Greetings everyone,
We give you yet another issue late. Hey, don't blame us, blame weird distortions in the time continuum that made us believe today was Sunday...or something like that. Yeah...right... Anyways, we bring you this issue a few breaks from "the norm." We intended to have Andy give a different Spotlight on the Foundry in general (the major reason for our delay), and it is now where it should be. The Editorial is written by myself, attempting to answer the question of why the Foundry does what it does. To keep things from being too different though, the Perspective is covering what mapmakers are believed to have the best graphics overall, and our maps section is bursting to the gills with maps new and old. Finally, we've adopted a whole new look for our headers, courtesy of Gimil.
Hope you enjoy it,
TaCktiX
Senior Editor
AndyDufresne wrote:Ahoy Ahoy Bananas (its a term of endearment, really)
Oaktown, Gimil, and Myself are happy to announce a New Member to our Foundry C.A. Team. MrBenn will be our new Draft C.A. As you can tell from his position, he'll be in charge of wrangling the Draft Forum, taking over Gimil's double duty. Hopefully this will free up some time for Gimil, and allow more attention in the early stages of Map Making.
Welcome aboard MrBenn!
Additionally, we've moved the Scrap Heap underneath the Map Ideas forum from the Draft forum. Not that you really care, but I thought I'd mention it anyways.
In the next couple of days look forward to a little celebration dedicated to the Foundry...
See you all in the Foundry!
--Andy
In this section we cover every map presently in development. Each map is accompanied by a brief description of the map's theme, graphics, and gameplay, as well as what's been happening in the last couple of weeks. Finally, a link to each topic, the map's creator(s), and what stamps it presently has are noted.
Name: Conquer 4
Creators: gimil, KEYOGI, and yeti_c
Stamps:
Description: In some ways, Conquer 4 is a simple map: all bonuses are determined by only two rules. But every territory can attack 8 ways and bonuses are where you make them. This map will certainly be crazy to play, with bonuses coming and going simply by conquering one territory.
Present Development: Quenched.
Name: Imperium Romanum
Creator: Qwert
Stamps:
Description: The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires that ever existed. This map encourages you to build that empire for yourself by commanding legions, cities, and ships to gain an edge on your foes. Graphics are vibrant and eye-catching, with lots of Rome-related paraphernalia on the edges.
Present Development: Quenched.
Name: Poker Map
Creators: yeti_c, Coleman, and WidowMakers
Stamps:
Description: Go all in with this take on a poker game. With a mixed-up deck spread on a well-rendered poker table, gameplay will revolve around creating poker hands through force. No bluffs here, this should turn out to be quite an interesting map.
Present Development: Quenched.
Name: Archipelago
Creators: ZeakCytho and Mjinga
Stamps:
Description: A small chain of islands is at war! This fictional archipelago is fought over by the players in a simple classic-style map. The sharp graphics go hand in hand with the lack of gameplay quirks, a driving impetus behind this map.
Present Development: Recently stamped for XML, this map looks to be very close to quenching.
Name: British Isles Revamp
Creator: Gimil
Stamps:
Description: One of the most beloved maps in the game is getting a makeover. The creator has redone the look of the map to be much cleaner and geographically accurate to the Isles.
Present Development: Stalled, but more or less complete.
Name: Charleston, SC
Creator: RjBeals
Stamps:
Description: Charleston, famous for its role in the American Civil War, the American Revolutionary War, and...Conquer Club maps? In this take on America's second largest Atlantic seaport, Rj has created a straightforward large map with simple but attractive graphics.
Present Development: Recent entrant to the Final Forge, and victim of the busy autumn work season. The XML is nearing a first draft, though.
Name: The Citadel
Creator: TaCktiX
Stamps:
Description: What better place to have a military takeover than at a military college's campus? That is the premise of The Citadel. Based directly off of the campus and its buildings, this medium-sized map goes for fairly straightforward gameplay, with a couple of quirks.
Present Development: Stalled awaiting a copyright license from the namesake school.
