For your Austria rework... Two very good maps for medieval Styria:
Thanks! These are pretty good. When I get around to making my changes, these will be helpful.
I'm still collecting resources for the HRE at this point. I had a master list of territories that I typed up, but by the time I finished there were 1,500 of them, which I obviously need to shrink down a bit.
I haven't tried it yet, but it should also work fine with HIP w/ NBRT+ enabled (and SWMH obviously disabled). That's the "light" version of NBRT+ which doesn't use custom terrain types for the SWMH map, but either way, it's a massive improvement than not using NBRT+, and hey, it's right there when you're installing HIP.
Is there a place where I can find out what these new terrains are, specifically? I would like to make a full NBRT-Compatible version, as well.
Ok Crackd', thank you again for your work and your openness to suggestions. I feel I agree with your overall design approach about the map. I unfortunately cannot help with modding technicalities that are specific to it, but I do commit to maintain a mod that adapts the vanilla de jure structure and history files to the specific characteristics of your map (without deviating too much from Vanilla itself). Now, here are the anticipated comments/suggestions about the "small issues" that I had mentioned.
Right before I get into these, I would like to let you know that changing province borders is probably the easiest part of this whole process. So, when I have finished and moved to my own version, I would be happy to satisfy your want for "Roman" province borders in the few places you mentioned, and provide them as a resource or direct to you for your own mod(s).
1) North Africa. Why are some Libyan and Algerian desert provinces that big? They would make for quite ugly borders for those people who love to play Roman restoration games (and you know how many they are; I myself have not played such a game since ages). Furthermore, the 769 map looks very weird as a result. Since these are desert regions, I do not think it is a big deal to just "cut" those provinces, like in the picture.
The provinces are that big because of the choice of holdings. Originally, I only wanted the provinces to have the appropriate holdings. The placement of holdings in Russia by vanilla setup showed me that I had to make a few significant hand-waves of that idea. But... Africa was done in the beginning since it is easily "chunked out" and can be done in one good shot, so the provinces are shaped by three factors simultaneously: Holding location, historical borders (where appropriate, like Egypt, kinda), and natural terrain. If you make an overlay of the provinces on a topology map: You'll see how many of them fit a 'natural' border based on terrain and the potential zone of control.
The two big changes: Djerba and Mzab, were made an island and a large desert province, respectively, because they were horribly-placed in vanilla. I tried to leave the inhospitable portion of the Sahara out of the equation. This makes more wiggly borders as a result.
2) Apulia, Bari and Taranto. This is the area I come from and I am familiar with it. Let me say that the shape of the county of Bari, and of the Duchy of Apulia / Theme of Langobardia as a result, looks very weird; traditionally, Bari should encompass the entire middle part of the Apulia region (the map of traditional/modern provinces of the region is
here). I see where the problem is: some baronies like Cassano and Gravina are, in Vanilla, incorrectly placed under the county of Taranto (due to lack of a better solution) while they geographically lie closer to Bari. However IIRC they never show up in game as holdings, and in any case it is not too much an abstraction to give to this region a more natural shape like the one suggested in the picture below. In any case, the province Taranto should have a "dent" around the area where the city of Taranto is actually located, something that is not represented in Vanilla and that is correctly addressed by the mod.
I'll consider making the small border change suggested, since it would take me about 10 seconds, literally.
3) Theme of Anatolia. This looks very weird on the de jure and vassals map, which are otherwise very accurate for the Byzantine Themes (map
here). I believe you might give more room to the counties belonging to the duchy around Lake Tuz, as the picture below suggests.
I actually fixed that on the master map for the same reason, which I seemed to have left out. It will be in the next version.
4) Eastern Anatolia and Armenia. I know you are aware of the issues there. Unlike Vanilla you place the county of Taron correctly; the main remaining problem is that in Vanilla the province is under the duchy of Edessa in later start dates for unclear reasons. As a result, the political map looks weird in your mod in later start dates. I suggest some changes below; but it is probably better to change the political map through history files (although the de jure duchy of Armenia still deserves some rework, at present it just does not look right). Finally, is there a reason why the province of Derbent is so small?
I'm planning on moving around Vaspurakan, Taron, Khliat, and Caesarea and saying, "To Hell" with holding accuracy. It's similar to the Russian situation for me.
