California [Quenched]

[The Bison King]

Files for Beta:

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http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8576/cal ... upload.png

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http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9905 ... upload.png
XML: http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/12/18 ... low2px.xml

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California. Being the most populous state, and third largest in land area, I figured that it is important enough to earn it's own map. Also before anyone says "there are to many America maps already" I'll point out that the only map of an American state on this site is Texas wars.

All cities start with 2 neutral.

It's a standard play map with 2 insets for the San Fransisco bay, and Los Angeles. There are also city territories that can be collected for additional bonus points. 52 territories.

[Industrial Helix]

Ooo... pretty.

The cities seem unnecessary though and will likely overcomplicate the map. Though, perhaps there is a better way to integrate them, such as making them optional pieces to a regional bonus?

[natty dread]

I like the cities, they bring a little something extra to the gameplay.

I also particularly like the insets, that's a really clever way of doing insets - putting them right next to the areas they are insetting for (is that a proper word?) is a good solution, makes it easier to visualize.

My only worry is the narrowness of the map, seems a bit too chokey... perhaps adding a few ports could help? Or maybe the cities that are on the coast could connect to each other?

[The Bison King]

Yeah I figured that there are just too many large cities in California to not make them a part of the gameplay.

My only worry is the narrowness of the map, seems a bit too chokey... perhaps adding a few ports could help? Or maybe the cities that are on the coast could connect to each other?

I think a little choke can be a good thing and there aren't any significant points that are less than 3 wide. That being said I can definitely see a potential for adding ports or air ports. We'll see if it becomes a necessity later on.

[porkenbeans]

A possible solution to the "skinniness" is, you could change the view, so that you are not directly over the top, but rather at the bottom looking up at an angle. This would foreshorten the image so that it is squashed down in height. Google Earth is great for grabbing these kinds of distorted, er, different perspective images.

[porkenbeans]

Something like this, King.

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This works out pretty good in that "Southern California" is the most populated, and therefore you will have more area to work with there.

[The Bison King]

uh yeah, well... thanks for the advice... but I'm not doing that.

[The Bison King]

No disrespect but just because the perspective is scewwed to make southern California look bigger, doesn't actually make it bigger. Also Southern Cali's population isn't greater. The majority of south Cali is an empty desert. LA is the 2nd most populous city in the US true, but just because there is one big city there doesn't mean that the whole of Southern Cali is more populated.

The Geography stands. California is shaped as it is.

[grifftron]

No disrespect but just because the perspective is scewwed to make southern California look bigger, doesn't actually make it bigger. Also Southern Cali's population isn't greater. The majority of south Cali is an empty desert. LA is the 2nd most populous city in the US true, but just because there is one big city there doesn't mean that the whole of Southern Cali is more populated.

The Geography stands. California is shaped as it is.

plus you took a long time to paint that sheesh! geez...

-griff

[porkenbeans]

No disrespect but just because the perspective is scewwed to make southern California look bigger, doesn't actually make it bigger. Also Southern Cali's population isn't greater. The majority of south Cali is an empty desert. LA is the 2nd most populous city in the US true, but just because there is one big city there doesn't mean that the whole of Southern Cali is more populated.

The Geography stands. California is shaped as it is.

I am from California. LA and San Diego are just about all one ginormous city. You can drive 4 hours to cross it.



About the perspective, I was just offering something up for your consideration.

[The Bison King]

I am from California. LA and San Diego are just about all one ginormous city. You can drive 4 hours to cross it.

Never been to San Diego, I heard it rules. I was in LA last summer. East Hollywood specifically. What part of the state do you live in? I have family in San Jose, so I've been there my fair share of times. I'm sort of a Cali-phile I'd and I'd like to move there one day (despite the Cliche) It's a large part of why I wanted to do this as a map.

[tokle]

I like this. The draft looks good.

But it seems to me that many of the terits are too small to fit in the name and army numbers.

[The Bison King]

But it seems to me that many of the terits are too small to fit in the name and army numbers.

In a few area's yes (especially the cities) I'll do a draft with names very soon. I suspect I'll have to do a lot of abbreviations. H.W. for Hollywood, that sort of thing...

[natty dread]

Well I don't really see many problematic areas, maybe a couple in that brown inset and that one yellow city...

[porkenbeans]

I am from California. LA and San Diego are just about all one ginormous city. You can drive 4 hours to cross it.

Never been to San Diego, I heard it rules. I was in LA last summer. East Hollywood specifically. What part of the state do you live in? I have family in San Jose, so I've been there my fair share of times. I'm sort of a Cali-phile I'd and I'd like to move there one day (despite the Cliche) It's a large part of why I wanted to do this as a map.

I grew up all over California. There are no areas that I am unfamiliar with.

California is so big, and so diverse in the way of climate zones. There is not a single climate zone that is not represented. With the exception of "humid-tropical". The humidity is desert dry, from top to bottom. But everything is so close. I once surfed Zuma in the morning, and skied Wrightwood (snow), that afternoon.

[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-

Click image to enlarge.

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-

Click image to enlarge.

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?