Where do I find OotS maps?

[brian 333]

I've seen the Western Continent and The North, (Gelid Glacier FTW,) and I've seen the globe in Crayons Of Time, but I haven't seen an OotS world map. Being something of a chartophile, (maps, not baseball cards,) I'd love to get my hands on a world map and 'where we've been' maps. Have they been published?

I'd want a full page map, (24"×36") suitable for wall display for the world map with half-page sized continental maps and quarter page city maps.

I'd also be happy with whatever I could get. I don't want to screenshot and pirate The Giant's work because that would be wrong on several levels, not the least of which is quality.

I have convinced myself The Giant has detailed maps of his world, (because I would like that to be true,) and it is possible they have already been published but I never saw them.

What I want:
Full page map of the world, suitable for wall display.
Half page maps of the continents
Quarter page maps of Greysky, Cliffport, and Tinkertown.

What I'll accept:
Anything The Giant has already published or is interested in publishing.

If there are no such items, would there be enough interest in them to justify creating them? I understand that these days a publisher can crank out documents on order, as opposed to the old way of printing out thousands and hoping they sell, but I also realize The Giant has a life and must spend his work hours on his priorities.

So, anyone see such maps somewhere? Am I the only one who would like to see more?

[Reboot]

I have convinced myself The Giant has detailed maps of his world, (because I would like that to be true,) and it is possible they have already been published but I never saw them.

I am 99.99% sure, from everything Rich has ever said of his working processes, that you've doomes yourself to disappointment.

[Lord Torath]

War and XPs has a small map of a portion of the Southern Continent in the back, as a bit of a gazetteer. Aside from that, you're looking at V's use of Familicide and the cart of gophers cartogrpher's map of the Western Continent. Could Rich make a world-wide map? Certainly. Will he? Only The Giant can answer that.

[EmperorSarda]

https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/statu...47965999288320

It looks like it may be added to a future book.

[Emanick]

I would totally pay for this, either in digital or in physical form. I too love maps.

[zimmerwald1915]

https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/statu...47965999288320

It looks like it may be added to a future book.

Tweet's four years old. It's not happening.

[Emanick]

Tweet's four years old. It's not happening.

Could easily happen. There’s been, what, one book published since then? Maybe Rich thought it would be a better fit for Book 6 or 7 than for 5 - particularly if some of the locations marked on it were going to crop up near the end of the story.

[factotum]

Tweet's four years old. It's not happening.

So long as there are still "future books" in the OotS world, which there are, it could still happen.

[zimmerwald1915]

So long as there are still "future books" in the OotS world, which there are, it could still happen.

There is only one "future book," taking the current book as, well, the "present" book. Neither this book nor the final book would seem to demand a world map. There will be no more OOTS books.

It's not happening.

[Keltest]

There is only one "future book," taking the current book as, well, the "present" book. Neither this book nor the final book would seem to demand a world map. There will be no more OOTS books.

It's not happening.

Isnt there at least one prequel book on Rich's ambition list? Plus, apparently the Azure City compilation book that's getting released "not that far in the future"?

[brian 333]

There is only one "future book," taking the current book as, well, the "present" book. Neither this book nor the final book would seem to demand a world map. There will be no more OOTS books.

It's not happening.

This does not preclude a calandar of maps or a Guide To OotS or an OotS Companion or anything else The Giant may consider doing. Just knowing such a map already exists in some form gives me hope of eventually mounting it on my wall.

[zimmerwald1915]

Isnt there at least one prequel book on Rich's ambition list?

No? Where, besides a rampant fan wish-fulfillment telephone game, would you get that idea?

Plus, apparently the Azure City compilation book that's getting released "not that far in the future"?

This is explicitly a compilation of already-released content.

This does not preclude a calandar of maps or a Guide To OotS or an OotS Companion or anything else The Giant may consider doing. Just knowing such a map already exists in some form gives me hope of eventually mounting it on my wall.

Heavens.

[Keltest]

No? Where, besides a rampant fan wish-fulfillment telephone game, would you get that idea?

From here, where Rich explicitly says he has an idea for at least one more prequel floating around. Now, I said "ambition list" to distinguish something he would like to do from something he has confirmed he will do.

Notably, he lists the O-chul story as the major obstacle to the possibility, which is now completed.

This is explicitly a compilation of already-released content.

Oh? Where are you getting that from? All I see is a tweet that says "Azure-City-themed material"

[Emanick]

There is only one "future book," taking the current book as, well, the "present" book. Neither this book nor the final book would seem to demand a world map. There will be no more OOTS books.

It's not happening.

They don’t necessarily demand it, but then neither did War and XPs demand a map of the area around Azure City, and neither did BRitF demand a parody of The Raven. The reason why he might include it, besides the fact that he’s stated his intention to in the past (and reader demand, if he’s aware of it), is that he generally wants to include a certain number of pages of bonus material in any given book, and this is bonus material he already has - thus, less work for him. I don’t know why you’re so certain that Rich has changed his mind.

To summarize, here are reasons why a map might be forthcoming:

1. Rich said it likely would be, albeit four years ago.
2. If he includes it, it will save him time and effort.
3. Rich could have decided to include the world map in Book 6 (or 7) because it made more sense to put a world map in a book taking place on more than one continent.
4. He could be saving it for a compilation book where he otherwise might not have enough material.

Reasons why it might not be forthcoming:
1. Book 5 has come and gone, so Rich might have changed his mind or forgotten about this.
2. His hard drive might have crashed or something, causing him to lose the map.
3. I can’t really think of any other reasons.
4. But let’s make this list four bullet points long, too, just for symmetry.