Name: Europa
Creator: MrBenn
Stamps:
Description: The creator set out upon a simple goal: make a map about the way Europe really is, even down to Vatican City. He's stayed true to that vision, and the map reflects it, with a clean look to all the countries no matter their size. The map makes good use of natural boundaries to create impassables, adding to the clean feel of the map.
Present Development: Hitting the forge running, this map is undergoing small tweaks here and there.
Name: Golfe du St-Laurent
Creators: Lone.prophet and Unit_2
Stamps:
Description: The Gulf of St. Lawrence (French, Golfe du St-Laurent) is the world's largest estuary, but conservation takes a backseat to beating the pulp out of others on this map of the gulf and its surrounding areas. It's an average-sized map with well-done textures and area-appropriate colors. Its classic gameplay is without any gimmicks and should be easy to pick up.
Present Development: Due to the Final Forge slowdown, this map has been very quiet of late. A completed XML is still on the way.
Name: Madagascar
Creator: t-o-m
Stamps:
Description: Another small map in the pipeline, this time of the island nation of Madagascar. Gameplay is straightforward, and the territory naming accurately reflects the regions of the country. Graphics are fairly simple, which helps the appeal of the map.
Present Development: Very quickly hitting the Forge then getting an XML stamp, this map looks to be quench-worthy.
Name: Oasis
Creator: wcaclimbing
Stamps:
Description: Calling Oasis a phenomenon would do it no credit. This graphical feast has taken the Foundry by storm, leaving several regular commenters drooling for the next update. It's based around a central objective Grand Oasis surrounded by decaying desert, and lots of one-territory bonuses sprinkled throughout. Watch out for this map, it's certain to change the way objective maps are made.
Present Development: The XML is posted, but coordinate corrections are being played through at the moment.
Name: San Marino
Creator: Ruben Cassar
Stamps:
Description: The Ruben Cassar formula to a T: a simple map based around a small area. It's attractive to the eye, and while being average size has plenty of bonuses that should be easy to get and hold onto.
Present Development: This map has been relatively quiet in the wake of the Forge slowdown. More activity should be forthcoming.
Name: Brazil
Creator: RjBeals
Stamps:
Description: The ultimate winner of the well-publicized Brazil Revamp Competition, Rj has created a map that simply oozes with color, fitting for a nation known for its vibrant culture. Graphics are the order du jour now.
Present Development: Things have been quiet of late due to the creator being bogged down in real life work. Another update should be coming soon.
Name: Das Schloß
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps:
Description: This map is unique in several ways. For one, it is the only map that can only be won by completing the objective. For two, it's gone back from quenching into the foundry with a major rework of the map's mechanics to fix some unforeseen balance issues.
Present Development: Discussions about the bonuses and the reworked gameplay are the main focus right now. Once issues are resolved on those and all present games on the older map are completed, the map will get re-quenched.
Name: Eastern Hemisphere
Creator: Oaktown
Stamps:
Description: What happens when you slice the world in half then age it 90 years? This map showing the far side of the world around 1910! It's the time when the great European empires are crumbling, and the creator has worked hard on making gameplay appropriate to the time setting. Expect a fresh world experience soon.
Present Development: There have been a lot of changes recently to make the map simpler while keeping it do-able, and that's the main topic of discussion presently.
Name: Europe 1914
Creator: Qwert
Stamps:
Description: Another covering of World War I, this time from an overall theater look. With eye-popping colors, rigorous detail, and a slew of bonuses, this map definitely gets one's attention. With two objectives that aren't mutually exclusive (unlike Operation Drug War), the gameplay looks to be a mix of classic and complex. Overall it's a new look on a oft-forgotten war, which is bound to turn out interestingly.
Present Development: Bonus understandability and dead end reductions are currently being commented on.
Name: Forbidden City
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps:
Description: The Forbidden City has always been an interesting part of Chinese history since its construction in the Ming dynasty. So the most quenched mapmaker has taken a unique bent in portraying it. Instead of just featuring the City itself, he has added outsiders from all over history that have tried to take over the City in some way. Add to that the simple, illustrative graphics reminiscent of Chinese culture circa 19th century, and you've got the whole enchilada.
