A Study of Aselia's Topography
So we all know that Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Phantasia are set in the same world. We all know there's quite a few millennia in-between the two games. The world maps we get to explore in ToS are different in layout from ToP, because it's one world split into two for the duration of the game. You had to play ToP to get a general gist of the future layout.
Let's delve further into this with maps. Lots and lots of maps.
This is a very advanced version of the map from Tales of Phantasia as we know it. It's from the GBA version of the game, so the locations are named a little differently here and there.
Based on several tidbits and theories, Cyllya made a map of the 'united world' from Tales of Symphonia, to correspond with a homemade version of the Phantasia map. Let's take a look.
See, this makes sense, right? Even the canyon where the Linkite Tree is located is a perfect match with a tower existing in Phantasia. Luin became Midgard, a city which was also destined to be destroyed... The desert is still a desert...
But then Dawn of the New World reared its ugly head and gave us this map:
... Hm. Let's take a closer look and indicate how the locations changed.
So... Wait, huh?
So Efreet moved continents and turned Hakonesia Peak into a molten cavern, the Unicorn fled North to the area near Iselia, near which Midgard was established, and Luna randomly got herself a new tower (well, she moved locations either way so it's not that big a deal)... I think that sad little Eastern Oasis from the first map is all that's left of Lake Sinoa, while Lake Umacy is gone entirely.
I can see it all working if you compare the DotNW map with the GBA map, but... It's still so sad that so many vital locations moved. Efreet presumably turned the entire Palmacosta and Asgard areas into desert, and with him out of Triet that place flourished somewhat. Rather, it became the Valhalla plains, which are barren and cold. It's nice to note the area around Iselia is still a somewhat sacred place and now home to the new unicorn. Midgard rose from the ground nearby, but I'm kind of sad that it's not Luin. It's also interesting to note the Sylph took over the mountain range that once held the Temple of Lightning, as Volt himself moved to a cave near the catacombs/mausoleum. And Gnome occupied an entirely different island. Ha(r)mel also raised from the ground out of nothing, while Cyllya assumed it came from the ashes of Palmacosta, and Venezzia is actually Katz village. Can you believe it? Meanwhile, Demitel built himself a castle/mansion on top of the communion hotsprings, and Edward Morrison built a house near where Altessa used to live.
I have no idea what happened to the island that had the Balacruf Mausoleum on it. I actually can't find it on the DotNW map, but I'm sure you visit the place in that game, so... Huh. Not sure why it's not shown. Odin and Thor gained their own religions in the span of time between ToS and ToP, so it makes sense we can't find their 'homages' on the map yet. The Yggdrasill Tree, for some reason, moved to the other side of the mountain. See what's happening, there? It used to be on the southern shore, now it's more in the middle of the continent, where the Forest of Spirits arose and also Toltus/Toltis.
And I think that's all I really wanted to point out. I hope you all found it as enlightening as I did.
Let's delve further into this with maps. Lots and lots of maps.
This is a very advanced version of the map from Tales of Phantasia as we know it. It's from the GBA version of the game, so the locations are named a little differently here and there.
Based on several tidbits and theories, Cyllya made a map of the 'united world' from Tales of Symphonia, to correspond with a homemade version of the Phantasia map. Let's take a look.
See, this makes sense, right? Even the canyon where the Linkite Tree is located is a perfect match with a tower existing in Phantasia. Luin became Midgard, a city which was also destined to be destroyed... The desert is still a desert...
But then Dawn of the New World reared its ugly head and gave us this map:
... Hm. Let's take a closer look and indicate how the locations changed.
So... Wait, huh?
So Efreet moved continents and turned Hakonesia Peak into a molten cavern, the Unicorn fled North to the area near Iselia, near which Midgard was established, and Luna randomly got herself a new tower (well, she moved locations either way so it's not that big a deal)... I think that sad little Eastern Oasis from the first map is all that's left of Lake Sinoa, while Lake Umacy is gone entirely.
I can see it all working if you compare the DotNW map with the GBA map, but... It's still so sad that so many vital locations moved. Efreet presumably turned the entire Palmacosta and Asgard areas into desert, and with him out of Triet that place flourished somewhat. Rather, it became the Valhalla plains, which are barren and cold. It's nice to note the area around Iselia is still a somewhat sacred place and now home to the new unicorn. Midgard rose from the ground nearby, but I'm kind of sad that it's not Luin. It's also interesting to note the Sylph took over the mountain range that once held the Temple of Lightning, as Volt himself moved to a cave near the catacombs/mausoleum. And Gnome occupied an entirely different island. Ha(r)mel also raised from the ground out of nothing, while Cyllya assumed it came from the ashes of Palmacosta, and Venezzia is actually Katz village. Can you believe it? Meanwhile, Demitel built himself a castle/mansion on top of the communion hotsprings, and Edward Morrison built a house near where Altessa used to live.
I have no idea what happened to the island that had the Balacruf Mausoleum on it. I actually can't find it on the DotNW map, but I'm sure you visit the place in that game, so... Huh. Not sure why it's not shown. Odin and Thor gained their own religions in the span of time between ToS and ToP, so it makes sense we can't find their 'homages' on the map yet. The Yggdrasill Tree, for some reason, moved to the other side of the mountain. See what's happening, there? It used to be on the southern shore, now it's more in the middle of the continent, where the Forest of Spirits arose and also Toltus/Toltis.
And I think that's all I really wanted to point out. I hope you all found it as enlightening as I did.