What is the most detailed setting available?

[Voadam]

Page 29 of the 3e Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book.

Hmm, the nations' names don't seem to have copied over from the PDF.

Some areas on this regional map are not broken down below the regional level (Western Heartlands, The Dales, The North, Vilhon Reach) but a lot are full nations (Cormyr, Chessenta, Thay, Rashemon, Unther, Sembia, Amn, Tethyr).

Pages 88 to 89 has trade route maps with details on major resources, though again the text does not copy over from the PDF.

The explicit political boundaries map is on pages 99 and 100

 

[Jd Smith1]

Does Hârn have a conlang? Tékumel does. Nor is it the only one.

It isn't far from it; the dictionary is substantial. However, I've never used a conlang; I feel it doesn't add anything to the game while raising the bar for new players.

 

[Aldarc]

It isn't far from it; the dictionary is substantial.

However, I've never used a conlang; I feel it doesn't add anything to the game while raising the bar for new players.

I double-checked, and your thread does not appear to be about whether Jd Smith1 uses a conlang or not.

Your point in the bold is most certainly true for the high detail of Hârn that you laud or any other setting mentioned in this thread, but that is not what prompt is about. Also, this point in bold certainly moves the goal posts. You asked about what is the most detailed setting. I cited the various conlangs that M.A.R. Barker made for the various cultures, past and present, of Tékumel as evidence in its favor.

 

[GreyLord]

So no borders on maps? That is a serious drawback as compared to the better-detailed settings already mentioned.

Faerun certainly has a mass of setting information, but its data presentation is inferior to the other contenders.

What are you talking about!?

You responded to a post where I told you where the map with borders were...and you say this???

The FRCS has borders blatantly on the maps. Did you just get a copy that had pages torn out or something. Did you just decide to respond without even reading my post with a predetermined response???

I feel like I'm being trolled here...maybe??

 

[Jd Smith1]

Made a mess of this post.

 

[Jd Smith1]

I double-checked, and your thread does not appear to be about whether Jd Smith1 uses a conlang or not.

Your point in the bold is most certainly true for the high detail of Hârn that you laud or any other setting mentioned in this thread, but that is not what prompt is about. Also, this point in bold certainly moves the goal posts. You asked about what is the most detailed setting. I cited the various conlangs that M.A.R. Barker made for the various cultures, past and present, of Tékumel as evidence in its favor.

I replied to your post. There's no moving of posts; Tékumel was mentioned early on in this thread and went unchallenged.

This isn't 'what setting is best'; it is just people presenting settings with the most detail, and discussing them.

 

[guachi]

OP, I can see why you'd say Harn. It only covers a small section of the world but what you have is incredibly detailed. My friend ran a campaign back in the '90s set there and it was easily the best campaign I've been in. The DM was very imaginative and all the detail enabled him to create a great campaign while also having lots to fall back on if the PCs did something he hadn't thought of.

Harn is so good I've backed Kickstarters where Columbia Games is reissuing the original settings books in hardcover.

 

[Jd Smith1]

OP, I can see why you'd say Harn. It only covers a small section of the world but what you have is incredibly detailed. My friend ran a campaign back in the '90s set there and it was easily the best campaign I've been in. The DM was very imaginative and all the detail enabled him to create a great campaign while also having lots to fall back on if the PCs did something he hadn't thought of.

Harn is so good I've backed Kickstarters where Columbia Games is reissuing the original settings books in hardcover.

The setting is indeed incredible; I've used it in modified form several times, and am currently using it (modified again) for Zweihander. (Beastmen replace the barbarians)

One key that I think gives it an edge is that they chose an area roughly the size of the British Isles; in a low magic setting, that is plenty of room for a campaign, but small enough so that the designers can focus upon detail.

 

[MNblockhead]

I would say Frog God Games The Lost Lands, just for the amount of material. Their setting guide is also available to subscribe as a World Anvil world, which is very nice.

 

[GreyLord]

Well, that was a tad rude of a response, especially as they tried extra hard so I could not see it even though they were talking to me...but hey...whatever floats their boat I suppose. We all have different ways we respond to things.

I'll still say that I'd put Forgotten realms as one of the most detailed settings out there (and as this is a ENWorld, one shouldn't be surprised by D&D fans talking about D&D worlds).

Harn is decent as well (but the OP I thought was asking for other opinions, or at least that's what I actually thought they were after from the original post).

As one can tell on the "interactive" map

Columbia Games interactive map for Harn

It lacks the "borders" on it if one goes for a surface view (of course, if one actually gets into the books, just like if they did for FR, they could either find or figure out borders and zones of control and all the rest, but won't go into that as my last response didn't seem to go over well here when I pointed out where to find them for FR, so can't imagine pointing it out for HARN would be well received, but there is a map for people to peruse if that is their thing).

I was unaware that the OP was actually after an electronic interactive map as their requirement for detailed settings, and I will admit, that wasn't my impression of what they were asking when they asked about borders. AS it SEEMS that was what they were asking about, I obviously did NOT answer the question they were wanting.

In that light, as I don't know the same resource for FR (or any other game really) nor even knew that existed I suppose I didn't answer what JD wanted.

However, as I DO know about Harn a little bit, I'll post the alternate map for Harn (as they posted one for FR) in their place instead (as should be found via the link above).

Not sure why that is a defining feature of how detailed a place is or why that says it's more or less detailed than another...but if that's what they are after...than...good luck to them on this endeavor.

I had no idea that was what they were actually looking for as a definition of detailed, if so, I guess I wouldn't have answered. In that light, my bad, sorry I misunderstood what the OP was asking or was after.