Population & Land Mass

Like most games, the actual size of the map is smaller than the fictional size of the map. This page will detail the comparative values of actual map size to fictional map size.

Actual Map Size

The main world map on Sanctuary is 6144 tiles by 4096 tiles. Assuming each tile is 3 feet, the actual map is 3.5 miles across by 2.3 miles tall. This is obviously not large enough to literally sustain the type of medieval population we need for the story line conflict.

Luckily, gamers are used to having a smaller actual map than their impression of the fictional world, and the largest of the UO world maps is rather large; so let's continue on.

Population Centers

There are 5 major population centers with a large castle, one in each kingdom. There are 20 more strongholds (aka fiefdoms, holdfasts, fortified manor house or forts) on the map, approximately 4 per kingdom. These strongholds are the land based locations for the rest of the noble houses. Then there is another few dozen of small villages scattered around the world.

The game begins with the 5 capitals, and 5 additional strongholds, and 2 villages. The average stronghold is about 100x100 tiles with a few out buildings and a main keep or fort. The villages are slightly larger but their main manor houses are smaller. Additional stronghold and villages will be built over time.

Hex Map Setup

The hexes, as seen in RPCSS, are approximately 128 tiles across and 112 tiles tall. This makes a hex actually less then a tenth of a mile across. A hex will completely contain a village or stronghold, and 3-6 tiles can hold each of the 5 capitals.

Fictionally we are saying that a hex is 10 miles across, or rather a 10 mile travel from the center of one hex to the center of another hex ... approximately. This makes the map 48 miles across and 36.5 miles top to bottom, still not terribly large, but given a high population density, good enough.

Population

A noble house is assumed to reasonably control the hex of their stronghold, and 6 more around it. The maximum any house can control is 10 hexes. The average population of a settled hex is about 5,000 people, the population of the capital is higher per. This means that a noble house is responsible for approximately 50,000 people living on their land even if that is only represented by a handful of in-game villages.

Army Unit

A single army unit is based on 100 men. Armies can hold up to 4 units of men, and the largest noble houses can field 1900 men. If all 5 houses in a kingdom are united in combat, a kingdom has just under 10,000 armed forces. This is perfectly reasonable for the early Middle Ages.

Travel

An army can travel just over 10 miles in a day, or exactly 7 tiles in a week in RPCSS.