sunrise in Paradise.

[porkenbeans]

Ahh Pork.... .44 is just a 15 year old high school kid...(really!); he doesn't know any better... Not worth the aggravation...

I figured as much, but he is like a fricking bloodsucking mosquito, that keeps coming back to take his jab at me, at every opportunity. I am sick of his damn game. I just wished he would go pop his zits or something, and leave me alone. Fair warning you little creep, next post, ...you will be reported. Are you aware of what recently happened to katoro ? It was only a matter of time for him, and you are no better than he is.

[mibi]

Ahh Pork.... .44 is just a 15 year old high school kid...(really!); he doesn't know any better... Not worth the aggravation...

I figured as much, but he is like a fricking bloodsucking mosquito, that keeps coming back to take his jab at me, at every opportunity. I am sick of his damn game. I just wished he would go pop his zits or something, and leave me alone. Fair warning you little creep, next post, ...you will be reported. Are you aware of what recently happened to katoro ? It was only a matter of time for him, and you are no better than he is.

So many of the best map makers on this site have all offered you criticism which you merely brush off, partly because you have never made a map before and don't know how the process works, but mostly because you are lazy and don't want to go back to the drawing board for a better product.

That's fine, but I can tell you right now, that this map will never see the light of play.

[the.killing.44]

Ahh Pork.... .44 is just a 15 year old high school kid...(really!); he doesn't know any better... Not worth the aggravation...

I figured as much, but he is like a fricking bloodsucking mosquito, that keeps coming back to take his jab at me, at every opportunity. I am sick of his damn game. I just wished he would go pop his zits or something, and leave me alone. Fair warning you little creep, next post, ...you will be reported. Are you aware of what recently happened to katoro ? It was only a matter of time for him, and you are no better than he is.

Totally aware of what happened to Kotty. And this is totally irrelevant; you're flaming more than I am here.

Now, I don't doubt you totally disregarded my post, and like I said violated a Foundry rule. I might be in high school, but I don't find that nullifies my valid complaints. Plus, mibi and the other people who have come in here and posted issues with this map aren't. You don't understand that this map will not make it through the Foundry. There is already a Jamaica map that has gotten near the end of the line; your attitude and disregard of valid feedback won't let the guidelines allow you to get this to quench; violating CC's guidelines, in addition to the specific Foundry ones, will force you to take aspects off the map off; and without support coming from the "peanut gallery" who has been told to "get the hell out," you won't have enough calls to advance even to the next stage. Oh well. mibi speaks the truth.

Right then: good luck in your endeavors!

[samuelc812]

Hey porkenbeans and Raskholnikov,

Just a few suggestions for you to consider:

• Well Done on getting the tropical theme going, it seems though to be a bit too dark in the top right and left corners of the map, any chance of making them lighter so they fit in with the tropical theme?
• I'm wondering whether people would accept the broken up land look you have, if the gaps between the pieces of land were closer together?
• Jamaica is kind of a tropical place isn't it? It seems to me that it would look better if the land were green with some palm trees, i know it's not Hawaii, but it's a tropical place and should have that tropical feel IMO. Instead of the land being the same colour as the water? By Palm trees i mean on the map itself
• Helicopters? Not being critical but can you explain to poor old me how these fit in with Jamaica, forgive me for not being in the know...
• Nice map you have here, somewhat different from cairnswk's map but with a little tweaking could fit right in with Conquer Club's maps

On a side note can you (if possible) place the current versions of the map in the first post, so that community members do not have to search through 11 pages to find the current image. Cheers

On yet another side note, let's keep this thread flame/bait free shall we? Constructive criticism is somthing a map-maker must deal with in the foundry if the map they are making is ever going to progress. If you disagree with someone's opinion then that is fine, but shooting them down in flames is not the answer, remember "a soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger"

~Sam

[Raskholnikov]

Hey Sam,

Thanks for the suggestions and taking the time to help!

[code][/code]Just a few suggestions for you to consider:

* Well Done on getting the tropical theme going, it seems though to be a bit too dark in the top right and left corners of the map, any chance of making them lighter so they fit in with the tropical theme?

