largest map size people will play

[mercurycs]

just wondering , if I were to create a map for everyone, what size people would like it. I mean, how many provinces are too many? i can do upwards of 500 or so if people will play it, i have my old D&D world on my computer that i made with Fractal Mapper some time ago. I was going to plunk it into photo shop and do some editing and want to make a map for everyone to play. It is a whole world, not just a continent so i can turn it into as many provinces as people think is necessary. It is big enough for 1000 or more, but that may just be too big. I've got plenty of time...let me know how big is too big.
It is kinda grainy at such a high resolution, but the map is now about 5500x2600 pixels right now. I'm trying to smooth it out and may even give it a watercolor feel. its only about 4 megs in size too.

[Teraswaerto]

The maximum amount of provinces a Dom II map can have is 500 IIRC. It would be nice if there was a map that size.

[Gandalf Parker]

I have random maps being generated on my site every day. Alot of conversation about them has occurred. Talking about it as "provinces per player" made it easier for people to consider. As I remember it the favorite categories tended to be 5, 7, and 10. As in 5/provinces per player before war looks likely (5*17=85).

Some felt 7 worked better to allow for some choices to be made in taking a province. 5 tended to force all provinces being taken.
(7*17=119)

Having 10 provinces for each player allowed for games when tended to go further into magic research. And playing with fewer nations allowed for 25 per player which seemed the highest anyone considered reasonable.

But then Ive never been reasonable. My favorite maps were those that were trying to achieve 25 per player. Unfotunately the old DomMap generator tended to give error statements saying the goal failed and it could only place xxx provinces. Close, but rarely hitting the mark.(25*17=425)

I used the large maps to randomly scatter problems all over the map forcing strategy decisions of having to go AROUND alot of provinces. The games tended toward having to go out and FIND the other nations rather than getting pushed up against them.

The problem now is that with the need to assign terrain, and assign all the neighbors, I dont think alot of really big maps will be manually created. If you do then Im sure it will sit comfortably in a niche that people will try. Not alot, but some.

[ January 09, 2004, 17:33: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[Kristoffer O]

If it is not too much problems I believe it would be appreciated if you made both a smaller Version and a larger Version of the map.

I personally like large maps, but rarely play or finish big games.

A smaller Version with kingdoms and a larger one with more detail and provinces would be much appreciated, at least by me.

Looking forward to your map

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
Looking forward to your map

Hey Kristoffer,
Speaking of looking forward to maps....
http://www.illwinter.com/illwork.jpg
Im I blind or does this show a map I havent seen yet?

[Kristoffer O]

You havn't seen it yet. It is the Ragnarök map. A three layered world of Norse Mythos. It is an overly ambitious project of mine that will take some time to finish.

You can also see the first sprites of a new underwater nation.