USA 2.1 [10 Mar 2013] Beta Baby!!

[Gilligan]

let's take a bunch of poor maps and combine them in one poor HUGE map. YAY!
oh it's a brilliant idea because it's about the USA

Disagree...The USA Map Pack is great. At least most of them.

[TaCktiX]

I decided to drop by so isaiah didn't end up crying himself to sleep tonight. Looks good for a start, and I'm also of the mind that it'd be a lovely capstone to the USA 6 Map Pack. Provided you can put every territory on the map.

[AndyDufresne]

This is going to be terrific. I can't wait for it.


--Andy

[Serbia]

This is going to be terrific. I can't wait for it.


--Andy

Agreed.

Also, I don't really understand the mentality of "we don't need another map like (fill-in-the-blank)" If people want to make them, and people want to play them, why not? I'm a huge fan of basic gameplay maps. Not everyone is going to like them, just like not everyone likes the Feudal style maps, or large maps, or small maps. I'd rather see comments based on whether or not a map will work based on game play, whether it could be spruced up to make it more aesthetically pleasing, than to simply say "too similar to something else, I don't want another one!"

[DiM]

Also, I don't really understand the mentality of "we don't need another map like (fill-in-the-blank)" If people want to make them, and people want to play them, why not? I'm a huge fan of basic gameplay maps. Not everyone is going to like them, just like not everyone likes the Feudal style maps, or large maps, or small maps. I'd rather see comments based on whether or not a map will work based on game play, whether it could be spruced up to make it more aesthetically pleasing, than to simply say "too similar to something else, I don't want another one!"

it's not a matter of gameplay but rather one of theme. in this case USA is (in my opinion) a highly overdone theme. i'm sick of seeing USA this and USA that.
maybe lack should talk to the guys at google about making an application where you can use google maps and play CC on anything USA related. then rename the whole site into CC-USA.

there are tens of countries still not mapped and yet we keep getting more and more USA maps that get played only because they're called USA-Something and not because they have good gameplay.
in fact since you mentioned Feudal, it's also worth mentioning that ALL 6 maps in this pack get less than half of the number of daily games that Feudal does. and all this considering the fact that they benefit from the popularity of the USA name and that they're a lot newer. so, yeah, even when it comes to gameplay all these maps can be considered poor. and imagine how little playtime they would get if they were maps of Gabon, Burkina Faso, Albania and Uzbekistan just to name a few countries with very few CC players.

[greenoaks]

i really dislike some of the map pack maps but like the others.

bringing them together might negate the luck of the drop i feel is common on a few of them.

i'm looking forward to this.

[AndyDufresne]

there are tens of countries still not mapped and yet we keep getting more and more USA maps that get played only because they're called USA-Something and not because they have good gameplay.
in fact since you mentioned Feudal, it's also worth mentioning that ALL 6 maps in this pack get less than half of the number of daily games that Feudal does. and all this considering the fact that they benefit from the popularity of the USA name and that they're a lot newer. so, yeah, even when it comes to gameplay all these maps can be considered poor. and imagine how little playtime they would get if they were maps of Gabon, Burkina Faso, Albania and Uzbekistan just to name a few countries with very few CC players.

There is also a much smaller pool of 'Feudal-style' maps than basic style maps, so that argument is a little faulty.

Over all, I think people would welcome this map, and I can see a large number of tournaments and clan games around an established theme like this.


--Andy

[isaiah40]

there are tens of countries still not mapped and yet we keep getting more and more USA maps that get played only because they're called USA-Something and not because they have good gameplay.
in fact since you mentioned Feudal, it's also worth mentioning that ALL 6 maps in this pack get less than half of the number of daily games that Feudal does. and all this considering the fact that they benefit from the popularity of the USA name and that they're a lot newer. so, yeah, even when it comes to gameplay all these maps can be considered poor. and imagine how little playtime they would get if they were maps of Gabon, Burkina Faso, Albania and Uzbekistan just to name a few countries with very few CC players.

There is also a much smaller pool of 'Feudal-style' maps than basic style maps, so that argument is a little faulty.

Over all, I think people would welcome this map, and I can see a large number of tournaments and clan games around an established theme like this.


--Andy

Not to mention Battle Royals! Can you see an Assassin game on this where your target is in New York and you're in Los Angeles!

