Conquer Club

Victor Sullivan wrote:Second, what does the map underneath say?

-Sully

i think it's supposed to say Turkey Roads but it says Turkay Roads.

ISN2 wrote:...
Thanks, about #1, the map idea is a desk with some real maps, a pen and a note on it (The desk of someone who is going to travel to Istanbul maybe), if you look at real maps you can see that a small part of them is the name of the map. I have an old map of Istanbul myself and the folded upper part of it is the name of the map in white with red background and the idea of that name in my map is from there, I guess it's enough but if you think there is really another graphically name/title needed then let me know where and how more specific ...
...

I understand the travellers theme, that's OK. Perhaps a post card of the Santa Sofia (or some other image from Istanbul) sitting under the top right corner with the pen angled over it.
Also, the legend, is that meant to be a ticket or similar? Perhaps it needs a slight enhancement to look like something that a traveller would use.
I hope this helps.

I'm glad to see this one made it to the forge... it was one of my favorite submissions to the contest.

it might be cool if you put some photos of some landmarks from istanbul in the picture, like polaroids scattered on the desk. it'd be a good way to reinforce the 'traveller-motif' while addressing some concerns of the map not having much cultural relevance.

just a suggestion.

$nakeface wrote:it might be cool if you put some photos of some landmarks from istanbul in the picture, like polaroids scattered on the desk. it'd be a good way to reinforce the 'traveller-motif' while addressing some concerns of the map not having much cultural relevance.

just a suggestion.

I like the Polaroid idea. There's a really cool freeware program called Poladroid that can take any image and make it look like a Polaroid photo.

http://www.poladroid.net/

Maybe if you get some images of Istanbul you like you could run it through that and then layer them around the map on the open desk areas. I used Poladroid recently for this map I created for my buddy's bar crawl around Wrigley Field.

Bruceswar wrote:For some reason I am just not feeling this map... Istanbul is not what I think of when I see this map. I am not sure what I think of, but not Istanbul

Nearly 100 people voted for it in the contest, so the point is moot

Victor Sullivan wrote:I think you can crop out a lot of that empty space at the top.

Rotating the map by another 30ish degrees anticlockwise (so it's tilted slightly the other way) will enable you to crop a bit more tightly, as the background card is less important than the front one.

DiM wrote:i think it's supposed to say Turkey Roads but it says Turkay Roads.

That typo needs to be fixed

cairnswk wrote:I understand the travellers theme, that's OK. Perhaps a post card of the Santa Sofia (or some other image from Istanbul) sitting under the top right corner with the pen angled over it.
Also, the legend, is that meant to be a ticket or similar? Perhaps it needs a slight enhancement to look like something that a traveller would use.
I hope this helps.

$nakeface wrote:it might be cool if you put some photos of some landmarks from istanbul in the picture, like polaroids scattered on the desk. it'd be a good way to reinforce the 'traveller-motif' while addressing some concerns of the map not having much cultural relevance.

These are very good suggestions.

This is probably a little late to be said in Final Forge, but I thought it might be amusing if there were some pen scribbles on the map. Well, not accually scribbles, but more of a doodle of a famous landmark in Istanbul where it is on the map. Or perhaps label the Sea of Marmara (at the bottom) or the canal in rushed printing. Or a circle around where his/her hotel is. Like traveller's notes just jotted down on it.

I was just thinking, because there's a pen there...

It would be a big change but I'm just throwing it out there if you want to try it.

MrBenn wrote:

Bruceswar wrote:For some reason I am just not feeling this map... Istanbul is not what I think of when I see this map. I am not sure what I think of, but not Istanbul

Nearly 100 people voted for it in the contest, so the point is moot

i think what bruceswar wanted to say is that the map does not have an instanbul flavour. nothing turkish about it.

maybe instead of the pen there could be a fez. or perhaps a box of lokum.

