[Abandoned] Research & Conquer

[TaCktiX]

My intent is to make an 8 player version under the new sizes once this one has made it through Beta, using the lessons we've learned to make it a fairly fast map. As it is, I will not be modifying the map to be any bigger, as I am having a hard enough time doing readjustments from the small size to the large. While there will be more room for explanations, as I have the map right now I've got an entire extra line in the legend to explain stuff thanks to us culling down to the essentials. I see no need to make it larger when our point is across at the present size and to make it bigger would take even longer than this map has already taken.

[OliverFA]

I agree. It's better to finish the current map, and then for the 8 players version modifications/corrections/improvements can be made using learned lessons.

[-=- Tanarri -=-]

Oliver, are you finishing up the XML while we're waiting working on graphics? I think everything's been finished discussion wise for the gameplay and territories so that you can work on adjacencies and the positionings for army numbers?

[OliverFA]

Oliver, are you finishing up the XML while we're waiting working on graphics? I think everything's been finished discussion wise for the gameplay and territories so that you can work on adjacencies and the positionings for army numbers?

That's right. I am not just sit waiting

[-=- Tanarri -=-]

Oliver, are you finishing up the XML while we're waiting working on graphics? I think everything's been finished discussion wise for the gameplay and territories so that you can work on adjacencies and the positionings for army numbers?

That's right. I am not just sit waiting

That's what I thought, just wanted to make sure Hopefully TaCktiX has the next graphic update out soon. I think it was today that he was hoping to have it done for.

[TaCktiX]

That was before I got busy with real life. Next version will come out when next version comes out. That's the best guarantee I can make.

[-=- Tanarri -=-]

That was before I got busy with real life. Next version will come out when next version comes out. That's the best guarantee I can make.

Ahh, thanks for letting us know. I look forward to seeing it whenever it comes out then.

Is there anything else left to discuss in the meantime?

[SuicidalSnowman]

Just poking my head back in to say that this is looking awesome, can't wait to see more

[OliverFA]

Thanks! Hope you can see it soon

[TaCktiX]

I have good news. I've had a spate of inspiration and spare time and if I don't have a Version 6 on this forum tonight, it'll be up tomorrow night.

[-=- Tanarri -=-]

I have good news. I've had a spate of inspiration and spare time and if I don't have a Version 6 on this forum tonight, it'll be up tomorrow night.

Hooray! That's excellent news TaCktiX. I look forward to seeing Version 6 and getting back to finishing this map up

[TaCktiX]

Version 6

D*** straight I'm a man of my word.

Updates:
- Added a decay effect to the filigree lining the map
- Changed the bridges to be a more schematic look
- Made the large look good (harder than it sounds)
- Added a smudge effect to the geographic map to make it less bland (looks way better on the Large)
- Took into account any gameplay edits
- Minor other things I'm forgetting

WARNING: THIS IS A LOT OF VERSIONS

Small Size

Provisional Values (for debate, of course)

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88's

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888's

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Large Size

88's

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888's

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[natty dread]

Looks very nice! A couple of nitpicks:

- your signature blends in with the background so well it's almost invisible. Have some pride in your work, man

- in the large version title, the gears with the black stroke look a bit pixelated.

- IMO, those pipe-looking things that serve as a frame for the legend could use some more shading.. they seem a bit flat, now.

[OliverFA]

Great! Will look at the image more in detail later, as I am now at work. But good news anyway!

[carlpgoodrich]

Awesome! This is more than beta quality IMO. I do have a few small nitpicks as well, although they are clarity not graphics related.

Since there's room in the national pride description, can it say "Extra +6 ..." to make it just that more clear. Not totally necessary but would make sure there is no confusion about the +6 you already get for holding your homeland. No reason not to, right? Same could be done with Propaganda.

"Labs can assault all Basic Researches, TSFs and Doomsday device" makes it sound like they can assault other people's techs (especially since TSF is pluralized). How about "Labs can assault own TSF, Doomsday Device and Basic Researches"?

