland?, as refugees from the Keeslandian collapse into utter anarchy.
2/. The historical existence of Keeslandia is written into the backgrounds of various other nations that could potentially [hopefully!] get revived & return to us?
and so
I think that at least a diminished Keeslandia should remain, even if it lacks any ?national? government, on the new map.
I?m not too bothered by the question of what nations exist to the east of the ?Unknown Lands? (where Antrium & South Antrium, and Fonzoland, were), but I would appreciate (for climatic reasons) it if the ocean wasn?t more than about twice as far from the Bears in that direction.
Malabra is also written into the Bears? history, but if it CTEs or gets moved then it could be replaced by another nation easily enough as long as their players would agree to accept certain ?established? facts (1/ rugged uplands occupied by lower-tech tribes, exist along their border with our ?Wilderlands Protectorate?; 2/ Tigers & various other species whose ranges currently extend into that edge of the Bears? lands, are present?)
(I?m running out of time that I can spend online this evening, so will have to complete this post [i]tomorrow instead?)
:Bear: