Our budding hero is now ready to pack his bags and leave the shelter of his hometown for the wider world. So, we need to widen the scope of what the player can see and build a large map with places of interest to visit.
This usually opens the floodgates for just how big your game will be. Planning can decide whether your game will be a hit or feel just too short.
Maps in RPGs certainly aren't mandatory; several hit games just go from place to place with maybe an animation or cut scene to show movement. However, in the best cases, a map just opens up the scope of the game and gives the player an understanding of the world they are travelling in.
When looking at what kind of map or world you are going to choose to connect the dots between places to visit or secret hideaways, there are a few paths you can take. Generally, there are two options: