4 Star Meats [17 March 2013] v29 pg40

[dana1971]

However why "4 Star Meats"? is there some connection I'm not making? where did this title come from?

The title has no special meaning. Basically wanted the title to be the name of the Butcher shop and small companies like to get their names in the front of the phone book, or these days the online phone books, so starting the name with a number made sense, thought the start would be a good place to put troops, and 5 start meats was already taken:)

Thanks for the comments, all I am working on a new version with color and plan to put the rules in next time to see how much space I really have.
The graphics will still be rough in places but I will put in the 88's marking out regions.

Best Wishes,
Dana

[dana1971]

Graphically speaking, the photos you have used for the meat and counter will not get the graphics stamp as is, so start looking at the ways you can improve these now. No need to wait for later. Also, the font for the legend/prices needs to have a more for a written feel to it. Less neat but not messy.

I have a question about the graphic stamp. If a painted a photo real backdrop would that be a problem? Does it need to look graphical, or drawn to get a graphics sticker?
I am capable of making a photo real image if I put the time in. I'm not stating a preference just wondering what the rules are for a graphic stamp.

I found a nice font called "Eraser" I will use for the chalk boards.

Best Wishes,
Dana

[RjBeals]

yeah those hanging meats don't fit too well. They look like you applied a basic filter to a photo. Photo or artwork, doesn't matter what you use to graphic stamp, as long as it's pleasing to the eye. A little color would also be nice - love this map still !

[koontz1973]

I have a question about the graphic stamp. If a painted a photo real backdrop would that be a problem? Does it need to look graphical, or drawn to get a graphics sticker?
I am capable of making a photo real image if I put the time in. I'm not stating a preference just wondering what the rules are for a graphic stamp.

I found a nice font called "Eraser" I will use for the chalk boards.

Best Wishes,
Dana

If by photo real, you mean you take a photo of the web, you need to make sure it is free to use. As long as you can prove that the image is free to use if asked, or you have permission to use it, you are fine. It might be better though to try and come up with an original image yourself. Look at what would fit within the map itself. You could go for a realistic look or even a more comic book effect.

If you go the photo way, go to your local butchers and ask to take a photo.

[natty dread]

Real images of meat woul be too tasteless and grotesque I think.

[dana1971]

Here is the latest.

Still needs work, but I thought I'd post this now to show people that I am still working on it.

I dropped the meat counter because, to me it was just using up to much space.
I plan to color code the prices to match the bonuses.
Need to label the new legs and put them on the bonus board.

Tenderloin, and Tri-Tip will start as neutral 3's
4 star meat logo will start as a neutral 3
Loyalty points will start as a neutral 6

Any suggestions on changing bonus numbers would be great. My general rule of thumb is that a regions bonus is directly related to the amount of regions you need to hold to protect your bonus area.

Click image to enlarge.

Anyway, still working on it.

Best Wishes,
Dana

[The Bison King]

Alright nice update.

I think you need something in the legend that connects the bonus names to their regions. Either a mini-map, or for the chalk to be colored, or for the bonus regions to be labeled in the main map.

[koontz1973]

Very nice dana.

Mini map is out. Using coloured chalk would work but not sure how easy it would be to see with the current colours. You could change the colour of the writing on the poster to match or add a coloured glow to the names.

Will have a look at the GP aspects later today.

[dana1971]

Very nice dana.

Mini map is out. Using coloured chalk would work but not sure how easy it would be to see with the current colours. You could change the colour of the writing on the poster to match or add a coloured glow to the names.

Will have a look at the GP aspects later today.

Thanks for the feedback,

I was planning to make the chalk colour match the bonus colour, and I agree a lot of the colours are very similar so will be hard to tell them a part.
Here's my problem, I can do a wider range of colours but then the map pallet won't look as nice. So some of my previous versions where there is a wider range of colour.
I've thought about putting an outline of colour that way the colour is used as an accent rather than dominating the body of the cow a bit like the Napoleon map.

I'll try a few things.

look forward to hearing game play comments.

Best Wishes,
Dana

[DoomYoshi]

Is tounge in the special offer area a typo? Or is it just something I don't understand...?

[dana1971]

OOOPs that's a typo. Thanks for spotting it.

[Gillipig]

Tenderloin has a little too strong colour compared to it's neighboring bonuses. Could you make it a little less colourful? I first thought it was the in the same bonus as flank.

[koontz1973]

dana, sorry for the delay in getting back in here, but my son was in hospital.

Game play suggestions for you to consider.

You only have two 3 territ regions, these will be the centre of all games along with the small auto deploys, so who ever take the flank will then grab the tri tip auto. They will then dominate the back very fast. Try to add another 1 or 2 small bonus regions. The tail comes to mind as the easiest.

The four star meats logo (+1auto). This auto can be attacked by 8 regions so will be very hard to grab and hold, so no one will do it. Also, having it attack only one territ, another auto deploy, makes this one completely pointless. You have the space in the black board, so make it say something like - Four Star logo can only be attacked by certain meats. Then put the star from the logo on 5 or 6 territs around the cow. Give it the +1 auto and have it attack the stars again. This makes it far more relevant and allows you to cross the map very quickly.

Sorry, but this makes the loyalty points pointless so take it out. But you can make the special offer territ an auto deploy and not a killer neutral. Still the highish neutral and +1 auto. Bring in the ox tail tip and you again have 6 territs that can attack it and be attacked by it. Tongue, hooves and ox tail tip.

Tri tip / Tenderloin -3 neutral +1 auto
Logo / Special offers - 5 neutral +1 auto
Programme into the xml a 2 neutral on Flank and Brisket. This will stop those two being dropped as a bonus in small games.

You impassables seem OK

When GP is nearly done, we can look at the bonuses as they are very low in places. Hope this helps somewhat.

[isaiah40]

[Moved]

It would appear that development of this map has stalled. If the mapmaker wants to continue with the map, then one of the Foundry Moderators will be able to help put the thread back into the Foundry system, after an update has been made.

[dana1971]

I do plan to continue, I've just had a lot on at the moment. Hoping to make another pass this weekend if I can get some spare time.

Life keeps getting in my way.

Best Wishes,
Dana