INTRODUCTION
Sources give wildly varying estimates of world population, especially city sizes, in 2130BC. The campaign is going with a world population of about 50 million, of which about half are in the initial map area. This is about 25-30% of the inhabitants in a traditional Medieval campaign starting in 1000AD.
Population is mostly concentrated in the main river valley civilizations (Nile, Mesopotamia and Indus, with about 1.5 million each) and bordering territory (Italy, Aegean, Anatolia, Levant coast, Oxus Valley, Gangetic plain and Southeast Asia, with about 700-750,000 each). Beyond them population density drops drastically, inhabitants living a more primitive lifestyle, relying mainly on steppe/desert nomadic herding or wilderness/jungle "forest agriculture". The far northern regions of Europe and Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, are sparsely inhabited with small groups still living a Paleolithic life.
Details of the campaign-specific map changes & additions follow. The numbers match those of rules in the Basic Rules.
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4.0.1 Half-Populated Regions
4.1 Cities, Settlements & Villages
4.1.2 Fortresses & Monoliths
4.3.2 Trade (Silk) Routes
4.5 Terrain < mixed-terrain in Tibet updated 7/27/17
4.6.5 Sea Symbols: Calm Waters
4.7 Ferry Arrows
Topographic Changes (rivers relocated, sea zone boundaries, new islands, etc) < additional info on Saraswati River added 9/8/18
Name Changes (regions renamed, merged or divided) < changes in Gaul, Somali/Ogaden and Al'Riyadh as of 9/8/18 and China as of 6/20/2019
4.0 The Map
Less population means regions will have lower GPv than in a traditional campaign. While agriculture has existed since the Neolithic, it was mostly in scattered areas of particularly lush steppe or easily-cleared wilderness. Having enough of it in one place for as region to be considered "cultivated" by LOTE standards is rare. A 1GPv cultivated is uncommon; a 2GPv even more so. PWBs are scarce (or non-existant) everywhere as monarchs tended to spend their gold on luxuries, megalithic construction, or armies, not improve-ments for the masses.
The greatest population density is in the Nile Valley with a mix of 2 & 3GPv cultivated regions, due to a relatively constricted space. The Levant, Mesopotamia, the Oxus Valley and the Indus Valley have 1 & 2GPv cultivated regions, but more of them. Regions surrounding these lands have a mix of 1GPv cultivated, 1GPv half-cultivated wilderness or jungle. Beyond those as are 1GPv wilderness, jungle or steppe, and mix of half-populated regions.
Most homeland regions at campaign start are cultivated or islands. Homelands added on the edges of the map as it expands are likely to be half-cultivated wilderness or jungle. It will take longer to become a "real civilization" but they're more likely to be left alone while doing it.
4.0.1 Half-Populated Regions
Regions still further away from the great river valleys (and many smaller islands) don't have enough inhabitants for even 1GPv. Yet such regions do have substantial numbers of people by ancient standards. Such places could be made productive more cheaply than somewhere completely uninhabited.
To simulate this, a region with a GPv of 1 in reversed colors is considered half-populated.
How its RV is treated varies:
- for combat-related purposes such as size of native army and size of garrison, use ½ the RV rounded up.
- for diplomacy or religious actions the RV is as shown, here representing attitude not size of population.
Once Pacified, or raised by diplomacy to F status, it could be:
- colonized for 12.5gp and 7nfp as per 5.4.14.5 Colonizing Populated Regions, using ½ for the GPv when calculating cost.
- settled by a migrating nation per 10.8.3.1 Settling in Populated Areas by the use of ½ a Tribal Point.
In either case the region would now be (or remain) friendly status and have the player nation's language and religious map symbols. The player nation's society would become Caste if the half-populated region's previous status had been Pacified.
There are also more ( / ) uninhabited regions. If the region has a
icon then Paleolithic/Mesolithic hunter-gatherers are present, or at least use the land for hunting,
and they may contest settlement.
Note: for partial regions and sea zones around the map edge, if it has a name, you can move into it. If it doesn't have a name, it doesn't "exist" yet. Open ocean arrows that lead off the map edge don't "exist" either.
4.1 Regional Symbols
Terrain, GPv and RV symbols are as standard. Click here for details of campaign religious symbols.
For Fortress symbols see 4.1.2 Fortresses below.
A reversed-colors name such as
represents the current
location of a migrating tribe such as Kassites, Amorites, Hurrians, etc. They often stay in the same
region for many years.
4.1.1 Cities
Given the much lower population and primitive agricultural production able to provide food, cities are very limited in size. (Most would be considered small towns nowadays.) Those in Mesopotamia are 3GPv with about 35,000 population, while the Indus Valley has 2GPv cities with about 27,000 population. The Nile Valley cities are 1GPv with about 18,000 population (the Egyptians were less urbanized, more rural) and elsewhere cities are 1GPv with about 13,000 pop. Given the limited resources of the time, even a 1GPv city is a huge deal.
When possible cities were placed on the correct side of the rivers, but in cases where two important cities would fall within the same region (such as Kish and the future site of Babylon) one was moved to the "wrong" side.
4.1.1.1 Settlements
A city site (square) with a blue S inside is a Settlement with enough inhabitants to be halfway towards becoming a city. An average population is 4,000 but with few if any amenities (PWBs). Settlements are found within half-cultivated regions or in regions still uncultivated but with a source of extra income such as trade center or trade route.
