Greetings everyone,
So we're a day late. Sorry, I had one of the crappiest ends of a week a human being can have without there being a death in the family or suffering a dismemberment, and the entire staff is plagued with this feculent disease they call "school". All of that aside, you all are a quiet bunch! I was expecting to get 5-10 responses about what people loved about Classic, and I didn't get anything. So in reverse of what I promised, we don't have a Perspective section this issue, as we didn't have anything for it. Please speak up next time, we really do value your responses, it's the lifeblood of our work here at the Newsletter (and I'm not saying this just to impress, it's the truth).
On the issue front, we introduce to you a brand new section, A Look Back. Similar to the Spotlight, this feature looks at maps and mapmakers gone by and gets their thoughts on a variety of things. The Spotlight itself is a double interview with Mibi and Incandenza, on their map Trench Warfare. On the Editorial, we've got Twill (need more be said? Go read it!). And of course, the Maps section is filled with the latest and greatest in the Foundry, including a note that the Foundry darling Oasis has finally quenched.
Hope you enjoy it, and don't forget the hate mail,
TaCktiX
For all who haven't read the homepage, the 100 Maps video contest is almost at its end and voting is open! Visit the topic (here) and make your voice heard!
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: 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: Quenched.
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: Quenched, at long last, yay!
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: 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: This map has remained very quiet for quite some time. A completed XML is supposedly posted.
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: XML Stamped, likely to quench soon.
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: XML should come soon from someone, though the original creator is bogged down in that pesky thing known as real life.
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: Quiet over the past couple of weeks.
Name: Age of Quests
Creator: DiM
Stamps:
Description: In his latest effort, DiM is taking a conquest look at pencil-and-paper RPGs, translating such things as classes, skills, treasure, and alignment into the realm of CC. The overall theme is of a piece of parchment that has seen much wear, and the symbols employed on the map match the style perfectly. Bonuses change depending on starting point, creating an interesting interplay between hindering an opponent and helping yourself.
Present Development: Silent of late, but likely to explode with the results of some playtesting off-site by the author very soon.
Name: Antarctica
Creator: e_i_pi
Stamps:
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 understanding and other small graphics tweaks have been the latest issues of concern.
Name: Cairns Metro
Creator: Cairnswk
Stamps:
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: On a short vacation as the next version is being prepared.
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: Awaiting a graphical update to improve the quality of the impassables on the map.
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: Getting a mix of FF-like tweaks and name changes. Stamp consideration should occur soon.
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: Many gameplay balancing concerns are being ironed out, but as those are fixed more get raised. Hopefully a decently-balanced map will arise from the firestorm.
Name: Feudal Epic
Creator: Gimil
Stamps:
Description: The long-awaited sequel to the original conquest map, Feudal War. Whereas Feudal War was restricted to only 6 players, Feudal Epic has enough for 8 people, with wide and expansive village regions in between to clash and vanquish your enemies in. Otherwise, the gameplay is the same, if not better, than the original Feudal War, making this a certain favorite when it quenches.
Present Development: Small balancing edits are the major focus of feedback right now.
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: Holding a Graphics stamp and a spot at the top of the Foundry, this map is looking to get near completion at last.
Name: Land and Sea
Creator: Edbeard
Stamps:
Description: This is a map of the world including both land and water territories. The graphics are basically non-existent right now, but the gameplay is undergoing serious discussion. The main feature of the game is that land and water territories only connect at certain points.
Present Development: The gameplay is still being ironed out on this map. After it's finalized, Edbeard will need someone to do the graphics for this map.
Name: Maze Craze
Creators: WidowMakers and yeti_c
Stamps:
Description: This map is big: 454 territories big. And it has a very novel gameplay revolving around neutrals that reset to much higher values when they're conquered. This is definitely a map to watch as it develops further.
Present Development: The creator is lobbying for a gameplay stamp, as nothing prevents the map from getting stamped with anything except XML. People agree.
