[ACRONYM] Map

[Nameless]

I thought it might be a neat idea to create a map of the this world. It’s not something one person could do, but it would be cool if everyone, or a few of us could contribute to.
The map could include all the organisations and all the places within this world and when something new comes up the map will be updated.
I’m not sure how to go about this exactly, but if anyone’s interested in creating some sort of map feel free to come up with idea’s or suggestions on how this could be achieved and discuss it here.
It would be great if it would be more of a group thing rather then a single person thing.

And if there's already a similar thread that I just don't know about, delete this.

[horngeek]

Awesome idea, and this should be stickied.

[Haruki-kun]

I don't want to be the guy who tries to stop other people's ideas, but my personal opinion on it is:

There are no maps. You can't map a sense of humor.

[Nameless]

I don't want to be the guy who tries to stop other people's ideas, but my personal opinion on it is:

Gah! Why, WHY did you have to quote Pratchett!? How am I supposed to argue with him?…

Anyway, I don't see why not. The map won't hold anything back because we can always add things on to it. And it can even be done in 3D if that's possible.
I think it'll just give the place more of a visual effect so that we're all on the same page when we're talking about places.

[horngeek]

I suppose.

And if we wanted an epic battle or whatnot, we could pick a place.

I mean epic as in lots of NPCs as well as PCs participating.

[dagaarn]

Sorry, but I think I agree with Haruki, why restrict ourselves with a map?

[Kaelaroth]

*is jumping onto the 'Ruki and Dagaarn 'dwagon*

[Nameless]

Sorry, but I think I agree with Haruki, why restrict ourselves with a map?

But the map wouldn't be restrictive because if something new comes along the person could easily add it in, that's why it should a group thing rather then a person thing.
The only difference would be that we know where everything is.

[Kaelaroth]

But the map wouldn't be restrictive because if something new comes along the person could easily add it in, that's why it should a group thing rather then a person thing.
The only difference would be that we know where everything is.

But it would be restrictive, even like that. I might see the distance between the Taverna and Freedom Glades as being a shopping street, lightly wooded, and filled with genteel Victorian landmarks. Others might see it as a gigantic road, filled with volcanoes and skyscrapers.
By giving something a form on a map, we lose the whole point of this place, which is that it's Freeform.

[Nameless]

But it would be restrictive, even like that. I might see the distance between the Taverna and Freedom Glades as being a shopping street, lightly wooded, and filled with genteel Victorian landmarks. Others might see it as a gigantic road, filled with volcanoes and skyscrapers.
By giving something a form on a map, we lose the whole point of this place, which is that it's Freeform.

I can totally see where you’re coming from and you make a very good point. However, if you’re role-playing with a large group of people, wouldn’t it be better/easier if we all understood the area in which we were in? Much like if you were playing a game of D&D.
I think it would create a much better visual effect.

[dagaarn]

You should be able to give visual effect through your words, that's the point of all this. So we don't have a DM describing everything for us, we make it up for ourselves.

[Nameless]

You should be able to give visual effect through your words, that's the point of all this. So we don't have a DM describing everything for us, we make it up for ourselves.

We describe the area by words and later add it to the map for future reference.
Also, I never said that map had to be a 2d drawing. It can be done in any media we wish. It can be a description or some sort of archive of descriptions.
It can even be images of places rather then a birds-eye-few map.

Besides, a few of the organisations (and some other places in the TOWN as well) give maps of the place they’re describing. I wouldn’t see the problem in making one of the area as a whole.

[Kaelaroth]

1. Why would you need to archive descriptions? Each thread has its own, most of them well-written, and we use Outside for interconnecting journeys, if we have them at all.
2. We're not Town (and yes, this might generate flak, but we're not Town, so anyone whinging at me for keeping boundaries can go right back to where they came from), and we're not D&D, and, to answer your earlier point about the latter of those two things, no-one's ever (to my knowledge) expressed confusion over areas.
3. The whole point is that the area as a whole is however you the player views it. The creator of each thread can't ultimately control what you the reader sees, and so we all have our own ideas of how Freeform is. Giving it defined form debases the whole point of this.

