The Coordinate System

The Coordinate system in the world is relatively simple, and it’s likely that most players in this world are already perfectly well aware of how it works. There are a few tricky bits to the coordinate system however, and it’s entirely possible that some of you do not even know that it exists. I didn’t notice it myself until a fellow traveler mentioned it at the end of the labyrinth. In my work with the “thing whose properties are not to be spoken of” I began exploring the coordinate system to see if I could find a connection. While I am currently rather convinced that no such connection exists, I know what your thinking, sad pants, and I agree, it did lead me to an understanding of the coordinate system that I had previously been ignoring.

In Magic duel the coordinate system looks as such; #_#x#_# where the symbol # represents numbers, not necessarily the same number in each case, I know, it’s a pretty out there representation, but stick with me. It may seem confusing to you that there are four coordinates in a world that exists in three dimensions, four if you count time. So the question you might have is thus: Does one of these coordinates change with time? The answer is no, it does not, and believe it or not this is in fact a coordinate system containing only three variables for each sort of location. What do you mean, there are clearly 4 numbers involved in each coordinate? you might ask, but probably wouldn’t because you probably already know how this works.

Here’s the dilio, as you travel from location to location you will notice that, at least if you are in No Man’s Land or Marind Bell, or even Golemus, that the coordinate system is 1_#x#_1. As you move left you find that the new coordinate is 1_(#-1)x#_1. As you move up you find the new coordinate to be 1_(#-1)x(#+1)_1. As such we will call right the positive i axis and up the positive j axis. I would love to go with x and y, 1_xxy_1 is just confusing. You’ll notice that the Gazebo of Equilibrium, the center of the world, is at the coordinate 1_0x0_1. But I’ve been to locations nowhere near the Gazebo with coordinates like i=1 j=0. Well sure you have, and my guess would be that location is the MDA lands, but what do I know?

Here’s the trick. The coordinate system throughout No Man’s Land, MB and Golemus, at least from what I’ve seen, (and I would guess Necrovion as well) only goes from -5 to 5 (this is a guess, as I am not entirely sure I have ever seen a positive 5 value) in each direction. Go to Wind’s Sanctuary, just outside, not the building itself, and you’ll notice that you are at 1_4x4_1. Go one up and you will find yourself at 3_4x-4_1. This is strange, it’s like you’re in an entirely new coordinate system, why? Because the MDA lands don’t fit on the map in the original 10×10 grid it starts a new coordinate system over again, centered on a different location and with the 3 in front as all areas outside in the MDA lands have. One might find the central location that the coordinate system in this land interesting, especially seeing as how one can’t get there…

The thing is the leading value is simply a denotation for what area you are in. Each different number represents a different area, though I’ll let you figure out what’s what. The final value simply changes as as you enter a different “view” at the same grid location. The most dramatic area this can be seen in is the Archives. Every time you move inside the Archives the final number is the only one that will change. This is to ensure that every “view” has a unique coordinate.

So there you have it, the center numbers, the i` and j coordinates, describe a location, where the “third coordinate” describes the uniqueness of a “view” if you will. So next time you see someone listed in an unmapped territory with a ridiculous coordinate such as 4_1x2_5 you can head off to the Archives.