Post/Author/DateTime	Post
killraven 06-15-04, 03:13 PM	Something very peculiar to every Fantasy Campaign Settings that comes to my mind: they're all based on a single, flat, plain, large, continet lying right in the middle of the planet. :rolleyes: Game designers got nice good talent and imagination, but geography... seems a bit underextimated and lackying originality Oh well! I think this setting will make me love it for a zillion things more than just maps! :) Greets De Killraven
Lady Fierna 06-15-04, 03:29 PM	How else could they let the novelists write a book where our favorite chaotic good surface dwelling twin-scimitar-wielding dark elf sails off the coast of (insert Toril equivalent for Africa here) to Krynn, then north to Khorvaire (assuming it is in the Northern Hemisphere, dunno right now), and finally, back to Faerun? :P Note: WotC novelists should note that the above post was not meant for literary inspiration. Any novel featuring the above plot would (assuming that there is some good left in the world) not sell a single copy. Edit in response to post below: Woah, when did they start naming campaign settings after the world instead of the featured continent (never noticed that about Eberron until now)
JohnnyONeal 06-15-04, 03:29 PM	If it makes you feel any better, Eberron includes four large continents, which pretty much look like continents would on a real planet, as far as I can tell: http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/eberron-map2.jpg :)
Hanuman47 06-15-04, 03:34 PM	Umm, isn't the definition of a continent a mass of land surrounded by ocean? And Eberron has at least 4 of them which seem to have varied topography and geology. Please note that I'm not trying to be a smart aleck, I'm just not understanding what your objection is. What would you do differently?
Taigis 06-15-04, 03:38 PM	I'm a little confused. I'm not sure what you were expecting. Can you give some ideas of something that might be different. Maybe use a real world example of a different continent arrangment. In the real world we see a couple arrangements that I think might be reflecting what you might be hinting at. Maybe its how the North American and South American continents are connected by an isthmus? Or maybe how Africa is arranged with Europe/Asia? But we also have examples like Antarctica and Australia which are independent arrangments. Then going through the idea of plate tectonics and continental drift, at one time all of the continents were in one large super continent. Sitting in an ocean. The criticism is that it is a single, flat, plain, large, continet but its not singular. There are at least 4 continents: Khorvaire, Argonnessen, Sarlona and Xen'drik. Other lands might be considered continents: Frostfell, the lands south of Xen'drik and Arenal. It isn't flat. There are all kinds of mountains. Im not sure what you mean by this. Plain. hmm. Still not sure what you were expecting. The terrain seems varied. The cultures seem varied. The climates are still undefined, thought it appears to be mostly temperate, subtropical and with a splash of tropical Large. Well, I guess this criticism is true. The ones that I consider to be continents are all fairly large. But I don't think this is a bad thing. It provides more areas of play. Ive been trying to come up with some original ideas of continents. Were you hoping for something like: A floating continent that drifts through the worlds oceans caught in the various currents. Or a flying continent which is suspended above the rest of the world [you could really mix it up by having gravity work on both sides (top and bottom) of the continent. Teleporting continents. Continents which plane shift every so often. Maybe tectonic processes and continental drift happen on a much faster scale. Are these the type of ideas that you were hoping for? Im just trying to understand your position a little better. Taigis Edit: Funny, when I started that post there weren't any other replies. *note to self* Must learn to type faster. I think we all have the same question.
killraven 06-15-04, 03:44 PM	4 of them!?! Then I was wrong :) Yep 4 is what I'd have defined as something more off of the "schemes". My fault, I'd only seen one as shown at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/eb/20040611a :D On to the gamestore!! sorry
killraven 06-15-04, 03:49 PM	...oh, just a duly note: most game setting continent are "flat, plain, large" in the sense that they lack that kind of "intricate shaping " you'd find in Africa's or Europe's shapes... Only an aestetic consideration, really
Taigis 06-15-04, 03:56 PM	AHHHH! Well, I have the same issue with some of the fantasy maps used in both novels and some of the campaign settings. Let me be the first to say that the coastlines and shapes of the continents of Eberron are MUCH more realistic and varied than some other settings. Knowing that you hadn't seen the map with four continents makes your initial message somewhat understandable then. Some of Xen'drik should appeal to your aesthetic consideration. Much better than a straight coast (even if you do call it the Sword Coast). I think you will understand better when you see the map in the book. Taigis
Ch@pel 06-15-04, 07:30 PM	Originally posted by killraven ...a single, flat, plain, large, continet lying right in the middle of the planet. Actually this probably has a lot to do with that fact that whoever drew this map (in game, not the actual real world artist) was from Khorvaire, the prominent continent in the world. This even comes up in real life maps. If you get a copy of a geography text book from Japan, Japan is usually the central land mass on the map, while the Americas are off to one side or split down the middle. Its all about the perspective of the cartographer and his intended audience.