Present Development: Bonus values on some of the larger and more difficult-to-hold continents are being discussed.
Name: Famine
Creator: Bryguy
Stamps:
Description: 8 players, 8 castles, and a famine on the land. Grab your empire's territories, but also grab the resources to feed it. It's a unique premise gameplay-wise, and should make play on it fairly exciting and ruthless.
Present Development: The graphical update has been released, and it appears to have made a significant improvement to the look of the map. Comments to further improve the graphics and balance the gameplay are being encouraged.
Name: France, 18th Century
Creator: Pamoa
Stamps:
Description: The French Revolution changed the course of European history, so having a map based on the country at that time only makes sense. It's a simple, attractive small map, with classic gameplay. The clean approach to the map has made it very interesting to watch as it has progressed.
Present Development: Recently updated and seeking comments, this map looks to be making progress towards a Graphics stamp.
Name: Haiti
Creator: Edbeard
Stamps:
Description: This small map shows the nation of Haiti, the western half of the island of Hispaniola. The simple and clean colors and font choices reflect the purely classic gameplay used in the map.
Present Development: Graphics and Gameplay passed in rapid succession, this map looks to be reaching the final stages.
Name: Halloween Hollows
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps:
Description: Holiday-themed maps have been absent from Foundry production thus far, and this map seeks to break that trend. Taking the plethora of creatures and items associated with Halloween, this map incorporates riddles and standard gameplay into a dark All Hallow's Eve look.
Present Development: Under the looming deadline of October 31st, this map soldiers on, cleaning up bonus and attack explanations on its way. The colors on the map are the present concern by commenters.
Name: Holy Roman Empire
Creators: Grayhawke and Pamoa
Stamps:
Description: The Holy Roman Empire has been said to neither be Holy, nor Roman, and most certainly not an Empire. At least CC players can fix the last part by building their own on this map detailing the HRE and surrounding nations. Taking a combination continent/influence bonus gameplay, the map tries to bring out some of the history of the HRE, all the while backing it with simple, solid graphics.
Present Development: Now enlivened with more vibrant colors, small nitpicks on the graphics are driving updates. Continent naming suggestions are being asked for.
Name: Iron Curtain
Creator: RjBeals
Stamps:
Description: The Soviet Union and its constituent Warsaw Pact nations formed the basis of the feared Iron Curtain. This map takes that large region and turns it into a 96 territory map colored in shades of iron. Its construction is very clean, and the gameplay fairly open with a minimum of impassables. Recreating a symbol of oppression never was so much fun.
Present Development: Darker, more cruel, and even prettier than before. Impassables have been recrafted across the entire map, leaving thematic additions the only present concerns.
Name: Rail Australia
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps:
Description: Cairns is becoming a master of serial maps. Following up Rail USA and Rail Europe is this third map, Rail Australia. It brings, as expected, the rail system from Down Under into vivid color. Unlike the other two though, there are added twists to the map that should make play very interesting and varied.
Present Development: Fixing small things here and there to secure the Graphics stamp, this map keeps on going.
Name: Romania
Creator: Foregone
Stamps:
Description: Romania is a little-known country in Eastern Europe, yet steeped in history dating back to the Roman Empire (hence its name). This map takes the country and infuses a piece of parchment with a no-frills depiction of the country, with a touch of hand-drawn charm.
Present Development: Comments to improve both gameplay and graphics are being addressed quickly, feeding further feedback.
Name: Switzerland
Creator: Kaplowitz
Stamps:
Description: Switzerland is famed for its bank accounts, neutrality in war, and sweeping mountains. So have a hostile takeover on this average-sized map of the country. Graphics are simple and the gameplay matches, with only classic continents and impassables.
Present Development: New mountains are being fielded to replace the contentious old ones, and comments are needed to fine-tune them.
