Vertex/Austrum [Quenched]

by **ManBungalow** on Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:39 pm

To rephrase my question -

Can Ha5 be a part of the 4 connected regions bonus if the player holds Su1?, thus connecting the regions by a traceable unbroken line in the style of Age of Merchants and - I think - Kings Court.

Also, is there any point to having differently coloured regions in the centre of Vertex? Are they like that so that one can't actually get a bonus from them? ie. there aren't 4 regions of the same colour.

by **koontz1973** on Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:43 pm

ManBungalow wrote:To rephrase my question -

Can Ha5 be a part of the 4 connected regions bonus if the player holds Su1?, thus connecting the regions by a traceable unbroken line in the style of Age of Merchants and - I think - Kings Court..

I will post the map as suggested changing Ha5.

Also, is there any point to having differently coloured regions in the centre of Vertex? Are they like that so that one can't actually get a bonus from them? ie. there aren't 4 regions of the same colour.

Yes, continuity of graphics and each one has its own name for the decays. Correct about the bonus though, no bonuses there. You will find nothing there apart from death (decay) and
glory (WC).

by **nolefan5311** on Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:52 pm

Don't sound so enthusiastic about it...

by **ManBungalow** on Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:24 pm

koontz1973 wrote:
Also, is there any point to having differently coloured regions in the centre of Vertex? Are they like that so that one can't actually get a bonus from them? ie. there aren't 4 regions of the same colour.

Yes, continuity of graphics and each one has its own name for the decays. Correct about the bonus though, no bonuses there. You will find nothing there apart from death (decay) and
glory (WC).

So, therefore, is there no way of gaining a bonus from holding the Su regions on Austrum? At the moment there are two sets of 2 Su regions, separated by the Meridiem....not connected.

by **koontz1973** on Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:27 pm

nolefan5311 wrote:Don't sound so enthusiastic about it...

I am not, their are maps that have territs that award no bonuses (Alexander's Empire, World 2.1, Knights, Classic Sydney). The Ha5 and Su territs where added to Austrum for a couple of reasons. The whole point of those territs was to allow strategy to evolve beyond a normal game play type. To make everything into a bonus, you end up giving away troops. You do not force players to think. It all ends up as a normal land grab like most games. As I said, I will make the changes.

ManBungalow wrote:So, therefore, is there no way of gaining a bonus from holding the Su regions on Austrum? At the moment there are two sets of 2 Su regions, separated by the Meridiem....not connected.

Correct, but will make the changes.

by **nolefan5311** on Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:42 am

I fail to see your point koontz, and I think you're justifying something just for the sake of justifying it. This issue would have most likely arisen in beta anyway. If you don't want a bonus to be awarded for these territories, I suggest changing their names. Regardless of what you choose to do, it won't stop you from being awarded this:

Onwards and upwards!

by **koontz1973** on Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:23 pm

Nole, not justifying something for the sake of it, like all map makers, we have an image in our heads and that is what we work from. As I explained to you early on, these are experiments in what I can do graphically, but also what can be done within current xml with the least amount of words on a map. But like all things in life, things have to change. I just wanted to have dead terts on both maps, but if it is the wish, then so be it. As you know, these two days are my busy ones, so expect the maps tomorrow (to show GP only). Then I will start on the graphical changes to get these up to scratch.

by **nolefan5311** on Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:31 pm

koontz1973 wrote:Nole, not justifying something for the sake of it, like all map makers, we have an image in our heads and that is what we work from. As I explained to you early on, these are experiments in what I can do graphically, but also what can be done within current xml with the least amount of words on a map. But like all things in life, things have to change. I just wanted to have dead terts on both maps, but if it is the wish, then so be it. As you know, these two days are my busy ones, so expect the maps tomorrow (to show GP only). Then I will start on the graphical changes to get these up to scratch.

Sounds good koontz. Thanks.

by **koontz1973** on Thu Dec 13, 2012 3:04 am

Vertex
No changes.

Click image to enlarge.

Austrum
Ha5 is now Su0. This name will change like the others. Ha5 is also part of the Su bonus chain. Added bridge between the Su zones to allow bonus to be had. This is graphically done quickly so no comments on that. I just posting the game play changes agreed. Will get on an clean the images up now for the graphics stamp later.

Click image to enlarge.

by **iancanton** on Fri Dec 14, 2012 5:22 pm

in vertex, is it worth reducing all of the neutrals from n3 to n2? i don't see any advantage from holding more of the regions on the inner four continents than is necessary to reach arctous.

ian.

by **koontz1973** on Sat Dec 15, 2012 12:02 am

iancanton wrote:in vertex, is it worth reducing all of the neutrals from n3 to n2? i don't see any advantage from holding more of the regions on the inner four continents than is necessary to reach arctous.

ian.

Not sure, lowering the neutral count from 16 to 14, would it really make much difference in games? But OK, will show the difference when I post the new maps.

by **koontz1973** on Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:49 am

Update to Vertex only today. Starting work on Austrum next.

Lots of graphical updates. Remember, some things are meant to be slightly of centre or have a rough look to them. This is done deliberately to simulate the drawing.

