What world has the best maps?

[Frostmarrow]

No one has mentioned Scarred Lands? That's crazy. Sure, it's not as scientific as the Kalamar map but it is pretty to look at and it works in play. I'd vote Scarred Lands!

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Voted for Kalamar, second for Greyhawk. I absolutely loathe the FR map. What the f*** is it? A patch of forest about 20 mi. across, then about three hundred miles of mountains that curve around then stop, no foothills, then a big desert in the middle that was created by (of course !) maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic, another fifteen miles of hills then a three hundred mile range that are The Tallest Mountains Ever. I could just draw a big blob on some paper, throw darts on it that say "mountain," "forest," "desert," and "lake" and draw a prettier map.

 

[haiiro]

Forgotten Realms, in my book. Between the ones from the old gray box and the ones from Dragon, the maps do everything I need: nicely evoke the feel of the setting while providing concrete, easily accessible and very useful info about the world.

I found Greyhawk's kind of boring, Eberron's pretty but essentially non-functional (unless you count the fan-created ones on the net), and Kalamar's pretty but very plain -- partly due to the sparseness of the world, as far as I can tell.

 

[reanjr]

I could just draw a big blob on some paper, throw darts on it that say "mountain," "forest," "desert," and "lake" and draw a prettier map.

Maybe not prettier, but certainly more consistent and logical.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hârn, wonderful Hârn (to the tune of ‘Spam’)

I’m another ‘other’ voter. Like (based on the posts) most of the other ‘other’ voters I rate Hârn as best by far, old maps, new maps, local maps, building maps, it doesn’t matter, they’re all of excellent quality.

Kalamar looks pretty, but the Kalamar maps were produced 20+ years after the first Hârn maps and they still don’t match them for quality & detail.

Forget Forgotten Realms

GOM

 

[Eosin the Red]

Harn wins IMO, but if you include Eric Anondsen's beautiful, glorious map over at Canonfire! of Greyhawk then Greyhawk wins just for sheer clean, concise beauty. Anondsen's style honestly makes me look at the new map in Dungeon and just shrug in dismay. It's basically the bar of excellence I try to apply to my own maps for clarity and aesthetic value now.

Yep, other than Anondsens maps - I would be required to go Kalamar with Harn pulling a close second.

 

[Zappo]

I don't know about best, but I'm quite sure Warcraft has the worst.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I voted FR mainly because I've got the Interactive Atlas and it is one sweet program if you are going to run a FR campaign.

 

[johnsemlak]

Hmm, for added realism, I find the map of the Earth setting to be pretty nice...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Each has something to offer, Kalamar and its atlas, FR with the interactive atlas (wonderful resourse), Greyhawk with its maps down through the years, Iron Kimdoms for catching the favor ot the world...I just don't think you can pick just one.