Name: Trench Warfare
Creator: Mibi, Incandenza, and Yeti_C
Stamps:
Description: This map brings WWI style Trench Warfare to life! Two opposing fronts are separated by a large no mans land. Players will scramble for bonuses in trenches and use gameplay features such as mortars and artillery to bombard a path across no-mans land before rising from the trenches and blasting through to the other side. The high-quality and realistic graphics compliment this gameplay style very nicely.
Present Development: Map understandability is of concern, with the mapmaker's working toward resolving all raised issues.
Name: USA 6 Region Map Pack
Creator: WidowMakers
Stamps:
Description: This project is bold. WM is aiming to create 6 maps based on the 6 regions of the USA map, all with the same essential mechanics. The graphics are simple and effective, reflecting the colors and territories of the USA map while keeping a new set of flair. It's sure to be perfect tournament material, as well as an interesting set of maps to play with friends.
Present Development: The symbolic graphics touch has been put to every map, and both small and large versions are being posted. Gameplay discussion of them all is the major feedback item.
Name: Wales
Creator: MrBenn
Stamps:
Description: With maps of Ireland and Scotland already quenched, it is only natural that a map of Wales be developed. The graphical style is simple, and makes heavy use of Welsh motifs. The gameplay is mostly classic, with one twist: each geographical territory has two sets of armies, one for each clan in the area. Special bonuses are given for holding both clans in the same shire.
Present Development: Map size and look are being covered on one end, and gameplay balance is being covered on the other. In sum, this map is getting quite a work-over in the foundry.
Name: War of the Triple Alliance
Creator: Oaktown
Stamps:
Description: This map captures the War of the Triple Alliance, South America's bloodiest war, fought on one side by Paraguay and on the other by Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The muted colors and faded images help make this map truly feel 19th Century. The gameplay is classic, lacking any sort of twist or gimmick.
Present Development: After an experiment in symbols, they're being rethought to make more sense. A few readability concerns are being aired otherwise.
Name: WWI: Ottoman Empire
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps:
Description: World War I has also slipped into the void of uncoveredness, but thanks to Trench Warfare and this map the War to End All Wars will get its just deserts. The map takes on a lesser-known part of the war (though the famous battle of Gallipoli was fought here), focused around Turkey and the Central-allied Ottoman Empire. The general theater is portrayed in simple, understandable colors and the gameplay is fairly standard on this medium-sized map.
Present Development: Bonus naming conventions and colorblindness checks are driving discussion presently.
Name: WWII Europe
Creator: Qwert
Stamps:
Description: Long stalled due to its large size, this map has undergone a weight-loss program and now fits within the size requirements. Taking his WWII Eastern and Western Front maps and meshing them with a Central front in the middle, this is a map that covers the entire theater of the war in Europe. With a large scale, and lots of opportunities, it will definitely be the WWII map to play when it's quenched.
Present Development: The map is showing significant improvement and input is being requested on map abbreviations on the small and large versions.
Name: Antarctica
Creator: e_i_pi
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: Conquer Club has featured at one time or another all continents, save one: Antarctica. To avoid the problems of "boring chunk of ice with only research stations on it" and the treaty protecting it from conquest, the mapmaker has cast the map forward in time to 2060, when ice has given way to land, and everyone is vying to conquer it all. The graphics are suitably cold yet colorful, and the conquest basis of the map has been well-thought-out. The map merely asks that you conquer the previously unconquerable Antarctica.
Present Development: Border clarifications and overall gameplay review are happening right now. An Idea stamp should show up in the very near future by the looks of it.
Name: Cairns Metro
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: In yet another map by the seemingly tireless Cairns, he's covering the metropolitan area of his hometown, Cairns. Adopting a slightly more pastel color scheme than his recently-released Sydney Metro, the map also employs fewer continents and territories, making it have a significantly different gameplay than Sydney. So for yet another top-quality Australian experience, look for this map in the coming weeks.
Present Development: With equal parts bonus breakdowns and graphic tweak suggestions, this map seems to be getting off the ground.
