Where do I even start? It is so big it has such potential to be a great map. But, ok, let's start from the top:
- Alaska. It takes up about two and a half screens; seventeen spaces accross and 12 spaces north to south. That's 204 spaces. Beyond the fact that those 204 spaces are totally wasted space in terms of play, the ENTIRE Continental US is only 120 spaces! Despite what you see on those weird square maps that elongate areas really far north like Russia and Greenland, Alaska is not that big -- it could fit comfortably in three Texases. Texas, the best I can tell, takes up 8 squares on the huge map.
- Central America. Now the map designer did a good job in appreaciating that the axis of orientation in Central America is East to West, not North to South. However, look where Belize is on the map! Mexico takes up a solid 90% of Latin America, so that Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and Hondoras have about 3 squares, total. In reality, Belize (signifying the border of Mexico) should be 50% of the way down at most. Also, Mexico is WAY to thin. Two squares accross? Are you kidding me? Northern Mexico has a width comparable to, say, the distance between Missouri and California.
-Southern Africa. Northern Africa doesn't look that great, either, but it is the Southern part of the continent that really concerns me. First of all, the shape is totally off and hideously ugly; Africa has a rounded Southern edge, not a derranged jagged edge. Second, again, Southern Africa in width is similar to the distance between, say, Washington DC and Colorado. The Civ Map gave them four squares accross. And where are the gems in that area?
-Europe. It is so frigging ugly. It looks like complete crap. The entire continent needs to be removed and redone. I can't even look at it long enough to criticize it.
-North Africa. The Nile river currently empties out somewhere in Libya. WTH?
-Arabia. Ugly. Big time.
-Hawaii. What is that doing on the map? Easpecially with about the same amount of spaces as Japan (see below). Moreover, they included Hawaii, but not New Zealand? You could probably fit 100 Hawaiis in New Zealand - at least!. The Samoa Islands are bigger than Hawaii (and not included). The Soloman Islands are far bigger than Hawaii (and not included) The single Island of Fiji is bigger than all the islands of Hawaii combined (and not included). Taiwan and Hainan are both far bigger than Hawaii (and one of them is not included, but the map is so bad it is hard to tell which one). That's absurd. Sri Lanka is a single space off the coast of India and Hawaii is 10 spaces. Come on. Look at a map before you make this Civ Map.
-While we are on the subject, how about the inclusion of Tazmania but not New Zealand off the coast of Australia? What is up with that? Tazmania is tiny, and historically irrelevant. New Zealand is a populated first world country that could fit 3 Tazmanias in it, and still have room for about a thousand Hawaiis.
-South East Asia. When I was first looking in the area of South East asia, I was more or less fine. But then, I move over into the ocean a couple squares and... there's an odd island. At first, I assume it is the Phillipines, but it doesn't look like the Phillipines, it's a different shape. So then I think maybe they put an island from Indonesia a little too far north, or even Papua New Guinea way too north. But there's a distinctive shape to the Island... and I get suspicious so I check up North...
...and I realize, that island is supposed to be Japan. They put *JAPAN* in Southeast Asia, off the coast of Vietnam, and *SOUTH* of an Island off the coast of China that is either Hainan or Taiwan.
People who are reading this right now, look at where they placed Japan on the Civ Map. Then go out and find an atlas and see where Japan really is. The Southern Tip of Honshu comes just near the tip of South Korea. The Northern Island, Hokkaido, is off the coast of Russia. Tokyo is about on the same level of longitude as San Francisco. Vietnam is about the same as Hondoras.
ERG! This huge map had such potential to be a really good depiction of the world, since it had so much space to work with. But they completely dropped the ball. Did they pay no attention to actual geography while making it?
- Alaska. It takes up about two and a half screens; seventeen spaces accross and 12 spaces north to south. That's 204 spaces. Beyond the fact that those 204 spaces are totally wasted space in terms of play, the ENTIRE Continental US is only 120 spaces! Despite what you see on those weird square maps that elongate areas really far north like Russia and Greenland, Alaska is not that big -- it could fit comfortably in three Texases. Texas, the best I can tell, takes up 8 squares on the huge map.
- Central America. Now the map designer did a good job in appreaciating that the axis of orientation in Central America is East to West, not North to South. However, look where Belize is on the map! Mexico takes up a solid 90% of Latin America, so that Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and Hondoras have about 3 squares, total. In reality, Belize (signifying the border of Mexico) should be 50% of the way down at most. Also, Mexico is WAY to thin. Two squares accross? Are you kidding me? Northern Mexico has a width comparable to, say, the distance between Missouri and California.
-Southern Africa. Northern Africa doesn't look that great, either, but it is the Southern part of the continent that really concerns me. First of all, the shape is totally off and hideously ugly; Africa has a rounded Southern edge, not a derranged jagged edge. Second, again, Southern Africa in width is similar to the distance between, say, Washington DC and Colorado. The Civ Map gave them four squares accross. And where are the gems in that area?
-Europe. It is so frigging ugly. It looks like complete crap. The entire continent needs to be removed and redone. I can't even look at it long enough to criticize it.
-North Africa. The Nile river currently empties out somewhere in Libya. WTH?
-Arabia. Ugly. Big time.
-Hawaii. What is that doing on the map? Easpecially with about the same amount of spaces as Japan (see below). Moreover, they included Hawaii, but not New Zealand? You could probably fit 100 Hawaiis in New Zealand - at least!. The Samoa Islands are bigger than Hawaii (and not included). The Soloman Islands are far bigger than Hawaii (and not included) The single Island of Fiji is bigger than all the islands of Hawaii combined (and not included). Taiwan and Hainan are both far bigger than Hawaii (and one of them is not included, but the map is so bad it is hard to tell which one). That's absurd. Sri Lanka is a single space off the coast of India and Hawaii is 10 spaces. Come on. Look at a map before you make this Civ Map.
-While we are on the subject, how about the inclusion of Tazmania but not New Zealand off the coast of Australia? What is up with that? Tazmania is tiny, and historically irrelevant. New Zealand is a populated first world country that could fit 3 Tazmanias in it, and still have room for about a thousand Hawaiis.
-South East Asia. When I was first looking in the area of South East asia, I was more or less fine. But then, I move over into the ocean a couple squares and... there's an odd island. At first, I assume it is the Phillipines, but it doesn't look like the Phillipines, it's a different shape. So then I think maybe they put an island from Indonesia a little too far north, or even Papua New Guinea way too north. But there's a distinctive shape to the Island... and I get suspicious so I check up North...
...and I realize, that island is supposed to be Japan. They put *JAPAN* in Southeast Asia, off the coast of Vietnam, and *SOUTH* of an Island off the coast of China that is either Hainan or Taiwan.
People who are reading this right now, look at where they placed Japan on the Civ Map. Then go out and find an atlas and see where Japan really is. The Southern Tip of Honshu comes just near the tip of South Korea. The Northern Island, Hokkaido, is off the coast of Russia. Tokyo is about on the same level of longitude as San Francisco. Vietnam is about the same as Hondoras.
ERG! This huge map had such potential to be a really good depiction of the world, since it had so much space to work with. But they completely dropped the ball. Did they pay no attention to actual geography while making it?