Personally, I think the first list of reasons is more convincing, but opinions may differ. What I don’t understand is how anyone can say this is certain either way.

[zimmerwald1915]

From here, where Rich explicitly says he has an idea for at least one more prequel floating around. Now, I said "ambition list" to distinguish something he would like to do from something he has confirmed he will do.

Notably, he lists the O-chul story as the major obstacle to the possibility, which is now completed.

So yeah, telephone game it is.

Oh? Where are you getting that from? All I see is a tweet that says "Azure-City-themed material"

That's what a compilation . . . is. It collects, brings together, compiles things that already exist.

Besides, Azure City is itself no more, having been ethnically cleansed. Hard to tell a story with it in that state.

[Keltest]

So yeah, telephone game it is.

A direct statement of desire from the Author is a "telephone game" now?

That's what a compilation . . . is. It collects, brings together, compiles things that already exist.

Besides, Azure City is itself no more, having been ethnically cleansed. Hard to tell a story with it in that state.

To compile means to bring together things that were previously separate. There is nothing in that meaning that precludes the material being new or original.

[zimmerwald1915]

A direct statement of desire from the Author is a "telephone game" now?

The "direct statement" was that any prequel was no more than a gleam in his eye, and would remain so for the foreseeable future. That was a mere year and a half ago, and Mr. Burlew's been working on a thousand other things in the intervening time. To get from there to there being a prequel coming . . . yeah, I'd call that a telephone game.

To compile means to bring together things that were previously separate. There is nothing in that meaning that precludes the material being new or original.

If a thing did not previously exist, it could not have previously been separate from other things.

And are we just dropping the point that there's nothing to add to any "Azure City compilation," because there's no more Azure City?

[zimmerwald1915]

Reasons why it might not be forthcoming:
1. Book 5 has come and gone, so Rich might have changed his mind or forgotten about this.
2. His hard drive might have crashed or something, causing him to lose the map.
3. I can’t really think of any other reasons.
4. But let’s make this list four bullet points long, too, just for symmetry.

5. The OOTS world is a "paper thin placeholder of a setting" that is not interesting in itself except to people with all their priorities out of whack.

[hroþila]

This feels like a super weird hill to die on.

And are we just dropping the point that there's nothing to add to any "Azure City compilation," because there's no more Azure City?

Why wouldn't we drop that point? The Therkla and O-Chul stories are prequels after all.

[factotum]

Why wouldn't we drop that point? The Therkla and O-Chul stories are prequels after all.

Not to mention that there being no Azure City right now in the strip's timeline doesn't mean the city won't be back in some form by the end of the story--it would be a bit unsatisfying if Hinjo and the other AC refugees got to spend the rest of eternity on that small island off the Western Continent.

[zimmerwald1915]

Not to mention that there being no Azure City right now in the strip's timeline doesn't mean the city won't be back in some form by the end of the story--it would be a bit unsatisfying if Hinjo and the other AC refugees got to spend the rest of eternity on that small island off the Western Continent.

Why would it be unsatisfying? It's not like they have anything else to contribute to the story of The Order of the Stick, except for O-Chul and Lien. Who are pointedly not on that island.

[Peelee]

Neither this book nor the final book would seem to demand a world map. There will be no more OOTS books.

It's not happening.

Wheeeeeee!

I love the certainty expressed here.

[Fyraltari]

Not to mention that there being no Azure City right now in the strip's timeline doesn't mean the city won't be back in some form by the end of the story--it would be a bit unsatisfying if Hinjo and the other AC refugees got to spend the rest of eternity on that small island off the Western Continent.

I dunno, if the Gobbos kept Gobbotopia and the Humans founded New Azure City (with a nice mermaid statue imported from Anywhere in the bay) on the island and made peace with one another, I'd be pretty satisfied.

[zimmerwald1915]

Wheeeeeee!

What's the point of making an argument if you're just going to weaken it by putting on a circumspect act? If you have something to say, say it, leave it to others or events prove you wrong, and take the wrong-proving on the chin when it comes, as it must from time to time. Doing otherwise just admits you don't actually think you should be listened to.

Setting aside that general principle, in this particular circumstance, a strident tone is particularly appropriate. People are hyping themselves up over a product that hasn't been announced or marketed, and which might or might not actually exist anymore. The parade really demands a thunderstorm.

[Peelee]

What's the point of making an argument if you're just going to weaken it by putting on a circumspect act? If you have something to say, say it

While I agree with you on that I think it's unlikely there will be any maps in the future book releases, you se incredibly certain for someone who isn't the one putting out said books. As has been said already, this is a weird hill to die on.

[Jasdoif]

I read that the PDF of Don't Split the Party has three additional maps compared to the book release. I don't own the PDF version, however, so I can't attest to their quality/draftiness/canonicity/existence.

[brian 333]

Note that I asked if there were maps available: yes and no is the answer. Some maps and that I have as yet not seen do exist and some of themhavebeen published.

I have not demanded The Giant spend a picosecond doing anything he doesn't want to do.

I learned to deal with disappointments early in life, but I have found that people who live with hope tend to be happier than pessimists. I choose hope. Call me a fool if you like, but I'm a happy fool.

[dtilque]

I read that the PDF of Don't Split the Party has three additional maps compared to the book release. I don't own the PDF version, however, so I can't attest to their quality/draftiness/canonicity/existence.

Well, sort of. I guess I'd better spoiler this.

Spoiler

Show

It has two maps, one of the Greysky City area and one of Uptharnor, a country to the north of Cliffport. The third is of The Undescribed Territories and is totally blank. ETA:The first two are similar quality to the map at the back of War and XPs

We do have a index thread that's a Gazetteer. It's the best we can do with the info we have.