Tales Of Transylvania [Second Draft]

[ga7]

Welcome to Transylvania, a mythical land where legends unfold!

(will put a nicer presentation later )



First Draft

General Notes :
*As this is a fantasy map, geographical and historical reality has little to do with it.
*This is a joint work, Androol is responsible for graphics while I focus on gameplay.
*Here's the map we used as background, from 1645 : http://www.library.ucla.edu/yrl/reference/maps/blaeu/transylvania-preview.jpg

Gameplay Notes :
*48 territories and 10 zones
*Portals aren't part of a continent or giving any bonuses
*Werewolves zone : working similarly to the Kings in KOTM on a smaller scale and less accessible
*The bonuses values were basically picked using Samus' formula and adding 1, to the exception of the Humans zone (-1) and the Dracula zone (+1) for setting reasons. Any suggestions regarding them, as well as borders/connectivity would be appreciated in any case!

-To Do List
-Some borders to fix
-Some names to change
-Legend to clean up
-Army shadows
-Small map
-XML

[KEYOGI]

Go read the How to Make A Map thread and start again.

[ga7]

I did read this thread, can you be more specific?

[Herakilla]

my eyes said ow

maybe make the colors less conflicting? they look nice dont get me wrong, but the current colors will make playing it hard

[mibi]

It's a good start, and I like the vampire theme. But there is a lot of visual clashing going on. All the different textures do not add up to something that is visually appealing. Also the territory borders look a bit confusing since everything is clashing so much. I can see where each individual territory is but I can't get an overall sense of the game play. I suggest you find a way to unify the visual aspect of this map.

I like vampires, and hope to play this map one day.

[ga7]

Thanks for the feedback, we'll see what we can do ^^
Do you think textures need to be toned down or something else?
In any case, it was a wanted effect to have strong textures to fit the fantasy theme, of course making it hard to play isn't a wanted one

[Spritzking]

let me first say, i like the idea of the map, and think you have a good head start to make something nice out of it.

still there are some things for improvement:

conflicting backgrounds is alreadt issued, probably a solution:

use the same background for continents, and just change colors. or slightly change the backgroundtexture.

also the text is needing some calmness.

all in all, i can say, wipe out the unneccasarry litte thingies. and give it a calm feeling.

maybe you could do the background painting, while thinking of a green forest with a little river and some deers in stead of a dark pine wood, with trolls and werewolves. I think your map will still be wild enough if, you just just brown/darkgreen pastelcolors.

also you good use more common pictures, that you use in the whole map. not every territory that has his own borderpicture etc...

good luck!

[KEYOGI]

I did read this thread, can you be more specific?

Step 2). Image Creation——Create a visual layout of the map in your grahpics program of choice (excluding MS Paint).

• Include a working legend with speculative bonuses, tentative border divisions, names, barriers, colors and textures, aesthetic images (I.E. compasses, picture designs, etc), and background image (I.E. ocean or something to discriminate the playing field).
• A map should be ‘inherently unique either in gameplay, location, or style’ . Maps that aren't just the same tried and true formula from the Classic Map disguised will be more successful.
• Every effort should be made to acquire express written consent for a map based on Copyrighted works. In the event that no response is given by the Copyright holders, the map can still be made, but must consist of completely original artwork.
• Host the image using Photobucket.com or something similar. The type of image file must be PNG, GIF, or JPEG. You must design two versions of the map: a small (up to 600 px wide), and a large (up to 800 px wide). Height is flexible, but it is recommended that you do not exceed 350 px on small maps and 600 px on large maps so that users will not need to scroll down to attack.

[DiM]

i have one big problem. being a Romanian i have to say i never heard of those territories in my country.

obviously it is a mixture of names invented by you, some romanian names and some troop names lus other random names like fire, cattle etc.
unfortunately this has nothing to do with Transylvania.

2 minor problems.
1. Dracula never existed. he is inspired from Vlad Tepes (a Romanian leader).
2. Vlad's castle was named Bran and Bran Castle is not in the middle of Transylvania like you put it.

[gimil]

DiM u never make it easy in the foundry lol

[DiM]

DiM u never make it easy in the foundry lol

hey i'm just here to provide feedback. as i said there are 2 minor problems. and when i say minor i mean they can be overlooked for various reasons.

but the fact that i see cattle or fire as names for regions in my country is just disturbing.

what would you say if on the british isles map you'd have "kitchen" or "barn" instead of real names?

[The Random One]

Obviously, this map takes place in a parallel universe where vampires exist and Transylvania remains an independent territory. And Romania was absorbed by, um, Quebec.

Seriously though, I like the theme, but start over, with simpler textures, so that we can see more clearly the outline of the countries and if their bonuses are correct. (By we, I mean the forum, of course - I myself couldn't see an error in a map with a single border, 8 armies bonus continent if it was rubbed across my face.)

Has anyone realized how almost every new map is either an MS Paint doodle or a texture heavy piece of modern art that causes eyes to explode?

[gimil]

mines arnt

[Steel Panzer]

i think the idea is rather great but here are some of the problems i see for now:
1.the text is too bright try lowering down
2.i've seen you altered english, with some romanian words i suggest just or trying to make the map with romanian words or just make it english, you could keep for example Olt Camp, but scrap Varcolac, it just doesn't go with Ghoul
3.i guess you made it all fictional because there weren't any teutonic knight in romania as i recall , even the turks are quite misplaced
4. try thinking about other names, i have to agree with DiM territories like Fire, Fields, Cattle just don't go here
5. also try lowering down the territories colors, it just hurts my eye, they are great but just too bright

thats it for now .

[RjBeals]

Good idea. But a transylvania theme should be darker. I don't think the tan map "background" areas works. I would think dark blues & reds & black would be more fitting. You need blood somewhere on this map though.