DiM wrote:

MrBenn wrote:

Bruceswar wrote:For some reason I am just not feeling this map... Istanbul is not what I think of when I see this map. I am not sure what I think of, but not Istanbul

Nearly 100 people voted for it in the contest, so the point is moot

i think what bruceswar wanted to say is that the map does not have an instanbul flavour. nothing turkish about it.

maybe instead of the pen there could be a fez. or perhaps a box of lokum.

As I mentioned, I think the motif the map incorporates is more the traveler aesthetic, which I think it can develop more. I think the idea of landmarks of Istanbul is a good way to add Turkish flavor, without adding things that are outside of the aesthetic, like a Fez.


--Andy

ISN2 wrote:Here is the new temp version of large one, let me know if it's cool or if it needs any change so then I can create the small one too ...

Click image to enlarge.

highways are usually numbered.

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions ...

Here is the last update:


Type mistakes are fixed.
Some bonuses are changed based on Victor Sullivan suggestion to balance them more.
A photo of Santa Sophia and a flight ticket are added.
Many other small details are changed.

The ticket and postcard are nice to make it a more tourist feel. Some remarks to make it even more pleasing:

- The pen writing at the Hagia Sophia postcard doesn't add anything in my taste. A note of where it is located (mollafenari) brings the map more alive.

- Could the bonus legend become some kind of checklist that you have visited? Like seen that done that. Then the pen has some connection with the legend and the map.
- An other idea to make a legend could be a postcard for every bonus area with a corresponding border colour and bonus name.

- There is a lot of unused space at the bottom. If the legend would move to the top behind the pen, 1/10th could be cropped.

It's looking really nice. The map overall still appears very neat and pristine though. Not necessarily one that has been used for traveling. I don't know, maybe it needs some creases or map folds. Also a coffee cup stain might add some character to a map that's seen some use.

http://www.brusheezy.com/Brushes/2168-C ... op-Brushes

What is happening here?

Asleep blue guys

ISN2, you re in final forge.
You must present a large and small map, and the xml with centering.
Is everyone awake on your side?

cairnswk wrote:ISN2, you re in final forge.
You must present a large and small map, and the xml with centering.
Is everyone awake on your side?

I can not make a small, a large and XML each time!!!

I presented the large map and I need the OK, so I would be able to make the small and XML, this map has supposed to get changed a lot, how can I make each time small and large map + XML? Then Blue guys would come with new ideas ...

If I get an OK for the last release then I will make the Small and XML

Posted 1 Jul

sannemanrobinson wrote:The ticket and postcard are nice to make it a more tourist feel. Some remarks to make it even more pleasing:

- The pen writing at the Hagia Sophia postcard doesn't add anything in my taste. A note of where it is located (mollafenari) brings the map more alive.

- Could the bonus legend become some kind of checklist that you have visited? Like seen that done that. Then the pen has some connection with the legend and the map.
- An other idea to make a legend could be a postcard for every bonus area with a corresponding border colour and bonus name.

- There is a lot of unused space at the bottom. If the legend would move to the top behind the pen, 1/10th could be cropped.

Posted 21 Jul

ironsij0287 wrote:It's looking really nice. The map overall still appears very neat and pristine though. Not necessarily one that has been used for traveling. I don't know, maybe it needs some creases or map folds. Also a coffee cup stain might add some character to a map that's seen some use.

http://www.brusheezy.com/Brushes/2168-C ... op-Brushes

Well ISN2, you last posted an update on Fri 1 Jul. Since then, you haven't answered the above two posts as to if you're going to attend to any of these suggestions, and there definetely isn't an update.
Perhaps it would be 'awakening' if these posts got a response, and in the meantime if want the 'blue boys' to look at your map, then do something with it like produce an update or clarify your intentions.

ISN2 wrote:

cairnswk wrote:ISN2, you re in final forge.
You must present a large and small map, and the xml with centering.
Is everyone awake on your side?

I can not make a small, a large and XML each time!!!

I presented the large map and I need the OK, so I would be able to make the small and XML, this map has supposed to get changed a lot, how can I make each time small and large map + XML? Then Blue guys would come with new ideas ...

If I get an OK for the last release then I will make the Small and XML

Fair enough, not everyone will want to do that, but you could make a start and show you are doing something towards getting the map finished.

