Sneak Peek At Ghosts of Saltmarsh Maps

Guest 6801328 · Apr 29, 2019

ddaley said:
This thread descended into the absurd long ago... and has nothing to do with the original purpose of the thread.

Not just absurd, but callous. If somebody with colorblindness was complaining about the color choices we would be sympathetic. If somebody with poor eyesight complained about the font size we would be sympathetic. We wouldn't argue with such people about precedent.

Hussar perhaps has not shared his particular disability, but if he has trouble with maps where north isn't at the top then we should have more sympathy.

alienux · Apr 29, 2019

Not to derail any arguments or hostility, but I somehow missed this thread when it was first posted, and I'm pretty happy to see the use of the maps from the original modules. I still have all 3, and love this series, and I'm excited to be getting a 5E version soon.

Guest 6801328 · Apr 29, 2019

alienux said:
Not to derail any arguments or hostility, but I somehow missed this thread when it was first posted, and I'm pretty happy to see the use of the maps from the original modules. I still have all 3, and love this series, and I'm excited to be getting a 5E version soon.

Me, too!

Hussar · Apr 29, 2019

WaterRabbit said:
Curse of Strahd has a significant number of maps where North is not oriented to the top of the map: Abby of St. Markovia, Castle Ravenloft all but one, Vistani Camp, Tsolenka Pass, Death House Maps. So about 1/4 to a 1/3. Especially for the Abby, it just would not fit on a single page without losing a lot of detail were it oriented to the top of the page.

Your majority distinction is a bit silly though as a product with a single map while the majority would not be that determinative.

ROTFLMAO.

So, 3/4 of the maps are oriented north to the top, but, that's apparently not a majority?

This has been, without a doubt, the most bizarre argument I've ever had on En World.

You folks are arguing that despite the fact that most (as in nearly all) maps you will see for the past few hundred years, are oriented north to the top, there is no actual standard for doing this and it's not unusual to do maps that aren't north to the top.

Wow.

Hey, whatever floats your boat. This all started from a rather off hand comment from me that I didn't like it when fantasy cartographers orient maps other than north to the top. Particularly when they are doing it for no justifiable reason. But, again, whatever you want boys and girls.

I'm just sitting here, rather aghast, that this is such an important issue to folks that they'd actually defend it. :uhoh:

Parmandur · Apr 30, 2019

Hussar said:
ROTFLMAO.

So, 3/4 of the maps are oriented north to the top, but, that's apparently not a majority?

This has been, without a doubt, the most bizarre argument I've ever had on En World.

You folks are arguing that despite the fact that most (as in nearly all) maps you will see for the past few hundred years, are oriented north to the top, there is no actual standard for doing this and it's not unusual to do maps that aren't north to the top.

Wow.

Hey, whatever floats your boat. This all started from a rather off hand comment from me that I didn't like it when fantasy cartographers orient maps other than north to the top. Particularly when they are doing it for no justifiable reason. But, again, whatever you want boys and girls.

I'm just sitting here, rather aghast, that this is such an important issue to folks that they'd actually defend it.

Is it the majority report? Sure, but it is not absolute. Hence why the maps indicate which direction is North, because without the legend it could be anywhere.

Scott Graves · May 1, 2019

Not to add another lash to this dead horse but does it really matter which way is north on every single map? I can't think of the last time a PC said "which way is north". Mostly they ask about how evil and powerful do the monsters look. The shadows don't generally matter.

MNblockhead · May 1, 2019

Scott Graves said:
Not to add another lash to this dead horse but does it really matter which way is north on every single map? I can't think of the last time a PC said "which way is north". Mostly they ask about how evil and powerful do the monsters look. The shadows don't generally matter.

YTMV (your table may vary), but I use cardinal directions all-of-the-time.

Sure, I'll often start with "you open the door and across the room you see a large tapestry covering the wall. To your left is a closed door. To the right are the splintered remains of a dining table and chairs."

But as the players enter the room and start moving around, esp if there is combat, we'll often have to go resort to cardinal directions. I'm not interested in tracking facing for each character and customizing directions based on that character's facing unless there is an especially dramatic reason to do so.

Hussar · May 1, 2019

At the risk of opening this can of worms again, my point always was, if there is no particular reason for north to be in a particular direction, then, on maps, by and large, north is the top of the page.

Further, I complained that I found it annoying when fantasy cartographers do things like this town map and slap a north to the left compass rose on it, for no reason other than just to be different. It's not like this particular town was already mapped or that it was located in such a location that it needed to be oriented on the south shore. The town was never mapped in the original modules and the 3e map in on of the later books (DMG II?) was a good example of a cartographer doing this just to be different.

It's not like it's a cardinal sin or it makes the supplement unusable or anything like that. It's simply a proud nail sort of pet peeve that apparently I'm a horrible person for having. :erm:

Shame on me I guess... :uhoh:

LordEntrails · May 1, 2019

Let it go folks,please just let it die. You know that yogurt has been sitting out in the sun for 3 weeks. You know it's still sealed, but you know you don't want to open it. Please, just don't. I'm begging you!

Prakriti · May 1, 2019

Hussar said:
At the risk of opening this can of worms again, my point always was, if there is no particular reason for north to be in a particular direction, then, on maps, by and large, north is the top of the page.

Further, I complained that I found it annoying when fantasy cartographers do things like this town map and slap a north to the left compass rose on it, for no reason other than just to be different.

Yeah, it's a fair complaint. Sorry I hassled you over it.

If it's any consolation, I'm also one of those people who like THAC0 and descending AC. Counterintuitive systems are just my thing, I guess.

Sneak Peek At Ghosts of Saltmarsh Maps

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