[horngeek]

Okay, good point. For example, I view the Glass Citadel as kind of a cross between the Fortress of Solitude (from superman) and a spooooooky mansion, but somone else will view it differently.

[Nameless]

I was using the TOWN and D&D as an example.
Anyway, it was just an idea, if you guys aren't happy about it then I'm happy to just leave it.

[AmberVael]

You know, though I'm very much aware that Acronym isn't Town, you have to admit there are similarities.
Even if you don't admit that, then I can just work my point off of what someone already said.

But it would be restrictive, even like that. I might see the distance between the Taverna and Freedom Glades as being a shopping street, lightly wooded, and filled with genteel Victorian landmarks. Others might see it as a gigantic road, filled with volcanoes and skyscrapers.

Having run into explaining this issue on my own forum in a way that both makes sense and doesn't actually limit people or really change much of anything, it was decided (and I think Rebonack made this up, so credits to him) that the area was a nexus.

What this implies is that it is connected to all kinds of other universes- and anything can possibly slip through at any given moment. Including landscape.

This would explain why an area seemed to slip out of view for a long time, or why new things could pop up just about anywhere. If people felt like it, things could even shift away from day to day just to make roleplay more interesting.

Personally I think this explanation works well for Acro as well, though even if it was decided on, that leaves the issue of "how do you map out an indefinite area?"
Well, the idea is that a map of the area is less an accurate map of exactly where everything is, and more of a general placement of where they're most likely to be, and/or just a listing of places that actually exist (at least at the current time).

*shrug*
Idk if that helps at all, but I thought I'd just put it out there.

[Ashen Lilies]

Okay, good point. For example, I view the Glass Citadel as kind of a cross between the Fortress of Solitude (from superman) and a spooooooky mansion, but somone else will view it differently.

Ah, but I view it as something like this or this (on a cliff), but made of Glass. And so we go back to the root of the problem. The closest one can get to a 'definitive' look for the Citadel would be the Creator's (Rabbit's) visualization.

[Nameless]

Ah, but I view it as something like this or this (on a cliff), but made of Glass. And so we go back to the root of the problem. The closest one can get to a 'definitive' look for the Citadel would be the Creator's (Rabbit's) visualization.

And if it's something more public, then we can combine all of our idea's into one, creating pure awesome. O_e

[Kaelaroth]

And if it's something more public, then we can combine all of our idea's into one, creating pure awesome. O_e

But that still doesn't work. It might be awesome to you, but it might be even more confusing to other people. And what do you mean "more public"?

You know, though I'm very much aware that Acronym isn't Town, you have to admit there are similarities.
Even if you don't admit that, then I can just work my point off of what someone already said.

Oh, no, there're similarities. I just don't think they're the same, and have spent quite a long time trying to make that clear, so wanted to re-affirm it here.

*shrug*
Idk if that helps at all, but I thought I'd just put it out there.

To be totally frank, I'm not entirely sure it helps in this particular problem, though it does serve as exposition to something I've never been entirely clear on.

[AmberVael]

Oh, no, there're similarities. I just don't think they're the same, and have spent quite a long time trying to make that clear, so wanted to re-affirm it here.

I guessed.

To be totally frank, I'm not entirely sure it helps in this particular problem, though it does serve as exposition to something I've never been entirely clear on.

Yeah, it was mostly leading up to "it doesn't have to be a definite map." And how a map might still work.

[Nameless]

The map could explain where the major things are, not what the area looks like.
For example, where the GLoG base is, or where other organisations and other major areas are, but without showing detail of what the area looks like. This way, things would make a little more sense but still leaves plenty of imaginative thinking for the player.

[dagaarn]

But even that restricts us to direction. "John walks north to GLoG, Bob goes off south to NO"
It's fine how it is, if you feel you need direction then include it in your post, but don't be surprised if that direction changes. If it's hard for you to just imagine it, then something is wrong

[Boo]

Our map is basically this on a revolving platform while singing show tunes on a motorbike. We make just as much sense too.

[Chas the mage]

the SOW crossroads has junctions to 2 points in acronymia, and one goes of to 'here thar be monsters' land