As for Derbent: Derbent itself never really controlled a lot of territory. It was always a strategic location controlling the only other large pass through the Caucasus traversable by armies (The other being Darial on the East side of Mount Kazbek.). The territory under the Derbent province in vanilla actually usually was under the rulers of Shemakh and/or Caucasian Albania, who had passing control over the Lezgians who lived in the eastern portion of the mountains.
5) Scythia (southern Ruthenia, Taurica, Khazaria/Cumania). The work there is really great but the area cries for some de jure changes. I have to think about which ones. First of all, the duchy of Pereyaslavl looks really ugly as it is "separated" in two parts. Then, the county of Lower Dnestr is too big and it makes for an ugly shape of the de jure Kingdom of Taurica. I believe that the provinces in the de jure Duchy of Crimea should not extend too further inland.
Part of the problem with the Pontic steppe in vanilla is the fact that several of the place names represent the same place. And, when I eventually do the Steppes, the Duchy of Crimea will likely only represent the coastal strip on the southern half, since it would be more accurate for the time-frame. I'll consider adjusting the border of Lukomorie south, since I have no problem giving Sharukan more territory. Chortitza stays, though. I do not intend to make
any de jure with this version. For my own? Hell yes. If you want to make a de jure change - I'd be more than happy to put it in the second post.
6) Illyria. The de jure duchy of Croatia is split in two parts; this must be fixed - I think the best way to do it is just through a de jure change. Also, "Roman" players love the possibility to have a proper Danubian frontier; as you can see, there is a problem about it at the border between the duchies of Temes, Rascia and Slavonia where the Danubian frontier of the times of the later Komnenoi is discontinued. However, your choice is compatible with later start dates and "modern" borders, so I'll just leave the issue for you to think about it if you want, bit it is not really a big deal.
No de jure changes, sadly. And the southern part of the Hungarian province is done deliberately. I made this map with the intention of going no earlier than the 900s. I find the gameplay mechanics insufficient to represent earlier time periods and did not design this in regards to that time-frame. The map is available for modders to make it compatible, or make a list of suggested changes if they want.
7) Maldives. I am not showing a picture here, I just want you to know that it is *very* hard to click on the province and select it at present. Similar issues arise, on a smaller scale, elsewhere on the map (I am thinking mostly about provinces like Zeeland, Kleve and Hamburg).
I plan on artificially upping the size of the "main" island in the Maldives. For my own work - I don't think I'm even going to include them.
8) I personally do not like that provinces in Ethiopia, Nubia and Mali do not extend until the edge of the map, but I realize that the borders at present are accurate and I respect your design choice. I just would like to know what your opinion on the matter is.
Ethiopia is a mess. It's better than the first go-around, but it's a mess. I worked with what I could, but that whole area is going to get a facelift. The provinces in the Puntland region are done by design, since I am considering adding some Somalian land on the Horn. The West African provinces don't go to the edge of the map because they did not control those territories, which were controlled by peoples not currently in the game. It's the same reason Takrur and the Gambia are not on the map despite being populated during the time-frame.
It should be in defines.lua.
Thanks.
You'll have to change NFrontend values in /common/defines.lua.
I haven't played with these value too much, but I'm pretty sure what you want is there.
I may not fix it then... I know a lot of other mods mess with defines. Might have it as a separate download, though.
There's also a large problem in Hungary where one is not able to cross the Danube at certain places.
Yeah. Working on that as we speak.
Beautifull map. My Regret is that there is too few provinces in western Europe (France especially) but i guess this is necessary in order to implement east Asia. I find interraction between European Christian states and far east countries somewhat ahistorical. Personnaly i will never play these new factions but i'll download the mod and give it a try nevertheless.
Yeah. This one is just vanilla. No plans for East Asia. The upper portion of China just has to be visible to fit the projection.
I don't think he's implementing anything more than the Tarim Basin / Soghdia... If he is planning on an East Asian expansion, I haven't read it. There are just as many provinces in western Europe as in vanilla atm, he hasn't made any actual CHANGES to the map, just made the provinces look different on a new projection.
Correct. I do plan to add the Tarim Basin. Prossbably Tibet. Definitely adding provinces in the HRE, Spain, Africa, Anatolia, Russia, the Middle East, and maybe Somalia.
