How do I represent a wrapping world map semi-realistically on paper?
I am running a game with heavy emphasis on sky travel. How can I most realistically represent a gridded (or hex if need be) flat map where if the players travel far north or south it accurately "spits" them out into the right square or hex spot in the north or south? I know flat maps will never be able to accurately depict a globe, but what is the best solution to this issue so far?
What about something like this?
I'm no map master myself, but these planetary invasion maps from Battletech basically cut apart to become a D20. hardly a sphere but still playable.
This seems to be the exact thing I need, i just need to figure out how to make the hexes smaller and ideally find something to generate these.
You're dumb, anon above understood exactly what I meant. Great movie though.
>You're dumb
Ironic, given it comes from someone who can't turn a sheet of paper into a roll of paper, apparently having double-digit IQ
>planetary invasion maps
A roll of paper is a toroid not a sphere you primordial nematode
Anyway, seems other people have tried to solve this concept and come up with something like this, in case anyone else is interested.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goode_homolosine_projection
>Guys, how do I turn a 2D map into a 3D object where poles lead to each other?
>Make a roll out of it
>HURRR GEOSTRAT MAP DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT DURRR!
You've asked how to turn your map "operational", not how to map a sphere on a piece of paper, you dumb c**t.
That's a map with distortions designed for the continents on Earth in the present day. It's probably useless on virtually any other world or significantly different era.
But you're right that you can't map a globe to a flat surface without distortions. Very motivated people tried for centuries.
>find something to generate these
https://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/
>How do I use 2D space to create 3D
Terrible thread, and the only thing hobby related in it is the excuse to post Event Horizon clip
moron.
Just do It like final fantasy, If they Go too much further North, spot them south. I dont think a flat square map that loops eill take players out of the fiction.
As for which map to use, I think a gridded one will do just fine, I assume there arent many landable places scattered all around the world to demanda a highly detailed gridmap
>Just do It like final fantasy, If they Go too much further North, spot them south
Its dieselpunk in a WW2 level setting, this would be a little too weird.
yes... that is a map...
It's a 2d representation of a 3d object's topography. That's what you asked for, numbnuts.
I mean I wouldnt think so, but the other anon sent you a nice map idea so you might as well use that
The parts you skip over are empty ocean.
I'm not sure I understand your problem. Why can't you just move whatever marker you're using to the bottom of the map when the players go off the top and so on?
Not op, but that's not how topology works on a sphere.
Presumably, on an air-travel heavy campaign, the need to be able to fly over one of the pole (say... take the shortest way for Norway to Canada) may be frequent enough to justify doing it right.
Anon, when you fly past the north pole on earth, do you suddenly appear in Antarctica? I swear to god half the people in this thread...
Maybe, just maybe, the OP explained different idea than the one you actually had in mind, and it's not everyone getting you wrong, but your initial pitch being simply about something else than you wanted to get?
>How do I represent a wrapping world map semi-realistically on paper?
Haha no, you're just an idiot who never actually spent a moment to think how common maps actually differ from the real shape of the world. Plenty of other people in this thread understood the assignment perfectly. This question just separated the IQ batches.
>when you fly past the north pole on earth, do you suddenly appear in Antarctica?
Yes. Clearly you've never been on a plane.
im not that smart, but i think i'd do this. im no geometrer, but it seems to me that this is how soccer balls are set up so it probably scales more or less accurately
not sure why it freaked the frick out, i dont have a hexmap program i regularly use so i had to make-do
wait i needed one more "equatorial" band that was shared between the two hemispheres for it to tesselate properly. oops...
>flat maps will never be able to accurately depict a globe
wrong.
the shortest route depends on your projection used.
in 2d the shortest route is a single straight line, on a sphere the shortest route is also a straight line but looks like an arc and there's 2 of them.
both of these can be accurate depictions.
also without satellites no one is going to have a truly "accurate" map
you're obviously projecting, but at least you can choose how exactl
This is somehow one of the homosexualiest things I've ever seen on this site.
That's XKCD for you.
People are too fixated on the globe world model. Might I suggest changing your entire thinking completely? If you're doing fantasy/sci-fi, there's absolutely no reason that you need to stick to a globe world that "wraps". Try a flat earth out. Or maybe an underground cave world. You are allowed to be imaginative in fantasy.
OP here, thanks for you who were helpful, and to the trolls / brainlets well, you tried you special little guys.
So I figured out how best to do this for my purposes and I thought I would report back in case anyone else wanted to do it for the future, or even just play around cause mapmaking is fun.
-I downloaded NASA's tool "G projector" which allows you to take any image you like and project it in one of at least 50 different map projections.
-Upload a custom image, and choose "equirectangular" as the input projection option.
-From there you can choose the projection type (I used "Wagner V") as this fits my theme best but you can choose whatever shape suits your idea best.
-By opening the Graticule window you can add lines for latitude and longitude (squares) and choose the spacing between them. Could be quite large for a more general game, or small for crunchier more nuanced movement. (I chose smaller just to see how small I can get it while still being readable, some experimentation required))
-You can also change the graticule color, line style and alpha level.
-Export at any size you like, it supports MASSIVE dimension sizes, so I may print a poster for my game so players can see clearly.
Enjoy anons
oops sorry, link:
https://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/gprojector/
I made a much larger file for higher resolution but Ganker obviously won't let me upload that. Also to clarify, the top most squares on the map can move to any of the other top most squares as if they were next to each other (cause actually they are) and same goes for the south pole squares as well.
Thanks Op, but... ok... with the map there, if I fly over the North pole, how do I know which square I exit depending on my entry square?
(Not using the geographical terms, because we are discussing a game, there)
>How do I represent a wrapping world map semi-realistically on paper?
How is this even remotely a concern or problem you're having?
Well if you read my last two posts, its not! Also as I stated, its a concern because I am running a game where players routinely jet across the entire globe, passing over poles and borders, and where movement and long haul chases are frequent enough rules concerns that I require that specific of a map? Same as to how if you were running a game heavily based on economics and trading, you would have a robust tax or locational demand system in place so its not like playing monopoly...
3D print a globe
Your world is now flat
Done