[ironsij0287]

What we really need is another map that features the Balkan region.....

I'm for this project but please, please make the states shapes more geographically accurate. Also a graphical overhaul from the original map pack theme would be nice too.

[isaiah40]

I'm for this project but please, please make the states shapes more geographically accurate. Also a graphical overhaul from the original map pack theme would be nice too.

What is wrong with making the shapes of the states not so accurate? Anyways, I added a few more states and interstates to this version Almost done! Still have to do New England, and place on all the other roads between the other cities

Click image to enlarge.

[ironsij0287]

I'm for this project but please, please make the states shapes more geographically accurate. Also a graphical overhaul from the original map pack theme would be nice too.

What is wrong with making the shapes of the states not so accurate? Anyways, I added a few more states and interstates to this version Almost done! Still have to do New England, and place on all the other roads between the other cities

I understand they're not going to be perfect because some states have to be stretched to fit the cities, but Iowa, Illinois look horrible. Alabama looks pretty bad too.

[Victor Sullivan]

Yay! Ohio! Just don't forget 70

-Sully

[natty dread]

Is this version you're posting the small or the large image? Because I don't think it has much room to be shrank... (or is it shrunk? shrinked?)

[isaiah40]

I understand they're not going to be perfect because some states have to be stretched to fit the cities, but Iowa, Illinois look horrible. Alabama looks pretty bad too.

Yes well, I'll get around to them after I get everything on it, like the background picture, all 68 or so bonuses. Good thing this is all vector based, as it will be really easy to change things around.

Is this version you're posting the small or the large image? Because I don't think it has much room to be shrank... (or is it shrunk? shrinked?)

Hmmm .... me thinks me forgot to mention that. This the small version as I am doing it all as a vector image, then when done I will be upscaling to the large. With a map of this magnitude, this is the best way.

Yay! Ohio! Just don't forget 70

-Sully

It'll get in there! But not until next week. I will be home today, so there won't be another update until Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

[Kabanellas]

It's looking great already!!!!!

[ironsij0287]

I'll be curious to see how you connect states that border states from other maps.

[isaiah40]

I'll be curious to see how you connect states that border states from other maps.

The interstate system and back roads as already shown.

[koontz1973]

I'll be curious to see how you connect states that border states from other maps.

The interstate system and back roads as already shown.

Would that not throw out the current bonuses, as you are adding connections to some territs and not others?

[isaiah40]

I'll be curious to see how you connect states that border states from other maps.

The interstate system and back roads as already shown.

Would that not throw out the current bonuses, as you are adding connections to some territs and not others?

Yes and no. I'm going to try and keep the current connections the way they are with the odd exception. Of course the interstate system will have an affect on the bonuses, but I don't believe by much.

[thenobodies80]

Obvious stamp, considering that's impossible to develope this one without going supersize!

Nobodies

[Victor Sullivan]

Yay! First non-let's-all-laugh-at-Sully-because-he-thought-there-was-an-image-when-there-actually-wasn't SuperSize stamp!

-Sully

[Leehar]

This looks like one hell of a map, best of luck getting it done!

[isaiah40]

Okay, so I finished adding in the states, as well as the main interstates.

Still need to do the minor roads and get a background for the background area and for the states.

Click image to enlarge.

[ManBungalow]

Looks like a lot of fun.
However, I fear that trying to list all of the bonuses will make this massively confusing and tedious to play. If you want to have a bonus for each state (normal continent-style), it might be worth considering colour-coding the states in the same manner as bonuses are portrayed on the Hive map. Unless you have a solid "+X for every state held". That makes me think of the bonus structure on 13 Colonies, actually. "+X for A states held", "+Y for B states held".

And so on.

[koontz1973]

Holy F**K, that is massive. This is going to be so much fun. Just hope is does not come up to many times as 1v1 random map. And I am not going to join the Beta tournies for this unless they are more than 4 players.

With the bonuses, I hope you are going to copy over from the smaller maps with the styles, just tweeking the amounts as routes have changed.

Back ground, well for the ultimate USA map, only the flag will do. All other images that come to mind and you will end up with lots of debate on why that over this. You could also add images of some of the more famous presidents.

How does it look covered in 88's?
Will you be doing the same things with the states as in the smaller versions, little images running through them?
Where is D.C. from the great lakes map?
Any luck with Alaska?
Have fun getting this all in.