Conquer Club

Archipelago Empire:

Update:


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Original Post:

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/72/a ... ev1hh9.png

OK, a few notes before I explain how I think the gameplay of this map will work.

1) This version is the small map. Since it is so big, I decided that starting with the small version would help ensure I'd have enough space.
2) Since the gameplay is in no way finalized, the Legend is for the most part completely empty.
3) I forgot to remove some of the impassables on the island with Listig and Stak, but that will be remedied.
4) Naming is fairly random, but I tried to keep some linguistic similarities in different regions to make it seem more realistic.

Now, on to the gameplay:

There are 8 "cities"; these will be the starting points. They will probably have some kind of autodeploy on them.

I am attempting a kind of twist to the empire gameplay DiM so brilliantly first introduced and that gimil expanded with Feudal Wars. There will be no regular territory bonus. Instead, there will be a +1 bonus for every water-territory.

I do know I want to do something on the land territories, but I'm not sure what. I could maybe have villages, or decay, or something completely original. I do know that I don't want resources of any kind.

I plan to have some kind of teleport/helipad or some such between some of the little islands (especially the ones completely surrounded by one water-terr, like Eliarn, Lita, and Unzik).

I think that's everything. I'll edit later if I realize I forgot to say something.

cool look

bryguy wrote:cool look

Thanks. Nobody has anything else to say?

I guess maybe this should be quenched then.

ya quench right now!!

the font blends in too well with some of the island, and the map as a whole just doesn't look very "clean"

and will water territories be moved over just like normal land territories?

tenio wrote:ya quench right now!!

the font blends in too well with some of the island, and the map as a whole just doesn't look very "clean"

and will water territories be moved over just like normal land territories?

Yes, you will move over water territories exactly the same way as land territories.

What do you mean about the font? Is it that it's hard to see over the land?

I dunno about this map right now. There's not much of a theme at all, other than that it's a bunch of islands. The graphics aren't good at all really, as the islands just look like brown beveled globs. The borders don't look that great either. Though I realize this is just a 1st draft, the image is going to need a big makeover if this is gonna make it through.
Hope this isn't too discouraging

hey ink, are you using photoshop? if you are than maybe instead of bevel you use burn for the dark area, makes it look better

and pepperonibread, i have 1 thing to say to you


LIAR!!!!!!


jk jk

bryguy wrote:hey ink, are you using photoshop? if you are than maybe instead of bevel you use burn for the dark area, makes it look better

and pepperonibread, i have 1 thing to say to you


LIAR!!!!!!


jk jk

I am using Photoshop. I'm not so great with the burn tool though...

InkL0sed wrote:

bryguy wrote:hey ink, are you using photoshop? if you are than maybe instead of bevel you use burn for the dark area, makes it look better

and pepperonibread, i have 1 thing to say to you


LIAR!!!!!!


jk jk

I am using Photoshop. I'm not so great with the burn tool though...

change the exposure to 1% and have the land layer under the water layer

bryguy wrote:

InkL0sed wrote:

bryguy wrote:hey ink, are you using photoshop? if you are than maybe instead of bevel you use burn for the dark area, makes it look better

and pepperonibread, i have 1 thing to say to you


LIAR!!!!!!


jk jk

I am using Photoshop. I'm not so great with the burn tool though...

change the exposure to 1% and have the land layer under the water layer

Interesting... I'll try it out.

i am very interested to see where this goes.
looks like it has a lot of potential to be a really fun map.
don't have much time, so i will just say this:
maybe down the line you could make the impassable parts look more like rocky shores?
i'm thinking a mix of the mountainous parts of great lakes, AoR: might, and/or midkemdil.
might make more sense.

As someone pointed out earlier, this map seems to be lacking a theme...or any point to play at all. Maps that are without a theme can be made, but I'd have to ask what's the point in that? If you are just testing your graphical skills...test them by creating a map that people would want to play, and not a map this is a map for the sake...of being a map.

Many ideas have this problem, not just your map.


--Andy

AndyDufresne wrote:As someone pointed out earlier, this map seems to be lacking a theme...or any point to play at all. Maps that are without a theme can be made, but I'd have to ask what's the point in that? If you are just testing your graphical skills...test them by creating a map that people would want to play, and not a map this is a map for the sake...of being a map.