I'm sure this can be done. Btw, do you also think the Official Seal of Jamaica should be removed because it violates CC "nudity" regulations?

* I'm wondering whether people would accept the broken up land look you have, if the gaps between the pieces of land were closer together?

Pork can certainly try; I have no problem with that at all.

* Jamaica is kind of a tropical place isn't it? It seems to me that it would look better if the land were green with some palm trees, i know it's not Hawaii, but it's a tropical place and should have that tropical feel IMO. Instead of the land being the same colour as the water? By Palm trees i mean on the map itself

Same here; I'm all for it but Pork is in charge of graphics. Pork, give it a try and see what it looks like; maybe it will work! Turn the island into a nice green that goes with the blue without morphing into it, and replace helicopters with palm trees. It doesnt matter what the objects are, as long as the legend says they're connected...

* Helicopters? Not being critical but can you explain to poor old me how these fit in with Jamaica, forgive me for not being in the know...

See above.. I had the same question, but since Pork is in charge of graphics...

* Nice map you have here, somewhat different from cairnswk's map but with a little tweaking could fit right in with Conquer Club's maps

Thanks. Pork put a lot of work into it and with a bit more help I am sure we can finish it to an acceptable standard


On a side note can you (if possible) place the current versions of the map in the first post, so that community members do not have to search through 11 pages to find the current image. Cheers

Yes. Will do.

On yet another side note, let's keep this thread flame/bait free shall we? Constructive criticism is somthing a map-maker must deal with in the foundry if the map they are making is ever going to progress. If you disagree with someone's opinion then that is fine, but shooting them down in flames is not the answer, remember "a soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger"

As long as criticism stays constructive, no one has any problems with it. It's the condescending, gratuitous, or totally unjustified shoot-down that gets people irritated. But yes, I totally agree with you. Let's keep this positive and constructive... Thanks again for grounding thins tread and putting it back on track

R

[Raskholnikov]

So many of the best map makers on this site have all offered you criticism which you merely brush off, partly because you have never made a map before and don't know how the process works, but mostly because you are lazy and don't want to go back to the drawing board for a better product.

I think you should be rather more careful with the way you frame your criticism. You border on slander here.... In any case, you are utterly disrespectful of someone who actually put in a lot of effort to create something for this community with no benefit to himself... Alll you did is try to shoot down his project and parody it with your Africa! On the Flipside! sarcasm... Before you critique others maybe you should first look in the mirror...

That's fine, but I can tell you right now, that this map will never see the light of play.

And you are authorised to make such a peremptory stamement based on... what exactly? Sigh.... It's sad to see such hubris... It's like you personally were doing Pork a favour by deigning to even consider his map.... and had the God-given right to ban it for eternity.... Enough said...

[Raskholnikov]

1. The seal. Nudity. CC doesn't care if it's the coat of arms for a UN country; someone got a warning for posting Michelangelo's David.

That is not nudity. You're fifteen. You have no idea what Nudity really is.

2. Your title. Discriminatory. It may truly be the way they talk, but it's still stereotypical and a form of bigotry. Take out the "mon."

That is not discriminatory. You're fifteen. You have no idea what bigotry and discrimination really is.

3. The first post. There is nothing in it, save "First draft " and a heavily outdated map.

You're right. That can be fixed.

4. Your attitude. It says in the Official Foundry Guidelines that "4. All sound advice must be followed unless a logical rebuttal by the cartographer or another member of the community is provided." Saying "because I can" and "because I like it that way" isn't a logical rebuttal.

Yes. All SOUND advice. And Pork will indeed follow all SOUND advice. You're fifteen. You have no idea what the difference iss between your little bruised teen-ego and Sound advice. Don't confuse the two.

5. Your key. What's so special about those four highlighted islands? You never actually define "parish."

This is not sound advice. It's just you finding yet another way to shoot down Pork's work for no valid reason at all. Then again, you're fifteen. No surprise there...

