Fredian Mapping Project

[thcfiend]

I've started working on a comprehensive and detailed map of the Fredian landscape and I'd like to know if this is something that people would be interested in. First, the backstory:

As a relatively new player to the island, I was initially quite overwhelmed by the sheer amount of landmass to be explored and I seemed to spend considerable time wandering around, often into ambushes, trying to get back to the safety of the core areas.

After several painful and costly deaths, I began to see this as less of a problem and more of an opportunity. An experienced mapper for many years, I whipped out a selection of suitable tools (in this case, Visio and Fireworks) and began a straightforward plot of surface areas and transition points. After several hours of mapping, I had the first draft complete.

I noticed that in the course of doing this, I'd had to completely explore one or 2 areas to locate all of the transitions. It occurred to me that although a framework structural map would be nice, a full screenshotted map would be excellent! So I made my first screengrab...

...and so it continued.

I now have a first draft of the map covering a large percentage of the surface areas and it has proved an invaluable tool to me. I've made the first few screengrabs and am about to start on some of the more popular indoor and underground areas.

If this is something of interest to the community and assuming that it doesn't provoke any savagery from the DMs, I'd be quite happy to go public with it in some way.

Its up to you people to let me know... Should the Fredian Mapping Project continue?

[Makzimia]

Your mapping stops now,for public use anyway . The only public map EVER is the rough one shown on the forum. There is a perfectly good reason for this, a: because b: I said so. c: refer to b

Anyone that has TRULY explored Fredian will know that map books exist that allow you to view an entire area on enter without covering it again. Also, that ALL external maps have a map point on the various transitions. Part of exploring a world is that you would map it for yourself, as YOU discover where YOU have been. While it is concievable that a high level adventurer may have made a map by now, I would not want to take away from newer players, and or newer PCs who if they are REALLY playing and not just grinding through PC builds, would not know their way around.

And lastly, a BIG reason a lot of players don't know their way is because of using a: the portals b: the kehaar book entry randoms that used to happen. Now you can all start at point a and move onwards paying attention as you go to the compass and map points

Makz.

[thcfiend]

Cripes!! Step away from the project!

Very well sir, consider it ceased - for public use anyway.

Never shall my labours see the light of day. No bards shall sing of my mapping exploits or unparalled expertise at the craft. I'll consider myself retired from this particular vocation effective immediately and shall resume my ill-informed ramblings around these hazzardously unfamiliar lands!

Must say, I can't help but be a bit gutted - this was shaping up to be some of my finest work (and there have been some belters in the past, I can assure you) - although I'm not entirely surprised.

Suppose I'd better pursue tradeskills or something as a project instead. ho-hum! Anyone got any cougar pelts?

[gloilin]

does that mean privately he could sell it in game and give that player access to it?

[ride]

i'll field this one for ya Makz....


gloilin: um.... no


but I am curious... were you speaking of *real* money? ?

if so... I know a bridge for sale as well... lol

[Ronius]

Pffft Ride

Notice he said "sell it in game"

You little greedy kobold!

"Ridekin greets the rich hero!"

[thcfiend]

Chaps, as much as it grieves me to say it and although I am grateful for your interest in the topic, I will not be making my efforts in this area available on any basis in or out of game.

I will still be pusuing the project for my own personal gratification (although probably not in quite so much cosmetic detail) but I'm not about to go annoying those who may decide to remove my person from the only PW that I play on - I have no desire to shoot myself in the foot in such an epic manner.

Should the current policy ever change, which I have no reason to believe it will ("The only public map EVER is the rough one shown on the forum" - the clue in this statement is EVER), then I will be only too happy to offer up my humble scribings to the cause.

However until such a time (granted, the idea of NEVER being a time has certain paradoxical implications) I shall be keeping my etchings to myself.

[anomalylone]

Should I tell them? , no there not ready yet .

[thcfiend]

Tell us, tell us!

I give you my personal guarantee that we're ready!

[taylor]

well there is actually... you must be blind you really must... its so obvious there are 2 maps of fredian i wil state that, but in what realms i shall not say..

[Silentus]

Hey THC,
Youre not the first or last to do this - I first began keeping accuratemaps of the entire island back in November (though Im a month or 2 out of compliance right now). That was the reason I made the 'generic' map. It gives no real specifics but gives a general overview. Makz actually told me not to bother with that kind of map but didnt care if I posted it. If you have other similarly obscure maps, and Makz gives his blessing, I will happily post them somewhere here for general consumption.

Other than that, keep your details to yourself