warcraft-maps
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More WoW Maps using the Google Maps API
After posting the World of Mapcraft site the other day, I got quite a few comments and tweets about not only World of Mapcraft itself but other, similar projects that map the World of Warcraft. Here's a rundown of some of the links I've received. Cal Henderson, the creator of World of Mapcraft, actually wrote a post about the project on his personal blog in which he explains where he got the idea, how he extracted the data, and how he integrated it into the Google API. Mapwow.com is considered by many to be the granddaddy of WoW Google maps, and it inspired Cal to create his version. But far from covering just the base maps, it has a lot of useful menu bar features that show every thing from flight path connections to resource node locations. Unfortunately, everything on it is woefully out of date, and it doesn't even have the updated Cataclysm maps. That does, however, mean that it's perfect browsing for nostalgia purposes. Want to take one last long look at the unruined version of Southshore? You can at least get a bird's-eye view. Wyrimaps appears to be the most developed up-to-date version of WoW Google maps I've seen yet. It includes both Cataclysm- and Wrath-era maps and has a widget for resource nodes. It also appears to have the best ability to zoom, with more zoom levels on the way. Marlamin.com also has its own version of the project, which includes some preliminary Pandaria maps. Probably the most intriguing addition this version offers is the possibility of adding screenshot markers. It looks that whole WoW street view feature I wished for might be a possibility after all. As someone who's loved MMO fan cartography since the early days of EverQuest, when you had to use third-party programs and sites like EQAtlas to map zones because Sony didn't actually provide in-game maps, it's pretty exciting to see where it's going in WoW with modern technology. Thanks to everyone who commented or tweeted links.
WoW gets the Google Maps treatment
Being a fantasy world set in a vaguely medieval technology level (the odd gnome or goblin invention or steam tank aside), one does not generally expect all the perks of modern life to invade the World of Warcraft. Today, that's changed a little as Google Maps comes to Azeroth. World of Mapcraft features all of the current lands of WoW (minus Pandaria) from a bird's-eye view using Google technology. You can zoom in and try to find your favorite landmark or city (I looked for the twin pillars of Feralas and the Ruins of Southshore) or finally figure just how Dun Morogh's snow transitions into the green of Wetlands. You can even take a look at your favorite raid, dungeon, or Battleground. Alas, there's no street view, but who knows? Maybe someone out there's just crazy enough to take that task on. It's definitely a fun new way to look at the world. Check it out.