[gimil]

ive got an excellent set of PHOTOSHOP blood brushes that i can give if u want them =) but only if i acn find them lol

[ga7]

First of all thanks for your feedback!

Every effort should be made to acquire express written consent for a map based on Copyrighted works. In the event that no response is given by the Copyright holders, the map can still be made, but must consist of completely original artwork.

Then I don't see the problem, because this map is in public domain. We're not keeping much of it in any case, mostly the mountains.

obviously it is a mixture of names invented by you, some romanian names and some troop names lus other random names like fire, cattle etc.
unfortunately this has nothing to do with Transylvania.

As said in the first post this is a fantasy map, with little to do with history and geography. I thought of keep the emplacement of Bran castle at first but it changed during the areas organization

1.the text is too bright try lowering down

I agree, the font/effect will be changed, when the names will be definitive.

2.i've seen you altered english, with some romanian words i suggest just or trying to make the map with romanian words or just make it english, you could keep for example Olt Camp, but scrap Varcolac, it just doesn't go with Ghoul

That makes sense, we'll scrap the romanian names to add consistency. Since Mures and Olt are the rivers we kept I guess we can keep the names for them...
For the rest of the names, well, I'm open to suggestions, but it only makes sense to me to have names representing the different creatures we used as areas. For the Mage one Tower of Fire etc, but I agree for Humans it's not very inspired

Good idea. But a transylvania theme should be darker. I don't think the tan map "background" areas works. I would think dark blues & reds & black would be more fitting. You need blood somewhere on this map though.

There was blood originally, but it didn't go too well. Tho there will be in the title which is not done yet, and we'll see if we add more decorum.

ive got an excellent set of PHOTOSHOP blood brushes that i can give if u want them =) but only if i acn find them lol

That could be nice if you find them, thanks!

For now the main opinion is that the map is too agressive in its visuals. I'll see what Androol can do and hopefully we'll have a better second draft soon!

[KEYOGI]

No drama in regards to the copyright then, thanks for clearing that up.

[unriggable]

I have never seen a more complicated map in my life.

[The Random One]

Only now I noticed this...

1. Dracula never existed. he is inspired from Vlad Tepes (a Romanian leader).

Bram Stoker's Dracula never existed (duh), but Vlad Tepes was known as Dracula. His father was know as Dracul. Dracula means Son of Dracul. (And now I'd post a link to Vlad's Wikipedia page if I wasn't both lazy and late).

I have never seen a more complicated map in my life.

I can't agree, since the textures are so heavy I can't make out how it plays.

[hulmey]

Is this your artwork or have just copied and stuck a legend on?

[DiM]

Only now I noticed this...

1. Dracula never existed. he is inspired from Vlad Tepes (a Romanian leader).

Bram Stoker's Dracula never existed (duh), but Vlad Tepes was known as Dracula. His father was know as Dracul. Dracula means Son of Dracul. (And now I'd post a link to Vlad's Wikipedia page if I wasn't both lazy and late).

from wiki:

Vlad III the Impaler (Vlad Ţepeş IPA: ['tsepeʃ] in common Romanian reference; also known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad Drăculea and Kazıklı Bey in Turkish; November or December, 1431 – December 1476) was Prince (voivode) of Wallachia, a former polity which is now part of Romania. His three reigns were in 1448, 1456–1462, and 1476. In the English-speaking world, Vlad is best known for the legends of the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign, and serving as the inspiration for the vampire main character in Bram Stoker's popular Dracula novel, though to an extent that has been greatly exaggerated.

As Prince, he led an independent policy in relation to the Ottoman Empire, and in Romania he is best remembered as a prince with a deep sense of justice and a defender of Wallachia against Ottoman expansionism. His impact on the expansion of the Ottoman Empire is recognizable in that his successful hold against them bought precious time for Western Europe.


His Romanian surname Drăculea (transliterated as "Dracula" in foreign languages of the historical documents where his name is mentioned) is a name derived from his father's title Dracul and means "Son of the Dragon" (see Vlad II Dracul); the latter was a member of the Order of the Dragon created by Emperor Sigismund. Vlad's family had two factions, the Drăculeşti and the Dăneşti. The word "dracul" means "the Devil" in modern Romanian but in Vlad's day it also meant "dragon" or "demon", and derives from the Latin word Draco, also meaning "dragon".

His post-mortem moniker of Ţepeş (Impaler) originated in his preferred method for executing his opponents, impalement - as popularized by medieval Transylvanian pamphlets. In Turkish, he was known as "Kazıklı Bey" IPA: [kɑzɨkˈɫɨ] which means "Impaler Prince". Vlad was referred to as Dracula in a number of documents of his times, mainly the Transylvanian Saxon pamphlets and The Annals of Jan Długosz.

so in short Dracula is a product of western imagination with little or no connection to the actual prince.

Though Irish author Bram Stoker uses Vlad's name and locations in Transylvania and Wallachia in his 1897 novel Dracula, there is no documented proof that the historical figure is directly related to the literary character

[snufkin]

so in short Dracula is a product of western imagination with little or no connection to the actual prince.

The fact that the legend is "greatly exaggarated" does not mean that there is "no connection to the actual prince"..

Dracula was a real person. ..though he probably couldn´t fly.

[DiM]

so in short Dracula is a product of western imagination with little or no connection to the actual prince.

The fact that the legend is "greatly exaggarated" does not mean that there is "no connection to the actual prince"..

Dracula was a real person. ..though he probably couldn´t fly.

bram stoker never said he inspired his work from vlad tepes. it's all speculation. yes everything points to vlad tepes and probably that was the inspiration source but we have no proof of that.

[Syzygy]

I think this map has great potential.

Considering that this is the 1st draft, I'm impressed.