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Cartography - Why the focus on Renaissance?
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<blockquote data-quote="Ratskinner" data-source="post: 7836863" data-attributes="member: 6688937"><p>I've run into this problem before. I think some of it is that folks don't want to be reminded of just how filthy the middle ages were. Honestly, in some periods and places, you should have to make a Con save upon entering town.</p><p></p><p>Another big part of it is just the artistry involved. People like pretty maps and maps from that era are arguably some of the most beautiful. Were also a little too used to the idea of maps with accurate scaling. I've seen this really old Roman map of the empire. It was basically a "subway map" of the roads with all the towns along the roads, with different symbols to indicate various amenities for travelers at each location. The map bore precious little relation to actual Mediterranean geography. </p><p></p><p>For Tolkien's part....even though those frontispiece maps are obviously for the reader, not the characters, it seems that most people forget that. For most of human history, a geographically accurate map was either simply unavailable or ridiculously expensive. I don't actually produce campaign maps anymore, for that reason. At best, I'll make a "subway map" of the major roads, rivers, and traderoutes. </p><p></p><p>Some of it is understandable, though, we are often playing in worlds that are historically quite different (and romanticized) from our own.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ratskinner, post: 7836863, member: 6688937"] I've run into this problem before. I think some of it is that folks don't want to be reminded of just how filthy the middle ages were. Honestly, in some periods and places, you should have to make a Con save upon entering town. Another big part of it is just the artistry involved. People like pretty maps and maps from that era are arguably some of the most beautiful. Were also a little too used to the idea of maps with accurate scaling. I've seen this really old Roman map of the empire. It was basically a "subway map" of the roads with all the towns along the roads, with different symbols to indicate various amenities for travelers at each location. The map bore precious little relation to actual Mediterranean geography. For Tolkien's part....even though those frontispiece maps are obviously for the reader, not the characters, it seems that most people forget that. For most of human history, a geographically accurate map was either simply unavailable or ridiculously expensive. I don't actually produce campaign maps anymore, for that reason. At best, I'll make a "subway map" of the major roads, rivers, and traderoutes. Some of it is understandable, though, we are often playing in worlds that are historically quite different (and romanticized) from our own. [/QUOTE]
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