by Industrial Helix on Thu May 21, 2009 6:45 am
The new map is impressive, but I've got a few comments...
1) Castilla la Mancha is a bit difficult to read... I don't know if its the graphics, but the borders seem to be a four corners border. I might just be that I can't read it.
2) I think you're going to have to make it more explicit where Valéncia does and does not connect because I found it confusing until I looked at it for a while.
3) Aragon and Cataluna seem like their border could use some clarification as well.
4) I like the graphics on this map, I love the color used, but I think the red around the impassables needs to be toned down quite a bit.
5) The border between Castilla la Mancha and Communidad Valéncia begins and ends. On second thought, looking at the rules again, I see why this is. I really think you should consider making Mercia part of another bonus because if its not self explanatory upon looking, then you're going to lose your players. I would assume your target audience is the players not interested in a complicated game, the Mercia connection kind of jeopardizes that and makes it more confusing than it needs to be.
6) The corner border between Alicante and Albacete needs to be clearer.
7) In Almeria, the lower impassable... why is that there?
8 ) Almeria/Grenada/Mercia/Albacete... the impassable makes it not a four corner border, but I think something needs to be done to make it more clear who's attacking who... maybe extend the impassable further along the Murcia/Albacete border?
9) The Anchors could afford to me a tad bigger and I would include a glow around them to make them stand out. I can see two, but shouldn't there be two more corresponding ones?
10) I would do either the anchor connection and put one on Mercia or cut the Anchors and do dotted connections, but not both.
11) I would try to make the border with Portugal a little more clear. It just kind of trails off there.
12) Galicia and Communidad Nord... I think that the border between these bonuses need to be more clear... i only just realized there was a separate bonus there.
Anyway, despite all my nitpicks, I really do love the color and feel of this map. I think with the above alterations made that the gameplay should be solid. I think it stands out better than Iberia and has more of a national flavor than Iberia. I think the color and vibrancy really go a long way to make this map stand out and be something exciting to play on. Personally, I don't like the Iberia map that much and think that it under-represents Spain and that the gameplay is more difficult to understand than need be. Is it redundant as Oaktown said, well, yes to an extent, but should it hold this map back, no I don't think so. Personally, i would steer away from the Spanish Civil War theme as then you've got to include parts of Morocco and the bonus structure would need severe alteration. I think it's quite good as a representative of modern Spain. As for adding in a special little extra bonus feature to distinguish it from Iberia, I'm kind of leaning towards don't do it. The map is heavily dependent on the geographical features of Spain, putting in litle icons would onl take away from that, i think.
Anyway, hope some of this helps. Best of luck with the progress.
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