The Power of Names on a Map

Whatever do you think of this? 

A moderate amount of prep. 

Driving around in the city looking at the street signs and the Google map, it’s clear that before the advent of the car, place names referred to much smaller areas. Inside a city the size of providence (175k) there are 39 neighborhoods or something stupid like that. 

So I have decided, just decided right this minute, that I am going to give a place name to literally every hex on the board. 

This will help establish flavor and make the world seem bigger than it is. Every time the several players cross into a hex and meet someone local, we can say “this is Durkwood” or “this is Elm Grove” or whatever. 

I’ve kinda decided to use about 35 different random encounter tables anyway - one for every two or three areas. Might need more. Why not continue down this delicious path? 

After crossing through lands x, y, z, a, b, c, the several players will feel a much greater sense of accomplishment than “you cross three hexes today. They are forests.”

Additionally, settled areas have a village every one or two miles. Borderlands have a settlement every five to ten miles. So those will have to be on the encounter tables too, in some fashion. Probably nested tables.