I spent part of the past two days playing around with DynMap settings, locally generating alternate views using various settings. As a test run, I've fully generated Gondwana's 3D map (the isometric view) with the highest amount of detail possible on a 30 degrees perspective (replacing the current 60 degrees view). This full render, instead of the usual 2 hours, took about 30 to complete (and overheated my PC once!). At 3.10 GB of disk space compared to the current 138 MB, this isn't an option that I can realistically use on the server. Still, I thought it'd be nice to try out.

Click on any screenshot for a large version, in full HD.


Gondwana, in the current 60 degrees perspective and the alternate 30 degrees view
As you can see, the end result is a world that is seen more from the side, but really helps mountains and tall structures stand out.



Keystone City, in Gondwana, using the current 60 degrees look and the flatter 30 degrees one
Funnily enough, due to Gondwana's crazy heights, most of the city ends up hidden behind the mountains. You can see the gold farm at the left, along with a few houses that are high up, but that's pretty much it.


This third screenshot shows the level of detail that can be seen on high resolution maps. You can even see individual torches!



Glamar, in both 60 and 30 degrees
The mountains layout in that area makes it easier to see the town, which is why I picked it.



Glamar, zooming in
Increasing the zoom level in that same area allows to pick up a crazy amount of details, almost as if you were standing there. You could maybe even read that sign if the map generated the letters!



Ice spikes
I enjoyed this unique view!



What if this had been done in Laurasia, the main world? I estimate that the resulting map would need about 69 GB of disk space and would take approximately 500 hours to generate (that's nearly 21 days, non-stop!).

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While running all these tests, I realized that I quite liked the new, lower perspective. It adds some depth to the view while making structures (especially the tall ones) stand up against the terrain. As a further comparison, I've taken screens of Central's core area. I'm tempted to replace the current 3D map with this new version: the flat map would remain the best option for navigation, while the isometric one would highlight player's builds in a better way.

60 degrees view vs 30 degrees



All this playing around made me notice something. You've probably ssen that the current 3D map focuses only on the core areas of Laurasia, as I don't have the disk space required for a full render. That world is BIG. However, by bringing down the map resolution a notch, I'd be able to return coverage to the entire world. The difference, of course, is that it wouldn't be possible to zoom as closely anymore.


Lower resolution results
You can compare these screenshots to the two above to get an idea of the change of maximum resolution available. Maybe the trade-off is worth it?


Thoughts on this last point?

The new resolution might lose some zoom, yes, but this angle also seems to make the taller builds seem that much more looming since the view is more sideline than overhead. I quite like it, personally, and would welcome the trade-off!