California [Quenched]

[The Bison King]

Click image to enlarge.

Ok Porky it's your time to shine! can you help me fill the gaps?

[Victor Sullivan]

I'm worried about the red and brown territories. Will the army numbers fit on the small version?
Also, non-zoomed in LA should be red, not brown.

[barterer2002]

Also, non-zoomed in LA should be red, not brown.

Seconded

Also the terts in the inset map should be labeled as well.

If you could avoid using so many abbrev. it would be helpful (SF, BK, SM, SFV, SC, BB, BH, HW, IE-I'm not liking the legend where they're spread out, I think that several can fit without issue). And obviously there are unnamed terts that need names. In your legend, where you list the cities bonus you should probably indicate that cities are marked with a dot

As far as gameplay goes, it looks fairly straigtforward which is probably a good thing. I can easily see a tournament using the San Fran-California-USA West-USA-North America-World type of progression.

[The Bison King]

I'm worried about the red and brown territories. Will the army numbers fit on the small version?
Also, non-zoomed in LA should be red, not brown.

There definitely is room for me to zoom in a little closer on LA. That's what I'll end up doing on the next draft. Hopefully that'll free up enough space to where I don't have to use as many abbreviations. Also I know it should be red and not Brown, that was just a mistake I made in the last update.

[porkenbeans]

King,
I would be very happy to be of assistance, if i can. This project is near and dear, and you do have the artistic talent, to take on this map. I am a big fan of your watercolors. I too love to work in that medium. I look forward to trading pointers with you, on technique and style, of watercolor painting.

Before I delve into the critique of this map, I feel that there are a couple of issues that first need to be addressed. The matter of the shape again. Something was bothering me, but I overlooked it. -While I was downloading some maps for you, I immediately saw just what it was that was bothering me. The shape is not quite right. Yours looks like a freehand drawing, made by some long ago cartographer, that did not have the advanced measuring and mapping tools that we have today. I will post a side by side, to show what I mean-

Click image to enlarge.

It may not seem like such a big deal to you, but if you are going to make the theme of this map, about the current (modern) day and age, with all of the current counties and cities, then, I think that it might be more proper to use the actual shape of the State. Here is a shot of the correct Counties-

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If you were to do your watercolor thing with this shape, It would look beautiful, I am sure.

Here are some more maps that you can use as textures or whatever-

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here is a map showing all of those different climate zones-

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I love the watercolor that you have got going now.Even with the incorrect shape, It still has a certain charm. It looks like it was painted yesterday, by a cartographer that lived 300 years ago. Who says that an Antique "looking" map, needs to be all faded and yellowed out ? Why not a representation of the map as it would have looked when it was made. Before the ravages of time steal away its color and clarity.

So, Why not continue with the current watercolor, but change up the theme to match some long ago era. Here is an era that I think would fit the map-

Click image to enlarge.

You could work these Original Tribes theme in pretty well, I imagine.

My vote is to keep on with the current graphics, but pick a different era that you think this style would fit. Anyways, something to ponder on I guess.

Almost forgot. Did a take off on a possible way to do that inset. The blowup needs to be redrawn but it gives you the idea.

[The Bison King]

The shape is not quite right. Yours looks like a freehand drawing, made by some long ago cartographer, that did not have the advanced measuring and mapping tools that we have today. I will post a side by side, to show what I mean-

True. When you put them back to back I was actually thrilled to see how close I was.

It still has a certain charm. It looks like it was painted yesterday, by a cartographer that lived 300 years ago. Who says that an Antique "looking" map, needs to be all faded and yellowed out ? Why not a representation of the map as it would have looked when it was made. Before the ravages of time steal away its color and clarity.

I'm listening...

So, Why not continue with the current watercolor, but change up the theme to match some long ago era.

I agree! However I think the first nation names are a little close to what Tisha has already done on her North America First Nations map. I was thinking a great era to theme this around would be a 1840-1850 theme. Around the time of the gold rush and it's rise to statehood! A young American California, just after it was conquered from Mexico.

Thanks for the maps

[The Bison King]

Click image to enlarge.

Here's a taste of where I want to go with this visually. This is just to give you an idea, of what I want to do and the specifics will be replaced later.

[porkenbeans]

That is the same era that came to my mind as well. it will make for a good map.

About the tribes theme, I would not worry about it being too close to tisha's map. It is of the same era, so some tribes will be on both maps. So what. There are many maps with say Germans or whatever. This should not hinder the idea.

The Gold Rush era is my favorite, however. The map style will mesh well I think. I can not wait to see what you come up with.

[porkenbeans]

I like the direction the logo is taking. But the rest is looking out of place with the theme. It should be done in watercolor just like the state. It should flow together as if painted on canvas. It looks to "clip and paste" like a modern magazine add. The whole thing should look like a watercolor painting. Everything except the labels, that is. Although the text in the title could stand to be painted "watercolor".

[Victor Sullivan]

I still don't fully understand the cities. Are you gonna label them? Are they gonna be separate territories from the one it's in?

[The Bison King]

I like the direction the logo is taking. But the rest is looking out of place with the theme. It should be done in watercolor just like the state. It should flow together as if painted on canvas. It looks to "clip and paste" like a modern magazine add. The whole thing should look like a watercolor painting. Everything except the labels, that is. Although the text in the title could stand to be painted "watercolor".

I'm sorry I thought I made it clear that I would be re-doing everything I added. I merely was giving you the "idea" of what would be there, those are in no way the final graphics. Just an example.

[The Bison King]

I still don't fully understand the cities. Are you gonna label them? Are they gonna be separate territories from the one it's in?

No they are the territories. You can look at the original Italy map, Fractured America, or any of the USA map pack regions for precedent. It's really quite a common feature in a lot of maps.

[Industrial Helix]

Ah... I finally understood the cities.

The big thing that I find is missing from this map is the awesomeness of the California Flag. 1) There is a giant bear 2) Red Star, and communism reference ignored, stars are pretty. 3) It says "California Republic" and, sure, the USA has absorbed many other states but Cali is the only one that says it explicitly on the flag and for that reason, California's flag is badass.

I'd say ditch a lot of those abbreviations. The less the better.

[The Bison King]

Ah... I finally understood the cities.

The big thing that I find is missing from this map is the awesomeness of the California Flag. 1) There is a giant bear 2) Red Star, and communism reference ignored, stars are pretty. 3) It says "California Republic" and, sure, the USA has absorbed many other states but Cali is the only one that says it explicitly on the flag and for that reason, California's flag is badass.

I'd say ditch a lot of those abbreviations. The less the better.

I meet you with agreement on all counts.

[porkenbeans]

First bear flag-

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