ISN2, some things that I have noticed with the map, and you can take it or leave it as you wish but these things have been bugging me...

Bottom map - words are really crisp but the little bit of map that is showing is very blurred.
The pen has an inconsistent light source on it. The top of the pen would show much more of the light source and not have it stop like that.
You have really crisp map and tickets but the postcard looks like it came from a bin.
The sea route from Zeytinlik to Fenerbache goes between the legend now. Can you move it so it goes above it.
You have inconsiistant shading behind the territ names. Some areas are thicker than others.
The light source on the table is not consistent with the maps. You have the maps, ticket and postcard brightly lit but the table seems to be in darkness.
The left side of the map is very jagged on the edge, this is not carried around to all the other sides and does not fit the crispness of the map.

Great work by the way.

Good points koontz, all of those should be addressed.

All of these edges are jagged: left side of the top map, all sides of the legend, right side of the bottom map. These need to be fixed.

The sea texture on the main map doesn't quite fit, it looks too 3d when it's supposed to be printed on a 2d map - try a flatter type of texture on it.

A couple of minor comments.
Santa Sophia sounds a bit strange to me, would it not be better to use the Greek Ayia Sofia (Aγία Σοφία) or the Turkish Ayasofya?
Secondly, it should be possible to add the special Turkish letters? It looks a bit strange without them.

sannemanrobinson wrote:The ticket and postcard are nice to make it a more tourist feel. Some remarks to make it even more pleasing:

- The pen writing at the Hagia Sophia postcard doesn't add anything in my taste. A note of where it is located (mollafenari) brings the map more alive.

- Could the bonus legend become some kind of checklist that you have visited? Like seen that done that. Then the pen has some connection with the legend and the map.
- An other idea to make a legend could be a postcard for every bonus area with a corresponding border colour and bonus name.

- There is a lot of unused space at the bottom. If the legend would move to the top behind the pen, 1/10th could be cropped.

The pen is just an object to make it more look like a desk, it adds the feel of "Hey this is a desk!" to the image and I believe adding anything more like notes and etc really makes the image kinda noisy in view ...

Since this is the desk of someone who didn't travel to Istanbul yet and is willing to do, he didn't visit anywhere, so checklist idea is out and about postcard idea there is no space and view noise problem could be there too if you mean exactly a postcard for each continent which makes it 8 postcards!

I tried moving legend/note to the top but it cant' be placed there cause it's bigger and making texts smaller will make it hard to read in small map. But I did a change in placing Note and did cut 40px from bottom of image.

ironsij0287 wrote:It's looking really nice. The map overall still appears very neat and pristine though. Not necessarily one that has been used for traveling. I don't know, maybe it needs some creases or map folds. Also a coffee cup stain might add some character to a map that's seen some use.

http://www.brusheezy.com/Brushes/2168-C ... op-Brushes

The fold idea is a real good idea but I tried some and could not make anything out of it, when I used fake fold methods (using light and shadow to make it look like a fold) they didn't get beautiful since in middle of the map there are both dark and light colors covering large areas and a shadow/light fold looks bad and unnatural there. Real folds with transform methods also made the map really bad looking and lowered text qualities a lot since I had to break the map from middle into 2 different angles.

koontz1973 wrote:ISN2, some things that I have noticed with the map, and you can take it or leave it as you wish but these things have been bugging me...

Bottom map - words are really crisp but the little bit of map that is showing is very blurred.
The pen has an inconsistent light source on it. The top of the pen would show much more of the light source and not have it stop like that.
You have really crisp map and tickets but the postcard looks like it came from a bin.
The sea route from Zeytinlik to Fenerbache goes between the legend now. Can you move it so it goes above it.
You have inconsiistant shading behind the territ names. Some areas are thicker than others.
The light source on the table is not consistent with the maps. You have the maps, ticket and postcard brightly lit but the table seems to be in darkness.
The left side of the map is very jagged on the edge, this is not carried around to all the other sides and does not fit the crispness of the map.