Even with the colors, I think we can make the Standing Army-Activated Reserves connection more clear. How about changing the name of the latter to Mobilized Army? This is remove any confusion that may occur, and would greatly be appreciated by our colorblind friends

[TaCktiX]

Looks very nice! A couple of nitpicks:

- your signature blends in with the background so well it's almost invisible. Have some pride in your work, man

I rather like it that way, being a subtler effect in comparison to the title. Oliver's name is clear, correct?

- in the large version title, the gears with the black stroke look a bit pixelated.

And I thought I had replaced everything that had blatant pixellation...

- IMO, those pipe-looking things that serve as a frame for the legend could use some more shading.. they seem a bit flat, now.

Only noticeable on the large, and because I didn't amplify the glow effect enough.

Carl, those can be done.

[natty dread]

Only noticeable on the large, and because I didn't amplify the glow effect enough.

Well, I would recommend amplifying it a bit on the small version too. But yeah, you're right, the large needs more attention here.

[-=- Tanarri -=-]

Like the other line that carl pointed out, the 'Top Secret facilities can bombard all researches' should probably be rephrased to 'TSfs can bombard all of its nation's researches' or something similiar, so that people don't think that TSfs are a way to disable their opponents researches. Given the name of the tech, I could see it easily be thought of as a spy tech instead of the research tech that it is.

I'm not sure if the question of National Pride ever got resolved. Are we having National Pride count towards all homelands that a player starts with or just the one that has it researched? This is an important distinction in 2-3 player games and may require some rewordings depending on which way its dealt with.

Regarding homelands, I believe that we had settled on all 8 regions (which include capital and mine) being part of the homeland. Is this the case? If so, then I think there needs to be some clarification done with the flags. I think some clarity needs to be added to this. The three solutions I can think of are as follows:

1) Add flags to the capital and mine regions. This could get a bit cramped though.
2) Fix the legend to indicate that all regions with the region name coloured are part of the homeland. Perhaps the flag could be replaced with a copy of one of the letters with the colour highlights?
3) Perhaps put coloured borders around the homeland territories instead of around the region names and adjust the legend to show a region shape with the coloured borders around it.

All in all excellent work on the map TaCktiX, especially the text on the large map. I really like how the small graphical changes you made enhance the overall look of the map

[Industrial Helix]

One last bit of concern: the numbers on the research facilities on the small version are a bit compressed when they're at 888. The problem is not so much that they don't fit on the icons, but rather that the numbers nearly run into the next players. I believe there is some space in width that you're not using already. You could try that. You could also apply for an extra 40 pixels or something to spread them out.

[TaCktiX]

I personally highly doubt that there will be 3-digit stacks on a laboratory by more than a couple of players, and only then late in the game as they're pushing for Doomsday. However, I'll see if I can do a little bit of right-based expansion.

[TaCktiX]

I've fixed all of the issues Carl and Tanarri pointed out. Instead of going for more graphics, I changed up to just changing the text to "Holding an entire homeland (includes mine and capital): +6 bonus".

[TaCktiX]

Version 7

Updates:
- Adjusted the spacing of basic researches on the small to have more 888 space
- Changed map text for clarification purposes
- Buffed the shadow of the filigree

Small Versions

Provisional Values:

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88 Small:

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888 Small:

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Blank:

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Large Versions

88 Large:

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888 Large:

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Blank:

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[isaiah40]

I have one small nit pick on the small. NE3 and Sw6 are hard to see and read ( I had to zoom in on them to tell what they are). I think on NE3 you can swap the flag and name around without to much problem. As for SW6, well I'll leave that up to you as I couldn't even begin to come up with a suggestion on how to fix it.

Other than these two things I don't have a problem with it. Good work, you have come a long way since it's inception!

[TaCktiX]

Which version are we referring to? Small or large.

[-=- Tanarri -=-]

Which version are we referring to? Small or large.

He's referring to the small version. I see the problem he's talking about. It's because they're in the shadows of the pipes going around the outside edge of the map. The SW6 isn't a problem for me, but on certain angles on my LCD monitor NE3 disappears a bit.