Vertex/Austrum [Quenched]

[Seamus76]

I'm not sure if you have addressed this since I last brought it up a while ago, but tell me again why on Austrum are the ships in the legend different then on the map?

[koontz1973]

I'm not sure if you have addressed this since I last brought it up a while ago, but tell me again why on Austrum are the ships in the legend different then on the map?

They are not. I said it last time. All I did was copy and paste the ships from the map to the legend. I had to bring them out more as the background is a lot darker than the sea and where hard to see and people where missing the connection between Exploratorium and ships. But pixel for pixel, they are identical is size and shape.

I'm worried about how frequently players will drop a bonus. It's the one thing that can really sink an otherwise awesome map. Have you checked how frequently someone would drop a bonus? (1v1 in particular)

No one will ever drop a bonus.

[Seamus76]

I'm not sure if you have addressed this since I last brought it up a while ago, but tell me again why on Austrum are the ships in the legend different then on the map?

They are not. I said it last time. All I did was copy and paste the ships from the map to the legend. I had to bring them out more as the background is a lot darker than the sea and where hard to see and people where missing the connection between Exploratorium and ships. But pixel for pixel, they are identical is size and shape.

Right, I get that for sure. Let me rephrase. The ones in the legend are overall cleaner and clearer, you can see very well the nice little red flags which you can not see on the ones on the map. I don't have to tell you, you know, the map looks wonderful as is, it's just my opinion that the ships on the map should look EXACTLY like the ships in the legend, because the ships in the legend look better to me. I promise not to bring it up again after this though.

[koontz1973]

Seamus, I understand the point you are making, but the ones in the legend are brighter for various reasons as explained. Darker background made them invisible when as on the map. So they needed to go brighter. That is all that was done. But when you take that brightness and place it onto the map, you get ten spots of brightness which looks out of place.

But if certain others agree, I will change it.

[Seamus76]

No, that makes sense. I'm not sure you explained it that way before, but if on the map they don't look right then you have it the way it should be. You may proceed. Just kidding.

But again, great work on them both (or should I say all 4 of them). It's obvious your skills have come a long way, and you are working very hard to learn and try new techniques. Well done my man.

[koontz1973]

Austrum
Decided that Seamus had a point after all so brought the ships a bit. As I said to him, 10 points of light on the map looked bad but I think this half way point works.
[bigimg]http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6185/austrumq.png[/bigimg]

[RedBaron0]

Onward and upward!

[koontz1973]

Onward and upward!

Thank you oh mighty one.

[Gilligan]

Koontz,

Austrum XML:

Iiex should not border Mair
Gyara should border Mair
----edit: I see what happened here. The connections are different on the small and on the large. Whichever is right go with. In the XML as is, it matches the small version.
Sarnia is misspelled Carnia

You are also missing these Connect 4 bonuses:
Gaulos Ionia Icaria Melite
Gaulos Ionia Icaria Thasos
Gaulos Ionia Icaria Sarnia
Phew, took a few minutes to find all of them in that area!

Other than that, things seem to be good.

[Gilligan]

Me again

Vertex XML
Map says the ring, if you will, has 2 neutral...XML says 3
Insula does not border Clanis
Missing a Connect 4, Borras Suecia, Antipoda, Raetia, Livonia

[koontz1973]

Thanks gilligan, will get you the corrected files today.

[koontz1973]

Austrum
Gilligan, corrected xml file and sorted out the connection on the small map.
[bigimg]http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6185/austrumq.png[/bigimg]
[bigimg]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/5444/austrumsmall.png[/bigimg]

AUfixed.xml

(22.38 KiB) Downloaded 1212 times

[koontz1973]

Vertex
[bigimg]http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5528/vertex.png[/bigimg]
[bigimg]http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/8883/vertexsmall.png[/bigimg]

VeFix.xml

(22.22 KiB) Downloaded 1136 times

[Funkyterrance]

This looks to be really similar to the Classic Cities Moscow map. Which came first?

[koontz1973]

This looks to be really similar to the Classic Cities Moscow map. Which came first?

Moscow did by a few years.

As for similar, how? Both are completely different styles. The only similarity I can see is the circular layouts.