Name: Conquer Club Golf
Creator: Ethitts
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: Conquer Club lacks any Sports maps. Not a single one. This map is on course to change that, as it takes on the sport of Tiger Woods, the green jacket, and countless upper management: Golf. Taking 9 holes thematically named after some of CC's finest maps, this map tailors the various elements of golf into a system of bombards, decays, and ranged attacks. Surprisingly, the map isn't that complex as a result, but seems to make sense, most likely due to the simple small-scale graphics scheme on the entire map. Look to be yelling "Fore!" when you start your turn in the near future.
Present Development: Different path types are being polled on, as well as concerns of the map's overall "green-ness" and resemblance to a normal golf course.
Name: Indian Subcontinent
Creator: Oaktown
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: Taking a cue from another, more modern attempt at India and its surrounding countries, Oaktown has taken the period of time when India was a British colony, and translated it onto a beautiful rendering of a history book (Editor's Note: he used the same book for the Brazil revamp contest). Combining simple colors and a hand-drawn look for terrain features and the like, the map is fairly simple on gameplay, with classic continents and a railway bonus to spice things up. Rewrite history for who controlled the region in the 1800's, or join those building the next railway for the ruler. The choice is yours.
Present Development: Concerns over excessive text and dead space regions are the current topics of discussion.
Name: Scandinavia
Creator: CoolC
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: Scandinavia is the region of Norsemen, Danes, and people who contemplate the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (at least Shakespeare would have us believe that). Taking the NYC idea of separate regions within greater ones, this map covers in fairly simple gameplay the Nordics, with cold colors to match the region's northern climes. Accurate region lines and names complete the representation of Scandinavia as it exists today.
Present Development: Concerns over army numbers fitting readably into the territories and the clarity of various bonus elements are major topics of discussion.
Name: War of the Roses
Creator: bspride
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: The War of the Roses was a pivotal moment in English history, replacing one dynasty of rulers with another, setting the stage for England's Renaissance, among a slew of other things. But that's not as important as the numerous bloody battles fought across southern England during that time, inviting a CC map to be made based on it. Bonuses are varied, being a combination of traditional continents and collections of single territories. The overall map look is of one written on parchment, depicting an old-time view of the region. Be prepared to claim the throne for your own soon.
Present Development: Map readability and looks are the key concerns right now, though gameplay discussion is sure to follow soon.
Name: Zodiac Map
Creator: rsacheli
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: The Zodiac has been a centerpiece of astrology for generations, enshrined most noticeably by the naming of constellations in the stars. This map portrays their constellations and has bonuses centering around the seasons and the elements those constellations comprise. It also features a super-connected Black Hole territory, allowing a lot of mobility for such a large map. The map beckons that you decide your own fate among the stars.
Present Development: A separate constellation bonus is being called for, as well as concerns over territory numbering.
In the Editorial, we ask a member of the Conquer Club community to write about some aspect of the Foundry. Subjects thus far have ranged from first-timer perspectives to a fictional look at future mapmaking, with plenty in between. Anyone interested in writing an Editorial is asked to PM TaCktiX about it.
This issue, however, TaCktiX himself contributed this piece talking about mapmaker motivations.
TaCktiX wrote:The Foundry is an awesome place. Regardless of all the nay-saying, the general angst over sudden changes, and the uproar often surrounding it (c’mon, the Treasures insta-switch, the Das Schloss insanity, and that Classic thing), it is one-of-a-kind. The Foundry recently exceeded 101 maps on the site, making 98 individual creations by dozens of people over the course of less than 3 years. These are all things that all of Conquer Club can appreciate.
But let me take us in a different direction. What about how the Foundry is for people who work inside it? What do they face to get their creations as part of the latest and greatest maps on the site? What keeps them going? What do they get out of it? I am going to attempt to answer these questions from my experience thus far, and from what I’ve heard from others.
In general, a newer mapmaker will face a lot of “burden of proof” early on. I experienced this with The Citadel when I was told shortly into development that I was better off abandoning the project and starting something else entirely. I soldiered on, addressing countless issues and questions. Within two months, the same person who had told me that abandonment was the only answer was posting words of praise. A newer mapmaker will face more resistance, so to speak, but the payoff on the other side is more than worth it. I would gander to say that the payoff is greater for a “newbie” than for an established mapmaker who just finished up his latest endeavor.
