A complete map of Hydaelyn

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

This is something that's been bugging me for awhile, so I figured I'd ask and see if anyone more astute in the Lore might have an answer.

Why isn't there a more complete map of the entire world of Hydaelyn ?

We seem to only ever see detailed maps of the Eorzean continent. The characters in the main scenario seem to be fully aware of places outside of eorzea and some (like the domans) are not native to Eorzea. So if these places outside of Eorzea are so well known, why do we not see any maps depicting their locations.

I just find it odd that the characters in the game are so keenly aware of other regions in the world but yet we have no way of referencing their locations. The fact that airship technology is so widely available makes this even more puzzling. Surely someone has used an airship to travel the world by now and made a map of it ?

Btw, Nedrick Ironheart, the grandson of the guy who made the first map of Eorzea, is alive in present times and is continuing his grandfather's work. So why does he seem to only be interested in mapping Eorzea (still?), and not the rest of the world ?

[Enkidoh]

Considering Vana'diel in FFXI never got a complete world map even after fourteen years of service (all that is known of Vana'diel's geography it has maps of the two original 'Middle Lands' continents Quon and Mindartia, plus the Middle Eastern Eradjia continent and the far western Ulbuka continent - there are actually three more continents mentioned in the story, but have never been shown or made accessiable - the Far Eastern continent that resembles feudal Japan where Iroha and Tenzen came from, the 'great south land' of Ozhirlya where the mithra originated, and the frozen northern continent of Ohzywa, where the orcs and gigas came from), and probably now never will, I'm not going to hold my breath at seeing an official full Hydaelyn map any time soon. And before you pass judgement, there is a very good reason for this - the writing and lore teams are still developing ideas for the world including new continents that could potentially be visited in the future, they're not going to yet commit to a 'complete' world map just yet in case a future addition contradicts the 'current' map, thus it's just easier to reveal new areas as the player goes along and fill in the blanks so to speak.

Having said that, we also do kind of have some idea about what the full world map of Hydaelyn looks like, based on the outer-space shot of Hydaelyn from the moon at the end of the 3.0 story (when Elidibus is conversing with Evil!Derplander and the camera pulls back to show them silhouetted against the planet rising above the moon's surface, clearly parodying the famous 'Earthrise' photo taken on the Moon).

On close inspection of the image of Hydaelyn in this scene, besides Aldernard and Vlybrand, the far western continent and what appear to be the 'great south land' of Mercyadia and what potentially would be Islabard and Othard can also just be seen through the clouds - really apart from Mercyadia it appears Hydaelyn's world map is actually very loosely based on our own world map, with some slight changes (where Europe exists in our world is empty ocean, and 'Africa' - i.e. Aldernard and Vlybrand - are a mirror image to Earth. Even what might be Thavnair closely resembles the west coast of Australia!).

But again, until future expansions/additions to the game reveal new lands and continents, take all this as just speculation (the fact that the above image of Hydaelyn in that scene mentioned resembles Earth's geography might just be pure pragmatism in that it was just easier to stick a modified real world map to show 'Hydaelyn from space' and just disguised, instead of taking up time and resources to create a new gepgraphy from scratch for a barely five second scene that is mostly obscured by cloud anyway. Remember, most players wouldn't even notice it after all (other than us of course ).

[Hinoto-no-Ryuji]

Well, the out-of-game reason is probably that the dev team wants to save a full reveal for later expansions.

In-game, it may just not have been extensively explored in modern times. Maps probably exist, but not publicly (betcha Limsa has a bunch though). Also, remember that Garlemald owns half of Hydaelyn; extensively charting Ilsabard and Othard is probably difficult when we're at war with those who own it.

[Anonymoose]

It doesn't help that there's no real sense of technological progression. We started this game in essentially the middle ages and then the steamceruleumpunk empire was cutting edge, and then the sci-fi empire that fell 5000 years ago started having relics awoken and now the steamwaityessteampunk goblins are building on Garlean and Sharlayan scraps while Cid builds on Garlean and Allagan scraps and so on and so on. It's such a hodgepodge that you can't say what tech or references should exist here and now.

Yet... You have to figure Allag had a pretty nice map of the world by the end considering spaceships and satellites. You have to figure Garleans have some pretty nice maps of Ilsabard and Othard, considering they conquered them. Jalzahn probably has a map of Thavnair on him. So why is nobody communicating and corroborating and making any joint effort?

On one hand, as Enkidoh said, the team is better off not making any commitments that can't be modified and polished a bit as that content comes out. They know at least the rough idea; hell, we know the rough idea. We just don't know latitudes and coastlines, which will be fleshed out more as region maps are made for where ever we head next.

On the other hand, though, it also kinda messes with the spirit of the world lore a bit to release the full maps too soon. Lewphon of Sharlayan made our calendar 1344 years ago. Allag was a myth until ~550 years out. The map of our own home continent wasn't completed (as far as anyone living here now is concerned) until 71 years ago. And these are all allegedly huge achievements. Until the time is right, it's kind of anticlimactic for them to load up a tomestone and borrow some foreigners' maps and be like "PRESTO! There it is! Marvelous, isn't it? Alright, nobody's gonna need that for a few years, so I'll keep it. Off to Ala Mhigo with you!"

A map arrives precisely when it means to.

[jomoru]

where would we interact with a map of the world? The larger the map the less useful it is for day to day things. I mean you might dig up the Allag version of Google earth but its probably going to only give small locations

[Belhi]

To be honest, an Allag map might be inaccurate now as well. We cant be entirely sure on the effects the calamities had on the land masses but we have had one world scale earthquake, an Ice age, and a Noah scale flood since then. Just look how much Bahamut's rampage twisted the landscape.

[Anonymoose]

an Allag map might be inaccurate now as well.

This is a good point; we know a calamity is blamed for Sagolii changing from a thriving area into a barren desert.

[Jojozan]

There also is the small matter that every now and again worldwide disasters occur that probably make previously created maps hilariously inaccurate. In fact, this last Calamity might be the first time they only have to redraw one continent.

EDIT: And ninja'd multiple times.

[Nalien]

Someone should do an analysis of Astrologians Primal Focus weapon, it's clearly depicting Hydaelyn in the middle, with the moon + Dalamud on the outer ring, and there would appear to be land masses on the "globe" in the middle... Probably too stylized (and small) to be remotely accurate though...

[Belhi]

I still find it weird the Astrologians still use Dalamud in their readings even though its not even there anymore and they now know it was artificial. How exactly does that work?