How do I make a map from scratch?

[vcczar 1,224]

I'm trying to make a map of 1637 Massachusetts Bay Colony. How do I make a map from scratch and divided it up into separate regions that will work in the game? 

[Patine 509]

5 minutes ago, vcczar said:

I'm trying to make a map of 1637 Massachusetts Bay Colony. How do I make a map from scratch and divided it up into separate regions that will work in the game? 

With great difficulty, patience, and tedium, at least in my experience.

I am wondering how you plan to divide the map. Since the colony at the time only included Boston Harbour and an area around it (Plymouth Colony separately controlled the area to the south, and the inland of modern Massachusetts had several overlapping claims to it, but was largely still controlled by Native Americans at that time). The town that were part of the colony and each got 2 members to General Court (20 or so of them) did not really control much land outside their town boundaries and immediate farming, lumberjacking, hunting, mining, and fishing vicinity, and even in the area of the colony proper, chunks of land had no European population, improvement, or people living there. Worse still, the only map I've found online of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from that era is only two steps in cartographical improvement from "here thar be serpents!" That map is this one:

 

[vcczar 1,224]

8 minutes ago, Patine said:

With great difficulty, patience, and tedium, at least in my experience.

I am wondering how you plan to divide the map. Since the colony at the time only included Boston Harbour and an area around it (Plymouth Colony separately controlled the area to the south, and the inland of modern Massachusetts had several overlapping claims to it, but was largely still controlled by Native Americans at that time). The town that were part of the colony and each got 2 members to General Court (20 or so of them) did not really control much land outside their town boundaries and immediate farming, lumberjacking, hunting, mining, and fishing vicinity, and even in the area of the colony proper, chunks of land had no European population, improvement, or people living there. Worse still, the only map I've found online of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from that era is only two steps in cartographical improvement from "here thar be serpents!" That map is this one:

 

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was actually larger than this, as it went as north as Newbury and as west as, believe it or not, Springfield, which was settled in 1636. Member of the General Court were selected by population during a 1636 meeting. Towns had 1 to 3 deputies, providing a town had at least 10 freemen. 

[Patine 509]

6 minutes ago, vcczar said:

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was actually larger than this, as it went as north as Newbury and as west as, believe it or not, Springfield, which was settled in 1636. Member of the General Court were selected by population during a 1636 meeting. Towns had 1 to 3 deputies, providing a town had at least 10 freemen. 

Well, all I can say is - my information's from Wikipedia, and, as it's peer edited; you could edit the article and provide a huge bibliography (which it sounds like you have definite access to).

That doesn't help with a map, however. :S

BTW - I don't mean the above sarcastically. I have no doubt whatsoever you speak with authority on the topic, and my source (the Wikipedia contributor(s) in question) might be at least partially flawed, outdated, or lazy.

[vcczar 1,224]

I get most of my information from the Massachusetts Bay records: https://archive.org/stream/recordsofgoverno01mass#page/186/mode/2up/search/1637

As for the map, I'm unsure if I'll be able to figure it out, which is a shame. I'll make an attempt and if it screws everything up, I might use the modern map, even though it in no ways allows for any realism for the election. 

[victorraiders 0]

thats real very interessating scenario... i have one question how i make one map?? i like create map of others countrys, and missing states like alaska

[jvikings1 40]

12 minutes ago, victor1313 said:

thats real very interessating scenario... i have one question how i make one map?? i like create map of others countrys, and missing states like alaska

You need to use paint (specifically the pencil tool)

[victorraiders 0]

Just now, jvikings1 said:

You need to use paint (specifically the pencil tool)

to subs borders line?

[jvikings1 40]

11 minutes ago, victor1313 said:

to subs borders line?

The pencil tool (which is on paint) is for the border

[victorraiders 0]

thanks i like make more governor/senator and others countrys scenarios

[Patine 509]

6 hours ago, vcczar said:

I get most of my information from the Massachusetts Bay records: https://archive.org/stream/recordsofgoverno01mass#page/186/mode/2up/search/1637

As for the map, I'm unsure if I'll be able to figure it out, which is a shame. I'll make an attempt and if it screws everything up, I might use the modern map, even though it in no ways allows for any realism for the election. 

So, I've started on a hackjob map for you. I took the modern Massachusetts map and greyed out where the Plymouth Colony would have been and where Native Americans would have roughly still controlled. Any ideas how you would like this further subdivided from modern remaining county lines, at least roughly speaking?

[vcczar 1,224]

11 hours ago, Patine said:

So, I've started on a hackjob map for you. I took the modern Massachusetts map and greyed out where the Plymouth Colony would have been and where Native Americans would have roughly still controlled. Any ideas how you would like this further subdivided from modern remaining county lines, at least roughly speaking?

This is cool. Thanks. Ideally, I would have the Eastern part zoomed in, and I'd add Springfield as a dot off the map, sort of like how the Virgin Islands or Alaska are not part of the regular US map. I'll give you the list of towns that will partake in the election when I have time. I'm headed out the door for now. 

[vcczar 1,224]

@Patine

Okay, here's the 2nd part of my response to you. According to the records, these are the towns of Massachusetts Bay at the time.

Towns:

Boston

Newtown (Cambridge)

Salem

Dorchester

Newbury 

Saugus

Ipswich
Watetown

Charlestown

Medford

Concord

Roxbury

Weymouth

Hingham
Dedham 

Marblehead

Agawam (Springfield) 

 

An ideal map would probably stretch as westward as Concord, northward as Newbury and southward as the board of Plymouth Colony, with any towns outside of the map as insets, similar to Alaska or the Virgin Islands. Maybe it would be easy to zoom in/blow up the Massachusetts map and cut off the regions not included?