4 Star Meats [Quenched]

[dana1971]

OK not sure how I'll get clean versions of those numbers into photoshop, but I'll work it out. The one's I'm using on the large map are the same size as yours. Can I use mine if I change their color?

[koontz1973]

Just down load them onto your computer and import them into photoshop.

[isaiah40]

I have the layered PSD file.

[dana1971]

thanks I have the PSD file now.

[The Bison King]

I did them all except for removing the frame on the chalkboards because I tried it and didn't like it.

Good call.

[dana1971]

Hi all,

Here is the latest. I've only put in a small color blind version because if it works small it will work big.

[bigimg]http://i45.tinypic.com/30tndxe.jpg[/bigimg]
[bigimg]http://i49.tinypic.com/24pa1p3.jpg[/bigimg]

[bigimg]http://i48.tinypic.com/2hripp4.jpg[/bigimg]

Big looks fine for number placement but the tail seems to be a potential problem for three digit numbers, or is it acceptable for the numbers to go over the line a bit when it hits three digits?

I'm also guessing that number placement may be altered a little during the XML code stage.

Let me know.

Best wishes,
Dana

[elonpuckhog]

Dana

I'm excited for this map. Latest version looks awesome. It is easy to tell where the borders are and bonuses are. Hope to see this in beta soon.

elonpuckhog

[ironmanbravo]

You are not the only one. I have been checking this one for a while hoping I could play.

[cairnswk]

Dana, congrats with your persistence on this one....it is looking quite fine.

[dana1971]

Persistence is the key. Cheers for the comments.

[ManBungalow]

Maybe get rid of the black border around the star in the company logo and get this into the final forge, where it belongs.

[dana1971]

Black boarder on star. Sure that makes sense, anything else?

[Flapcake]

Dana, I realy like what you have done with the colours, they are sharp and much more dense now... Good work...

This is maby not a question for you, so lets ask the mods, how close to beta are we here ?

[ManBungalow]

Dana, I realy like what you have done with the colours, they are sharp and much more dense now... Good work...

This is maby not a question for you, so lets ask the mods, how close to beta are we here ?

I'm not a cartographer, but this still has to get the graphics stamp (which IMO should have been given already) and have the XML checked before it can go into the beta phase. So brace for some more meticulous pecks at this map.

[AndyDufresne]

Hopefully before the year is out!


--Andy

[ironmanbravo]

Cmon guys lets get this one moved forward. I think this map would work very well for a 4vs4.

[dana1971]

I'm waiting for a graphics sticker, or the promise of a graphics sticker when I remove the black boarder on the logo around the star.
I can appreciate we all have lives outside CC, so sometimes it just takes a while for feedback to come.
I'm confident it will come sooner or later.

Best Wishes,
Dana

[isaiah40]

A few things:

1. The perception of the chalk boards is still not right. Look here:

See How you are looking up at the underside of the TOP part of the frame? Now look at this:
In this view you are looking at the INSIDE of the left part of the frame. They all need to be from the same point of view.
2. The title font doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the map.
3. In the color blind test there is a problem between Plate and Flank. They are a little too close together. I suggest swapping the Left Leg and Flank colors.
4. The chalk lines are good, I would suggest making them look like they are "HAND" drawn on. Right now they are too straight.
5. The star, and actually all the stars are way too hard to see. I only see 2 stars on the map itself, if there are more I can't find them (this is especially true on the color blind version). Get a good contrasting color, maybe a bright color?
6. The special offer. You have it split in two places. Suggested wording "Special offer can attack and be attacked by items on offer. Special Offer area reverts back to 3." You can then remove the text on the bottom left. Short, and too the point.

[generalhead]

For the top two chalk board borders wouldn't it look more natural if the boards were the same size. The very top one has thick side boards and smaller top and bottom boards. The big legend border looks really good.
Sorry if this has been addressed, I didn't read through all thirty pages.

[dana1971]

1. You all have very keen eyes, not sure most people would have noticed the tiny inconsistencies in the boarders on the chalkboards.
I can fix those.

3. In the color blind test there is a problem between Plate and Flank. They are a little too close together. I suggest swapping the Left Leg and Flank colors.

3. I can also swap colors as suggested.

2. The title font doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the map.

2. The logo however being a different style is intentional and goes back about 20 pages or so. The debate was for a while that the map needed a theme. And the theme / setting is a poster hanging in a butcher shop wall. Keeping that in mind the Logo on the poster was created by a different person than the one who wrote on the chalk board.

6. The special offer. You have it split in two places. Suggested wording "Special offer can attack and be attacked by items on offer. Special Offer area reverts back to 3." You can then remove the text on the bottom left. Short, and too the point.

6. The same debate relates to the special offer text. To fit into the theme, I had to avoid words like attack. Because it was argued that you can't attack on a cow map. It's more like you are trying to buy, or own the whole cow, hence words like acquire. Also think writing out the regions on offer makes it more clear than only having them written in the special offer sticker.

4. The chalk lines are good, I would suggest making them look like they are "HAND" drawn on. Right now they are too straight.

4. I'm leaving the chalk lines as is because they need to be straight so the text is easier to read. Imagine whoever made them had the intelligence to use a ruler.