Name: New Zealand
Creator: Reggie Mac
Stamps:
Description: This is a map of New Zealand, complete with some surrounding islands. The graphics are clean and simple, and the gameplay is totally classic.
Present Development: Gameplay issues are being sorted out, and the colors seem to be finalized now.
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: Graphics stamped and even further tweaked with little graphical touches, this map is looking ready for the Forge.
Name: Scandinavia
Creator: CoolC
Stamps:
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: Fielding suggestions for small changes to the map at present, likely to fuel another version.
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: Gameplayed and in the midst of relative frivolity with the latest graphical version.
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: A slew of graphical updates have been made, with newer versions of every single map. Bonus discussions are still key.
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: Gameplay balancing is heavy right now, with various solutions to prevent players from gaining a drop advantage being discussed.
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: Back in gear with a lot of recent updates, all of them improving the graphical quality and understanding of the map.
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: Still awaiting Final Forge.
Name: Castle Battle
Creators: Marvaddin and Telvannia
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: This map is a siege of a fictional castle. The top-notch 3-D graphics give this map a perspective that not many other maps have. The gameplay heavily utilizes elements such as autodeploys and bombardments.
Present Development: Both graphics and gameplay feedback and responses have been made recently. No word on Foundry movement yet, though.
Name: Conqueropoly
Creators: Bryguy and Gilligan
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: The game of monopoly, turned into a CC map! The map features numerous gameplay elements to make it similar to the board game, including battle ships (trains), cards, and even the dreaded sales tax. The graphics on this map are pretty much hammered out already.
Present Development: Still plagued with a wave of unpopularity, a new draft is a must.
Name: Research and Conquer
Creator: OliverFA
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: This map has a unique premise: you research your greater bonus by attacking separated territories, then use those greater reinforcements to either conquer others or fuel stronger research. It's an interesting twist on standard conquest play, and the graphics are looking simple yet eye-catching.
Present Development: Much is left to be determined, including researches, territory names, and any other special parts of the map.
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: In danger of hitting the Scrap Heap due to a lack of updates.
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 we have none other than Twill, the erstwhile Lightning Rod of Hate (or the Community Manager, whichever you prefer).
I'm not a very good writer of things, but TaCktiX asked me to write this week's editorial, and with everything that has gone on over the last week, and with this being the 11th issue of the newsletter, how could I say no?
What I want to say, both as a player and as someone who works for CC, really comes down to two words: Thank you.
But thank you just doesn't do it justice. I've watched as the Foundry has grown out of the community's desire to create more boards and more ways of playing. I had the pleasure of seeing very talented, and often very opinionated people create a process which both supports and critiques designers to bring the best out in them. I've had the mis-fortune of making some rather bad decisions, but the great fortune to have Foundry members who are not afraid to call me on them and push all of us to be better, advising and criticising what we do and how to do it better. You guys have created a community which is at once incredibly supportive and brutally honest. A community where people who have boring day jobs can express a creative side and show off their skills in ways they could not do otherwise. A community which gives other people with boring day jobs a way to escape the monotony. A community which CC could not be what it is today without and a community which has been a true pleasure to watch grow.
Thank you all, for all of that.
But thanks often is not enough, so where are we going from here? 100 maps passed, the 11th issue of the Newsletter released; are we going to continue in the same way, just more maps filling the game selection screen and just saying thank you more often to more people? I sure hope not. The time has come to really press some map facing features that have been sitting idly on the side for too long. Over the next few weeks we hope to get people working on 2 or 3 projects that will not only highlight new (and existing) maps (and map makers) better, but get more people playing on more varied maps and get new blood into the foundry in an attempt to get more people appreciating the work that all of you do. I'm not going to promise what or any specifics right now because we all know how horribly those end up with us, but Lack, Andy and I have all agreed that it's time to spend some time giving the foundry some feature love, to give back for all the great time and energy all of you have put in over the years to make Conquer Club the best damn place to conquer just about anything.