Great work by the way.

I really liked some of your points.
About the blue thing, if you meant the map under the main map, I blurred it so people would know it's not part of the main map, anyway I changed it's angle a little to be seen less. If you meant the name of sea in white then I already removed it in this version.

The pen has not really an inconsistent light source on it. Try putting a pen like that on your desk when light is from Top Right and see the light on pen, it's exactly like the one I have. The Top piece of the pen is more bold specially after the golden ring piece. So in that piece it reflexes light the most like a point and then going to more top the pen gets less bold so less light get's to it since it's in back of the middle bold part. The bottom piece of pen is less bold and in front of that middle bold part, so it get's more light and reflexes more. Test it with a real pen and you will see

About the postcard I tried to make it look an old one, but yeah you are right, I removed the texture on it which was making it look dirty!

About the sea route I fixed it but it was really funny for myself, how the hell creator of that map knew that this person is going to put a note on bottom left of the map, so route is just changing path exactly around the note!!!? So I just re-fixed my fix again, hope it's less funny!

I did also some very little changes in shading behind the territory names. They were all same, same color with same style but some were looking different because of colors around maybe!

About the light on Desk vs Map/Ticket/etc ... it's an effect to make the focus on map, That's my own wooden desk in which is this color and the corners with dark effect are exactly to make the middle more visible and beautiful. It's called "vignette" in photo editing techniques which add shadow and blur to corners of a photo/image to make the focus on middle ...
Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignetting

I recused jagged sides a little, but since it's a paper, it still has to have some.

natty_dread wrote:Good points koontz, all of those should be addressed.

All of these edges are jagged: left side of the top map, all sides of the legend, right side of the bottom map. These need to be fixed.

The sea texture on the main map doesn't quite fit, it looks too 3d when it's supposed to be printed on a 2d map - try a flatter type of texture on it.

I fixed the sea texture. No more 3D

tokle wrote:A couple of minor comments.
Santa Sophia sounds a bit strange to me, would it not be better to use the Greek Ayia Sofia (Aγία Σοφία) or the Turkish Ayasofya?
Secondly, it should be possible to add the special Turkish letters? It looks a bit strange without them.

I'm not sure but personally I heard Santa Sophia more but looking at Wikipedia it says "Hagia Sophia" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia) and the Turkish name "Ἁγία Σοφία" I got no proper font to write it! So I used this name: "Ayasofya (Sancta Sophia)" as wiki says "Latin: Sancta Sophia/Turkish: Ayasofya".

// \\ // // \\ // // \\ // // \\ // // \\ //

Here is the result:

If it's cool let me know to start the Small and XML and also a preview with numbers on it!?

I've never heard it referred to as Santa Sophia before, but that's probably just me...
It seems strange to me as we're not talking about a saint called Sophia. Sophia here is not a name. The church was dedicated to the holy wisdom of God, sophia being the greek word for wisdom.

Are you sure your font doesn't have the Turkish letters? At least some of them are quite standard.
ü is at U+00FC
ğ is at U+011F
ö is at U+00F6
ş is at U+015F
ç is at U+00E7

tokle wrote:I've never heard it referred to as Santa Sophia before, but that's probably just me...
It seems strange to me as we're not talking about a saint called Sophia. Sophia here is not a name. The church was dedicated to the holy wisdom of God, sophia being the greek word for wisdom.

Are you sure your font doesn't have the Turkish letters? At least some of them are quite standard.
ü is at U+00FC
ğ is at U+011F
ö is at U+00F6
ş is at U+015F
ç is at U+00E7

The font is named "Journal", and any other hand writing fonts that I have, are having same problem, standard windows fonts like Tahoma support those characters but they are not good fonts for a hand wrote text on a postal card.

Remove the blur from the lower ticket. It looks awful and unrealistic.

There's maybe what, 20 pixels wide slice of it showing so you don't have to worry about anyone confusing it with the actual map...

The legend could use some kind of paper texture, and maybe curl it somewhat and add some shadow... currently it looks too sterile and pasted on.