5. The star, and actually all the stars are way too hard to see. I only see 2 stars on the map itself, if there are more I can't find them (this is especially true on the color blind version). Get a good contrasting color, maybe a bright color?

5. I can play around with the color of the stars, keeping in mind the color will look a little different depending what color background they are on. However I don't think the stars are hard to find. I would think if someone could notice small details on the chalkboard boarder they could easily see all the stars.

At the end of the day I want this map to get published, so I'm happy to make most of these changes if it helps me get the elusive graphics sticker. But it can be time consuming to uploaded spot the difference variations on this map over and over again, so is it possible to get a definitive list from the people in charge of approving a graphics sticker before I post another update.

What do you think, koontz1973? You seem to be the one in charge. Can you approve a list of final changes?

Thanks again for the feedback, I know it is all good stuff and makes the map better, even if it's a bit hard to hear sometimes.

Best wishes,
Dana

[generalhead]

Thanks again for the feedback, I know it is all good stuff and makes the map better, even if it's a bit hard to hear sometimes.

I know this process can be long and strenuous, but it will be worth it in the end when you and your friends get to play on a map that you made. I am going through the same process right now except I am at the beginning. I believe that that is a part of the process for the community to continually observe and critique the map which is hard, but will make it better. Each community member will see something different, and they will see something new every time they look at the map. Like you said this only makes YOUR map that much better. Don't give up and keep up the great work.

[greenoaks]

Why is the 'C' missing from Acquire ?

4 Star Meats can aquire and be aquired from any region with a star on it.

[isaiah40]

2. The title font doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the map.

2. The logo however being a different style is intentional and goes back about 20 pages or so. The debate was for a while that the map needed a theme. And the theme / setting is a poster hanging in a butcher shop wall. Keeping that in mind the Logo on the poster was created by a different person than the one who wrote on the chalk board.

While it is true that you have to have a theme, the problem here is you have more of a old west font for the title, while the rest says 50's/60's style. So you have a font from the late 1800's to the early 1900's, and the rest of the map is between 1950 through the mid 1960's. See the problem?

6. The special offer. You have it split in two places. Suggested wording "Special offer can attack and be attacked by items on offer. Special Offer area reverts back to 3." You can then remove the text on the bottom left. Short, and too the point.

6. The same debate relates to the special offer text. To fit into the theme, I had to avoid words like attack. Because it was argued that you can't attack on a cow map. It's more like you are trying to buy, or own the whole cow, hence words like acquire. Also think writing out the regions on offer makes it more clear than only having them written in the special offer sticker.

While I agree with what you have said, the majority of the players will know what attack is more than acquire. So I believe that it would be better to swap out those words.

5. The star, and actually all the stars are way too hard to see. I only see 2 stars on the map itself, if there are more I can't find them (this is especially true on the color blind version). Get a good contrasting color, maybe a bright color?

5. I can play around with the color of the stars, keeping in mind the color will look a little different depending what color background they are on. However I don't think the stars are hard to find. I would think if someone could notice small details on the chalkboard boarder they could easily see all the stars.

Remember that you have been working on this map so you know where the stars are. I could only find 2 of the stars, but when I looked closer, I found one other one. Please bear this in mind because players don't necessarily look closely at a map, and they WILL miss things. It is your job to make sure that the stars can be easily found. I noticed the differences on the chalk boards without really looking, the stars blend into the map too much.

At the end of the day I want this map to get published, so I'm happy to make most of these changes if it helps me get the elusive graphics sticker. But it can be time consuming to uploaded spot the difference variations on this map over and over again, so is it possible to get a definitive list from the people in charge of approving a graphics sticker before I post another update.

What do you think, koontz1973? You seem to be the one in charge. Can you approve a list of final changes?

This would actually be me in charge of graphics. Keep working on this, if myself or anyone else notices anything else we'll let you know.

[anamainiacks]

Just my 2 cents worth, and personal opinion; I wouldn't claim to be a professional Far from it, in fact.

While it is true that you have to have a theme, the problem here is you have more of a old west font for the title, while the rest says 50's/60's style. So you have a font from the late 1800's to the early 1900's, and the rest of the map is between 1950 through the mid 1960's. See the problem?

I don't quite get how the rest of the map is 50's to 60's... Looks to me pretty much like any normal modern chalkboard.

Remember that you have been working on this map so you know where the stars are. I could only find 2 of the stars, but when I looked closer, I found one other one. Please bear this in mind because players don't necessarily look closely at a map, and they WILL miss things. It is your job to make sure that the stars can be easily found. I noticed the differences on the chalk boards without really looking, the stars blend into the map too much.

I personally had no issue with finding the stars, and managed to find all four (not three) of them easily at a glance. And I don't think I've seen the map all that much. I don't know where the problem is arising from, but if the big boss (isaiah40) finds it a problem and wants it corrected, then by all means. Just saying that it might not be that big of a problem, in my view (:

[AndyDufresne]

Since the font is easily readable, I'm going to defer the choice (assuming any future fonts are also readable) to the mapmaker. It seems like this sort of thing likely can be left up to their aesthetic choice.


--Andy