6. Your gaps / islands. Gaps are too wide apart; there is no explanation of islands on the map—they are the parishes, right?

The gaps can be reduced. Everyone can see this is a interpretation of Jamaica's administrative structure. Seemingly, you don't. Then again, you're fifteen. That's understandable.

7. Your helicopters. Why are they the size of an island?

Agreed. We can work on that.

Get over yourself. mibi, WM, et al have offered many constructive and true criticisms you spar off with a wave of "ehh I don't like that."

Take your own advice, kid, and start acting slighly more respectful towards people who could be your parents and grand-parents. Then again, you're fifteen. This kind of attitude is to be expected...

[mibi]

That is not how the foundry works. You only have 144 posts. You have no idea how the foundry really works.

[Raskholnikov]

But you do, based on your close to 3400 posts? LOL Good for you, buddy! You're a true champ!! They should give you a medal just for that.. One of those virtual colored pixels one... Shakes head...

[porkenbeans]

Ahh Pork.... .44 is just a 15 year old high school kid...(really!); he doesn't know any better... Not worth the aggravation...

I figured as much, but he is like a fricking bloodsucking mosquito, that keeps coming back to take his jab at me, at every opportunity. I am sick of his damn game. I just wished he would go pop his zits or something, and leave me alone. Fair warning you little creep, next post, ...you will be reported. Are you aware of what recently happened to katoro ? It was only a matter of time for him, and you are no better than he is.

So many of the best map makers on this site have all offered you criticism which you merely brush off, partly because you have never made a map before and don't know how the process works, but mostly because you are lazy and don't want to go back to the drawing board for a better product.

That's fine, but I can tell you right now, that this map will never see the light of play.

1.) yes, some good map makers have offered me criticism, but no, you are wrong, I have NOT brushed them off. I consider them suggestions, NOT orders. If you notice, when I see a suggestion that I like, I have no problem using it, and thanking them for their help.

2.) I am by no means lazy. FYI, I have been handicapt by cancer, and can no longer work. I spend all day, almost every day, glued to this computer. 90% of my time is spent on CC. 8-10 or more hours each day, are spent working on my maps. I do not even play the games too much anymore. For you to call me lazy and ignorant, is a slap in the face. And only shows your own ignorance.

3.)Just because you have quenched a map or two, does NOT give you the right to treat others, as though you are the king of the hill. It seems to me that you and a few others, Which some call the Foundry snobs, Do NOT want to see anyone else have success with their maps. That is unless they bow their heads, lower their eyes, and kiss your ring.
You stroll into my thread and start slinging around your edicts, with all the righteousness of a Grand Pobah. And then if I do not agree with your wisest of suggestions, you accuse me of not following the Foundry rules.

Listen up knucklehead, all modesty aside, I am one of the wisest people that you will ever meet. I know very well how to accept criticism, and can spot a good suggestion when I see one. But trying to cram some crap down my throat, will only get your fingers bit, and leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

If you are here for a need to be worshiped, ...It "aint happnin".
If you are here to truly help with the progression of this map, I will, (as I have been doing), listen, take note, and if I like your suggestion, I will use it. If I don't, no amount of jumping up and down and screaming, or threatening, or insulting, or gathering of your forces, will force me too.

You and some of the others, have done nothing but act rude, obnoxious, and belligerent. Your behavior is bordering on juvenile. Why can't you just try to enjoy yourself here, without all the other bullshit.

I am here because I enjoy learning how to make maps. This time that I am spending right now, is NOT at all enjoyable.
I guess if your intentions are to drive me away, making it unpleasant for me, is the whole idea, ...right ?

[natty dread]

porkenbeans, THE official Cranky Old Man 2009

[porkenbeans]

porkenbeans, THE official Cranky Old Man 2009

Yeahmon donchano.

[Incandenza]

You border on slander here.... In any case, you are utterly disrespectful of someone who actually put in a lot of effort to create something for this community with no benefit to himself...

