Didn't realize you were talking about the legend. Yeah, that is kind of hard to read. Like it might say Southfast Coast. Which might be a cooler name, though. It's like everybody in Mozambique owns Ferraris.
on photobucket.com my picture uploaded to the correct picture but here on conquerclub the picture hasnt changed yet!!!! this is so frustrating. I guess i just have to wait till it changes.....
i had that problem too. Try saving your picture with a different name. Then upload the new file to photobucket. and then post the new pick here in the forums. it should work then.
Ah, the pictures have bee updated now and the Legend is much clearer. It doesn't seem to fit as much, but I'm just being picky. Look forward to giving this map a play or two.
I dislike the lion. It doesn't seem to fit well with the visual quality of the map. It's like putting photo-realstic images in a comic strip made for cartoons. Perhaps something less 'realistic' looking.
I wonder how it would look if the lion were run through a filter to make it look less realistic. Perhaps converting it to brushstrokes or something similar.
I like Marv's suggestion about the shadow, I think that would look rather nice and still give it a great visual appeal, rather than how the legend currently is. I also noticed the Zaires, they seem to be on different layers or something of the sort.
Perhaps a lighter shade to make it more gray. But definitely not the old lion, it didn't fit well with the map. But it might have been better than the shadow as it stands now. But I think there must be some other images what would look amazing, rather than the old lion.
Perhaps something similar (but not the exact image since the photo-realism doesn't mesh well with the map)
But how about something different than a lion. There are many creatures synonymous with Africa...Giraffes and Elephants...I'd look around for many images before just sticking with one. But you are definitely on the right track to add something to the legend to add a finished quality to it.
Out of the current revisions, lol sorry to say I really don't like anyone of them (I'm probably too picky, hehe). I think you were getting close to somewhere on the second one...perhaps some sort of stained glass effect might accentuate the lion.
I still think some experimentation should be done with other animals, simply for experimenting's sake. The lion is well suited and strong, and works quite visualls for this map. But try some other animals, and perhaps a few different versions of the lion (perhaps of just head and mane, to other things).