I think it might be fun to have a map based on the earths waterbodies instead of the earths landmasses.

This could be of use:

The problem is that seas and oceans don't have clear borders.

Neither do earth's landmasses. We sort of have a history of drawing those borders in, though.

It wouldn't be too hard to draw in various sea borders. There are lots of gulfs, seas, and straits that can make for good territories. Just split up the various oceans into masses that make for good gameplay and you're all set.

But splitting up the oceans is the mayor problem. There are no gulfs or seas there that can be turned into a territory.

There are mountain ridges on the bottom of the oceans. That might help to divide the biggest water bodies.



sounds like a good map but what about inland seas

If anyone decides to make this, pretty please invite me for testing. :)

Here is a stylish image of an imaginary Inverse Earth by Vlad Gerasimov. Note that this image is copyrighted by its maker and you cannot use it as a basis for a Warlight map. (You could ask him for permission, though. At least, I didn't see any licensing info anywhere on the page.)

[Planet Earth - Inversed](http://www.vladstudio.com/wallpaper/?worldinversed)

Anyway, it should give you an idea of how a map like this could look like. I'm so used to looking at a normal world map that I tend to see the seas as land anyway, but if I look carefully, I manage to see it properly :)

This is definitely a good map idea, but not something I want to tackle as my first serious map. I've done a small practice map, tried it and deleted it after seeing that it worked all right, but I figure I'll rather try something more modest as my first real map.

That's a great picture, duffer. Cheers for putting the link here.

As far as a Warlight map based on that concept goes, it *could* be good. I think the reason that the Earth maps work is that there are natural vast areas coupled with natural strategic chokepoints. Anybody making a map based on this inverted world would have to be quite creative to avoid it being just another big shape (this time a rectangle) split up into random territories that have no real strategic influence on a game, aside from 'pick a small one and grow from there'.

There are a lot of maps like this, some with bodies of water providing at least a break from the solid mass of territories, and I just think that whilst this would be a good concept and look far better than made up worlds or maps based on fantasy worlds, something special needs to be done to differentiate it from a lot of maps that are already on here and never get played on by me and my friends as, well, they just don't look like they'll be conducive to a really interesting game.

But then, the only map I've made thus far is the highly style-over-substance Optical Illusions, so what do I know? :)

I hope someone can make it and make a cracking job of it, but I think a great deal of imagination and knowledge of what makes an interesting looking map actually good to play on will be required.

Regards.

@duffer:
There's a link [Please read the Terms of Use](http://www.vladstudio.com/terms/) on the bottom of that page. You should read it all, but here are some important excerpts:

|> You can use my artworks on your website (blog) if this site is personal, not business or organization:
|>
|> - clickable link to vladstudio.com is required on each page where my art is used;

I don't think we can make clickable links in map descriptions and just playing a game also counts as "using my art", so every game would need a link as well...

|> Without my explicit written permission, you cannot:
|>
|> - use my artworks in graphics for your business (illustrations, game backgrounds, etc);
|> - use my artworks on website that brings you profit (such as business site, auction, etc) or represent your organization (even not-for-profit).

A WL map would probably count as a "game background". Whether or not WL makes a profit at the moment, it would be highly impractical to have a map which can only be used so long as WL doesn't make a profit. No idea whether WL counts as an organisation (if it does, the site surely "represents" the organisation; it's its only form of existence).

|> You absolutely cannot:
|>
|> - use my artworks in any way without giving credit (linking) to vladstudio
|> - use my artworks in HTML templates (such as Wordpress themes, etc), Flash templates or other redistributable web products (free or paid).

If a text-only (non-clickable) link is good enough, that could work, but I'm still cautious. The last one is also a big problem; I have no idea whether WL counts as a "redistributable web product".

And, most importantly, what you already said:
|> To get such permission, contact me and describe where and how you'd like to use my artworks.

If you want to do this, [get in contact with the guy](http://www.vladstudio.com/contact/), otherwise you might get yourself into trouble... :(

@Prawngod; i think inland seas should be something like islands, connected to the seas through rivers.

@duffer; that looks great, you can see he also based his mountain ridges and divisions on real deepsea mountains and man made divisions between areas

@Yellow team; those are some good points. A possible solutions to the big block of water that connects the east to the westside of the map could be to shift the earth a bit. Like this for example: 

@RvW; i don't think we need to ask permission since we won't be using his artwork. But make a map based on the same idea, which we already had before duffer posted that map.

I think this is a great idea but it will be extreamly akward putting in seas like the aral sea (caucasus) which is inland and has no borders (as such) with the ocean but apart from that I see no reason why this can't become a great map so good luck to whoever makes this map you have my full support

@Sewerrat:
Oh, I thought the suggestion was to base a map on his actual artwork; if you're just using the same concept you're probably okay. (But, I'm not a lawyer; in patent law at least him being the first to invent an idea would prohibit you from patenting it ("prior art"), even when you didn't know that when you invented it ("independent invention").)