Northwest Passage [Quenched]

[ender516]

If there is further need to emphasize or clarify the objective, then putting the word "Objective:" in yellow as well might help.

[natty dread]

legend typo: Impassibles --> Impassables

[MarshalNey]

"Impassable" as an adjective can also be spelled "Impassible" (in fact that's the way I spell it).

As a noun, it's pretty much made-uppish. So, I guess you could claim that 'impassible' is a mispelling, but counter-claims would be equally valid imo.

[shakeycat]

Natty: good catch. Guess I can't just take "impossible" and change a letter. The definitions as I read them are: impassable = unpassable, impassible = impassive.

I will address other things when I access my most recent proof on my laptop. Currently addressing Bruceswar's 3rd question.


Here's another idea of how I can break up the map, with 10 bonus regions instead of the initial 5:

Click image to enlarge.

And a more detailed version here: http://www.atomation.com/~thazzard/fun/nwp/aug26.jpg

Because they involve islands, the bonuses are still fractured and will probably not be easy. But there is an additional easy bonus, the Sverdrup Islands, making 4 easy bonuses we can rush for in the start (Hudson, NWT, McClure [Green west-most Expedition], Sverdrup). Kivalliq also looks fairly easy, and it sort of adds onto the Hudson bonus. The Repulse Bay outpost, just above the ice line, stops it from being too easy.

Similarly, the Islands of the Northwest Territories piggybacks on the McClure Expedition bonus.

Some expedition territories (Banks Island, Melville Island, King William Island, Devon Island, Disko Bay) are also present in the island bonuses.

Would have to make Amund Ringnes (Sverdrup) neutral to start, to prevent dropping with that bonus.

Thoughts?

[porkenbeans]

"Impassable" as an adjective can also be spelled "Impassible" (in fact that's the way I spell it).

As a noun, it's pretty much made-uppish. So, I guess you could claim that 'impassible' is a mispelling, but counter-claims would be equally valid imo.

Or another way, just plain Impasse.

[natty dread]

I like the idea of more bonus areas, but it also means lots more trouble finding good colours for the bonuses...


ps. "impasse" sounds kinda snobbish...

[MarshalNey]

Merriam-Webster lists 'impassible' as a variant of 'impassable'... nevertheless it seems that the latter is the more common method of spelling.

Anyway, skakeycat I see the value of putting some value into the currently 'unincorporated' islands, so maybe the additional bonus regions could be useful.

However, I'm fairly happy with the gameplay as it stands, as is Evil D I believe. I was going to talk to Ian about stickying this thread soon. That's not to discourage the current discussion; I'm just letting you know that you don't need to keep changing things for their own sake, only if you want to and think it's a good idea.

If you wanted to add more bonus regions (and I think this could benefit the map's gameplay), I wonder if 10 is too many. I worry that so many bonus regions will detract from the current importance and focus on the Expeditions.

Perhaps fewer and larger bonus areas... maybe 8? I don't know anything at all about the region and the natural distictions there.

[shakeycat]

Marshal:

Thank you for telling me where the foundry fellows stand. I'd like to explore this direction a little and see if it leads anywhere. If it's a dead end, I'm happy going back to where we were a week ago.

10 bonuses is just where I came to. I can probably make a logical 8 bonus map, but there would be 8-9 territories in some bonuses.

The original bonuses were designed as "big land area broken up = bonus", with no thought to include the islands. Then it was, "oh shit, what do I do with all these islands". And it seemed to work, so I kept it.

Anyway, here's what it would look like semi-pretty:

Click image to enlarge.

But still with ugly bits like the legend, which is having a hard time handling this idea, and missing all other changes that are still on my list.

10 bonus: http://www.atomation.com/~thazzard/fun/nwp/aug27.jpg
5 bonus: http://www.atomation.com/~thazzard/fun/nwp/aug20.jpg

The 10 is certainly busier and takes some focus off the passages.

Now I sleep

[Joodoo]

I feel like this map could have Auto-Deploy somewhere.
Perhaps in the captials (Yellowknife and Iqaluit)?

[Evil DIMwit]

I feel like this map could have Auto-Deploy somewhere.
Perhaps in the captials (Yellowknife and Iqaluit)?

Why complicate things more than necessary?

[shakeycat]

Far more verbose. More intense colours to be clearer.

Click image to enlarge.

I feel this bonus structure makes for more complete use of the map.

But I am also concerned that the main focus, the expedition routes, will be ignored as land bonuses are taken instead. I wonder if a more grayscale version would allow the focus to stay on the expedition routes, through their use of colour, while allowing the bonus structure to remain with 8-10 instead of 5 regions. This black 'n blue version is also easily colourblind safe.

Click image to enlarge.

Perhaps it's all we need to keep land-bonuses in the back seat?

[Victor Sullivan]

For the colors, I'm wondering if maybe you could make franklin or Hudson a different color, since they're both shades of purple? Also, I find the green and the purples a bit hard to see, especially the green. Could you do brighter colors? Btw, I like the black n blue version best.

-Sully

[ender516]

Another aside from real life: Purported Franklin Expedition records found

[shakeycat]

Thanks for the article Ender, I hadn't seen that one yet! My husband has been keeping me posted on the case. He says they are probably Amundsen's, who supposedly made many cairns with notes underneath. And the man who buried them was reported to be in possession of some of Amundsen's notes. I think we're all very curious to see if they are not Amundsen's. I guess by some time in October we should know!

He follows Visions of the North: http://visionsnorth.blogspot.com/

[iancanton]

But I am also concerned that the main focus, the expedition routes, will be ignored as land bonuses are taken instead. I wonder if a more grayscale version would allow the focus to stay on the expedition routes, through their use of colour, while allowing the bonus structure to remain with 8-10 instead of 5 regions.

this could work.

This black 'n blue version is also easily colourblind safe.

these colours seem to be thematically apt.

u have 48 starting regions, which is a bad number for 2v2 games. see if u can find a way to bring the number up to 52 or down to 47. the latter is presumably easier.

ian.