Why is the map Nepal named after the whole country?

Every other map is named after a specific place in it’s respective country.
Even if the town/city/state is made up the other maps are not called after the whole entire country.

It’s clear the map references the sacred mountainous regions of Nepal, so why did they not name it after one of the places they researched? Or even make up a name? To put it into perspective, imagine if Busan was just called South Korea or Eichenwalde was just Germany? It’s flavourless and a bit disrespectful even, like they didn’t extend the same thought for Nepal?

I know this suuuper late and maybe pointless even but I’ve always noticed the disparity while playing and it makes me feel some type of way being someone who is originally from Nepal. Not a bad feeling, mind you, just a weird/uneasiness feeling.

Could OW2 change this? unless the community just loves the name? There are great names that pay homage to the specific mountainous regions of Nepal that could replace it that also aren’t difficult to pronounce.

Top of my head i’m thinking “Annapurna” as it fits very closely to the aesthetic of the map and is a very popular tourist destination but of course whatever place Blizzard used references of to make the map would be fine too.

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Well Numbani is made up city-country like ancient Greek towns.

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The word you are looking for is City-state. Like Singapore or Monaco.

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I think it is for a geographical simplification. Objectively, the map should be called “Himalaya” only because it is literally on that specific mountain, but it is an area with several neighboring countries: Pakistan, Bhutan, China, Afghanistan, Nepal, India and Burma. But here are elements of Nepalese culture:

  • The village has the style of the poor houses of the Gurung people, spread throughout the Himalayas.
  • Shrine is a Nepalese historical center very populated that takes the style of the Kathmandu Valley, comprising three completely different cities (Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur). If you seratch on internet these cities, you will probably recognize some OW structures, but none of those represented in the game are located in the same city (example: Siddhi Lakshmi Temple in Bhaktapur and the Taleju Bell in Patan);
  • The sanctuary is inspired by monasteries completely isolated from inhabited centers, even if they are hospitable to pilgrims.

Each area of ​​the map takes inspiration from many remote places in the mountains and particularly different in the geography of a “city” like Oasis or Busan or a “structure” like Lijiang Tower. it is as if Colosseo (Roma), Rialto (Venice) and Malevento (Benevento) were all areas of a Control map, it is inevitable that you should call it “Italy”. Nepal Cover a VERY large type of area. However, this geographic rule does not apply to all maps. Ilios for example is the ancient name of the Greek city Troy, but the map is clearly Santorini. The pun is in the name itself: the siege to conquer the map (reference to the Iliad that took place in Troy, the alternative name to Ilios) and the meaning of the Greek word, “sun” (in fact it is a map always bright).

this is just a personal interpretation for why “nepal” is a good name for me, but I hope you have been interested in it as a geographical anecdote :hugs:. I personally think the name of the map is right: it is simple to name and it helps you immediately to recognize a very complex but extensive area, geographically speaking. however, I understand that perhaps you wanted to give it a sense of originality. But it’s not very annoying. but it’s definitely not disrespectful :wink:

The generalised name suggests that that’s all the country is/has to offer.

With specific names, you are lead on to believe that there is more to the country than what is shown. For example, take the map Ayutthaya. Never been to Thailand nor do I know much about it’s culture but because of the name it is reinforced that the “Ayutthaya” aesthetic is only one facet of Thailand. Same thing with Ilios, the sun aesthetic and bright white walls aren’t all that there is to Greece so a specific name helps to highlight one facet.

Specific names also suggest the door is open to future maps to be made in the same country. The door doesn’t feel shut. Not saying there should be another Nepal map rather I’m saying, every other map has this feeling but Nepal doesn’t.

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