[Abandoned] - Zodiac Map

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lostatlimbo
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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by lostatlimbo »

Every time I click on this post, I expect to see something different than what is here. Nothing about it really captures the zodiac. It really just feels like another "Space" map - and we've already got two of those.

I agree that showing the traditional "figures" of the constellations makes a lot more sense than a bunch of colored dots.

Thematically, what does the black hole have to do with the zodiac? I agree that the Earth (or the Sun) would make a lot more sense here than a random black hole. You could easily keep the zombie neutrals (the Earth's inhabitants are rather... transient).

I keep wanting to like this map, but it just isn't there yet. I think you should try going back to the drawing board. It could be a good map, but it has an identity crisis.
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lostatlimbo
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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by lostatlimbo »

At the very least, you should have the symbols on the map somewhere

http://www.rbamusements.com/zodiac.gif

Another idea would be to explore the Zodiac Circle commonly used in Astrology

http://www.horoscoper.net/images/jpg/Zo ... s-1585.jpg

And lastly, rather than focusing on the "seasons" (which doesn't really make much sense in this context - having sun & snowflakes makes this map very Northern hemi-centric), why not use the astrological Elements of the zodiac.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_o ... the_zodiac

Again, I think this could be a great map, but do some more research and try to re-think it a bit.

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natty dread
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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by natty dread »

lostatlimbo wrote:Seriously, dude, Papyrus is awful.


Not awful as much as overused.

It sort of fits the theme here, in the sense that every crackpot site about astrology, chakra energies and healing crystals used papyrus at one point... ;)

But I don't think that kind of association is really good for the map, so I recommend changing the font.
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rsacheli
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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by rsacheli »

lostatlimbo wrote:At the very least, you should have the symbols on the map somewhere

http://www.rbamusements.com/zodiac.gif

Another idea would be to explore the Zodiac Circle commonly used in Astrology

http://www.horoscoper.net/images/jpg/Zo ... s-1585.jpg


I will incorporate those similar to the first link... but i dont have the time to create the actual creature type that everyone wants to see...

lostatlimbo wrote:And lastly, rather than focusing on the "seasons" (which doesn't really make much sense in this context - having sun & snowflakes makes this map very Northern hemi-centric), why not use the astrological Elements of the zodiac.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elements_o ... the_zodiac


Had it and people didnt like it in game play...
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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by rsacheli »

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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by natty dread »

The first one is marked "free for personal use" so you can't use it here...
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Re: Zodiac Map(v6.4.5 on First post and page 16)

Post by rsacheli »

i changed the font and now need to adjust the glows on them to make them more readable... update coming very soon!
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by rsacheli »

[bigimg]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f342/naverue/CCMap/Zodiac7.jpg[/bigimg]
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Victor Sullivan
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by Victor Sullivan »

Well, this map got a whole lot sexier. Maybe use a secondary font for the smaller text, it's a tad hard to read. And the Spring/Summer/Winter/Fall thing at the top-right is really squished, see if you can make it less. And maybe explore new background images, this one doesn't have really anything distinguishable. Also, change your signature font.
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ender516
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by ender516 »

If you are no longer doing the elements and the seasons, then maybe the colours need to be unified. I mean, if Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces are all winter blue in the legend, shouldn't they be the same on the map?
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by Victor Sullivan »

ender516 wrote:If you are no longer doing the elements and the seasons, then maybe the colours need to be unified. I mean, if Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces are all winter blue in the legend, shouldn't they be the same on the map?

Well, the issue there is they're all adjacent bonus areas, so it'd be hard to distinguish between them.
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by ender516 »

Then change the legend to use the proper colours. The seasons are denoted by the symbols on the troop circles. Of course, those will be hidden by the numbers, which is why I originally suggested (I think) that the symbols surround the circles, so that they would be more visible.
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by isaiah40 »

ender516 wrote:Then change the legend to use the proper colours. The seasons are denoted by the symbols on the troop circles. Of course, those will be hidden by the numbers, which is why I originally suggested (I think) that the symbols surround the circles, so that they would be more visible.


Which is another reason we are allowing this to go supersize a tad bit to make it clearer.

rsacheli, are you working on a slightly larger version to help with the clarity issues? If so can we please see the larger sizes?
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by rsacheli »

I havent started making a larger version... yet... I want to try to keep this size if I can...
I will change the glows to make it more readable...
Ill also play with expanding the season markings beyond the circles...