For now, Happy Halloween.
And thank you, very much.
Twill
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.
This issue we took both Mibi and Incandenza aside and asked about their map Trench Warfare, recently Gameplay Stamped. Here's what they had to say.
How old are you/what gender are you/where do you live? Answer specifically, vaguely, or not at all.
Mibi: I am 29 and may or may not live outside the United States.
Incandenza: I am a 31 year old male living in Los Angeles.
How did you find out about Conquer Club?
Mibi: Google.
Incandenza: By complete accident. I've been playing risk in some form or another since the first Reagan administration, yet I'd long since given up finding a decent online risk game. Then after playing a geographical flash game whose name escapes me, I decided to take another shot through the googles. And lo, I discovered Conquer Club.
What is your favorite map currently up for live play? Why that one?
Mibi: Right now it would be Arms Race! I just think it plays well, plays to its intention well and is a good departure from other styles of gameplay without getting too complicated. I like maps that are ambitious enough to encapsulate a theme or idea through gameplay, and not just graphics. I also like that map because the graphics are way better than anything I could have done too.
Incandenza: For 6p, Middle East. For whatever reason I fundamentally "get" that map, and I think that Keyogi did an unbelieveable job with the revamp. For 1v1, Waterloo, no question. Finest strategic experience on the site for my money. I wish that there were more maps of that ilk.
What interested you in mapmaking?
Mibi: Self actualization of course! The reward of bringing a concept from nothing to reality. I wanted a Siege type map, I made one. The act of creation is sweet, and especially sweet when it's value and utility are great.
Incandenza: I've had an obsessive love for maps since I was small, but never in a million years thought I would ever make a map here on CC. But after writing a rhapsodic editorial for your distinguished publication some months ago, mibi contacted me and asked if I wanted to co-author Trench Warfare. I accepted, and it's been a terrific experience.
What kind of feedback do you like getting the most?
Mibi: I prefer drawn out gameplay observations. Others know gameplay better than I so if someone really takes the time to visualize an outcome or situation and expatiate on that, that's great. I tend to take most graphical comments with a grain of salt at this point. Though in the beginning, I thought a map was done by version 3, and only with extensive bickering and frustration did something wonderful emerge.
Incandenza: Intelligent concerns from people who've clearly put thought into their feedback. Well, that's pretty obvious, so I'll do you one better: when cairns, WM, and RJ, cartographic rock stars all, swung by the thread to profess their support, that was pretty bitching. Oak has definitely made a huge contribution to the general comprehension level of the map. And sometimes it's good when people like t-o-m and Juan post nothing more than "I can't wait to play on this!"
The tricky thing with Trench Warfare, and one that mibi's commented on a bit in the thread, is that the gameplay and graphics were pretty dialed in even before we submitted it for comments. So there hasn't been any earth-shattering feedback that cause us both to slap our foreheads and wonder why one of us hadn't thought of it. Much of the work has been small refinements: title, legend, graphic details.
What "keeps you going" through getting a map through the Foundry?
Mibi: In the beginning it was a need to see where the map was going. How it would change and what it would look like. I would update a few times a day. The foundry was red hot back then. Now, what keeps me going is a general nagging notion that there is something I should be doing, like mowing the lawn. The fire is largely gone, though this is not due entirely to the state of the Foundry. Once I satisfied my need to create, I was, well, satisfied. I got my good ideas out there and I have no desire to CairnsWK my way to retirement. Any good ideas I will have from hence for I will try to pass of to others. WidowMakers and I have a sweet collaboration in the pipe.
Incandenza: Turns, other forums, and commenting on other maps.
What inspired you to create this map?
Mibi: As with most of my maps, I thought up this while taking a lengthy drive. i did a fast map, Arms Race, but wanted to do something slow. Something to build in. Trench warfare seems like a good excuse for this so I created the map in my head in the car and tried to make the gameplay fit as much to the theme as possible. When I got home i whipped up a draft and brought Incandenza in to study and refine it.
