World maps, different cultures and Axis & Allies


  • I noticed this stuff in 2 different classes in university:

    • We europeans put Europe in center of world maps

    • You americans put USA in the center

    • My teacher showed a japanese map. Guess it: Japan was in the center

    Seems each culture put her homeland in the center of world maps. Certain muslim map of 15th century has muslim countries up and in the center and european infidels countries down. Ancient greek maps have Greece in the center. Tolkien made a map of Middle Earth in The Hobbit and put the west up (west is where live Middle Earth gods, the valar).

    So, what about our axis&allies maps? Revised map is american made, but has Russia in the center, so I guess Larry wants make Moscow the center of all the game (probably by gameplay reasons). AAE has Germany in the center and AAP has … the Pacific seas in the center.

    I think this is interesting at least, how the interests of the map maker can change the map center and up zones. Maybe all cultures are etnocentrist. Thoughts?


  • I think the A&A board map is centered the way it is because board edge where the map wraps around end to end is most conveniently placed through the USA and North America. ~ZP


  • The next global AA game should have Antarctica as the center so as not to offend anybody for being too geocentric. Either that your you will have to play on a revolving globe like my avatar with magnetic pieces.

    I think USA should be just represented for the pacific side and a very small section for the eastern seaboard. Europe is where the fighting occurred for AA, but for teaching History the cradle of western civilization IS EUROPE. If they got Japan as the center its because they are concentrating on Japanese culture and history and in each case the focus will center on who is doing the teaching.

    Personally i don’t like to see any map past 1914. It offends me.

    I had a 24" globe of the world at 1914, and regret losing that because i wanted to convert it to a floor globe next to my desk.


  • Come on, guys, this is not about offenses and political correction. It’s just a interesting fact, we should notice that there is not a “normal” center of world maps, all depends of map designer. The point of view affects all things of life, there is not a “normal” point of view, there are lots of point of view, many of them valid.

    No, we don’t need a A&A map centered in Antarctica. Think about it: deploy phase, I put my new IC at Antarctica …  :mrgreen:

  • Customizer

    My History of the World Map draws the line down the middle of the Pacific; prfectly suitble for AAR the way it usually plays out…

    http://www.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/19372/Map2.gif

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