What i did find was that Almanc's for 1014, 1015 had a claim at the beginning that Mystara was larger. So checking details.
Distence in Miles
Diameter 6,190
Equator 19,400
Surface Area 105million sqMiles minus polar openings
From the map in the Rules Cyclopedia and Poor Wizards Almanc II
Distance between the Equator and 30*Latitude is 25x 72 mile Hex's or 1800 miles.
Mapping onto a normal sphere with no Polar openings we can calculate distance's and areas from this measurement.
Geek moment :D
Eratosthenes Greek astronomer 270-194BC calculated the circumfrence of the earth to within 15 miles. By measuring the angle of the shadow cast by an obelisk in Alexandria, Egypt, at noon on the summer solstice. He already knew that in the south on the same day a well cast no shadow. Showing that the sun was directly overhead there. From this, he used geometry to find the Earth's circumfrence.
The distance from the Pole to the Equator is 3x 1800 = 5400 miles
Planets circumfrence is 4x5400 =21,600 miles
Maths bit
Circumfrence = Pi x radius x 2
Area of a sphere = 4 x Pi x radius sq.
Knowing the circumfrence we can back track the equation to learn what the Radius is.
Pi x ? x 2 = 21,600
21,600 / Pi = radius x 2
radius = 3438 approx. miles
So the area of Mystara = 151,136 040 sq miles
Given that you should lose area for polar openings.
Mystara surface area without polar openings = 120, 373 580 sq miles
So loss of 15 million sq miles for polar openings approx.
Land loss on a larger globe would result in less land loss due to curvature etc. But will take the same difference of the new result.
Still leaving us with a new surface area =136 million sq miles
Net gain 31 million sq miles
Or to give you some perspective on it.
A area larger then the Eurasia Continent at 21, 197 792 sq miles. Thats Europe and Asia combined 1/3 of Earth's land mass.
Ps the difference in circumferences on Earth, between the Equator and Polar measurements is only approx. 27 miles.
It may shed some light on mapping difficulties.
It may shed some light on mapping difficulties.
Hmmm...yes... :whatsthis
Feeling a bit out-geeked ;)
Håvard
What i did find was that Almanc's for 1014, 1015 had a claim at the beginning that Mystara was larger. So checking details.
Distence in Miles
Diameter 6,190
Equator 19,400
Surface Area 105million sqMiles minus polar openings
I always had the impression that Mystara was smaller than earth. The circumference of Mystara as given in the RC is 19,448 miles; Earth's is just over 24,900 miles. It's interesting that you've arrived at a larger circumference than the RC at 21,600 miles (but still smaller than Earth's).
OTOH, The world map in the RC gives a distance of approx. 2300 miles from equator to 30° Latitude using the scale, quite a bit more than your 1800 miles from counting hexes. So the RC's scale and circumference data seem inconsistant. As people have discovered, mapping Mystara can lead to a lot of
and 
, but makes the satisfaction and reward that much greater!Very interesting stuff there, PointMan.
:surrender Aside from not following your maths (OK I didn't try - nice work though) I can throw one spanner at the works. Mystara was originally supposed to BE earth some several million years ago (I can never remember how many). This ws before the name Mystara was invited, but this theory was carried all the way up through Gaz 3 which finally gave the explanation for the postulated drian of magic from the world. All the outer world maps were based on the best guess of techtonic plate positions for that date. Needless to say it was nicely between the dates of any of the maps in my geology textbooks at school. (For those who understand it was O'level back in 1986 - yes I too am old.)
Question - did my spanner hit?
EDIT: Don't forget that the earth is not a sphere, and the difference does matter on the scale you are dealing with!
I always had the impression that Mystara was smaller than earth. The circumference of Mystara as given in the RC is 19,448 miles; Earth's is just over 24,900 miles. It's interesting that you've arrived at a larger circumference than the RC at 21,600 miles (but still smaller than Earth's).
OTOH, The world map in the RC gives a distance of approx. 2300 miles from equator to 30° Latitude using the scale, quite a bit more than your 1800 miles from counting hexes. So the RC's scale and circumference data seem inconsistant. As people have discovered, mapping Mystara can lead to a lot of
Yes, the Mystara circumference is 19,448, I think that was for the equator. And to fix the problems caused by this when reconciling it to other maps, the easiest thing to do is assume that Mystara is not a sphere.
And since Earth is not really a sphere either...
Earth is classed as a Geoid, the difference in diameter's as mentioned though is just 27 miles. The Equator is fatter, with the poles squashed in slightly due to the Earth's rotation.
The effect this might have on Mystara though, maybe lesser as the surface is a thicker surface of solid rock. Or greater as it is hollow.
- 24 x 15* = 360*
-24 x 1872 = 44 928 mile circumfrence making Mystara massive?
PWA 1010AC, map at back of book shows the Alphatian Sea Post Apocalypse. Here we see the distence between 30 and 45 degree latitude, as 26 x 72 mile hexs = a distance of 1872 miles per 15 degrees.
- 24 x 15* = 360*
-24 x 1872 = 44 928 mile circumfrence making Mystara massive?
I think you mistook the northern tropic for 30 degree line.
Equation should be
-17.5 x 72 miles = 15* degrees
-17.5 x 72 = 1260 miles
-360* / 15 = 24
-24 x 1260 = 30 240 miles
Still greater then Earth or Mystara though.