Jewel of the Empire coordinates & xml (new xml?)

[Contrickster]

Are the gray areas impassable borders? If so, they can be a little darker for more clarity.

This is a great start

They are. I'll make them a little darker. Didn't want them to be black because I want them to be distinguished from normal borders.

I'd suggest clearing up the bit that says "barriers passable where indicated"

That sounds a bit confusing....

I tried to be concise. Is it really that confusing? It suggests there are barriers, which are only passable where indicated. Perhaps someone could suggest another way to say what I mean in relatively few words.


Thanks for the comments.

[Contrickster]

I really just prefer the Indian Presidencies. Would it not be better to work with the original cartographer of that map to get it finished?

Territories are different. Borders completely different. Style is different. The focus is on colonial aspect of India's history.

This map includes Himalayas, the Indian Presidences does not; this map does not include Burma, Indian Presidencies does. That's like the Alexander Map which does not have the Middle East but does have Greece.

I love the Indian Presidencies map and can't wait to play it.

This is not going to be the same as the India Presidencies map. That's deliberate. Please judge this map on its own terms. I welcome your comments

[unriggable]

Some problems I have here...

1. Colonial territories need to be bigger.
2. Is 'Rann of Kulch' a territory? If so, make it clearer. If you can, remove the nearby arrow.
3. The colorful walls. Make them visible as well, they blend in with the continents.
4. I would make Jhansi a bit bigger and Rajputana a bit smaller.
5. The color of the text is a bit difficult to see, especially in the top left corner.

[KEYOGI]

Territories are different. Borders completely different. Style is different. The focus is on colonial aspect of India's history.

This map includes Himalayas, the Indian Presidences does not; this map does not include Burma, Indian Presidencies does. That's like the Alexander Map which does not have the Middle East but does have Greece.

I love the Indian Presidencies map and can't wait to play it.

This is not going to be the same as the India Presidencies map. That's deliberate. Please judge this map on its own terms. I welcome your comments

Fair enough. I'd get to work on those grahpics then, you've got quite a way to go. Everything needs to be worked on... colours, text, background, legend, inpassables and so on.

[Contrickster]

1. Colonial territories need to be bigger.

They are small because they were small colonial holdings.

However they could be enlarged a bit.

In case of Dui I could remove Gujarat.

There is space to enlarge Calcutta into Gangetic plains.

Goa can be widened.

Fort St George is never going to be very big. I planned for the numbers to be over the sea.

The colonial territories are on the periphery because they are dependent on links by sea for support. Also, if the Colonial territories are too large they would dominate the map because the five colonial territories surround the coast E-W.

2. Is 'Rann of Kulch' a territory? If so, make it clearer. If you can, remove the nearby arrow.

Is that a game play suggestion or because you hate the look of the arrow?

I'll draw a black line from "Rann of Klutch" to the territory.

3. The colorful walls. Make them visible as well, they blend in with the continents.

Yep, I need to work on the barriers to distinguish them from the territory borders.

4. I would make Jhansi a bit bigger and Rajputana a bit smaller.

For a game play reason? Rajputana is a big sprawling territory because it was. Historical accuracy mixes with gameplay, I'd like Rajputana to be a significant border. Jhansi wasn't as significant, it's smaller.

5. The color of the text is a bit difficult to see, especially in the top left corner.

Okay.

[Contrickster]

Fair enough. I'd get to work on those grahpics then, you've got quite a way to go. Everything needs to be worked on... colours, text, background, legend, inpassables and so on.

Colours - too garish.

Background - you dislike it? why?

Legend can be put in a line. Again, do you dislike the design... why?

Impassables need work. Would you suggest I go 3-D or do line-design impassables? I think maps can look nice with good lines for barriers.

[Teya]

I think impassables need to be changed so they arent just lines. If they grey line are mountains, make them mountains. If the green is trees make them trees.
I dont like the background texture either. not sure why. Maybe it needs to be toned down a bit.
I find "the jewel in the crown" a little hard to read. Probably the colour.

[Contrickster]

I think impassables need to be changed so they arent just lines. If they grey line are mountains, make them mountains. If the green is trees make them trees.
I dont like the background texture either. not sure why. Maybe it needs to be toned down a bit.
I find "the jewel in the crown" a little hard to read. Probably the colour.

I'll be happy to try out a less abstract representation of the features.

Many of the maps currently in play have lines, which is why I suggested some form of line would be okay.