I am so glad you said this. Surely then you will have a problem with the assholes who came into your thread and said the following:

44 is an ass. He has a personal vendetta against me for some reason. He has bushwhacked me wherever, and whenever he gets a chance. I am fed up with even trying to be cordial to the sob. GET THE HELL OUT OF MY THREAD. YOU ARE NOT WELCOMED HERE. And take your peanut gallery with you.

Ahh Pork.... .44 is just a 15 year old high school kid...(really!); he doesn't know any better... Not worth the aggravation...

You're fifteen. You have no idea what Nudity really is.

You're fifteen. You have no idea what bigotry and discrimination really is.

This is not sound advice. Then again, you're fifteen. No surprise there...

Everyone can see this is a interpretation of Jamaica's administrative structure. Seemingly, you don't. Then again, you're fifteen. That's understandable.

Take your own advice, kid, and start acting slighly more respectful towards people who could be your parents and grand-parents. Then again, you're fifteen. This kind of attitude is to be expected...

Fair warning you little creep, next post, ...you will be reported. Are you aware of what recently happened to katoro ? It was only a matter of time for him, and you are no better than he is.

It seems to me that you and a few others, Which some call the Foundry snobs, Do NOT want to see anyone else have success with their maps. That is unless they bow their heads, lower their eyes, and kiss your ring.
You stroll into my thread and start slinging around your edicts, with all the righteousness of a Grand Pobah. And then if I do not agree with your wisest of suggestions, you accuse me of not following the Foundry rules.

Listen up knucklehead

Your behavior is bordering on juvenile.

Those who want respect, give respect.

44 is a valued member of the foundry community. His age is a meaningless datum and in no way gives you the right to dismiss his comments. The fact that you think so does a disservice to your own age bracket. And you have yet to prove that you have the discipline to see a map through to the very end, as he has. So you need to come up with better refutations of his comments, otherwise people might get the wrong impression and assume that you're innately prejudiced against anyone younger than you, and unwilling to accept even the most basic of criticisms.

And mibi, well, for my money there's no finer mapmaker on the site, so you might want to listen to what he has to say. On the day that you guys come up with a map on par with Iraq or Arms Race, then talk all the shit you want. Until then, you'd be best served by lending an ear to the many many people that have been through this process before, given your inexperience with the foundry process.

And I look forward to a friendlier and more tolerant thread. I have every confidence that you, pork and rask, shall lead the way in welcoming all opinions and newcomers. After all, the foundry is a friendly place, full of people who simply want to see better maps on CC.

[Raskholnikov]

Well you may think what you will about the cognitive faculties of fifteen-year olds, but research clearly shows that at that age, their brains are still in a transitional period in which their ability to reason and reach good judgments as opposed to impusive reactions is still largely underdeveloped. For example, the Harvard Magazine of last year was publishing the following:

How can teens be so clever, accomplished, and responsible—and reckless at the same time? Easily, according to two physicians at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School (HMS) who have been exploring the unique structure and chemistry of the adolescent brain. “The teenage brain is not just an adult brain with fewer miles on it,” says Frances E. Jensen, a professor of neurology. “It’s a paradoxical time of development. These are people with very sharp brains, but they’re not quite sure what to do with them.”

Research during the past 10 years, powered by technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, has revealed that young brains have both fast-growing synapses and sections that remain unconnected. This leaves teens easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulsive behavior, even without the impact of souped-up hormones and any genetic or family predispositions.

Most teenagers don’t understand their mental hardwiring, so Jensen, whose laboratory research focuses on newborn-brain injury, and David K. Urion, an associate professor of neurology who treats children with cognitive impairments like autism and attention deficit disorder, are giving lectures at secondary schools and other likely places. They hope to inform students, parents, educators, and even fellow scientists about these new data, which have wide-ranging implications for how we teach, punish, and medically treat this age group. As Jensen told some 50 workshop attendees at Boston’s Museum of Science in April, “This is the first generation of teenagers that has access to this information, and they need to understand some of their vulnerabilities.”