As for my signature font, whats wrong with that? It should be different from the main font so that its not confused with the rest of the map text?
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7 on First post and page 18)

Post by rsacheli »

[bigimg]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f342/naverue/CCMap/Zodiac7-1.jpg[/bigimg]
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by isaiah40 »

Well those few changes look better. But you are going to have to make this small bigger so that the 888's don't overlap each other in a few spots. Upsize this to 700x670 for the small and put the 888's on it so we can see them please. I don't think you will have to go any larger than this for the small, as for the large you probably won't have to go any bigger, but I'll let my other carto's give their opinion as well.
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by rsacheli »

when did it switch to 888? it used to be just 88 and if it went triple digits then it remained centered on the circle and that was that...
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by isaiah40 »

rsacheli wrote:when did it switch to 888? it used to be just 88 and if it went triple digits then it remained centered on the circle and that was that...


Actually, just the fist 2 8's are centered.
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by rsacheli »

on vacation next two weeks, no updates will be posted, but i might get a chance to work on it a bit...
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by OliverFA »

Hello! Don't know if that's been asked before. So forgive me if I am repeating the question. But I wonder why the sign shapes are not present in the map. Having such a clear and definite theme, it seems natural that the signs can be seen in the map. At least the outlines of the constellations. Also, shouldn't the stars in the map mirror the real stars in the sky?
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by lostatlimbo »

Hey you dropped Papyrus! Good decision.
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by isaiah40 »

To start with, the few changes you have done have improved this map in some respects. This map has lots of potential, though as it stands right now, this map just does not say Zodiac. I would go back to page 17 and read what some others have suggested, which you have turned down for no good reason. Use the larger size for the small map and incorporate those suggestions. For example, do the outline of the constellations - this will add to the theme of the map - and then you can space out the constellations a bit more for CLARITY reasons. It's fine that you want to try and keep the size you have for the small map, but it just isn't going to work. It will be way too crowded.

Take off the season names in the legend, and then you can add a little more space between the letters to make them easier to read. The Black Hole - use the sun or earth instead, again these go with the theme. I would personally go with the sun, because for all intensive purposes, the sun is a star. You mentioned this:
I will not use someone elses drawings.

You don't have to use someone elses drawings, you can trace them and then they will be your own. The point is, you really need to incorporate these ideas into this map because THEY FIT THE THEME!

On another note, you will need to make the large map before we can send you to the forge.

So to recap here are the list of things needing to be done (with a couple extra things to do):

1 - Incorporate those ideas from page 17 into the map
2 - Make the small map 700x670 so that everything will be clearer and easy to read
3 - Change the Black Hole to either the Sun or the Earth
4 - Trace the outlines of the constellation pictures if need be and place them on the map
5 - Remove the season names from the legend and increase the spacing between the letters
6 - Make the large map
7 - Do a color blind test by going to Vischeck, and post the results here
8 - Post both large and your new supersize small map with the 888's on them
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by isaiah40 »

okay rsacheli, are you getting an update ready? I will be back in a couple of weeks for a review of what you have posted.
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by rsacheli »

isaiah40 wrote:
So to recap here are the list of things needing to be done (with a couple extra things to do):

1 - Incorporate those ideas from page 17 into the map
2 - Make the small map 700x670 so that everything will be clearer and easy to read
3 - Change the Black Hole to either the Sun or the Earth
4 - Trace the outlines of the constellation pictures if need be and place them on the map
5 - Remove the season names from the legend and increase the spacing between the letters
6 - Make the large map
7 - Do a color blind test by going to Vischeck, and post the results here
8 - Post both large and your new supersize small map with the 888's on them


the sun or earth dont make any more sense than the black hole... nor would any explination as to why the earth would reset and decay those around it... the sun I can see but not for the worm-holes...
constellation pictures would clutter this map too much even in a larger more spread out version... and I am not that great an artist to create the images myself...
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Re: Zodiac Map(v7.1 on First post and page 18)

Post by isaiah40 »

rsacheli wrote:the sun or earth dont make any more sense than the black hole... nor would any explination as to why the earth would reset and decay those around it... the sun I can see but not for the worm-holes...
constellation pictures would clutter this map too much even in a larger more spread out version... and I am not that great an artist to create the images myself...


So put the sun in place of the Black Hole.

Have you made the supersize small map with the constellation outlines? If not how do you know that it would still be cluttered?

If you can't do the outlines yourself, ask around for help. I'm sure there is someone that would be willing to help you with them.

This map does have potential, it just needs the tweaks I have mentioned (not to mention others have as well) to raise it up a couple of notches. So that being said, go back and reread page 17, and my remarks about what needs to be done to get this map moved on into the Final Forge.

You do these things, and we'll get it moved up for you.

Isaiah40
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