Snakes and Ladders (abandoned)

[Jota]

I think the bonuses you listed look reasonable. And after spending some time thinking about it, I think splitting orange like that (with the one-way link between) could be pretty interesting. It's worth trying. But I do think you'll need to take extra measures to make it clear what's going on there, since it's something that could easily lead to confusion.

For the graphics, images like this or this might be useful for non-icky inspiration. Maybe also this or this.

[wicked]

The official ick judge thinks Jota's snakes are OK.

[qeee1]

I think the bonuses you listed look reasonable. And after spending some time thinking about it, I think splitting orange like that (with the one-way link between) could be pretty interesting. It's worth trying. But I do think you'll need to take extra measures to make it clear what's going on there, since it's something that could easily lead to confusion.

For the graphics, images like this or this might be useful for non-icky inspiration. Maybe also this or this.

First and 3rd ones I've already got saved on my computer. K think I'll do a bunch of different Snake themes and see what people like best. It'll be a while though.

[dissolution]

i think its really cool, continue the good work on it

[Marvaddin]

This is really ugly until now... but with some help, it can be ok. Maybe the snakes could have some more curves, like an "s", so they would not pass over the numbers. The movement from 4 to 3 and 5 can be explained in the legend, but the connections between 5 and 6 need be showed in the map, or people will think its possible attack from 6 to 15. Maybe a little background for the number (like in the first version) would be good.

Some questions: are both snakes and ladders two-way connections? You can attack from 6 to 5 too, right?

I will discuss the bonuses later...

[qeee1]

You can attack from 6 to 5, and from 5 to 6. In short any number can attack the number above it (above it numerically that is, not on the map) and the number below (same definition) it.

You can only attack down the snakes and up the ladders.

[rocksolid]

Maybe tiny little unobtrusive arrows going like this <--> from connected squares would make this clear to those who haven't played snakes and ladders.

[AndyDufresne]

I'd have to agree with rock. The less confusing you can make this map, the better I think. There are probably thousands of images you could use, so give a large number a try.


--Andy

[Marvaddin]

Maybe tiny little unobtrusive arrows going like this <--> from connected squares would make this clear to those who haven't played snakes and ladders.

Like me, never saw this thing here in Brazil... and I agree about the arrows. But I believe that the routes (ladders only up and snakes only down) is not self explanatory... I would prefer if we had only one thing, like only snakes (since in real life we can use ladders to go up or down), with the head being the final place (the country you would attack, in this case).

[rocksolid]

I would prefer if we had only one thing, like only snakes (since in real life we can use ladders to go up or down), with the head being the final place (the country you would attack, in this case).

Marv, this is absolute sacrilege for the millions and millions and millions of kids who grew up playing this idiotic game - there have to be snakes and ladders. Only snakes and no ladders would be like original sin without crucifixion, and everyone on CC would commit suicide, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. But I do agree that there has to be some legend explaining the unintuitive notion that ladders go only up and snakes go from head to tail - maybe you could do cartoon scalework on the backs of the snakes that incorporates down arrows into their scales, and put little arrows on the side supports of the ladders.

I feel like all my suggestions would plague this map with excessive arrows, and I'm sure someone has a better idea. On some S&L boards I've played on, the square where the ladder starts would show a good little child helping an old person or something and an image of the same child getting a lollipop from the old person at the top of the ladder, and bad Thomases up to mischief at the snake's head and being sat in a corner at the snake's tail - another board had happy little kids ascending the ladders and dismayed kids sliding down the snakes. Sounds far too complicated to put on this map, but throwing lettuce at the lion to stop him from cryin'...

[Jota]

For the normal borders, it might be nice if the edges that could be crossed were fuzzy, zig-zag, jagged, or wavy lines, while the ones that couldn't were thick, solid ones.