Human and animal studies, Jensen and Urion note, have shown that the brain grows and changes continually in young people—and that it is only about 80 percent developed in adolescents. The largest part, the cortex, is divided into lobes that mature from back to front. The last section to connect is the frontal lobe, responsible for cognitive processes such as reasoning, planning, and judgment. Normally this mental merger is not completed until somewhere between ages 25 and 30—much later than these two neurologists were taught in medical school.

http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html

Therefore, as far as I am concerned, my repeated statements that .44 's tantrums should not be taken too seriously because he's just a fiteen-year old kid are not just a matter of opinion or, worse, bias, but a well-established and cleary documented fact - however much that may offend some people's sense of fairness and equality.

And mibi, well, for my money there's no finer mapmaker on the site, so you might want to listen to what he has to say. On the day that you guys come up with a map on par with Iraq or Arms Race, then talk all the shit you want.

Well, that's a matter of opinion. I find the maps you mention two of the more obtuse and uninteresting maps in CC - but that's neither here nor there. I don't try to impose my opinion on anyone - I just don't play them. Just please don't quote them to me as examples to be followed - from any point of view. They leave me utterly - ahem... cold...

And I look forward to a friendlier and more tolerant thread. I have every confidence that you, pork and rask, shall lead the way in welcoming all opinions and newcomers. After all, the foundry is a friendly place, full of people who simply want to see better maps on CC.

Really? Let's see what your fine map-maker's "constructive criticism looks like:

mibi wrote:

This map is entirely pointless as well as being criminally hideous. I loved Conan the Barbarian, but this map looks like a diarrhea slick in a prehistoric square toilet. There is nothing that says Conan but the title. If there is some historic significance to Conan, it matters not, because it's not explicit in the map itself. It is quite obvious you are looking at the world in CC colored glasses, which is a mistake that many people make. They start seeing maps and saying 'wow this could be a cc map!", when in reality, COULD and SHOULD are entirely different. Could it be a CC map? Yes, CC has quite low standards these days. Should it be a CC map, of course not, it is quite literally a piece of shit. And whats with the squiggly territories? Please tell me that wasn't your idea. Nothing says Conan the Barbarian like a bunch of squiggly turd-like territories wedged together like they were extruded out of a designers rectum. And the names are suppose to be a joke right? Porkania ...Lackster...Optomus...Nobodies....Sully. Do these people really want to be corn kernels in your fecal party? The only good thing about this map is all the negative space you have in there. If there was anymore crap floating around in that space I would be forced to take a plunger to it.

My advice to you is this. Increase the amount of negative space you have about 500% until whatever is being excreted from the top of the map is entirely gone. Then go watch Conan the Barbarian. Come back with a map that incorporates Conan's themes in both the game play and design. Come up with own design, not some crap you googled. Then you might have something worth putting your time into.

Or, and this may be a better solution, you can just flush the entire thing down the foundry drain, wash your hands, slowly back out of the room, and pretend like you didn't stink up the place with the largest turd CC has seen since that Jamaica map a while back.

I think this says way more about your esteemed mapmaker than anything pork or I could add. I just hope he moves back whence he came from soon because if there's one thing we don't need in Canada, it's people who bring with them this kind of baggage across the border. Such bullying, invective and venom is not acceptable there and we certainly won't put up with it here.

mibi wrote:

First of all, I am a US citizen who moved to Canada a few months ago, my father and brother are both veterans, of Vietnam and Iraq prospectively.

Or, and this may be a better solution, instead of taking it easy here, he should follow the example of his relatives and do one or two tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan - that may well be his only hope to eventually become a decent human being....

Anyway, to sum up, as Andy said, this is a two-way process. Some of the people who commented on this thread clearly were helpful, cooperative, and genuinely nice to interact with. Others, not so much. Let's all be constructive and flexible and move on from here. As you can imagine, the last thing Pork wants to do with his time is to fight flame wars - and I must say, these are not the kind of fights I expected to be engaged in when I joined CC.

Let's hope things will improve from here.

[RjBeals]

if you're not going to color the territories, why not give the map more of a satellite feel - like google earth?

