Regions and Terrain
The world map of Wildoria is a single continuous field of hexes. Up close it is terrain - the biome under each step. Stand back and it resolves into named regions, controlled territories, and the places scattered across them.
The terrain underfoot
Every hex is one of a handful of biomes, and the biome decides how it looks, whether you can stand on it, and how fast your vehicle crosses it.
| Biome | Passable? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Yes | The open baseline - most vehicles run fast here. |
| Sand | Yes | Dry flats and shoreline. |
| Forest | Yes | Slower for wheels, fine on foot or horse. |
| Wetland | Yes | Marshy ground between water and land. |
| Rock / highland | Yes | Rough going; only sure-footed travel keeps pace. |
| Shallow water | No | The water's edge - impassable on land. |
| Deep water | No | Open sea, crossed only by ferry. |
| Volcanic rock | No | The scorched ground around the caldera. |
A vehicle's speed depends on whether the biome is its native ground - see Your Own Vehicles.
Climate overlays
On top of the base terrain sit climate modifiers - a thin veil that changes a hex's mood without changing its biome. The clearest example is snow, which frosts the colder, higher latitudes. More overlays will join it as the world's weather deepens.
What a region is
A region is a large, named slice of the map - think of regions as countries, and places as the cities, forests and docks within them. Each region carries:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The region's identity, shown when you discover it |
| Climate | The prevailing weather and overlays of the area |
| Controlling power | The faction whose territory it falls in, or wilderness |
| Places | The settlements, wilds and stations inside it |
Regions are revealed by travelling into them - see Discovery. Who controls a region is a separate matter, covered in Territory.
Available regions
Starting Region
The home of new citizens: gentle terrain, early quests, and calm wildlife to learn the world on.
The world does not gate you with locked doors - it gates you by danger. A peaceful starting valley gives way to lawless wilds and contested borders the further you roam. Read the land before you commit to crossing it.
Crossing dangerous ground
Travel is never just a line on the map. The creatures that roam each hex notice a traveller passing through, and how badly they hurt you depends on how far above your own level they stand. Cross ground where the wildlife is your equal and you may come through with a scratch. Wander into land ruled by beasts far stronger than you, and every step draws blood.
A creature only turns on you if it has reason to. Wild predators attack anyone, but a faction's guardians leave you be unless your standing with them has soured. So the same patch of land can be a quiet shortcut for a seasoned citizen and a death sentence for a newcomer.
Because the threat is measured against you, the map shades each hex in the colour of your risk, not a fixed label. A corner marked lawless on the political map may be harmless to a high-level wanderer, while a calm-looking wood can be deadly to someone who arrived too early. Before you set out, the route warns you when it crosses ground that is likely to wound, or dangerous enough that you are unlikely to survive the crossing.
Push too deep while underprepared and the wounds add up. Fall on the road and you wake in the nearest hospital, patched up for a fee, with word of what brought you down. Read the land, grow stronger, and come back when you are ready.