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Worlds of Design: Modern vs. Medieval Maps
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<blockquote data-quote="Ixal" data-source="post: 8786302" data-attributes="member: 7030132"><p>I would have expected some pictures of medieval maps...</p><p></p><p>Anyway, we vastly overestimate the usefulness of maps until way later in history then what D&D uses at base.</p><p>Try navigating to this (thats England if you can't recognize it)</p><p><img src="https://www.bl.uk/britishlibrary/~/media/bl/global/magna%20carta/collection%20items/matthew-paris-map-c02049-04.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p>And that assumes you even have a map.</p><p>Maps like the one above are works of art and not handed out to some adventurers. If they can procure any kind of map it will be even less accurate and useful to use it for actual navigation.</p><p>Later in history in the Age of Sail maps became much more important and accurate. But also closely guarded secrets.</p><p></p><p>Navigation was done going by landmarks. Town A, then town B, then town C.</p><p>If you go into the wilderness things get way harder. If you are lucky you have landmarks like keep the mountain on your right till you get to the lake.</p><p>If you do not have luck you only have time and direction like 3 days towards the rising sun.</p><p>The latter method is especially inaccurate. One day of heavy rainfall or running away for a few hours from an angry dire bear and your whole plan is screwed up and in the worst case you are lost.</p><p></p><p>Now D&D of course ignores all of that. Even in exploration themed campaigns the PCs always know exactly where they are and where they are going (most likely on a 100% accurate hex map), meaning they will never need a local guide or having to worry about finding the dungeon they are looking for and thus have to stock up on supplies for a longer search (if you would need supplies in D&D anyway)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ixal, post: 8786302, member: 7030132"] I would have expected some pictures of medieval maps... Anyway, we vastly overestimate the usefulness of maps until way later in history then what D&D uses at base. Try navigating to this (thats England if you can't recognize it) [IMG]https://www.bl.uk/britishlibrary/~/media/bl/global/magna%20carta/collection%20items/matthew-paris-map-c02049-04.jpg[/IMG] And that assumes you even have a map. Maps like the one above are works of art and not handed out to some adventurers. If they can procure any kind of map it will be even less accurate and useful to use it for actual navigation. Later in history in the Age of Sail maps became much more important and accurate. But also closely guarded secrets. Navigation was done going by landmarks. Town A, then town B, then town C. If you go into the wilderness things get way harder. If you are lucky you have landmarks like keep the mountain on your right till you get to the lake. If you do not have luck you only have time and direction like 3 days towards the rising sun. The latter method is especially inaccurate. One day of heavy rainfall or running away for a few hours from an angry dire bear and your whole plan is screwed up and in the worst case you are lost. Now D&D of course ignores all of that. Even in exploration themed campaigns the PCs always know exactly where they are and where they are going (most likely on a 100% accurate hex map), meaning they will never need a local guide or having to worry about finding the dungeon they are looking for and thus have to stock up on supplies for a longer search (if you would need supplies in D&D anyway) [/QUOTE]
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Worlds of Design: Modern vs. Medieval Maps
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