We Need a Universal Map

[Danoxzoyan]

There are millions of regions in Nationstates with millions of nations existing.

However, without a universal mapping system, it lacks the foundational experience of all nation-based political role plays; The World Map.

Let's say if Region A wants to attack Region B while Region C wants to attack Region A, it will be hard to fantasize and imagine how the troops movements are all taking place without an officially recognized world map positioning of these regions and nations in those regions.

We should create a AI generated mapping system that automatically place nations and regions into it and autonomously spawn new spaces for new nations, and allow individual region and nations to customize their territorial boundaries.

The AI generated mapping system also can tell a player when he created a nation where he spawns and who are directly his neighbours, then we can go on into developing a semi-realistic resource trading system. If the mapping system existed, cool things can happen, for example, let's say if I want to go full Lebensraum 2.0 on my neighbour, I can click a 'declare war' button which will prompt a map simulation to spawn where it shows our territories exchanging blows for comedic effect.

[Daarwyrth]

If you want to play wars like that I suggest you try out Europa Universalis IV, games from the Total War series, or heck, why not even try out Stellaris?

For a browser-based simulation game like NationStates however? Not going to work. Besides, you'd have to take into account the fact that some nations control entire galaxies, or multiverses. The map would be of proportions that I couldn't even begin to fathom.

[Countesia]

let's say if I want to go full Lebensraum 2.0 on my neighbour, I can click a 'declare war' button which will prompt a map simulation to spawn where it shows our territories exchanging blows for comedic effect.

This wouldn't work for the sole reason that a player, especially a new one, wouldn't want their older and far more powerful nation to steamroll them straight out of the gate.

Even if they had 24hr protection, some nations here are in the hundreds of billions of people. You'd have like, twenty players at most.

It would be a cool side game but not a game-wide feature.

[Danoxzoyan]

Okay maybe not an absolutely official global universal map, but how about a scenario-specific map spawner, I mean at least having some sort of mapping system that isn't absolute would be good enough for NationStates.

For example, when 10 nations sign up and begin a role play in a thread, they can click a button to make the machine randomly generate a map where those 10 nations will be in, and perhaps as time goes on we can introduce mechanics such as customization of positions.

A mapping system that is non-cannon and can be generated on demand for specific gameplay scenarios involving select nations would be amazing, I don't think the coding on this would be too hard, right?

[Daarwyrth]

Okay maybe not an absolutely official global universal map, but how about a scenario-specific map spawner, I mean at least having some sort of mapping system that isn't absolute would be good enough for NationStates.

For example, when 10 nations sign up and begin a role play in a thread, they can click a button to make the machine randomly generate a map where those 10 nations will be in, and perhaps as time goes on we can introduce mechanics such as customization of positions.

A mapping system that is non-cannon and can be generated on demand for specific gameplay scenarios involving select nations would be amazing, I don't think the coding on this would be too hard, right?

I think players here are happy to create their own maps, national and regional, to use for RPs.

[The Sherpa Empire]

Okay maybe not an absolutely official global universal map, but how about a scenario-specific map spawner, I mean at least having some sort of mapping system that isn't absolute would be good enough for NationStates.

For example, when 10 nations sign up and begin a role play in a thread, they can click a button to make the machine randomly generate a map where those 10 nations will be in, and perhaps as time goes on we can introduce mechanics such as customization of positions.

A mapping system that is non-cannon and can be generated on demand for specific gameplay scenarios involving select nations would be amazing, I don't think the coding on this would be too hard, right?

I think players here are happy to create their own maps, national and regional, to use for RPs.

^This.

Just join a region that has a regional map.

[The Black Remnant]

A universal map, or even a scenario-based map generator, are by all means impossible under NationStates' current, well, everything.

If you want to RP out a war with someone, collaborate on a map over discord or NS or w/e, plenty of players already do so and it's not a bad system.

[Aikoland]

NationStates has free-form RP and a 'universal map' (or any form of map generator) makes no sense under that concept.

Not every nation is set in the same universe and plenty of nations already have their own canonical maps. People have been RPing wars for nearly 19 years now without issue, I don't see a need to add a 'mapping feature' will help at all.

(Let's not even get into how NS is not meant to be a war-simulator and the admin team always consistently shoots down any suggestions on features that could be taken as adding a war feature to the game)

[Esthe]

I think that it would be sort of impossible with nations being created every few minutes. The mods would have a very hard time keeping up. If you want, you could just create your own map of the nations involved in the roleplay.

[The Axis of Death]

Wouldn't that be a massive burden on the server?

Also, if this were a thing, it would definitely need to be on an "opt-in" basis.

Also gameplayers would abuse this with their mountains of puppets.

[Goraria]

There will be overlapping borders and lots of disputes plus how would the website even process a map of every. single. region?

I mean sure it’s helpful but hey only simple answer is roleplay and plus you don’t even need a map for it unless you want to then that’s fine.