RJ,
Glad to see you here, and thank you for the suggestion. That would certainly be one way to go, but with this map, I was trying to give the appearance of it just growing out from the sky and sea. That is why I chose not to give it much texture at all, and why I colored it the way that I did. I wanted all of the emphasis to be on the text and roads. Keeping it clean and simple as I could.
I like your maps very much, and I know very well, that you are a force that warrants consideration. I hope that you will understand, and appreciate, just where I am trying to go with this one.

hmm.... the lighter side of pork here.

[Tisha]

if you're not going to color the territories, why not give the map more of a satellite feel - like google earth?

RJ,
Glad to see you here, and thank you for the suggestion. That would certainly be one way to go, but with this map, I was trying to give the appearance of it just growing out from the sky and sea. That is why I chose not to give it much texture at all, and why I colored it the way that I did. I wanted all of the emphasis to be on the text and roads. Keeping it clean and simple as I could.
I like your maps very much, and I know very well, that you are a force that warrants consideration. I hope that you will understand, and appreciate, just where I am trying to go with this one.

hmm.... the lighter side of pork here.

that seems the response with the majority of the feedback... a great suggestion, but I'm going to do what I want

[porkenbeans]

if you're not going to color the territories, why not give the map more of a satellite feel - like google earth?

RJ,
Glad to see you here, and thank you for the suggestion. That would certainly be one way to go, but with this map, I was trying to give the appearance of it just growing out from the sky and sea. That is why I chose not to give it much texture at all, and why I colored it the way that I did. I wanted all of the emphasis to be on the text and roads. Keeping it clean and simple as I could.
I like your maps very much, and I know very well, that you are a force that warrants consideration. I hope that you will understand, and appreciate, just where I am trying to go with this one.

hmm.... the lighter side of pork here.

that seems the response with the majority of the feedback... a great suggestion, but I'm going to do what I want

Please do not put words in my mouth. I have never responded to a suggestion like that. Maybe you could define the term "suggestion" for me. While you are at it, can you tell me who is the one, that is supposed to be deciding what to do with this map, if not me ? You are really confusing the hell out of me, tish.

[Raskholnikov]

Well Pork, they seem to be pushing for a cooperative approach where you are Project Leader but must take into account and incorporate their suggestions until something like a consensus is reached. You look at it more like an individual project where you will listen to various opinions but in the end make the final decision as to what fits with your vision of the project and what doesn't.

As long as there is no agreement on the management style of this project, there will be clashes. There's no way around it.

I'm fine either way - I just wanted to help you as much as possible to get this done because you asked for my input - but I have no problem recognising it's your baby and defer to you on the final calls. Others, especially those who believe their experience with map-making in CC and the time they have spent posting in this forum give them not just the right to be heard, but also that to have their opinions adopted, refuse to accept your say as final. Hence all this. As always, it a good ole power struggle for control of the creative process which one party legitimises as a fight for the creative control of one's own work, whilst the others legitimise as the duty of the more experienced and skilled members to bring up the projecto to "Foundry standards".

As i said, I don't mind either way as long as all the ill-will, and sarcasm, and disrespect, and superiority complexes are put aside and we begin talking to each other in friendly and courteous terms like has been happening on other projects - where, admittedly, the project leaders are more experienced map-makers who have not had to face anywhere near the degree of opposition and aggression that you have encountered here.

[mibi]

You know I get where you are at, as I have been there before. With my first map Siege!, I though it was done after the 4th draft. Certainly people had complaints and issues were raised, but i tried my best to refute them, since it was my map afterall, and I should have know what was best. Eventually I got tired of ramming my head against the brick wall of foundry criticims, and I went ahead and adopted almost all of the changes. 54 drafts later, Seige! was ten times better than I had anticipated, in game play and graphics. Those stubborn foundry folk really pushed me and I am quite thankful they did. As far as I know, there has never been a map quenched where the map maker just brushes aside peoples issues like you have, and I don't think you will be the first.

Bottomline: get with the program.

