I really like games where you get to make your own civilization, but it always bothers me that maps always have boundaries derived from real world countries. Like even though you might make up something really cool you always know in the back of your mind that your civilization is in China, for example. So I started making a map that has no real world national boundaries, instead, it has the whole world divided into a grid. My aim eventually is to make each square worth a specific amount of armies based on the climate, arability, availability of natural resources like oil or iron, and other factors that would affect the ability of people to survive and thrive in that area. It's far from done, in fact i intend to almost entirely redo portions of the coastline, but here's the link to preview it:
http://warlight.net/SinglePlayer?PreviewMap=26653

Please give me some feedback. Is this a good idea, or is it stupid?

It's good , but you have you some problems there in Antarctica.
There's alaso a grid missing in Antarctica.

Edited 1/2/2014 09:33:26

Lovely.

It is a good idea. There aren't much warlight real-world maps that look like this, I like it. But you are missing a box in Antarctica, 2 boxes in Canada, and you probably wont to put either a circle or cube in the middle of island chains so that you will have a place to fit the armies into (though I am sure you already know that).

Good idea, even if it's a bit squared. I love it! I can't wait to play with it.

But islands are too little.

Edited 1/6/2014 17:07:50

Well I am going do do what Arc Light suggested and put a circle or square in each group of Islands.

Getting worried about bonuses...


Will it be like Real World Europe? Combinations of certain ports/airports/regions give bonuses as well as individual territories?

Maybe controlling all of a certain feature, like a mountain range, the natural harbors, etc can give a bonus as opposed to just individual territories.

Also, would you want local deployments to play a roll? Example, make shipping lanes that can transverse areas faster, maybe take advantage of normal passage routes that can transport armies faster than say over mountains?

Maybe you could set an individual bonus for each territory? Like a default of one army bonus per territory, but more important territories have higher bonuses?

Edited 1/8/2014 03:44:54

I think it has too much squares. You should unite 2x2 squares into bigger squares that would be more playable.

I don't like "flat" maps, and yours is be very flat one.
If you don't like country borders, why not physical regions?
You could use rivers and mountains as borders and...
well, I'll try to do it.

I disagree with Urfang, I think these squares are just the right size. Buy Ibn Batuta's idea is interesting as well. But since he seems to have begun on that one himself you can stick with the squares.

Your missing a square on the coastline of Antarctica I believe.

@MarkusRabbit, I agree with everything you've said so far.
@Ibn Batuta, I thought about that but failed to find a good enough physical map for that purpose...so i decided to go this way.
@Pooh, I like your idea and will definitely look into it.

In General, I wont really be able to do much more as quickly because break is over. So this map probably wont be done for a long while.