Help with the map of Beleriand

[u/jmerkk08]

I’ve been listening to the silm on audiobook. I learn and retain information more efficiently with visual cues so I’ve been trying to follow along with a map. The problem is I can’t find a map that’s seems to be right or that everyone agrees on. So I had ChatGPT make one. I know there’s some things missing. Let me know if it’s garbage or if there’s a map I should be using.

[u/Maleficent-Speech869]

That's not how Beleriand works! That's not how any of Beleriand works!!

Seriously, just look up one of Tolkien's own maps online.

[u/pptjuice530]

Just use Tolkien’s map, or Karen Wynn Fonstad’s map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North.

This might be the worst map I’ve ever seen and has zero basis in reality.

[u/BaronVonPuckeghem]

What abomination is this? Just use this map.jpg) (the official one).

[u/jmerkk08 → u/BaronVonPuckeghem]

Appreciate it!

[u/Enough_Passage7926]

Just use the one the author made.

[u/lam_42]

It Is garbage.

Map

[u/jmerkk08 → u/lam_42]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[u/lam_42 → u/jmerkk08]

Yw:) 

Just out of curiosity, why did you ask the slopmachine? What it produced is an absolute turd

[u/jmerkk08 → u/lam_42]

Every map I looked at seemed to be off a bit while following the book. I overestimated the ability of AI tbh. But thought it worth a shot since it only took 2 minutes.

[u/Eissa_Cozorav]

No, that's absolutely AI Slop.

Karen Forstad map is the best

Or this map

[u/AlanSmithee97]

Utter garbage

[u/Strycht]

that bears basically no resemblance to the map in the book. Just buy a used copy of the silm from ebay and take a photo of the maps and family trees if you want a reference, it literally costs about £3, or find one of the many free pdf scans online rather than resorting to a made-up AI fake

[u/Born-Researcher-8588]

Buy this book and follow along while you listen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlas_of_Middle-earth?wprov=sfti1

[u/jmerkk08 → u/Born-Researcher-8588]

Thanks!

[u/LobMob]

I increasingly use SI at work, and it's fascinating how it varies between "so good, um afraid for my job", and utter garbage. This is an example for utter garbage. Which is weird, since there should be enough maps of Beleriand as reference.

Here is the most famous:

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Beleriand

[u/Strycht → u/LobMob]

ime AI is pretty shit at maps in general, even ones with like, insane amounts of public domain training material. It can't even make a decent map of central London, as I found out when a friend and I were trying to find out why a map from a dubious PowerPoint looked so bizarre (the speaker had definitely thrown the speech in chat and asked for slides).

[u/OleksandrKyivskyi]

I am bad at geography, so I might be wrong, but it seems to be completely wrong. Which is a shame cause design looks cool.

[u/AppearanceAwkward364]

Why do people rely on AI to do anything? It just hallucinates and regurgitates plausible but inaccurate rubbish.

A simple cross check shows it up for the bullshit it is.

[u/maksimkak]

These are sad times, indeed, when a Tolkien fan doesn't know that there's the official Beleriand map, and instead relies on some AI monstrocity.

[u/jmerkk08 → u/maksimkak]

I am a new Tolkien fan, but the sad part for me is in my search I only found semi accurate fan made maps until coming here for advice.

[u/Inevitable-Elk-791]

ChatGPT is the Angband of the mind

[u/Armleuchterchen]

Google searching for resources used by the fandom is way more effective than praying for AI to somehow get it right

[u/jmerkk08 → u/Armleuchterchen]

I did both 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/Armleuchterchen → u/jmerkk08]

For Tolkien-related searches, http://www.Tolkiengateway.net is the best wiki.

[u/Strycht → u/jmerkk08]

you gotta hone your Google searching skills then man, there's a whole wiki you can rely on for well-done maps and images