Continuing a multi-month project is difficult for anyone. For some mapmakers, the ability to create and improve something that nobody’s seen before is enough to keep posting revisions and making changes. For others, the sense of accomplishment at taking on a monumental task and completing it is the driving force. For still others, being able to tell others “I did that” is the ultimate reward. But for most, I would say that it’s a combination of all of these that generates maps from so many sources.
One final thing to consider is the rewards of making a map in the Foundry. Of course there’s the obvious one of seeing your map played by thousands, but there’s more to it than that. The Foundry rewards creativity and hard work, with interest, praise, and appreciation. People support each other on getting their maps done, making the entire place a swarm of collaboration as people interchangeably give feedback, make changes to their own maps, and offer tips for future work. In some cases, being in the Foundry with people of like mind is almost as rewarding as finishing the maps. It’s a community unlike any other, and that I would consider is its greatest achievement.
In the Spotlight, we typically cover a staff-selected map and mapmaker in an interview. Mapmaker motivations, inspirations, and the like have been covered, with plenty of surprises in between.
Belatedly, here we have a lovely Spotlight with the head monkey around here: Andy Dufresne.
How old are you/what gender are you/where do you live? Answer specifically, vaguely, or not at all.
I'm a young alpha monkey living in a place that needs more bananas.
How did you find out about Conquer Club?
Oh lets see, sometime in 2006 I wanted to play some World Domination, but I had no board unfortunately. So I turned to everyone's favorite friend, Google, and searched "Online risk website," and Conquer Club was one of the first listings--and it was the only listing I visited.
What is your favorite map currently up for live play? Why that one?
Hm, I'm not even sure what my favorite map is technically. **Looks in the game finder.** I suppose I keep coming back to the maps that were first on CC when I started in 2006--Classic, Asia, Canada, British Isles, plus a few random ones like Space, Africa, etc. I'm a big fan of standard maps, and so all the early maps appeal to me. They are all roughly the size I like to play on also. So I suppose because of the simplicity, size, and my early memories, I stick to those the most!
How'd you first end up in the Foundry?
I don't even remember--probably just looking for something to do on the forums. I remember looking at some of the early maps in production, and thought maybe I could help out and maybe make a map some day...
Have you ever considered making a map?
Funny you should ask!Many people have asked me when will I create a map, and my response is always "Never." I like being paradoxical...a Foundry Foreman who has never created a map. The humor is just too fun to cease.
But truth be told, and a few older and trusted Foundry members know this, I did actively work on a map in the earliest days of the Foundry--before I became Foreman. It was an Iberia map, as I liked the general shape of the area and it seemed to lend itself well to map production. I never got it to a stage I wanted to put it in the Foundry, but I received much help and advice from Marvaddin in those early stages. And as you all know, Bad Speler wandered into the Foundry and created an Iberia map...so my only attempt is now squashed! But I've still got ideas...lots of them!
How did the Cartography Assistant job come into existence? How has it evolved since its creation?
After I became Foundry Foreman, I wasn't exactly sure what to do with the Foundry or where to take it. Lackattack and Twill essentially told me to "make it work," and then they told me to go play. In the early Foundry era, keeping up with all the maps and cartographers was relatively easy--it was my only job and no more than 10 maps were ever being actively produced at a time. But as the Foundry grew the time I could spend looking and knowing each map dwindled...and thus I needed some help--cue the C.A.
Early C.A.'s, such as Keyogi and Cairnswk, were more like mini-foreman--that is, they were essentially doing the same jack-of-all-trades work that I had been doing for a while. It was not until Coleman, Oaktown, Gimil, and now MrBenn, did we segment and split the work up to make it more manageable and focus oriented. And now that we have a crew of Stamp Lickers helping out, we hope that more attention and time can be given to maps in production.
What things have changed the most about the Foundry since you've been a part of it?
I'll pick out a few obvious ones first. One is the sheer number of maps in production at any single time. As I mentioned, I remember when I could count less than 10 maps being produced. Now we have over 10 in the Main Foundry, another 10 or so in the Drafting Room, plus more in Final Forge...and countless more to be started probably even today.
