Any Territory Name Suggestions and Thoughts?

Greetings Gentlemen,

HBG’s Maps are really lovely things and the best visual feature of the HBG franchise. But the maps are not perfect and if possible; I want generally be a pain in the ass to HBG until they are reasonably so!

I’ve been picking through the printed world, continent by continent, using my historical knowledge and online research. I’ve been writing articles, citing references and attaching pictures, and making a case for name changes and sometimes territory creation.

As I’m a Canadian, and of Czechoslovakian heritage, I’m familiar with what the territories should be called in those areas, and even the colloquial regional names of regions; like the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island should be collectedly be called the Canadian Maritimes, or that what is currently ridiculously called Sudetenland should be Bohemia.

But I have lots of projects, I want to do a good job, and the time is short, shorter then we think, I see how rapidly the new maps get adjusted behind the scenes, and how earlier the seeds are planted, the easier they take root. Right now, maps are developed for what players won’t see for over a year.

I want to dig into the wellspring of information present in the players of GW36. I want to make this game map as good as possible and I could use the knowledge in your heads if you will share it.

There are conditions, and a few warnings.

The Warnings:

• I write this as a Player, outside of any position for HBG.

• I have no direct influence on the map.

• Little or nothing posted may be implemented.

• I cannot divulge what is/or what is not already implemented.

• The Conditions I state are my own, and not the standard HBG is taking.

I hope I’ve made all that sufficiently clear.

The conditions of map change suggestions.

• Map changes are for the board-game: GW36, and based on the year 1936.

• Unless the territory is a city territory, the suggestion name should not be the name of a city.

  • “Corinth” territory is not a city territory, so the suggestion can be “Peloponnese”.

  • “Athens” territory is not a city territory, so the suggestion can be “Greece”.

• If recommending a new territory, consider;

  • Is it significantly important to the game? (like adding the Jersey Islands or Aland Island)

  • Does it strategically disproportion the game? I’d love to add a Sjaelland Territory (Copenhagen Island) but how would it impact Germany?

• Which Language should be used? English or Regional. Should it be Ireland or Eirie, Western Germany or Westdeutschland. I prefer Regional.

• If possible and interested in doing so, cite sources or references, or attach pictures of maps dealing with your reasons for desiring a name change.

There probably will be a couple more conditions which I would recommend, but they escape me at the moment.

I realize that few of you will actually be interested, but tap out a passing post if you feel inclined to do so. Its no pressure.

Again, I have no authority or direct influence on the map, but am just doing what any other member of the forum could do, and throwing around some ideas.

Cheers!
Jinx

@Munck:

@Jinx1527:

The conditions of map change suggestions:

Unless the territory is a city territory, the suggestion name should not be the name of a city.

There are many places on the current map where this is not the case.

Oslo
Narvik
Stockholm
Helsinki
G�teborg
Barcelona
Liverpool
Belfast
Munich
Marseilles
Ankara
Turin

Just to name a few in Europe…

The old map clearly did not adhere to this requirement.
You write that the conditions you set forth are your own (like the one above). Do you envision all territories with city names should be renamed?

Yes its quite a few territories that are named after cities. I envision all of them should be renamed.
I’ve already done research on a few of them:

Oslo = Sør-Norge
Narvik = Nord-Norge or Trøndelag
Stockholm = Svealand
Helsinki = Suomi
Gothenburg = Götaland
Liverpool = Yorkshire or English Uplands
Belfast = Ulster
Munich = Mittelgebirge
Marseilles = Le Midi

Those are some of the ones I’ve done.

These are names that the locals identify the region with, some of them are easily understandable by English speakers as well.
Ulster, Yorkshire, Nord-Norge (probably meaning North Norway).
You can type each of these into google and it will identify it with the region.

Other territories, like Murmansk, are lesser known, but the region is the Kola Peninsula, or Tornio is Lappland, Stettin is Pommern (German for Pomerania), and Sudetenland is Bohemia.

@Munck:

@Jinx1527:

Which Language should be used? English or Regional. Should it be Ireland or Eirie, Western Germany or Westdeutschland. I prefer Regional.

I think English should be used. Reasons:

1. Some of the regional names will be hard/impossible to pronounce for non-native speakers (majority of players). Example: Hungary vs Magyarorsz�g.
2. You want a uniform way of doing it, thus taking 1. into consideration, English should be used.

I concede your point on Hungary vs Magyarorzøg, and I admit it would be overcomplex and unfamiliar.
I would suggest that territories that are named after nations, like the Netherlands or Latvia or Hungary, should retain their English names. While nations like Finland and Poland, who have several territories whose names are even more unlikely to be known, it would do no harm to rename them to their regional names.

Its true the majority of players are native English speakers, but there are still groups in Denmark and Germany that would appreciate the extra flavor especially if it only comes at the expense of renaming Gothenburg to Gotaland, or Western Germany to Westdeutschland, a minimal transition. I’m sure our English tongues can survive a little adjustment.

Also, any players of GW generally are amateur historians or at least like WW2 and some of the details.
I like the idea that HBG could produce the best map in all WW2 boardgames, and part of that for me; is knowing that the north African campaign between the Axis and Allies was fought in;

Tunisia and not Tunis
Tripolitania and not Tripoli
Cyrenaica and not Kufra
and Mutrouh and not Western Egypt.

Its not a big deal of course. Its a game. But this is about making it the perfect map.

@Munck:

What level of detail do you want to go to?

“South African Union”; the correct phrase is “Union of South Africa”, or you can just use “South Africa”.
“Southwest Africa”; the correct phrase is “South West Africa”

I’m perfectly happy with any of the three “South African Union” “Union of South Africa” or “South Africa”.
Its equivalent of “United States of America” “USA” “United States”
or “Dominion of Canada” “Canada”

They are all correct.
Go with one and stick to it. Probably best to stick with the one that takes the least amount of space.
I’d avoid “The Democratic Republic of Haiti”, and go with Haiti.

Its a board game after all.

As for South West Africa, under Germany (WW1) it was S�dwestafrika, in 1936 it was known as South West Africa and a Mandate of South Africa.
So yes, perhaps South West Africa would be preferred over Southwest Africa, as it is a title and not a direction. I get what you are saying.

@Munck:

The territories should definitely be ‘amateur ww2-historian’ friendly, like the Northern parts of Africa you mention.

Using regional names for territories that are not a whole country is a viable option.

Thanks for your thoughts and feedback on this Munck, I appreciate it.