> Would it be less distracting if the street names were printed in type so small
> that you needed a magnifying glass to read them? 
Is that the real problem here? The scale? I think in part it is.
With the Domain guides, each of the city maps have been reduced to 2
8.5 x 11 pieces of paper. I think we can all agree that this is too
little space to properly render a city the size of Nowelton or any of
the others with any degree of detail. Now, while I know that you
aren’t currently plannying to do any more of these books, perhaps in
future BR products which include maps, you could try to make them
folded posters (such as the main BR region maps). This would give
your map designers more room to comfortably add enough detail to make
the maps more than interesting player handouts (which is what I
primarily use them for at this point).
> Yes, I will concede that 200 feet is amazingly wide for a medieval street and
> that realistically the roads should be narrower. You are correct. But if
> rendering a city map in such strict detail sacrifices useability, has
> something more important than 100% realism been lost?
I would argue that detail never harms useability, whereas a lack of
detail can render something useless pretty quickly.
Now, given that these cities are really just “sketches” I’m not
terribly bothered by the lack of detail – it just limits what I can
and cannot use the map for.
Regarding realism, I’d point you again to the Harn maps. Every now
and again, someone in this industry sets a standard that everyone
else should strive for. In my opinion, Harn has demonstrated that
detailed, interesting, and accurate mapping are not unattainable (or
even unreasonable) goals.
> because they’re lazy or unknowledgeable. It’s because they’re human.
Without examining their resumes, I’m not going to make any further
implications as to their qualifications for creating viable maps. I
have no doubt that they turn silk purses out of sows ears, and I
certainly have no mapping skills whatsoever, but perhaps TSR needs a
geographic editor to proof the maps in much the same way that you
check and re-check the text for accuracy and viability.
> I have learned a lot from TSR’s cartographers. To imply that they aren’t
> “real” professionals is grossly unfair.
You are absolutely right. That isn’t exactly what I meant, but it is
certainly how it came across. Sorry about that.
> I sincerely apologize for any frustration the 200-foot roads on the Nowelton
> map caused you. But as the editor of Talinie, I believe this map serves its
> primary purpose: offering a bird’s eye view of the city, showing where its
> various districts are located and their relative sizes, and indicating the
> city’s major streets. I’ve seen real medieval/Renaissance maps that were less
> accurate (the phrase “beyond here there be dragons” comes to mind…).
And it does all that – and more besides. Accept that our hunger for
more will NEVER be satisfied. Such is also human nature.
You also need to consider what purpose the map (and those from the
other supplements) will be put towards. As a player hand-out, it is
perfect. It is easily reduced to one page, and gives them more
detail than they probably need. As a GM map, it is useful for
locating parts of the adventure, and creating the flavor of the city.
I only discovered the “flaw” with the map when trying to map out a
fight on a city corner and I referred to the scale to try to make it
accurate. Obviously, I didn’t let this stop me, it didn’t ruin my
game, and it doesn’t make a big difference in the grand scheme of
things or my love for the BR game. It just made me pause and shake
my head.
Perfection is the Holy Grail of the gaming industry (and every other
industry as well). Always desired, but never obtained.
Jaime
Jaime T. Matthew
mrjamela@writeme.com
http://www.geocities.com/~mrjamela