Bandwagon: The Map is Not the Territory But It is the Topic

The hobby (and honestly the rest of the world) has a complicated relationship with maps. They seem so simple but are ideologically load-bearing in so many ways. Just by way of example, it seems like my country may invade Greenland because some dullard saw how deceivingly large it looks on a map. Laying out maps for players to make their decisions based on not only has its roots in wargames (along with the rest of the hobby) but also obviously in war itself.

That’s just a little heavy-handed windup. I’m not here to lecture you; I am here to cajole you into blogging! The blog bandwagon is where bloggers write about the same topic, broadly defined, and post about it on the same timeframe. If this is your first time hearing about this, my favorite so far was when everyone blogged about clerics after the Pope died and a new Pope was being born (is that how it works?), so go check that out and you’ll get an idea. 

The Topic:

“Maps”. The broader the topic hopefully the broader the participation. If you want to talk about how you handle maps in your games (that you run, that you write, whatever), or talk about different mapping techniques, re-name a mapping technique that someone else innovated after yourself (maybe don’t, actually), just share some cool maps from your games, or talk about how maps suck and are holding the hobby back, all of that is welcome.

However, if you want a more tailored, less broad prompt, notice the cool art in this post? That is original art from Amanda Lee Franck (author of You Got a Job on the Garbage Barge and Vampire Cruise and also probably the adventure writer whose work I have blogged about the most) that you can use! Key the map, write up setting ideas, expand on the map, change or collage or add to the drawings, do whatever, really. Here is a google drive containing the map, in different variations like transparent or black and white for those looking to remix. For the most inventive use of Amanda’s maps (judged by a panel of judges that all look suspiciously like me in different hats), I will award that blogger the inaugural, and presumably also final, “Mappie” Award. 

The link to the art for those suspicious of hyperlinks (you’re missing out): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dIujpj5hOpvO2Y_MtviX1WvryMjY8rs6?usp=drive_link 

The time:

Around the World in 80 days! That’s right, you have between now (February 6) and April 27 (the day Ferdinand Magellan was [probably rightfully] killed by native people of the Philippines during his expedition around the world) to post your post. I or my minions will do my best to keep track of them all and then round them up at the end, as is tradition, but feel free to tag or summon me when you post to make it more likely I’ll jot it down as belonging to this map tradition. 

I don’t really remember what spawned this topic. I remember (or rather, I found from a search) that Ty of the Mindstorm blog said “Wait we should definitely do a bandwagon on maps I have the perfect post idea” (I am sharing this so that Ty now has to post his perfect post). Then, by heavenly coincidence, Amanda Lee Franck wrote to me and said “I have been drawing these semi-isometric stream-of-consciousness maps and my dream is that different people would figure out what they were maps of, and write like short map keys or setting ideas or something? and that it would be interesting to see what the different ideas people came up with?” And yes, that would be interesting and cool and also gives a more immediately gameable “maps” option for people who don’t want to do some maps theory slop (don’t worry sloppers, I still love you). 

Get to mapping!

Wait. They don’t love you like I love you.