Jobs of the past: cartographer

Jobs of the past: cartographer

My favourite job from the medieval times has got to be the cartographer, from a very awkward story I had.

The story is that once we went back from rainy day, and I was simply enjoying the warmth of the house, then I decided to play Ocarina of Time (virtual console). And you know when I play Zelda I totally forget about the world, even feeling cold is not there (does anyone else feel that numb when they play Zelda?) Then I was entering a dungeon, and found a map.
 For some reason whenever it is raining and cold I feel everything is a life lesson. So then i thought, "Who is this person who goes on an adventure, draws the entire building, and leaves it in a chest? Why? Is he dead? Or did he intentionally do it to help troubled travellers who are way inside the dungeon?"

 lava! yaay!

I started thinking that this person is a sort of life saver. Later in Majora's Mask when maps are sold it made sense. But in phantom hourglass, drawing was so convienient. Even in Spirit Tracks there were rooms dark and had empty maps. I enjoyed drawing it all up until the last torch.

 "until the last torch" hahahaha

hardcore mode

hardcore mode again

Link's awakening DX and Minish cap had some less sense maps. They just appeared when you discovered the region (in the overworld) although you do get maps in Minish cap to an extent..

But enough comparing maps in Zelda games! I can really go on forever if i had the chance.

A cartographer is a person with the arts of drawing a map. Nowadays if you want to draw a map you have to colour code the altitude ranges (in geographical maps), everything is scale drawing, and there are a lot of colour codes. I can draw maps to an extent, not always can i connect the interior of two buildings by a street. Anyhoo the altitude is the hardest part about modern-day cartographing, that is why i stick to the traditional methods. Maps are true masterpeices and we should all cherish that mental image we have of every building. It makes life look like a top-down RPG game.

same game

 different map

The other reason is because it lets our imagination draw some interesting stuff, when I turned the map of the school into the temple of the ocean king it was halarious! Oh and the spikes, miniboss traps, switches. It was the funniest day. You should really try that! I want to turn the map of the school (posted in every floor pretty much) into the forest haven next, although the school is more phantom hourglass-esque dungeon style than any other zelda game.
The only next step is making the electronic map with the GPS to use location. The phantom's location should also be included because it will also add some funny adventures.

 higher places are darker

 isometric plane showing the "higher places"

However although Zelda boosted my love for this honorable job, it is etrian odyssey series that really expresses the hobby in a rather weird way. When you first think about it, everything in boxes sound horrible. When you actually start playing the game and beautifying the map, it becomes so much more interesting. Like when you have to guess how many squares in this path is left by turning your view back and forth because a FOE is there and you need to plan a strategy to run through quickly is TONS of excitement. It is just amazing how you can find a passageway in the place that you drew a wall in, and undiscpvered acres can have quite a lot of treasure loot. Also, in etrian oddyssey YOU are the only one to decide the level of detail, YOU are the person who colour codes and puts the icons as you please, coding the icons with whatever you wish. There is even notes in the game if the icons arent satisfying enough.

scribble scirbble

 i am here!

 eek enemies!

Amazing right? I am really doing a good job by holding myself until the exams finish so that I can play this game. (However the FOEs are a little too punishing and grinding in this game is extremely hard, way more than any Zelda game). I really want to review the game but when I get further in the story hopefully.

 same map

 can be drawn

 with different levels of detail

So there you have it. True games also need some sense of important side jobs, as map making may not seal away ganondorf but it sure will direct the adventurers to the boss room. The same as how the boss in the pokemon company made you feel some idealism in this world, side jobs should not be ignored.
 (Except tingle in the wind waker. Too much Ruppees he needs, how the hell am I supposed to get more than my wallet. He makes you run in circles)
Play More Zelda!

 finished reading this? reward yourself with a wallpaper! LOL