Japan Map [abandoned]

[qeee1]

I agree with Marv there do need to be stong points where you can hold to defend, but my problem with the map as it originally stood was that it was very much a straight drive east or west, you don't really get to choose where to expand... unless you're stuck in the middle which would make you screwed anyway. And also unlike the Europe map all your defendable points are right beside each other.

Some balance needs to be reached. I think one route between blue and purple and another between the lower left white white province and the top right red province, might do it...

Then as well as solving the East/West linearity you'd have:

White: 4-2 (normal)
Green: 6-5 (very high)
Orange: 6-4 (high)
Purple: 9-5 (high)
Red: 7-4 (high)
Yellow: 4-2 (normal)
Blue: 6-3 (normal)

Combined with some altering of countries/uncrossable borders it might work.

[Haydena]

Ok I'll study it and make some ammendmants...

So a port between blue and purple, and I'm thinking one between green and the northwestern red country to mean that getting green and white does not put you in an invicible position to storm through with all your troops, you have to defend the port as well.

I'm also thinking a mountain between North-Eastern green and South Eastern green so white still maintains a border but green loses one.

I'll take out the mountains in the middle of red as well...

Anything else anyone thinks I should do?

[qeee1]

I'm also thinking a mountain between North-Eastern green and South Eastern green so white still maintains a border but green loses one.

Huh? You you mean north-west green and south west white? But yeah, those changes sound good, have to actually see the map to be sure...

Also glad to see you're putting so much effort into the map. It's probably tempting to send it off as is, but it's better in the long run to get it right. Keep up the god work.

[Haydena]

Heh yeah... My compass skills are really poor

Theres no way I'm gonna send off a map that no one is interested in playing... I want feeback from the public so I can improve it to a standard that is playable and enjoyable

Ok, heres the next update

[qeee1]

Hmm... continent by continent analyses says:

Colour-Territories-Borders

Blue-6-3 (normal)
Yellow-4-2 (normal)
Red-7-4 (high)
Purple-10-5 (normal/high?)
Orange-7-4 (high)
Green-6-4 (high)
White-4-1 (normal)

Seems reasonably balanced... Maybe cut off one of the green to orange borders?

Seems like I'm the only one commenting though, what do others think?

[Jota]

Let's see...

White has four countries, two of which are borders, and it touches one continent. Taking that one green country reduces it to one defensive point. Looks like a straight two, although a relatively easy one.

Green has six countries, four borders, and three neighboring continents. Probably deserves either a four or a five for that. I might be leaning towards five, since you can't really consolidate its defense points very easily.

Purple has ten countries, five borders, and four neighboring continents. Probably your basic five, although an good argument could be made for six.

Orange has seven countries, four borders, and two neighbors. A three or four, and I'd lean strongly towards four.

Red has seven countries, four borders, and four neighbors. Definitely at least a four; red and orange are pretty similar, so I'd make them both fours.

Yellow has four countries, two borders, and three neighbors. Looks like a straight two.

Blue's got six countries, three borders, and three neighbors. A pretty standard three.

Looks like there's good flow through the map: there's usually more than one way from point A to point B, even if one of the continents in between is blocked. The one exception is getting to white if green is being held. Between that and how easy it should be to hold white, I suspect that starting in white and expanding into green will be a strong opening.

All in all, it looks fairly balanced. Some folks might argue that it's lacking a "lost continent", but I think purple should fit the bill well enough there, especially with its large number of neighbors who'll probably want a piece of it.

[Haydena]

Anything else I should take into consideration before I start to finish it off?

[thegrimsleeper]

What's the second-highest mountain in the purple continent doing there?

[Haydena]

To be honest that was originally an uncrossable border that got shortened but never taken out. Maybe left in to stress the point that Japan is very mountanous lol... If it's not popular I can take it out.

[thegrimsleeper]

left in to stress the point that Japan is very mountanous

It's a little erroneous, but I think it would take away from the aesthetic of the purple continent if you were to remove it. Just wanted to make sure it was intentional.

[Haydena]

So ummm, yeah, does anyone have a problem with it's playability as it stands? If you do, speak now or forever hold your peace! I'm working on the aesthetics now if no-one has anymore suggestions.

[qeee1]

Looks good to me...

Can you try the paper texture again?

[Haydena]

I've already started work on this and the paper texture is still being used

[Marvaddin]

I disagree Jota about bonuses. Mine are:

White: 2 (surely)
Green: 4 (surely)
Purple: 6 (maybe even 7)
Orange: 4 (at minimum)
Red: 4 (again!)
Yellow: 2 (of course)
Blue: 3 (surely)

Hmm, we really dont have any big (8-9 countries) continent for a bonus of 5... Purple is a gigantic, bonus of at least 6. Well, maybe green could be 3, so we dont have 3 continents with same bonus.

[Haydena]

Right, If thats ok then I'll just need to add the legend, title, a few more pieces of artwork and work on the xml...

What does everyone think?

[Derwiddle]

Would it be possible to thicken and smooth the borderlines a bit? If not, that's fine. Just think it might look a bit more fluent that way.

Looks great! I'll be playin' it!

[onbekende]

LETS PLAY

[qeee1]

Hmm... something not quite right about the colours... a little... dull looking or something. Maybe change the sea to a darker blue for better contrast.

[Jota]

I notice you've got a four-corner situation at Niigata, Fukushima, Gunma, and Tochigi. Having four continents come together at a point like that can be confusing. Is there any way you could adjust the borders to prevent it?

[Marvaddin]

As I said already, I dont like too much the paper texture... And really, I agree with qeee.

I hope you have some good arts too add... some guys are still talking about free space in my Philippines map...

[Dark Shadow]

I like it, it looks great. Can't wait to play it.

[Haydena]

I've decided to stick with the paper texture (Sorry Marv )...

If everyone likes it I'll start on the XML....

Before anyone mentions Jota's post... I forgot, and will edit that

[thegrimsleeper]

Can you throw a light glow or shadow behind the country names so they pop a little? And maybe some sort of effect on the compass rose to help it blend with the rest of the image. Matter of fact, I'm really not excited by that compass rose at all; I think you might find one that looks a bit more Japanese... but maybe that's just me.

That samurai at the bottom sure looks familiar...

[Haydena]

That compass rose is the Japanese Imperial Seal... I'll look for somethink more japanese if you really want... I'll wait for some more comments first...

[thegrimsleeper]

Well, you're not gonna get much more Japanese than the Imperial Seal...

I stand by my previous statement that it sticks out like a sore thumb, and you should probably do something to remedy that.