Incandenza: Well, I didn't create the map, that's all mibi. I'm just logistics, gameplay consultant, and general sounding board. But I'm working on this map for two reasons: 1) I absolutely love the concept and can't wait to get my trench on, and 2) I have an immense amount of respect for mibi and his maps (especially Siege and Arms Race), so when he offered me the gig I jumped at the chance. This is mibi's baby, I'm just the midwife.
How did you decide what graphics styles to go with?
Mibi: I like top down battle maps, like Siege and D-Day, it's just got an "in-the-action" type feel. So I went with that, the graphics were pretty easy, just balancing scale and realism.
How much time do you spend on each update? How much of that time do you enjoy?
Mibi: Well Trench Warfare was different than most maps. I submitted a first draft that I would consider 90% done. I wanted to by pass the the first few months of development and revisions by spending highly focused time with a few persons instead of inefficient time with 50 people.
Incandenza: Also much more of a mibi question. We did spend quite a while hashing out the gameplay privately before presenting the map to the foundry, and I spend a bit of time responding to posts and keeping things updated and what not, but obviously the lion's share of work has been done by mibi, and quite brilliantly I might add.
Was there anything in the Foundry that you found surprising or unpredictable concerning your map?
Mibi: I was surprised about how few comments the map receives and how slowly it moved through the stages. I was expecting it to fly to final forge, but that is not how things work. I was a bit presumptuous and optimistic. Never underestimate a bureaucracy of volunteers.
Incandenza: Not especially. I've been hanging out in the Foundry for nearly two years, I've seen all sorts of maps being developed, so there aren't a lot of surprises in store. The only thing that I found surprising was the sense of pride I felt when people started supporting the map. Again, I've put about a millionth as much time into the map as mibi, so I can't imagine how he feels.
Were there any suggestions that you absolutely loved? Or any that you really hated?
Mibi: Inca really gave me all the best suggestions. He polished the map to a fine shine. Yeti hit upon some interesting scenarios which I had not thought of. This map is a new style of gameplay, there are unexpected scenarios and outcomes. It's always fun to discover them.
Incandenza: The legend has always been an issue, and it can get frustrating trying to find that exact series of words that both fit in the space allowed and communicate enough information as to be useful. Hopefully we've gotten more or less on top of that little bugaboo.
What do you think of the Foundry process in general?
Mibi: It is what it is. You can't fight CC Hall. Ohh, bad pun. My apologies. Seriously though, if the ends justify the means, and great maps keep making there way to live play, then the foundry works wonderfully. Otherwise it's a slowly gyrating barrel of one-armed monkeys.
Incandenza: Um, is this a newsletter or a book?
It has its pros and cons, obviously. Things have gotten very slow, and maybe that's because most of the good ideas have already been done. It's such a difficult and occasionally needlessly protracted process, and while certain maps have been saved by the length of the process, we're seeing many talented mapmakers either quit, scale back their work load, or dick around on, IMHO, uninteresting concepts.
That being said, the Foundry is the lifeblood of CC. Maps are what really set this place apart from other world domination games, and the fact that dozens of mapmakers and hundreds of commenters have put in thousands and thousands of unpaid man-hours to create the rich plethora of maps is truly inspiring.
A Look Back
In A Look Back, we look at either a recently quenched map or a mapmaker who has contributed to CC but hasn't done so recently. It's a great retrospective that is certain to be an interesting feature as time goes on.
In this first issue of A Look Back, we asked a former spotlightee, wcaclimbing, about his (at long last) quenched map, Oasis.
Oasis is finally quenched. Looking back on the map's development, what do you think of it as a whole?
Creating Oasis was a lot of fun. I've had the support of a lot of people and I'm really satisfied with the result.
My only complaint is that it took so long to finish... but that is kinda my fault also, since I took so much time between updates.
Other than the long amount of time, it's been great. I'm looking forward to things I may do in the future; I'm hoping they will be as enjoyable as Oasis has been.
