Nice to see this continued, it was/is one of my favourite quests on this site. And as it happens I just attended a lecture about the early Roman Republic this semester (was quite interesting especially since the professor took quite a critical stance towards some of the more traditional viewpoints) so I am really in the mood for something like this.
Magna Graecia: A City State Quest
- Thread starter Cetashwayo
- Start date
- Original Alt. History
MG II Map Preview
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
MG II Preview: Map Improvements
The visual core of Magna Graecia was the map, but the problem was that as time went on there were multiple maps. Due to technical issues I was only able to capture snippets on my old computer, meaning the picture needed to fit on my screen, which greatly impeded the size and resolution of the maps I could make. As a result, there were a number of maps in MG, which ruins the scale of figuring out where you are in relation to everything else. However, with my new computer I've been able to perform a Frankenstein's operation and merge all the maps together into a single monstrosity. This has also given me the opportunity to expand the map.
Many parts of the map have been revamped and other areas have been revealed to players that were already extant (such as the Padanian Etruscans, for whom it made no sense to leave under the fog of war when they have regular trade relations with the Hellenes), but I'd like to highlight some areas that have been particularly extensively added to or are outright new.
Sardinia
Long spoken of are the sons of Norax, the Nuraghis that inhabit the interior of the island of Sardinia. Once dominating the whole of their native land, they have been pushed inland by the enterprising Carthagians, who have taken control of most of the coast. Largely pastoral shepherds and swineherds, the Nuragic peoples (of whom we may speak of the tribes of Corse, Balares, and Illienses) have a number of large fortress complexes deep in the interior, most prominent among them being the redoubt of Nuoro. The coastal plain and rich silver mines of the west have been seized by the Carthaginians, who have consolidated their control over the Phoenician colonies on the island and conquered the lowland.
Africa
Here live the sons of Carthage and the other great cities of the Tyrians and Sydonites on the coast of Africa. Not only the golden city Carthage, called Qart-Hadasht in their language, but the still independent Hadrementos, Thapsus, and Utica. All three cities are closely tied to Carthage and have ceased their feuding in days past, but they are independent still in their own affairs. The interior is under the control of the menacing Numidians, who pose the same threat to Carthage that confronts Eretria with the Iapyges. Rich and fertile, Africa is watered chiefly by the Bagrada River. Great estates of the notables of Carthage can be found along this river, and from here the most noble stock of their kind emerge. Always in war with the Numidians, Carthage's most recent triumph is the seizure of the upper Bagrada valley from the grasp of the Barbarians.
Woe be to the Liburni, wicked men that they are. In former days they had dominion over the whole of the Adriatic, but first the rise of Korinthos and now the despoiling of their navy by Eretria's finest has thrown their cities into a great crisis. Only time will tell whether the Liburni, who are loosely organized into a confederation of cities under Iadar, their chief settlement, can rise again. We can only hope that their decline is final and we will soon consign them to be ground under the rams of our Triremes once and for all.
Frentani
As we discover new peoples along the Italian coast we realize that the country northwest of the Dauni is infested with the bothersome and fierce Frentani. Although repulsed by the Dauni from their invasion of Teanum in former years, the Frentani are still a force to be reckoned with. For now, and perhaps for many years to come, they are quiet, but there may come a day where they join arms with their Samnite brothers to the south and threaten not only the Dauni but the whole of civilized Italy.
Mainland Greece
As we acquaint ourselves once more of the affairs of our Hellene fellows we find ourselves taking full stock of the complicated politics of the mainland. Not only the hegemony of Sparta or the arrogance of Korinthos, but the expansionist Athenians and suspicious Boetians are all to be contended with. To the north of the Peloponnesian League too lies the Akhaian League, a loose alliance of the cities of Akhaia. Although poor and irrelevant now, a collection of little inlets and fishing villages, the otherwise isolationist Akhaians would be well-placed to benefit from any weakness in Spartan power, particularly if they are able to court the city of Sikyon to their immediate east.
