Shadowlands (Formerly "Big Map")

[Tisha]

everything you work on is great.. i love the bridges... the gray one is a little messed though

what about the size on this? looks like you have the width and the height backwards

Thanks Tish -
na - i'm using the max size.

2. LARGE MAP: WIDTH up to 840 px ; HEIGHT 800 px.

might wanna check again...lol. looks taller than wider..

[RjBeals]

Click image to enlarge.

[Tisha]

lol.. okay. sorry

[the.killing.44]

They'll like your talent!

^ lol ^

anyway, I love this, Rj. I don't mind the similarity to Centerscape at all - the only quarrel I have is how the bridges don't seem to fit with the map great … maybe it's how dark the drop shadow is?

This should be great

.44

[ustus]

They'll like your talent!

^ lol ^

anyway, I love this, Rj. I don't mind the similarity to Centerscape at all - the only quarrel I have is how the bridges don't seem to fit with the map great … maybe it's how dark the drop shadow is?

This should be great

.44

i think it's the depth perception part of the map that makes the bridges look off. i read this post and looked again, and the rest of the map seems planar with the screen, but the bridges are off at an angle so that you can see the sides of them. It's two diff points of view.

[RjBeals]

correct. I'm probably going to keep it this way as well. I'm going to work on the bridges & barriers & things. But I think for a game board, this will work.

[ustus]

i was fine with it before .44 pointed it out... now i don't think i can look at the map without seeing it still a great map. You don't have to change the bridges, but it might look better if the support struts for the bridges were not visible.

[LED ZEPPELINER]

i think it might look a little cool if you gave the land a drop shadow, just a little

[RjBeals]

i think it might look a little cool if you gave the land a drop shadow, just a little

I've screwed around with the bevel and came up with this. It's about as much as I'm willing to give the land.
Also - My plans are to keep 9 territories in each region. If you can see in the green region, there are 3 main green provinces, each of those 3 has 9 territories. I plan to keep all the provinces with 9 territories, then a flat bonus across the map. The legend will be fairly simple (at least how i image it for now).

Click image to enlarge.

[LED ZEPPELINER]

exactly, but maybe a touch more 'tis beautiful

[el-presidente]

There seems to be 2 types of large maps, Ones depicting small areas in large detail and those depicting just large areas. This seems to be the second type. That being said, the bridges would be gigantic. It looks prettyu out of place. They could be made much smaller. Also, with compleatly made up mapps, a lot of times you get more natural looking borders if you fool aroun with impassibles first then add teritories around them, as this is how people actualy do things. When a people develop in a place or move there for the first time, they set up borders for practical reasons with borders along mountains rivers forests and other natural formations. If you have ideas of what the looks like beyond what is on the map everything flows nicer.
I like this a lot.


His honor,
el-presidente

[RjBeals]

... That being said, the bridges would be gigantic. It looks prettyu out of place. They could be made much smaller.

You're correct. However I was going for an exaggerated bridge look. I mean from the altitude of this map, you probably couldn't even see a bridge. A lot of board games (which this is) have exaggerated features on them. If I get more feedback from them, I may reconsider.

... a lot of times you get more natural looking borders if you fool aroun with impassibles first then add teritories around them, as this is how people actualy do things.

Are you specifically referring to that brick wall I just added? That was a test wall, and I'm still not happy with those results. At this point, I think the main borders are fine. The inner territory borders I can draw wherever the hell I want. The impassible borders I want to be along the Bonus region (group of 9) borders. I only want 1, 2 or maybe 3 territs to lead into/out of bonus regions. I still may work on mountains for these.

Thanks for the great feedback though.

(edit - bring image to this page)

Click image to enlarge.

[the.killing.44]

I think some sort of transition between the bridges and land would satisfy the, er, pop-out-ness (for a huge lack of a better phrase ). Nothing dramatic, but you know.

.44

[RjBeals]

To be considered a Working Draft a project must be more than just an idea; a Draft should have a clear thematic focus, a plan for how the gameplay will work, and a basic image which should include:

1. Territory Labels - temporary names or numbers will suffice, and are always open to change.
2. Borders/Paths/Impassables - it should be made clear where territories do/do not connect.
3. Bonus Areas - where combinations/groups of territories will award a bonus, this should be indicated on the map.
4. Legend - speculative bonus values and explanations of any attack rules or gameplay features.

I'm wondering if I still need to do all this before moving this to the drafting room?

[LED ZEPPELINER]

they might move you back into the ideas if you don't

(edit:) I would also try adding some of those waves you had in your 1st version like these...


also, i love the look of this map, i cant wait to see this progress throught the foundry

[RjBeals]

Thanks LZ.

I took out the waves because those were the same (basically) as the waves I used in centerscape. I think I like the map just the same without them.

(edit) - I also really like the large bridges I used, but the brick wall just has to go. I'm not feeling it. I'll think of something else for impassables. For the meantime, I'll probably use a bold line to represent where they should go - just to get out of the ideas thread.

[bryguy]

Thanks LZ.

I took out the waves because those were the same (basically) as the waves I used in centerscape. I think I like the map just the same without them.

(edit) - I also really like the large bridges I used, but the brick wall just has to go. I'm not feeling it. I'll think of something else for impassables. For the meantime, I'll probably use a bold line to represent where they should go - just to get out of the ideas thread.

What about those mountains you made before? (The smudged ones) Why not try those?

[LED ZEPPELINER]

just some ideas for impassables,

1. rivers: would probably look great
2. maybe some sort of bolders or rocks or something, might look cool, not sure
3. mountains as bryguy said
4. ad more lakes/ponds
5. if you perfected the bricks, that would be cool

the grunge you used is perfect, but there is this one burnt spot next to Brinsop that i don't really dig

[the.killing.44]

I agree with you, Rj — the waves make it too much like Centerscape (other than those I think it's fine) and the impassable borders … well I'm sure you'll find something great

Oh, and your title makes it seem like your asking for the Draft stamp

.44

[RjBeals]

I'll change the title - it was supposed to mean almost ready for the draft room

I'll see if i can lighten that blotch also.

[LED ZEPPELINER]

like the new title, as soon lable all of your territs and come up with bonus, i would definatley move
if you cannot think of enough names, im sure all of the poeple in this thread could help

(edit:) are those bigger islands, or even the smaller ones going to be territories, or are you just going to leave them for decoration, becuase it could be cool to have some of the bridges cross from land to the island and to the other side, just a thought

[the.killing.44]

I'll change the title - it was supposed to mean almost ready for the draft room

I know
Shadowlands sounds sweet.

.44

[ustus]

I'll change the title - it was supposed to mean almost ready for the draft room

I know
Shadowlands sounds sweet.

.44

Agreed!

[RjBeals]

like the new title, as soon lable all of your territs and come up with bonus, i would definatley move
if you cannot think of enough names, im sure all of the poeple in this thread could help

(edit:) are those bigger islands, or even the smaller ones going to be territories, or are you just going to leave them for decoration, because it could be cool to have some of the bridges cross from land to the island and to the other side, just a thought

I'll be fine on getting names. And I'm still thinking about what to do with this map, as far as bonuses. Here's the most recent, even though it's pretty much the same, minus the colors. Ignore the title/legend.

Click image to enlarge.

[LED ZEPPELINER]

considering this is "Shadowlands" the castles should have more shadow, and i think in some way it should be darker/more shadow