Many ideas have this problem, not just your map.


--Andy

Well, the idea is a kind of water version of the empire gameplay. With a twist. Is that not theme enough?

benny profane wrote:i am very interested to see where this goes.
looks like it has a lot of potential to be a really fun map.
don't have much time, so i will just say this:
maybe down the line you could make the impassable parts look more like rocky shores?
i'm thinking a mix of the mountainous parts of great lakes, AoR: might, and/or midkemdil.
might make more sense.

Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. I'll probably try something like that eventually.

you don't need to understand the burn/dodge tool. Just work with layers and layer blending. That's all you really need.

What's exposure and where do I find it? I'm using Photoshop 7.0

Does anybody like this look instead? I'm kinda going with a volcanic island thing.

Just a little snapshot to give an idea of what I'm talking about:



And no, I have not given this up.

Straight up honesty: I hate the map look. The idea is sound, something like Feudal War in the sea, but the look of it is just awful. I suggest a complete redesign.

TaCktiX wrote:Straight up honesty: I hate the map look. The idea is sound, something like Feudal War in the sea, but the look of it is just awful. I suggest a complete redesign.

That's exactly what I'm doing in fact. Did you look at the snapshot of what it's looking like now?

Actually, I've even improved it since, I might as well show a better one.

The land's a bit dark and muddled, but with some work that should look good, yes.

TaCktiX wrote:The land's a bit dark and muddled, but with some work that should look good, yes.

My mom said pretty much the same thing -- the mountain-side looks too black. I guess I'll have to add more colors or something.

On the other hand, if I go the volcano route, wouldn't this look pretty fitting already? Looks like cooled lava/obsidian/other lava-mineral-black-stuff to me. Also, would anyone have any ideas on how to make the peak of a volcano? I did this mountain basically with a brush and bevel and emboss (like WidowMakers described in his mountains -- layered approach tutorial)

I'd like some comments/suggestions on gameplay please

Well, here's the new image. The changes are too obvious and numerous, I won't list them.

I think I'll put in docks to indicate where you can attack from land to sea.

Should the mountain peaks be lava instead? Does anyone have any idea as to how I could do that? I tried a pillow emboss, but that didn't look right.

Looks much better now. Can't help you on creating a lava flow, but the map no longer looks like a study in shades of brown.

TaCktiX wrote:Looks much better now. Can't help you on creating a lava flow, but the map no longer looks like a study in shades of brown.

i suggest asking DiM about that, if you include an image after awhile then he might give u help with the water, but here are my concers...


the water doesnt look like water, make it a solid color
the land.... to pixely and rough, u want it smoother
why was it called archipelego wars? (or whateva) ause basically right now its a bunch of islands that dont look all that good (but to me it looks like you have the burn down)

some things u need:

A LIGHT SOURCE, right now it looks like its overcast, you need a light source.
Dodge tool: use more of it, so say if your light source is upper right corner, then everthing that is slanted that is facing towards the corner needs more dodge.

B.

p.s. need any help or suggestions then pm me

bryguy wrote:

TaCktiX wrote:Looks much better now. Can't help you on creating a lava flow, but the map no longer looks like a study in shades of brown.

i suggest asking DiM about that, if you include an image after awhile then he might give u help with the water, but here are my concers...


the water doesnt look like water, make it a solid color
the land.... to pixely and rough, u want it smoother
why was it called archipelego wars? (or whateva) ause basically right now its a bunch of islands that dont look all that good (but to me it looks like you have the burn down)

some things u need:

A LIGHT SOURCE, right now it looks like its overcast, you need a light source.
Dodge tool: use more of it, so say if your light source is upper right corner, then everthing that is slanted that is facing towards the corner needs more dodge.

B.

p.s. need any help or suggestions then pm me

Thanks bryguy.

I didn't use dodge/burn at all actually... it's all a brush + bevel and emboss. But, now that the graphics aren't so ugly, I want to focus on gameplay before I consider actually doing any of your suggestions.

I changed the title basically because I was worried no one would bother checking if it looked like a thread they'd already seen and run away from. Archipelago Empire basically means Island Conquest, and the former sounds so damn awkward.

Anyway, next update I'll have territory names and a legend explaining the game-play as I envision it, as well as some kind of contrived theme (since so many people seem to think it necessary).