The Balkans
Few things strike fear more in any Greek than the vast expanse of the north beyond Makedon. Here are the Illyrians and Thracians, known equally for their savagery and their capability in warfare. The Thracians, it is rumored, have their Odryssian Kingdom, but the Illyrians have been a state of some confusion since the recent exhaustion of their silver mines near Makedon's borders. However, this is not a land totally bereft of the enlightened influence of the Hellenes, for one coming by sea can find comfort in the cities of the Eastern coast along the Euxine sea. Passing through the Hellespont and the city of Byzantion, he may proceed northwards to the rich city of Apollonia Magna, and beyond it further outposts beyond.
A full Preview of the related Faction Icons:
And finally, the map (fucking gigantic, it is recommended to open on a desktop):
Last edited:
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
This is a map so big I had to switch to a different image-hosting site than Imgur. It's like 8 MB. Thankfully it's not so laggy it's not functional to edit, but yes it's fucking huge.
- Location
- Voidbetweenstars
And to think as time goes on your going to have to keep adding to it.
But
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
I don't think I'll expand the map anymore than this. There's a certain point where it just becomes unwieldy, and this more or less covers everything that's immediately relevant to Eretria, including the majority of the Greek World, Carthage, and the whole of Italy and the Balkans.
- Location
- in the trash
Just how big is the base file, out of curiosity?
The most ridiculous PSD file size I've ever worked with was somewhere around 1.2 gigabytes or so
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
It's pretty small, only 4.93 MB. I am careful to make use of Inkscape's document clean-up features. It's just a bit laggy at times.
inawarminister
I ♥ anime
What, no Marseilles?
Hmm, I wonder what OTL Magna Graecia and Sicilian Poleis did when the Spartan-Athenian-Corinthian-Theban free-for-all wars were going on... That's for later I guess.
Still, it is very clear to see why the Classical Greeks were only active in Central and Eastern Mediterranean (and some trading in South France, and a few colonies in the Nile, and of course Crimea). All others are full of rival powers.
Hmm, I wonder what OTL Magna Graecia and Sicilian Poleis did when the Spartan-Athenian-Corinthian-Theban free-for-all wars were going on... That's for later I guess.
Still, it is very clear to see why the Classical Greeks were only active in Central and Eastern Mediterranean (and some trading in South France, and a few colonies in the Nile, and of course Crimea). All others are full of rival powers.
Last edited:
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
There wasn't much involvement in the Sacred Wars, but even leaving aside the Athenian invasion of Sicily you had the Athenians supporting the Messapii against Taras because Taras was a Spartan ally. They were not immediately involved, however, until the Sicilian war brought the Peloponnesian war to the region.
- Location
- Philippines
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
The Romans are the premier city in the Latin Faction, whose icon you can see on the front page.
- Location
- in the trash
...
Where are the Romans?
And just why are you so interested in those backwards swamp hicks? They are of no importance.
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
The right answer.
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
I'm not sure what you mean. I will add a legend, but what's the second part mean?
- Location
- Voidbetweenstars
It means he lacks map reading skills, sir.
Are you good at reading road maps? Beeing a good companion in the front seat for the driver? As a different example.
Reading a map and understanding what it shows is hard. I personally generally fail at it.
Idea: can you add polity names to the polity on the maps that span more than one city? I don't think there Are enough colours for each...
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
I won't add them directly on the map because it looks pretty bad with solid colors, but what I'll do is that the solid color polities with more than one city will have their colors in the legend.
KlinkerKing
Man bites dog?
- Location
- The Lion's Den
That's one sweet map, @Cetashwayo. Have you shadowed over the regions we can't see, or are you making those as you go along? I sure hope it's the first one because not even the entire Pantheon of divines could save you otherwise, editing complete maps is a monstrous task.
Last edited:
- Location
- in the trash
Not if you have the original file, with everything separated out into layers for ease of editing. Then it's considerably less of a chore.
Last edited:
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
Italy is shadowed over but it's all done, but Illyria and Thrace will probably have some work done on them later. I just didn't think it was necessary because these regions are entirely peripheral to the player and don't have strong urban concentrations (The Odryssian kingdom aside, which I'll add in later). The Illyrians in particular are on the downswing because of the exhaustion of Ohrid's silver mines, and we know very little about them until the 4th century, really.
- Location
- Orlando, Florida
@Cetashwayo So, when do you expect MG II to be out?
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
I'm not giving firm dates but it won't be until the end of August, I'm going on vacation for three weeks from the 6th.