AMFitzTheRuke said:It's purpose is to show us what the place looks like. Isn't it obvious?
it is not what the village actually looks like, it is an artist's rendering, else why are there colorful rooftops, why is it so easy to differentiate the road and non road, why is the grass so green/of a uniform color? if you want something that looks like the village from the perspective of the pcs, do a profile view with a perspective from one of the streets looking into the village. even granting that it lets the players know what it looks like, my point still stands that it is just a pretty picture.
I'd say its primary purpose is to give the adventure a sense of place by providing the players with a good visual representation of the village their PCs are interacting with. That's a different use than a navigational tool, but it's more than mere aesthetics - it's an aid to immersion.
World English Dictionary
aesthetic or esthetic (iːsˈθɛtɪk, ɪs-)
— adj
1. connected with aesthetics or its principles
2. a. relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations
b. artistic or relating to good taste: an aesthetic consideration
so this gives the players a good visual representation-which is artistic and relating to good taste rather than other considerations which maps are normally made for?
it doesn't let me know the geospatial relation of the village to anything else. it may give a *sense* of place, but it gives no *information* of place. the mine may be to the north and the triboar trail may head to the west.
this image may or may not add to immersion, that depends on who the player is.
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