The thing about change request is they act like a type of currency. The more changes you implement, the better position you are into to refute changes down the road. You seem unwilling to even attempt most of the nearly unanimous changes being request, so you can't expect any outpouring of goodwill towards you or you're map. There are unwritten rules, which every map maker must learn in order to get their map into live play. If you don't want to learn or follow those rules, that's fine, just be prepared to get all pissed off and put your map on vacation because it won't move forward. Believe, the foundry furnace is stacked to the gills with maps and mapmakers in the same position as you, whose flame just petered out, because they thought they could be the first to ram a map to the quench zone in just a few months.

[Tisha]

As i said, I don't mind either way as long as all the ill-will, and sarcasm, and disrespect, and superiority complexes are put aside and we begin talking to each other in friendly and courteous terms like has been happening on other projects - where, admittedly, the project leaders are more experienced map-makers who have not had to face anywhere near the degree of opposition and aggression that you have encountered here.

the majority have faced opposition and aggression, more than you know.....don't going saying we haven't

[RjBeals]

...more experienced map-makers who have not had to face anywhere near the degree of opposition and aggression that you have encountered here.

the majority have faced opposition and aggression, more than you know.....don't going saying we haven't

Ha!.. Yeah, go read the puget sound thread. I think Tisha gets the medal for opposition and aggression. I remember the evening it all went down also. The whole foundry just dumped on her, enough so that her husband had to step in.. fun times..

but we still luv ya Tish

(EDIT)
before Benn has his way with this thread, I was about to try and offer something useful.

I know you have your reasons for creating the map in the style you want, but thought I would give a quick visual so you see what I visioned. Titled the island (not to get into the tilt again) but it fits nicer and keeps the map height much smaller. No reason for all the wasted space. And since your using connecting army circles, I thought i would be nice to give the island more of an island feel.

Here's what I have in about 15 minutes using google and a bit of photoshop manipulation.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

[MrBenn]

Well, it looks like this thread is turning into a bit of a hotbed... I think I'm going to lock it down until I've had a chance to review everything properly...

edit: While some of the debate did get heated, I am broadly satisfied that the criticism was being leveled at the map and not the mapmaker. Where any posts were construed as being against CC forum guidelines, words of advice have been given.

[porkenbeans]

Welcome to the newly renamed map thread "sunrise in Paradise".

Along with a new title, I would like to take some time to properly, (this time), lay out my goals and visions for this project.

The main goal, is to experiment with the idea of creating something new and unique, that does not necessarily follow the same tried and true standards that most of the successful CC maps have laid out. I know very well that this may be a tall order, but innovation and bright new ideas are the goals that this project will seek.


My original thought was to, instead of having a theme, and then creating a background around it, I would try to do it the other way around. That is, make the theme the background, and have the game itself take the back seat.
So, my basic idea was to create a beautiful picture of an island Paradise, and overlay in a transparent manner, the shape of the actual island.

I want to see if it is possible to make what is usually the background, the main focus of the map. I do not care so much about having a map with a lot of territs. (for that go check out "MAPZILLA" or "The Hive"). And I do not care to make boundary lines, or anything else that is not absolutely crucial for the game play.

That is why I was so adamant about using empty space instead of lines to separate the parishes. I really do not want to move the puzzle pieces closer together, as they will start to look like, and get confused with, the roads.

Here is what I have come up with so far. I think that this version is coming pretty close to what I envisioned, and the original goals have been maintained. I will be very grateful for any constructive criticism, ideas and suggestions, that go towards realizing the stated goals of this project. Any comments that are not "CONstructive" in nature, and do not try to address the goals of this project, will not receive a response from me. (I do not intend to cause this map to be locked again).
Please foundry members, help me with my project. I do respect a few of you out there, and I am openly asking for your help and guidance.

Click image to enlarge.

[natty dread]

I like it... but the title is a bit corny. Also I think the land is a bit too transparent. You should increase opacity a bit, those clouds are really making the map look messy.

[porkenbeans]

I like it... but the title is a bit corny. Also I think the land is a bit too transparent. You should increase opacity a bit, those clouds are really making the map look messy.

I will throw up a version or two with less transparency.