Expanded Vanilla Map Project
Introduction:
Expanded Vanilla Map Project will be general thread for brainstorming and showcasing additions and fixes for vanilla maps, as guessing from observations made inthis thread, there is not much will left in community to keep uber historical maps updated and played.
While I can assure you that WATK 4 (and eventually WATK 4.5) will be kept by A4K, I'd like to focus on discussing and adding changes to vanilla map, that could add more historical posibilities, but also gameplay depth, without killing specific vanilla charm, which is a huge task in itself, if not the biggest. Magellan part is actually not that hard, only tedious.
This project is solely based on McSionnagh's YourMap, which sadly didn't receive enough support here for some reason. I found working download link deep in Japanese Paradox Lands.
I would probably not use McSionnagh's map as base if not the fact that I could not get vanilla map to work in Magellan - Therion told me that it's probably bugged in some areas (something related to messy pixels). While I do not really understand how to fix it, McSionnagh's map works and clean vanilla doesn't.
Thus please note, that first and foremost I give main credits to mentioned McSionnagh himself, for his work allows me to expand vanilla map further. While I would love to receive some sort of official permission from him, it seems he's not really visiting Paradox anymore. I tried to contact him via Skype twice, but sadly I received no response.
Which brings yet another point, as browisng Paradox mod repository on Hayasoft with many Japanese translations and addons for FtG mods from Paradox, and also finding various Japanese sites dedicated to Paradox games, inclucing EU2 and FtG made me sure some Japanese modders are visiting our forum sometimes, most likely as unregistered guests. If you do, and you have contact with McSionnagh, please redirect him to this thread. I would be grateful.
Aside of that lengthy introduction, I've been dwelling a bit more today, working on Korea and Japan, trying to figure out how I'd want this map to look like:
My comment: Please take note that I, sadly, do not possess any kind of manual skills. Also, I am still learning about art of province-making. Names in Korea are looking much nicer than in Japan actually and I'll adhere to style used there. Japanese provinces will probably get redrawn - again, Korean ones have that vanilla feeling, at least I feel it. Most likely no more provinces will be added in Korea, maybe Japan will get one or two more provinces (but that will require whole name system, see below).
You can expect provinces added by me to look like Korean ones, they actually look quite vanillisch, don't they? Come on, admit I did good this time
General Guidelines for Adding New Provinces:
1.) Additions should be based on some sort of territorial division relevant to period. Please note however that it can't and it won't be perfect. Changes depend on how badly certain region needs them.
For example in picture above, Korea with mere two provinces was crying for some additions. Basing on historical Eight Provinces of Korea I extended it from two to five provinces (anything more would be too much IMHO). At the same time, Japan received Kinai and Chubu, while Kanto was brought back to more realistic size. To make it clear, some sort of basis, I require relevant reason and evidence to include <INSERT_PROVINCE_NAME> proposed by you.
If whole areas will be changed, new provinces have to be consistent with each other. That's why adding more provinces in Japan will require such changes. I was basing on this map and included all regions already. It would be stupid to have regional names (like Kanto) and provincial names (Echigo and Owari in case Chubu will be split) next to each other, wouldn't it?
2.) Game Balance and Vanilla Charm are one delicate matters and we are not to hamper them by adding utter crap, but to enrich them by adding provinces game will benefit from. Like a Number One World Class Surgeon from the Kingdom of World Class Surgeons, we have to add and inject new provinces to vanilla precisely, without any mistakes. They have to feel vanillish and add something to the game. No mindless province spam like in MyMap - while I have a weak spot for it, this project's goal is to ENRICH, not to SPAM the map.
To answer Toio's question from Vanilla FtG thread:
Toio said:
Goal is to expand map by adding some more useful provinces. Not even 20% more mentioned by Toio in another post, maybe 10%...I believe it might be enough.
And while Asia, mostly Korea and Japan simply require more new provinces, it is elementary to add something to consider them okay, Europe is where Game of Surgeons is going down; I have ideas for a few additions and territorial tweaks, but only a few.
While Asia and Africa require some heavy redesigning, Europe just needs some tweaks in key areas.
3.) Names will be more or less English, unless there's cool - or commonly known - name for province. Suggestions about renaming provinces are welcome - Russia is tweaked already according to AGCEEP principles, which was done by McSionnagh in his project.
Implemented Additions and Tweaks:
*Korea:
#641 - Kyongju -> Pyongyan
#642 - Yalu -> Gyeongsan
#1621 - Gyeonggi
#1622 - Gangwon
#1623 - Jeolla
*Japan
#683 - Ezochi -> Hakodate (McSionnagh)
#685 - Kanto -> Chubu
#686 - Kansai -> Chuugoku
#1615 - Kanto
#1616 - Kinai
#1643 - Ezochi (McSionnagh)
#1644 - Kita Ezo (McSionnagh)
#1645 - Sakhalin (McSionnagh)
#1646 - Kuriles (McSionnagh)
#1648 - Ryukyu Islands (McSionnagh)
Please note that IDs might change. I usually leave a few more just in case anything else will get added.
Planned Additions and Tweaks:
*Separate Macao and Hong Kong .
*China based more or less upon one of administrative divisions.
*Less provinces in Mongolia (in the end McSionnagh added a bit too many there).
*Reworking Aegean Coast: Athens -> Thessaly -> Thesaloniki -> Edirne -> Konstantiniyye
*New HRE provinces: Hainaut, Trier, (...)
*Baltic Coast: moving Danzig to western side of Vistula (where it actually belongs), Thorn/Marienburg (or both) made from old Danzig as Royal Prussia, either adding Samigotia province or its territories to Lithuania (it's ridicullous you can go from Prussia to Kurland), maybe Riga and Osel.
*Rework for Ural area: Perm, Viatka, and removal of that weird Siberia going north (everything north from Tobolsk).
*Rearrangment of Uruguay to include conflicts between Portugal and Spain (Nein, #5)
*Want to add something? Then post here and present actually viable proposition, with some real arguments. I'm sure people will discuss it and together we'll decide upon whether it's gonna be added or not.
I believe that concludes the thread as for now. I will keep playing with Magellan and posting some previews for changes I have made.
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