[Gilligan]

koontz et all, sorry for delay - midterms got me crazy.

Both of the XMLs are fine with the edits.



Nice job koontz!

[koontz1973]

Superb job Gilligan. So many maps for nobodies to put into play now.

[thenobodies80]

The only thing I have to complain about are bridges. They don't look all the same.
Some of them are really nice, soft and they fit perfectly with the colors on the map, like these:


Instead some others (i.e those in the middle of the Vertex map) are sharped and with strong dark borders....


I really prefer the soft bridges and I suggest to make all them in that way...if i'm not wrong is just redraw the black outline so it isn't a so big amount of work.
Moreover look at the 2 screenshot i posted here, it seems they are 2 different maps and the reason are only bridges.

Same for Austrum (but it's less noticeable), where apart bridges you can also refine a bit the river borders in the middle:



Look at the bridge and the river between Aegina and Leros. If you can make all them look like those, then it would be great.

So, apart for these minor things I do not see anything else wrong.
Nobodies

[ManBungalow]

You could redo the text in the legend (corners) on the small versions, just to make it a little bit bigger/more legible, and there's space available there (in the circles).

[koontz1973]

The only thing I have to complain about are bridges. They don't look all the same.
Some of them are really nice, soft and they fit perfectly with the colors on the map, like these:


Instead some others (i.e those in the middle of the Vertex map) are sharped and with strong dark borders....


I really prefer the soft bridges and I suggest to make all them in that way...if i'm not wrong is just redraw the black outline so it isn't a so big amount of work.
Moreover look at the 2 screenshot i posted here, it seems they are 2 different maps and the reason are only bridges.

Same for Austrum (but it's less noticeable), where apart bridges you can also refine a bit the river borders in the middle:



Look at the bridge and the river between Aegina and Leros. If you can make all them look like those, then it would be great.

So, apart for these minor things I do not see anything else wrong.
Nobodies

Will get this sorted over the weekend for you.

You could redo the text in the legend (corners) on the small versions, just to make it a little bit bigger/more legible, and there's space available there (in the circles).

No their is not room. As soon as it is made bigger by one, it touches the sides in the troops section. All need to be of the same size and it is legible.

[koontz1973]

New softer bridges for both maps.
Vertex
[bigimg]http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5528/vertex.png[/bigimg]
[bigimg]http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8883/vertexsmall.png[/bigimg]

Austrum
[bigimg]http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/6351/austrum.png[/bigimg]
[bigimg]http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5444/austrumsmall.png[/bigimg]

[ManBungalow]

RE: Bridges

On the Vertex map you could find whatever layer(s) you've used for the bridges in the middle (around Arctous) and go over the ends* of the bridges (not the sides) with the eraser using a fuzzy brush, and see what it looks like. Even the new, softer bridges are somewhat sharp compared with almost everything else. If it looks cool[er] (it might not), recreate it (the currently shorter bridges might need a uh, suppository to achieve this though).

*and only the ends - just where the black line is - the bridge still needs to 'land on' each region, not just cover the gap of the water

[koontz1973]

*and only the ends - just where the black line is - the bridge still needs to 'land on' each region, not just cover the gap of the water

Which bridge? They all hit land.

[ManBungalow]

Yeah, sorry, I didn't explain that very well.

I mean like this:



I've had to use the clone tool with the fuzzy circle, but you could do it better with the eraser and a fuzzy circle.

What I meant by 'hitting land' (it was late at night when I made that post, right?) is that the bridges still reach into both regions - they don't end at the border. My point with this is that - should you roll with my fuzzy bridge suggestion - you'd need to lengthen some of the currently shorter bridges.

[koontz1973]

MB, while I sort of agree with you, I am inclined to say no. But also yes at the same time. I see your logic to doing it that way, but do bridges span gulfs this wide. In a sense, everything is out of proportions, mountains, trees, settlements and even the bridges. But the maps are of the top and bottom part of the same world. Hence the similarities. But while all the elements are out of scale, they are on the original maps I looked at. The only one not so are the bridges. So houses the size of mountains and trees bigger still. Having a more realistic bridge does not sit well with me for this reason. But lets see what the others say. If the others want it, then I will do it.