Which stamp did you find hardest to get? What do you think the cause was?
Gameplay was definitely the most difficult stamp to get. With the unique setup of Oasis, it was tough finding a way to work out the gameplay and keep it fair on all settings. Originally, the map had people deploy on the left and right sides of the map only, with only desert across the bottom. People decided that a setup like that would be very bad for assassin games, so I had to make a lot of changes to make things work.
What part of the map do you think people will enjoy most as it reaches play?
I think people will enjoy the wide open setup and all the gameplay possibilities. Its a unique map, so if nothing else, people still might like trying a map like none of the others.
What ended up being the most rewarding about doing this map?
I think I most enjoyed making so many new friends around CC. Before starting Oasis, I didn't know many people around the forums. I've met quite a few people and become friends with a lot of them (especially some other mapmakers). So now I always have someone to talk to in live chat
If your map suffered from slowdowns, what helped you kick-start it back into gear?
Oasis had lots of slowdowns in every part of development.
The thing that mostly kick-started development again was my realizing that I hadn't updated in a very long time. Then I'd try to find some free time, and eventually an update would be made. And I'd usually be happy with the update, which made me more interested in continuing the map, which made me work on it more, which meant faster updates, etc ...
If there were any periods where things were speeding along, how did that make you feel as a mapmaker?
Nothing was ever speeding along. So I can't answer this one.
What's your next (or current) project(s), if you have one? Provide links if available.
I've got two:
[click the image to go to the thread]
I think the easiest way to describe the gameplay is Oasis in reverse. Players start in a village in the center of the map and expand towards the edges to collect bonuses, eventually returning to the village to eliminate the opponents. Click the image and read the first post if you want a more detailed explanation.
[click the image to go to the thread]
Panama is my other map in development, but I don't really like it. It's more of a side project, because I'm more interested in Winter. Panama may be finished eventually, though. It's just on hold for a while.
... oh, how nice. MrBenn has moved it to the scrap heap. I guess that tells you how much I have been working on it
And for future projects, I want to continue with more maps similar to Oasis and Winter. Maybe a tropical theme next time, or rocky terrain, I'm not sure.
Since your map was spotlighted, did anything major change about the process, the map, and the like?
The only major change I made was adding the strip of fertile land across the bottom of the map. I'm not sure if that change was made before or after the spotlight, though. Other than that, nothing big has happened.
Knowing that everyone in the Foundry loved the map for both its beauty and its novelty, how is that affecting how you do future projects?
That just means each of my future maps will have to be even better. Except for Panama (As I said before, I'm not that interested in that map).
I want all my maps to have:
- A. Realistic Terrain
B. Wide Open Borders
C. Unique Gameplay that is still fairly easy to understand.
Do you foresee people taking the Grand Oasis to win, or sticking to simple elimination?
I honestly have no idea right now. We'll have to wait until we actually get to play the map before I figure that question out. I'm hoping that all the distance involved in eliminating someone would push people more towards taking the Grand Oasis, but I won't be sure until we actually get to play it.
Unfortunately due to zero responses to the request for "my favorite Classic memories", there is no Perspective this issue. We're still more than willing to run any of your thoughts, and the PM inbox of TaCktiX (clicky) is always open.
Subscription
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Then feel free to subscribe to the newsletter by sending a PM with your name to the Newsletter's senior editor, TaCktiX (clicky). By subscribing you will receive every new issue of the Newsletter straight into your inbox, keeping you up to date with all the new latest developments in the Foundry.
Wrap up
We would like to thank you all for taking the time to read and enjoy our newsletter.
See you next time!
ZeakCytho - Perspectives Editor, Spotlight Editor, Maps In Development Editor
wcaclimbing - Graphics
gimil - Graphics
InkL0sed - Formatting Editor, Proofreading Editor
TaCktiX - Senior Editor, Editorial Editor, Maps in Development Editor, A Look Back Editor
