Cartography
Contents
Description
Cartography is a skill that allows players to create maps of the land around them. Creating a map is started by creating a survey of the land you would like a map of, then using a completed survey on a cartography table to create the map. You can then copy the map, expand the map, and stamp the map at your cartography table, and prepare them for adding to an Atlas.
Required Tools
Surveying requires a dioptra, range pole, reed pen, dye or black ink, and a papyrus sheet or paper sheet, with (optionally) an ink pot.
Creating maps requires a cartography table, ink pot, ink brush, blank map, and either dye or black ink.
Stamping uses at least one stamp and different types of gems, and optionally a stamp box and stamp eraser.
Players may also choose to create an atlas to store their maps.
Surveying
Surveying involves exploring the area you wish to map, hunting down survey points and collecting data to increase the quality of your survey, which will increase the quality of the map you eventually create. This is main way to gain cartography XP, and is how you improve a map's quality. Each successful survey adds to the quality a little bit, depending on the quality of your dioptra and your skill level. You need at least four successful surveys to convert your incomplete survey to a complete survey that can be used to paint a map.
To survey:
- Drop or plant your range pole on the tile you wish to be the center of your survey/map.
- Activate your blank paper or papyrus sheet, right click the range pole and click Survey Area. If successful, the paper will be converted into an incomplete survey and a new compass interface element represented by a golden spyglass icon will appear.
- The spyglass leads you to the next survey point, which is represented in the world by a floating ball of light. Head in the direction that spyglass icon points. Hovering over it will tell you roughly how close you are to the survey point. The distances are "too far", "poor", "okay", "good" and "best".
- Note: This ball of light and spyglass icon will stay visible for a predetermined length of time, which seems to be based on how close or far you are from the next survey point (e.g. it will stay visible longer if you have farther to travel to get to it). However, if you do not reach the survey point in time, both will fade from view. If the spyglass icon and ball of light disappear, activate your dioptra, right-click your survey, and select "Find survey location" and they will reappear.
- When you get as close to the survey point as you can, turn to face the location of your range pole, activate your dioptra, right-click your survey, and select "Continue survey". If successful, your survey will be improved and you'll receive a new survey point to go to.
- Rinse and repeat as needed.
Surveying Messages
The closer you are to the survey point when you continue the survey, the more XP you will gain, and the more information will be added to the survey, leading to a better quality survey. You may see some of the following messages:
- If you do not face the right location you will get a "To record any usable data you need to be facing towards the starting location." error. If you can't remember the direction of the range pole from your current location, activate your dioptra, right-click your survey, and select "Find starting location", which will cause a dioptra icon pointing to the range pole to appear in the same compass as the spyglass.
- If you are too far from the survey point you will get a "This area is too far from the best location to gather any useful data. You'll need to get closer to the required location." error.
- If you are near the area, but not close enough, you will get a "This spot is far from the best location for the data you need, but you continue to record what little information you can from here anyway." message. This indicates you will not get the full XP or data you needed, and your map will gain very little QL.
- When you are close to the survey point it will give you a "You feel confident that you're in the best location to get the data required." message, indicating you are in the right location, and will gain the maximum amount from your survey.
- You cannot move while surveying, but you can move while finding survey locations and finding starting locations.
Painting Maps
You need:
Right click on the table to Create Map. once completed you will have a Painted Map added to your inventory, spending the Survey. This painted map can be added to the cartography table if you wish to copy it, or expand a map. Expanding a map requires 2 or more Painted Maps to be stored inside your Cartography Table. 4 maps are preferred for a small expansion (since the map formed will be a square - using 2 or 3 maps will leave a large gap on the final enlarged map.) Once selected you will get an interface that allows you to move the maps into whatever form you want with the final product being a copy of everything imposed over each other.
Stamps require a great deal of preparation to do anything other then basic graphic stamping. To create a Stamp you simply need to shape some clay with your hands. Once a clay stamp is made, you can use a clay shaper to change the graphic the stamp represents. the default is an "X". [image of stamp graphics to be added]
Adding gems to your stamp before you fire it will allow the stamp to gain additional features. Once you fire a stamp, you can no longer add gems or change the graphic. You can however link the gemmed stamp to in world objects anytime after the gem is inserted, cooked or not.
Each of the following stamps must be "linked" to something to function:
- Sapphires allow you to link a stamp to a deed somewhere in the world. Doing this will add the deed name, mayor name, and deed motto to a rollover under the graphic when you stamp a map with this. You must find the deed token in the game world, and link it directly (highlight the stamp in your inventory, and right click the token; Link Stamp).
- Rubies allow you to link a stamp to a Structure, such as a guard tower, Colossus, or mission structure. any relevant info of the structure will be shown on a rollover when you mouse over the graphic once stamped on the map. You must find the object in the game world, and link it directly (highlight the stamp in your inventory, and right click the structure; Link Stamp).
- Emeralds allow you to add a date stamp to the graphic you link with this stamp. You must right click the stamp and add a date/time.
- Diamonds allow you to add text to the graphic you link with this stamp. You must right click the stamp and add your text.
- Opals allow you to link a stamp with a location on your in game map. this will allow a player to click on this stamp in the game map, creating a popup link to the atlas map of that location, if you have the Atlas available in your inventory. You must stamp your in-game map and then your painted map in turn in order to link one to the other.
Skills & Characteristics
- Cartography
- Mind > Mind logic
- Body > Body stamina
Titles
- Mapmaker from Journal, Introduction: Cartography
- Philatelist from Journal, Introduction: Stamps
- Surveyor at 50 skill
- Geographer at 70 skill
- Cartographer at 90 skill
