One of the aspects of massively multiplayer worlds that makes them so attractive is their world. That's not just an MMO's open world, the explorable element of gameplay, but the cohesiveness with which an MMO makes its world feel real. That's the challenge every MMO faces, including Amazon's upcoming release New World. Surprisingly, there's a very effective device that helps especially well for fantasy MMOs like New World -- a map. New World has already shown its strength in this regard, with fans embracing the MMO's map.
Redditor jasonjulias decided to share a project they'd finished on the New World subreddit recently. They compiled pieces of an interactive New World map from the MMO's official website into a single 2D piece. In effect, they've reproduced a map made internally by New World's development at Amazon that wasn't fully available to the public just yet. The result is an impressive 8192 by 8192 resolution map of New World's Aeternum.
What's particularly drawing about the map, however, is that it's very aesthetically impressive. It features a hand-drawn style, as if it was inked on actual parchment. That means, however, that it's not really a map intended for use as opposed to simply being fun to look like. The text is unfortunately quite small and unreadable for the map's smaller outposts and locations, whereas the New World interactive map would all players to zoom in to make names legible.
Painted Paper Map of Aeternum for all your RP needs. Larger 8192x8192 Resolution is Linked in the Comments. from newworldgame
For New World fans who want a map that's more practical, Amazon is selling a collector's edition item for the MMO separate from the game. It includes a Steel Book, as well as a map for New World, but no copy of the game. The map focuses on the physical details of Aeternum rather than locations and names, which is much more appropriate for exploration than jasonjulias' map.
Obviously, if the developers at Amazon wanted to, they could release a high-resolution version of the New World map, too. As excellent as jasonjulias' compilation of map bits from the official New World website is, something official would likely be even better. For now, however, the compilation is excellent.
One other very fun part of the map is how clear it is that Amazon's developers could expand the world of New World with relative ease. There's land to the west, northwest, and north that's left unexplored. There's the possibility of other landmasses to the east and south. That's what maps do well, particularly for MMOs. They make fans look not just at what's been drawn in, but the empty spaces left between. That's what makes this New World map quite special.
New World releases September 28 on PC.