Maps and Games

I like maps. This is good as a gamer, because maps are so often the foundation of any number of games. And, if not maps, then spatial relationships still often play a role. So, the two interests combine neatly. Show me a serious gamer who hasn't bought a game for its map alone...

I've produced a lot of maps for my own games over the years. Perhaps I'll dig around for a few to show how they can be used and how they have evolved. But, that's a task for another day.

For now, I'll just say that I was cruising the web a bit this morning (being on a short holiday) and came across the following two maps within a couple minutes of each other in real time. Found both quite amusing, and some of the bile drawn out of american readers of the forum from which the first came from was also strangely intriguing. Don't some of our american cousins understand what a bad look they have when the get on their white horses to go fight red demons?

I think you could set a pretty funny pulp/FPS/Strategy/RPG game in the world portrayed on the first map. Similarly, on the second. Sources of inspiration for games can be quite weird!

Above: map from ubi.com forum thread "for the hippies on here" (click here to visit the lengthy thread). Below: map from Jeff's Gaming Blog (click here), originally from "'Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earh'[, a] Kirby-created post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure series published by DC in the 70's".