A Settlement may serve as the capital of a Barbarian or Nomadic nation (player or NPN).
If it has a port symbol (anchor) and is:
- at least NT status, it is considered a port for movement and tracing CCR.
- at least T status, it may serve as one end of a trade route. However, since it is 0GPv no MSP may be assigned there. It may not be used as a Seafaring culture "conduit city" until it is a 1GPv city.
Once Pacified, or raised by diplomacy to F status, it could be:
- colonized for 7.5gp and 5nfp, resulting in a 1GPv city.
- settled by a migrating nation per 10.8.3.1 Settling in Populated Areas by the use of ½ a Tribal Point, resulting in a 2GP city. (The math works this way.) Alternately, two Settlements could be converted in the same turn into two 1GPv cities by the use of ½ Tribal Point.
In either case the city(s) would now be (or remain) friendly status and have the player nation's language and religious map symbols. The player nation's society would become Caste if the Settlement(s) previous status had been Pacified.
4.1.1.2 Villages
A city site (square) with a blue V inside is a Village with enough population to be halfway towards becoming a Settlement. An average population is 2,000 and living conditions are only slightly less hardscrabble than an isolated homestead. Villages are found in uncultivated (often half-populated) regions that could not support a Settlement but (usually for historical reasons) had an urban place worth putting on the map.
If it has a port symbol (anchor) and is at least NT status, it is considered a port for movement and tracing CCR. However it may not serve as one end of a trade route until it is increased to at least Settlement size.
Once Pacified, or raised by diplomacy to F status, it could be:
- colonized for 4gp and 2.5nfp, resulting in a Settlement.
- colonized for 11.5gp and 7.5nfp, resulting in a 1GPv city.
- settled by a migrating nation per 10.8.3.1 Settling in Populated Areas by the use of ½ a Tribal Point, resulting in a 1GPv city.
In either case the Settlement or city would now be (or remain) friendly status and have the player nation's language and religious map symbols. The player nation's society would remain unchanged even if the Village's previous status had been Pacified - the locals would now be statistically insignificant. However their existance as an disgruntled minority would be noted.
4.1.2 Fortresses
A fortress by itself is shown by the symbol
while a
fortress within a city (known as a citadel) is shown by a 
symbol. If a fortress is also a port, it will also have an anchor symbol.
4.1.6 Monoliths
Neolithic peoples apparently had a lot of spare time, and a mania for moving extremely large, extremely heavy stone slabs great distances. These were used for monolithic constructs such as standing stone circles, henges, passage/gallery/chamber tombs, dolmen, menhirs, etc. These are all represented by the
symbol.
All varieties are valid code type "R" trade centers.
Pyramid tombs built after the Neolithic but before the campaign start are represented by the standard
symbol, as will be
temple complexes and ziggaurats built during the campaign. All varieties are valid
code type "R" trade centers.
4.3.2 The Silk Route
The silk trade (as known in Medieval/Renaissance times) does not exist, but there is already a trade route running between the Levant and China which provides the same economic benefits for the regions through which it passes. For tradition's sake it will still be called the Silk Road (or Route).
Four other ancient trade routes have been added:
- a route bringing amber from Jutland (northwest Europe) to the western Mediterranean
- a route bringing amber from both Jutland and the Baltic coast to the Adriatic Sea
- a route bringing amber from the Baltic coast to the Black Sea
- a route bringing salt & resin from Sa'ba to the Levant
- a route bringing lapis from the Hindu Kush mountains to the Indus Valley
- a route representing local trans-Himalayan trade
All routes use the standard
symbol.
4.5 Terrain
Permanent terrain: some region terrain has been changed from mountain to wilderness or from desert to steppe. Generally these were regions where historical peoples lived, and less harsh terrain could explain how they survived there. Arabia has a number of these because the penninsula received somewhat more rainfall 4,000 years ago than now. Same for the southern shore of the Aral Sea - many sources refer to pastoral (herding) agriculture that could not have survived in desert.
These terrain symbols have a P next to them. That signifies they are permanently that terrain and cannot be cultivated. On the stat sheet they will show as "SP" for Steppe (Permanent) and "WP" for Wilderness (Permanent). There is also "JP" for Jungle (Permanent) for special swampy circumstances.
Half-cultivated terrain: regions that can be cultivated (ie not Permanent terrain) may also be "half-cultivated". Regions starting the campaign half-cultivated represent considerable "forest agriculture" in areas where farming has been long in use, but not enough land has been cleared yet to be considered fully cultivated. So, halfway there.
Regions may also become this terrain upon completion of a half-cultivation project: it is base ½ level costing 25gp & 13nfp (usual modifications for culture type still apply). It is more affordable for a city-state than upgrading from jungle, steppe or wilderness to fully cultivated in one step, and provides multiple benefits upon completion while the kingdom saves up for the rest of the job.
A half-cultivated region will have a C next to its terrain symbol. On the stat sheet such terrains would show as "WC" for Wilderness (½ Cultivated), "JC" for Jungle (½ Cultivated) and "SC" for Steppe (½ Cultivated).
symbol
meaning both steppe & mountain instead of traditional LOTE desert. This represents
high altitude cold steppe.
symbol
meaning both wilderness & mountain instead of traditional LOTE mountain only. Both mixed
terrain
symbols are the result of 
symbol have relatively calm waters
(the rare surprise storm can always happen) since
they are either almost entirely enclosed by land or are a narrow strait.