*** April 2018 Challenge: Map a Realm ***

[Falconius]

I've got a question: I'm assuming we are only allowed to change one of the stats, which I'm not interested in, but that we can change the names to be whatever we like? Or are names also stats in that we can only change one?

Edit: Looking at the population density numbers they don't really make sense. For instance I have "desolate" which it says equals 20 people per square mile which isn't really that desolate at all. Probably half that would be more likely for that description. The world average, right now, is like 38.5 per sq mile, I'd imagine in a fantasy setting it would be much, much less. The world population was less than a billion before 1800, so maybe about 5 people per square mile average? That sounds desolate. but it would still leave my "desolate" country with a population of 600 thousand people, which sounds about right, but probably isn't, a desolate country would probably have less. *Shrug*

[aeshnidae]

Well in that case you'd better look after the castle roofs in case you get a hole in one! Or you may even get a Bogie.

[Straf]

I've got a question: I'm assuming we are only allowed to change one of the stats, which I'm not interested in, but that we can change the names to be whatever we like? Or are names also stats in that we can only change one?

Edit: Looking at the population density numbers they don't really make sense. For instance I have "desolate" which it says equals 20 people per square mile which isn't really that desolate at all. Probably half that would be more likely for that description. The world average, right now, is like 38.5 per sq mile, I'd imagine in a fantasy setting it would be much, much less. The world population was less than a billion before 1800, so maybe about 5 people per square mile average? That sounds desolate. but it would still leave my "desolate" country with a population of 600 thousand people, which sounds about right, but probably isn't, a desolate country would probably have less. *Shrug*

Is the population density based on the whole area or just the arable land?

[AzureWings]

...Castles.



Also, the population density does appear to be based on the total area (ex. above, 101000sq.mi. * 80 people/sq.mi. = approx. 8 million). So it seems a little dense... on the other hand apparently the numbers do line up historically (the linked document the generator was based on cites numbers for medieval France's population density being "high" at ~100/sq.mi.). And modern population density depends on how you calculate it... if you just divide the world's population by the land surface area of Earth you get ~129 people per square mile (though obviously that's not uniformly distributed since the total land area includes say Antarctica among other inhospitable regions). 60-80 people per square miles doesn't seem all that unreasonable then in an area akin to medieval Europe which is what the generator is based off of (so, temperate and thus relatively hospitable, which partly makes up for being based on a period with a much lower total world population). Even if you estimate earth's population at just 500 million that's ~10 people per square mile of land area (and again that's using all land area including tundra and open deserts).

[antillies]

Oh, such a neat premise! I like this a lot, Diamond. Thank you for another wonderful idea.

[Daistallia]

I've got a question: I'm assuming we are only allowed to change one of the stats, which I'm not interested in, but that we can change the names to be whatever we like? Or are names also stats in that we can only change one?

Changing physical area, population density, or kingdom age change the rest of the stats. Changing the name dosen't. I'm reading Diamond's rules as change one of those three.

Edit: Nevermind.

"You do the rolling, kind sir. Once you get a combination you like (whether it's a cool name, a style of government, whatever), you can then alter one of those three stats to further customize things."

[GreatWhiteNorth]

I'm super intrigued by this challenge but I'm a bit baffled by the castles. I too have been unable to get anything lower than like, 40 castles. If anyone is interested in sharing, what's your plan for representing that number of settled structures on your map?

[AzureWings]

I'm planning on making a (or possibly a few) small drawn icon(s) for castles and replicating it/them in a lot of places (possibly with some small symbol or color-coding to indicate a few things like certain thresholds of size / type / etc. It's possible I will be restricting having names on the map to only the most major/significant ones, as I have over 200 to do...

[Daistallia]

I'm super intrigued by this challenge but I'm a bit baffled by the castles. I too have been unable to get anything lower than like, 40 castles. If anyone is interested in sharing, what's your plan for representing that number of settled structures on your map?

The number of castles works off the population, which is a product of size and density. There's 1 castle/50,000 population. You can manipulate the population,and thus the castle count, by manipulating area or density. (Ruins are a product of population and age.)

[Diamond]

So we do have to use the names from the generator as well as the statistics?

Yes, but like I said, you can roll however many times you want to get something interesting.

i have a world which i have divided into 1600 km squares. I have chosen one to place my map in - is this OK?

As long as it's a new map that you did not start prior to the challenge commencing, sure.

Is the map supposed to include 41 points of interest, apart from the 20 towns I was allotted?

Yes. It's a Challenge. But you can interpret 'points of interest' however you want, like I said. Monasteries. Dwarven mines. Mountain peaks. Ruins. Whatever.

@Diamond - is this an acceptable proof of what I was given? (Its a screen shot of the XPS file I managed to get)!

Sure is, but you don't have to post a screen shot. I trust y'all.

Also, see IMPORTANT EDIT in the initial post.