The vagueness of the setting

[bastion_korupt]

I know its championed as a setting strength, and certainly the underdevelopedness of certain areas is in keeping with the RE Howard vision to a certain extent, but I am curious. Is Road of Kings going to give us a more detailed map of the Hyborian Age?

Heck, I'd be satisfied if just everything mentioned in the Gazetteer was on the map someplace.

Also, some places on the map look like greesward but are clearly desert (the desert north of the Black Kingdoms as an example). Are we supposed to overlook the map and stick to the text since it is more true to the Conan stories or is the map a true reference instead of just art?

 

[Anonymous]

I know its championed as a setting strength, and certainly the underdevelopedness of certain areas is in keeping with the RE Howard vision to a certain extent, but I am curious. Is Road of Kings going to give us a more detailed map of the Hyborian Age?

Heck, I'd be satisfied if just everything mentioned in the Gazetteer was on the map someplace.

Also, some places on the map look like greesward but are clearly desert (the desert north of the Black Kingdoms as an example). Are we supposed to overlook the map and stick to the text since it is more true to the Conan stories or is the map a true reference instead of just art?

The Mongoose map, while pretty, and giving us color coded terrain features (a nice perk), is inaccurate... the degree of inaccuracy varies by whom you ask. Road of Kings (The Hyborian Gazetteer) is said to have a newer, more accurate and detailed map. Try http://www.scarlet-blades.com for more continent maps.

 

[Anonymous]

The Mongoose map, while pretty, and giving us color coded terrain features (a nice perk), is inaccurate... the degree of inaccuracy varies by whom you ask. Road of Kings (The Hyborian Gazetteer) is said to have a newer, more accurate and detailed map. Try http://www.scarlet-blades.com for more continent maps.

Specifically, try this map: http://www.scarlet-blades.com/images/hyboriamapcolour.jpg

 

[VincentDarlage]

Other maps can be found at:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/adilbrand/conan/map.htm
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/adilbrand/conan/mapzingara.htm
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/adilbrand/conan/kingdoms/westermarck.htm
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/adilbrand/conan/kingdoms/world_of_conan01.htm

and,

http://hyboria.xoth.net/maps/index.htm

 

[S'mon]

The gazetteer descriptions seem to be closely taken from the REH stories and are much more accurate than the Mongoose map, which often contradicts the bits of REH quoted text in the gazetteer.

 

[Old Bear]

Having spent a large amount of my time on the Conan project liaising with Jesus Barony, the map artist, I thought I might take an opportunity to pass on a few thoughts. Firstly, the map went backwards and forwards over 20 times. Think about it, that's not me pulling out a number. That's real. Each time little creases were ironed out, details checked, locations added and removed as appropriate. The final result, whilst not defintive in as much as having every single location crammed onto it, certainly is when it comes to shape.

We studied dozens of other Hyborian maps, each one being different. We looked at what we thought was needed and then considered whether or not it benefited the map. The final result was the best compromise we could come up with. There will always be debate about what exactly goes where, and sources vary even on where various towns belong.

We are indeed working on new and more detailed maps, perhaps even including something of poster size. All this takes time and study, so you guys will have to be patient.

 

[Anonymous]

The final result was the best compromise we could come up with. There will always be debate about what exactly goes where, and sources vary even on where various towns belong.

That may be true but it doesn't change the fact that your own pdf download map differs somewhat from the one on the inside cover. The text doesn't always tally with the map either.

Although it is also true that there are debates regarding some of the more obscure cities and locations don't try to treat me like a fool by suggesting that i'm imagining that there are some errors here...!

 

[Jason Durall]

There will always be debate about what exactly goes where, and sources vary even on where various towns belong.

We are indeed working on new and more detailed maps, perhaps even including something of poster size. All this takes time and study, so you guys will have to be patient.

Two points I'd like to make here - the positioning of Xuthal in greensward is clearly refutable by Howard, who places it in the middle of desert.

Secondly, I am overjoyed with, well, joy, at hearing of a poster-sized map. I don't know how patient I can be while waiting for that!

 

[VincentDarlage]

Cimmeria should be forested hills and ridges, not plains as is indicated by the map.

I am also excited to hear about a potential poster-sized map!

 

[S'mon]

There's lots of odd stuff in the inside-cover map - I was a bit surprised how much it varied from the gazetteer descriptions, eg in the location of Poitain. I gues the mappers didn't have the gazetteer text with its quotes from REH to work from. Putting Arenjun outside Zamora seemed odd too. It looks nice though.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure I get the fussiness about the map; it looks good, and appears to present things at close to the right locations and scales. If you want to see what they must have started with, check out REH's Hyborian maps in the back of the Del Rey volume, "The coming of Conan". They look like something scribbled on the back of a napkin.

Anyway, what I am hoping happens with the Road of Kings is that each country gets provided with a hand drawn detailed map that has a little character. The best maps of this kind are those prepared for 2nd edition Runequest: Artistically simple, visually clean but highly evocative of the setting and interesting to look at. I highly recommend them to the Mongoose artists as example source material.

 

[VincentDarlage]

I agree. As someone who has drawn some Hyborian age maps, they are VERY hard to get accurate, especially once you leave the realm of Howard's rough sketches. Many realms are not described by Howard, and the others have conflicting descriptions given by pastiche writers. (According to the Tor pastiches and the comics, Brythunia has at least three capital cities, for example, depending which story is being read).

It is a beautiful map that serves its purpose - to give people an idea of where they are in relation to the rest of the world and in which direction they might want to go. They might have gone with a sepia-tone map and foregone the terrain types ~ but imagine the complaints there.

It will be virtually impossible to have a 100% accurate map according to all known source materials, and if it sticks to just Howard material, then it will lack A LOT of detail.

 

[toothill man]

looking forward too the differant maps as a DM it is useful for the players not too know were everything is. Am looking forward too the poster map when it is ready.

 

[bastion_korupt]

I sincerely hope no one interpreted my question/statement as an indictment of the beautiful color map on the inside covers of The Conan RPG. I love the map. It looks nice and gives a good overview of the setting.

My real point is that the gazetteer and the map don't jive in spots and that does seem a little weird (but not totally inappropriate considering the source material).

I, too, would LOVE to have a poster size map I can frame and put on the wall. I've only dreamt of such coolness.