Baltic Crusades

[Industrial Helix]

For the stripes in Venezia I just used the line tool, bumped it up to like 20 px and made a line in one color on a layer, copied the layer and then pasted it in a new layer. Hit Hue/Saturation and changed the color to my liking. Then I merged the two line layers and copied them, pasted and repeat until I had a fairly big block of stripes. Then I put the stripes layer underneath my borders layer and carefully erased the edges so that it only filled Venezia.

[theBastard]

and what do you think about this? ech town, castle, fort are region. if you think it should be I will continue on this map rather as previous...

Click image to enlarge.

[natty dread]

Ok... between Zemgale, Selija, Samogitia and Aukstaitija there's a 4-way border. You'll need to change that, it makes it difficult to figure out which areas attack which.

[MrBenn]

It's really interesting to see your skills developing.

I'd encourage you to focus on getting something presentable (it doesn;t need to be perfect) so that people can start to get a better idea for how you plan things to work; then it'll be worth looking towards getting a design brief together - this will help to give you continued focus for the map as things develop

[theBastard]

to natty_dread, this is only idea map, if you look at previous version, you can see trees on the borders which are impassable. and thanks for support.

to MrBenn, thanks for kind words, which are for Industrial Helix also, I think

the idea is done, on 99%. I am working on map now, and I hope in the last version there will be everything.

[natty dread]

I like the castles as separate territories. You should go with that.

[theBastard]

I finished it. not 100% finished yet, but I believe that Helix has new graphic gimmickry for me
the size of army circles must be 21 x 21 pixels.

Click image to enlarge.

here is version with old style fonts.

Click image to enlarge.

[Industrial Helix]

Wow... I really have to say that your graphic skills have come quite a long way from that first draft you posted. The latest looks pretty damn good, save for a few details.

The next and maybe last trick you need to learn for this map is how to add glow, dropshadow, stroke, ect. to your layers. And this is real simple...

Find the layer you want to alter. In this case, we're going to pick the rivers because they need to stand out a little more. Select your rivers layer.

Next, move the cursor so that it isn't on the layer name, but still on the little block that represents the layer. Now double click.

This should bring up an effects layer where you can do all sorts of things to your layers.

In this case, because I'm not sure which will work best, click on stroke at the very bottom. This should have added a red line around your rivers... now red isn't the color we want, lets try something like dark brown and shrinking the line to something like 2 or 3 px. You can also lower the opacity if you like, which is like what you did to your colors to make the background texture show through.

Is the stroke not working? Go back to the little list to the left and deselect the little box. It should be gone now and your rivers are like they were before. Move on up to "Outer Glow" and select that. Make the color a muddy brown, like muddy banks of the river. I like my Blend mode (located just above the color) set to multiply. Set it to multiply if it isn't already. The "Size" slider will make the glow bigger or smaller, the "Spread" slider will make it more or less diffused. Try something that is tight to the river, something that illustrates the banks of the river and makes them stand out a little bit.

This, I think, should be the last general graphics lesson. You've got the tools and the know-how to make the map that you see in your mind, which I think is clear by the latest version. Congrats, let's take it to the Final Forge! Finish your draft and post a revised design brief, or pm it to me, and I'll make sure your english is good and point out what you need to address better.

[theBastard]

Wow... I really have to say that your graphic skills have come quite a long way from that first draft you posted. The latest looks pretty damn good, save for a few details.

yes, and you show me the right way

This, I think, should be the last general graphics lesson. You've got the tools and the know-how to make the map that you see in your mind, which I think is clear by the latest version.

I´m working on one new...

Congrats, let's take it to the Final Forge!

thanks. I can take it to Final Forge myself? I thought that game makers sort maps which one is good...

Finish your draft and post a revised design brief, or pm it to me, and I'll make sure your english is good and point out what you need to address better.

your last graphic tips works fine, but the design brief will be hard work for me. I will work on it, damned with my English

[natty dread]

the size of army circles must be 21 x 21 pixels.

22x22

thanks. I can take it to Final Forge myself? I thought that game makers sort maps which one is good...

No, you make the map, then foundry mods move it to gameplay workshop, then graphics workshop, then final forge.

damned with my English

wonder if you'll be a new qwert... (lack of english skills never stopped him from making great maps)

[Industrial Helix]

Well, the tricky thing about writing design briefs is having a solid game plan and objective. Write it in short phrases, or hell, use an online translator and I'll fill in the gaps.

But yeah, like Natty said, circles need to be 22 px and if you map is clean and crisp enough... it probably won't need circles and you can just put the numbers on the map... it's what all the cool kids are doing these days.

[theBastard]

to natty_dread, gwert? some guy from here? I have to go a long way to do great maps

Helix, sorry in the morning Stroke works me, but now no. baseless if I used Stroke or Outer Glow it everytime colour all my rivers...

about circles, hm I think I will be able to edit map for 22 x 22 pixels, if they are needed. only say me with which we go, Gothic fonts (are they better redable now, Helix) or with the other ones?

[Industrial Helix]

to natty_dread, gwert? some guy from here? I have to go a long way to do great maps

Helix, sorry in the morning Stroke works me, but now no. baseless if I used Stroke or Outer Glow it everytime colour all my rivers...

about circles, hm I think I will be able to edit map for 22 x 22 pixels, if they are needed. only say me with which we go, Gothic fonts (are they better redable now, Helix) or with the other ones?

Qwert has made a number of maps on CC, most of the WWII ones, Europe 1914, Pelopennesian War, ect. He's definitely made a mark on CC in terms of map contributions.

Ok... One thing to check that you're using outer glow and not inner. With Stroke, make sure position is set to outside and not inside. I'm not 100% sure what to do for your problem... its going to take some messing around on your part to figure out what's going wrong. Try a new file and making a quick scribble with brush, then using the glow and stroke... experimenting is the only way out of this one, I think.

Gothic fonts are still troublesome in my opinion. But I think it's good enough for the moment. Once you get this map into the graphics workshop, you're likely going to have to change it.

[theBastard]

In this case, because I'm not sure which will work best, click on stroke at the very bottom. This should have added a red line around your rivers... now red isn't the color we want, lets try something like dark brown and shrinking the line to something like 2 or 3 px. You can also lower the opacity if you like, which is like what you did to your colors to make the background texture show through.

in the window "Layer Style", after I double click on layer "rivers" I can not find how to edit px size or colour. I can only edit opacity...

Is the stroke not working? Go back to the little list to the left and deselect the little box. It should be gone now and your rivers are like they were before. Move on up to "Outer Glow" and select that. Make the color a muddy brown, like muddy banks of the river. I like my Blend mode (located just above the color) set to multiply. Set it to multiply if it isn't already. The "Size" slider will make the glow bigger or smaller, the "Spread" slider will make it more or less diffused. Try something that is tight to the river, something that illustrates the banks of the river and makes them stand out a little bit.

stroke did not works me, after I select "Outer Glow" I have white/light around rivers. so than I select OK and go to "Image -Adjustments - Hue/Saturation and try to find colour. but again it coloured all my rivers. it seems "Stroke"/"Outer Glow" works as Lasso Tool or Magic Wand Tool - it makes border around rivers...

[Industrial Helix]

I see what you're doing... you're just clicking the check box. Click on the words like it was a layer and it should bring up new menus for stroke and outer glow.