Then the legend could just list something like:
<picture of zig-zag edge> - two-way border
<picture of solid edge> - uncrossable
<picture of snake with obvious arrow on it> - one-way route
<picture of ladder with obvious arrow on it> - one-way route

[qeee1]

... Jota's post makes sense. Even if it's more work for me.

And I agree, having just snakes or just ladders would destroy the world. And there's no way I'm putting some kid helping an old person on my map.

[fluffybunnykins]

how about a ladder between the two orange halves, as well as the snake, but at the other end of the continent.
I like Jotas ideas for the arrowed snakes & different border lines. Maybe the ladders could be like the window cleaners' sort: tapered to a point at the top? Might look a bit more arrowy without the need to put actual arrows on. You know, coz ladders don't have arrows on them and, like, we're thinking absolute realism here, right... I mean, happens every day, walking along, minding my own business, when woosh, I've fallen down a snake and landed in another continent...
Er, yeah, and maybe the numbers could nearly fill each square, in quite a chunky font, so that they look totally different from the armies???
[time passes]
maybe something like this:-

???

[Jota]

Oooh, that's awful purty.

[fluffybunnykins]

yeah, and the drawing's not bad either!

[qeee1]

That just puts me to shame... I don't think I'll ever be able to come up with something that good. How'd you like to take over doing the map fluffy?

[fluffybunnykins]

er...

[Banana Stomper]

ok, well i'm not totally sure about how the game snakes and ladders, (which i thought was called shoots and ladders) is played, but is it something like, you move up higher numbers and if you land on a ladder you go up it and if you land on a shoot you go down. What if the game was played like that. Everything is one directional, it may make it like the chariot race map, but it would have the added dimension of being able to go down the shoots and up the ladders. Maybe wait and see how the chariot one comes out

[rocksolid]

...except that in chutes and/or snakes and ladders, you only go up or down the items if you land on the space. Here, you would hit every space no matter what. No real way of skipping countries that I can think of. And there's typically no snake going all the way down to 1 - lowest I've seen is 3 - so you'd never get to square one, unless that's where you'd go after the last square...

[Marvaddin]

And I agree, having just snakes or just ladders would destroy the world.

Oh, sorry, I didnt know this is soooooo important! I beg your pardon, as I said, this thing was never seen in Brazil. But please dont call it chutes and ladders, it would be much funny to me think about.

(Didnt understand? Go to an internet translator, type "chute", and translate from Portuguese to English )

[reverend_kyle]

And I agree, having just snakes or just ladders would destroy the world.

Oh, sorry, I didnt know this is soooooo important! I beg your pardon, as I said, this thing was never seen in Brazil. But please dont call it chutes and ladders, it would be much funny to me think about.

(Didnt understand? Go to an internet translator, type "chute", and translate from Portuguese to English )

Portugese English
chute No matches found

[Banana Stomper]

...except that in chutes and/or snakes and ladders, you only go up or down the items if you land on the space. Here, you would hit every space no matter what. No real way of skipping countries that I can think of. And there's typically no snake going all the way down to 1 - lowest I've seen is 3 - so you'd never get to square one, unless that's where you'd go after the last square...

well, these are easy fixes. You can put a chute that goes down to square one or yes, it could wrap around.

I'm not sure what you mean by skipping countries. Like, if you're on country with a ladder, you would have to go up? I guess on countries at the base of the ladder or at the top of the chute you would have to have two attack options. Continuing up the numbers or to go up the ladder or down the chute.

[qeee1]

er...

... I guess that's a no then.

Also it's snakes not chutes damnit.

A google search reveals:

462,000 for "snakes and ladders"
245,000 for "chutes and ladders"

Anyway which version would people prefer, one way or two way movement? We'd need a lot more Snakes if movement was one way I think. And I think the "wraparound" (ie. 40 can attack 1) is probably the best method.

[rocksolid]

I think one-way sounds kinda cool, though some people might consider that "hokey-pokey" rather than "slipstream"...

[reverend_kyle]

its chutes and ladders.