Altered Maps V: The Molotov-Threadentropp Pact

[TheLastOne36]

anyone else ever draw maps? Real or imaginary?

I sometimes look at the clouds in the sky and sketch them, pretending that they are actually landforms.

I than generate some likely geographic patterns, tectonic plates, mountains and volcanic activity due to the tectonic plates, simulate tectonic movements etc. and how they effected the world (for example, India colliding with Asia causing the Himalaya's as well as making the Middle East and Sahara a giant desert by shielding them from monsoon rains), et cetera et cetera.

Than I make human history, IE where did agriculture start and spread significintly above other things. Recently reading Guns, Germs and Steel helps alot. I simulate technology, culture, linguistic and people diffusion throughout my world.

I than simulate history as it unfolds.

Now I feel kinda geeky. Actually, the hardest part of doing all this is coming up with names for continents/countries/language groups/peoples etc.

 

[Tee Kay]

Now I feel kinda geeky. Actually, the hardest part of doing all this is coming up with names for continents/countries/language groups/peoples etc.

I have to say I agree with this. I spend a lot of time thinking up names of people and places and making them somewhat consistent and realistic (names in a particular country should have some similar sounds, etc). I also try to avoid names that have meanings in a language so sometimes I search a name on Google and tweaked it around so that there are no matches. Often I found it easier if I just invent a new language for the purpose. So in the fictional Durkan language "staff" would mean city, "Fleostaff" would mean "City of the Righteous", which can be abbreviated to "Fleos".

I destroyed most of my maps earlier this year because I was getting too obsessive and I really needed to think about my school studies. Now that I have too much free time on my hands though...

 

[say1988]

He escaped Haiti when they had mucho problemas.

I believe that is the entirety of Haitian history (or at least since independence).

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Ever since Columbus came and asked for a handful of gold a day or you don't get your hands, it hasn't been to good there.

 

[Joecoolyo]

anyone else ever draw maps? Real or imaginary?

Yes. Usually when I've got nothing to do in class, I'll just start doodling a random continent. Usually I'll keep doodling that continent until I perfect it, then I move on to another one. For example, recently all I have been doodling it North America (and I think I'm close to perfection, just need to work on Canada and Central America), after that, I plan on trying to perfect my Asia.

edit: I do this all without referring to a map, it's an exercise of my memory

 

[thrashing_mad]

Alternate, multi-ethnic, more successful Holy Roman Empire. Heavily photoshoped, and stylized as antique, late 18th century French map:

 

[Tee Kay]

Very nice

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Wow! That looks very nice, almost legit!

 

[TheLastOne36]

The map looks squished (not your fault)

For example, Silesia is in the middle of Poland.

 

[Dachs]

The map is not supposed to be accurate, it's deliberately screwed up because that's the way an eighteenth-century Frenchman would have drawn it.

Question: why are the eastern territories in Wartheland and Posen and Südpreußen and so forth divided into a greater number of sub...divisions than are the Saxon, Bavarian, etc. ones? Is the aesthetically disgusting shape of the HRE supposed to be construed as a subtle commentary on the organization itself, or did I make that up?

 

[thrashing_mad]

The map looks squished (not your fault)

For example, Silesia is in the middle of Poland.

What Dachs said.

Question: why are the eastern territories in Wartheland and Posen and Südpreußen and so forth divided into a greater number of sub...divisions than are the Saxon, Bavarian, etc. ones?

Scenario here is, that Polish duchies joined relatively late, and HRE itself pretty much kept it`s division from XIth century. Saxony and Bavaria are both in rivalry over hegemony in HRE, and already annexed many of it`s neighbours (thus their much bigger size).

Is the aesthetically disgusting shape of the HRE supposed to be construed as a subtle commentary on the organization itself, or did I make that up?

Not sure if I know what you mean. I had specific historical regions in mind when I made this map, rather than making borders to look nice.

 

[Dachs]

Scenario here is, that Polish duchies joined relatively late, and HRE itself pretty much kept it`s division from XIth century. Saxony and Bavaria are both in rivalry over hegemony in HRE, and already annexed many of it`s neighbours (thus their much bigger size).

So, you got rid of the interregnum and the post-13th century decentralizing backlash?

 

[thrashing_mad]

So, you got rid of the interregnum and the post-13th century decentralizing backlash?

Yep, something like that.

 

[Winner]

anyone else ever draw maps? Real or imaginary?

I do

Recently I found a great webpage explaining how the climate works, so I'll have to redesign my fictional planet's biosphere.

Does anyone have a good link to a page explaining how to properly simulate plate tectonics?

 

[TheLastOne36]

^I just made it up.

I'd be interesting if there was a way to simulate them though, I'd definitly apply them to my future maps.

 

[RedRalph]

I draw both, and I can draw a shockingly accurate map of Europe freehand, if I say so myself.

Also do imaginary ones now and again, which is inexcuseably nerdy but fun.

 

[TheLastOne36]

I draw both, and I can draw a shockingly accurate map of Europe freehand, if I say so myself.

Also do imaginary ones now and again, which is inexcuseably nerdy but fun.

Same here. Every year the Geography teacher would ask me to draw a map of North America or Europe, and he would hang it up in the classroom for the rest of the year.

And even though I am gringo, I can draw a better map of Venezuela than most Venezuelans.

 

[RedRalph]

Same here. Every year the Geography teacher would ask me to draw a map of North America or Europe, and he would hang it up in the classroom for the rest of the year.

Cool... it's weird though, because I cannot follow a streetmap to save my life, I have an appalling sense of direction

 

[REDY]

Damn, the level of maps improved too much to posting my own

 

[TheLastOne36]

Cool... it's weird though, because I cannot follow a streetmap to save my life, I have an appalling sense of direction

Funny, Same here.

I've been living in merida for what 5 months? I still don't know which direction is north.