Another obvious one is the quality of production. Take a look at the current British Isles or Brazil map (or think about the original Montreal, Middle East, Canada maps), and then take a look at the maps currently in production. The quality has gone bananas, but I love bananas.
Another obvious one would be creative game play is much more common now that it was in the early days. I remember when Jota was creating Discworld, and giving a +1 bonus for the Anhk-Morpork couple was exciting. Same with shared continents in Space, and negative bonuses in USApoc. Heck, even CCU's parking lot that isn't a part of a continent was unique at the time! But now we've got a plethora of maps unique play like Age of Merchants, Feudal War, CC City Mogul, Battle for Iraq!, etc. The ideas and the execution of interesting and fun ideas definitely seems to be growing and growing! Bananas, lots of bananas.
And the last thing I've seen change...is the growth of the career cartographer. Much of the early Foundry revolved around a person doing 1 map, and then disappearing. A few would stick around to work on a couple of maps like Mr. K, Jota, etc, but many were nearly one and done. But now we've repeat cartographers Mibi, DiM, Qwert, Oaktown, WidowMakers, RJbeals, etc.
Of those things, which was your favorite?
The last one, of course. I feel like I get to know more about someone after having worked with them through the production of a few maps. I'm always curious to see what sort of crazy banana-idea will come out next from each of their minds.
What map was most interesting to you while in the Foundry?
This one is so hard to say...I'm not sure. Probably Jota's early maps were the most interesting, because he was testing the boundaries of World Domination first--and I liked that.
What's your favorite part of being the Foundry Foreman?
Quenching a cartographer's map. It makes them happy, it makes me happy, it makes everyone happy. Who doesn't like making people happy? I know I should do more of it too...maybe I'll go do some soon.
What, if anything, do you dislike about the Foundry?
When things seem to become too personal. Sometimes it saddens me when a cartographer is taking criticism and feedback as if it was an attack on their personal character. Everyone just has to remember to step outside of their bodies, and look at the map for what the map is.
Is there a specific kind of map you believe the Foundry should be making more of, or that there is a high demand for?
Standard maps, goodness-love 'em.
How did the monkey/banana-themed comments first start?
What ever do you mean? I live my life, thank you very much.
What do you think of the Foundry process in general?
It stinks. No really.We've got a long ways to go I think, but we're working well with what we've got so far. Little gains. I'm curious to see how the Foundry will look 3 years from now, 5 years...I'm sure it will be a different place.
What new things are in store for the Foundry in the near future?
We are always looking for more people to help out in unofficial and official capacities...so keep an eye out for that. And as you all know, the 100 Maps celebration is tribute to the Foundry essentially--to all the hardwork, anger, love, frustration, and bananas that has went into cartography.
Any other questions you'd have liked to have answered, that weren't asked?
Yes, who stole my bananas?
The section where we ask what YOU think. We've typically run polls and published additional responses to the questions asked, but new and different ways are certain to show up soon.
Edbeard wrote:I just look at WidowMakers' portfolio and see tons of great looking maps. there's a reason he's done most of the revamps.
Oaktown wrote:I don't love all of his maps, but overall Wid has the strongest body of work.
T-o-m wrote:but mibi should win, he has excellent graphics.
Gimil wrote:I voted for my main man RjBeals who is badly under represented in this thread.
*waves the beals flag*
WidowMakers wrote:Rj has a style that is very simple, elegant and clean.
I love Iceland.
Brazil will be great.
And Charleston is awesome. It gets back to that simple, elegant, solid good looking map.
fireedud wrote:I voted for Rj, but DiM comes in a close second. The thing about all these mapmakers is that their style is so different from one other. Actually, Rj and DiM are probably the farthest away form each other in terms of style.
RjBeals wrote:ust saw this thread.. man is this funny, Oaktown with 2 votes??? And I'm honored to be included in the ranks with mibi and WM. Those 2 are just bad-asses. But I'll wave my flag around also
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