Click image to enlarge.

show: neutral starts

show: 888 map

nole, can you see if the glow is ok for you now? If not, will rework it.

show: colour blind test

by **koontz1973** on Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:53 am

Time for the Austrum to get updated. Worked on the map and all looks good to me. Some things have changed on this map so have updated Vertex in the previous post to reflect these changes. Bridges and been redone as have the glows. Made darker, slightly destroys the look but id far better for the CB players. Will ask for a check by some CB players to make sure all is good with this. Other things have been done, centred, damaged and generally made to look how I want it.

Click image to enlarge.

All maps below are done before I noticed a mistake with the territ names. Same map but different names.

show: starting positions

show: 888 map

show: CB tests

by **koontz1973** on Thu Dec 20, 2012 3:36 am

Update to Austrum for CB reasons only.

Click image to enlarge.

by **koontz1973** on Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:54 am

Their are a lot of maps to be posted so double posted for the sake of clarity.
Vertex
Large - no change.

Click image to enlarge.

Small

Miscellaneous maps.

show: 888 maps

show: CB tests

by **koontz1973** on Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:59 am

Their are a lot of maps to be posted so double posted for the sake of clarity.
Austrum
Large - no change.

Click image to enlarge.

Small

Miscellaneous maps.

show: 888 maps

show: CB tests

by **nolefan5311** on Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:09 am

These are really coming along nicely koontz!

by **koontz1973** on Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:11 am

Thanks nole, Does anyone have a problem with these two? I would like to start the xmls?

by **cairnswk** on Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:54 pm

koontz1973 wrote:Thanks nole, Does anyone have a problem with these two? I would like to start the xmls?

koontz, they are good, but i have to wonder if they both could not be down-sized, especially the large which i think is excessively large.
seems such a waste of real estate on them given there are so few territories and we are asked these days to watch every pixels we create.
i would have to wonder if the small could lose a bit a also.

by **Seamus76** on Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:08 pm

I have to say the more I look at the maps the more I'm not a fan of the colors. The background, and the outer edge images give me an old time nautical feel, but then there are these really bright colors that are throwing me off. I know you've been playing around with them for CB reasons, but would lowering the opacity still allow them to be different, yet give it the more toned down feel of the rest of the map?

by **koontz1973** on Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:24 am

cairnswk wrote:
koontz1973 wrote:Thanks nole, Does anyone have a problem with these two? I would like to start the xmls?

koontz, they are good, but i have to wonder if they both could not be down-sized, especially the large which i think is excessively large.
seems such a waste of real estate on them given there are so few territories and we are asked these days to watch every pixels we create.
i would have to wonder if the small could lose a bit a also.

All four maps are within standard sizes so downsizing is not an issue. It would of been an isue if I had gone over them though and then I would of had to look at it.

Seamus76 wrote:I have to say the more I look at the maps the more I'm not a fan of the colors. The background, and the outer edge images give me an old time nautical feel, but then there are these really bright colors that are throwing me off. I know you've been playing around with them for CB reasons, but would lowering the opacity still allow them to be different, yet give it the more toned down feel of the rest of the map?

The brightness of the glows is purely for CB reasons. I have had them lowered in previous versions and like you Israel map, they have had to come up for the CB reason. I will download your map and see if I can copy the colours over though and see if that helps at all.

by **cairnswk** on Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:32 am

koontz1973 wrote:
cairnswk wrote:
koontz1973 wrote:Thanks nole, Does anyone have a problem with these two? I would like to start the xmls?

koontz, they are good, but i have to wonder if they both could not be down-sized, especially the large which i think is excessively large.
seems such a waste of real estate on them given there are so few territories and we are asked these days to watch every pixels we create.
i would have to wonder if the small could lose a bit a also.

All four maps are within standard sizes so downsizing is not an issue. It would of been an isue if I had gone over them though and then I would of had to look at it.

Oh koontz i realise that, jees i'm not bloody dumb...and rolling out that line is like rolling out the same old crap that gets rolled out everytime.
I am asking you to consider down sizing particarly the large map, because i think it can be down sized and save players some loading bytage every time we play the map, rather than have it large just for the sake of beautiful and i can go that size. We don't have to make all our maps standard size simply because it is there. If you filled up the space with tightly packed territories, then i wouldn't be asking this question.

by **koontz1973** on Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:47 am

Your right cairns, the map could easily lose some of its size. But I am not going to do it. As for making our maps standard sizes, I only have one map that has been standard size apart from this.

You have asked for the large maps to be reduced in size a bit, I have now said no to that as I do not see it as a problem and all maps are within the rule of sizes so this is a non issue.

by **koontz1973** on Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:13 am

New maps. No size change.

Vertex
Vertex has had its glows reduced and two of the colours have been changed to allow for this. Small map now has Arctous added to it as it was missing.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

show: CB tests

Austrum
Glows turned down. Not going lower as the CB will not allow it. Lower right blue continent now has its glows cleaned up in the large one. Some reason I forgot to do this last time they where changed.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

show: CB tests

by **Oneyed** on Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:39 am

nice "old" maps.
could you do a litle more visible connections lines in Vertex? (they a little blend with attitudes/longitudes to me).
and I can not find Nessar regions...

Oneyed