Title needs a lot of work. Still in experimentation stage there.

Okay, I think it's thumbs down on background texture (by which I presume you mean the continent background, not the background background.)

[Teya]

I mainly dont like the actual background texture. Im not a big fan of lots of texture anyway though.

As for the lines as impassables, Im currently playing the brazil map and am finding it hard to tell the difference between mountains and borders. If you really want to work with lines specify in an impassable legend what each line is. Like grey = mountains blue = river.

I think pictures work better in the background, not on playable areas. Thats just me though.

[mibi]

I like the background texture, i wish more people used them.

[Contrickster]

I've downloaded Fireworks, the 30 day trial, and will use that for the next draft. First thing I notice is Fireworks has greater options for texture so there should be something good there.

[Ruben Cassar]

Just a comment...not exactly on the map...but wasn't India called the jewel of the Empire?

[Contrickster]

Just a comment...not exactly on the map...but wasn't India called the jewel of the Empire?

"The Jewel of the Empire" returns only a few hundred google hits. Are you British? I am and have heard a number of versions. The consistent reference to "Jewel" in the phrase probably dates to the British monarch's acquisition of the Koh-i-noor diamond.

[Ruben Cassar]

Just a comment...not exactly on the map...but wasn't India called the jewel of the Empire?

"The Jewel of the Empire" returns only a few hundred google hits. Are you British? I am and have heard a number of versions. The consistent reference to "Jewel" in the phrase probably dates to the British monarch's acquisition of the Koh-i-noor diamond.

I am not British. I am from Malta. We are in the Commonwealth though.

I don't know I have always known it as the jewel of the Empire and I am referring to when Britain had an Empire of course.

[Guiscard]

Heard it called both in primary sources I've studied...

I'd say I'd heard it called 'the Jewel in the Crown' more frequently though.

[boberz]

okay im liking this at the moment but not a big fan of the legend however i will make it clear i do not want a backgound on this legend even though i usually think that is better

[Contrickster]

Third draft

Removed all barriers except Himalayan mountains and Thar desert. Removed one territory from Bengal. Diu has grown and replaced Gujarat. Goa is a bit larger.

Tried to go another way style-wise. Main reason is I want to distinguish the map visually from the Indian Presidencies map which uses background images and is also beige.

My aim is for the map to look "clean" and "simple." If you like something, please say what you like. If you dislike something please make a constructive suggestion what you would prefer to see.

Used Fireworks & Gimp.

[Wisse]

i think you need to make the dots belong to the map style.
and also the text font needs to be changed

[DiM]

the mountains and the desert don't really stand out and cause confusions
make them more clear.

PS: i like the clean feeling

[Contrickster]

The sea route does have the same background as the Colonial holdings. However I made the layer slightly transparent.

the mountains and the desert don't really stand out and cause confusions
make them more clear.

PS: i like the clean feeling

Glad you approve of the new direction. I'll work on the desert and Himalayas to make them look more deserty and Himalayaly and make them stand out more.

[DiM]

"map features are impassable" this does not sound too good. maybe ssay desert and mountains are impassable.

make the mountains darker and the desert with a diff texture maybe ranging in diff tones of yellow brownish.

[Contrickster]

text font needs to be changed

Changed territory font to Tunga.

"map features are impassable" this does not sound too good. maybe ssay desert and mountains are impassable.

make the mountains darker and the desert with a diff texture maybe ranging in diff tones of yellow brownish.

Changed the text. Changed continent colour of Himalayas from grey to light green to make grey mountains stand out. Desert different tones of orange.

[KEYOGI]

Looks remarkably better. I'm not sure why the map is floating in the sky though.

Your sea routes are practically impossible to see, but I think a large part of that is the background. The impassable objects need some work too. The mountains are too small and need to placed over the border. The desert needs to cover the border as well, and maybe look into another way to represent it. Doesn't look much like a desert to me.

[Contrickster]

Looks remarkably better. I'm not sure why the map is floating in the sky though.

Gives India a fantasy, "Jewel in the crown," dream place etc. Same reason why Delhi is gem-shaped, so I think it fits in well with the style of the map I want to make.

Your sea routes are practically impossible to see

The dots were larger but someone said they would look better smaller, and I agreed. Probably harder to see now because the Colonial territories are pink. Maybe I can give the dots a black border.

but I think a large part of that is the background. The impassable objects need some work too. The mountains are too small and need to placed over the border.

Mountains are a little on the small side but I don't think they'd look good too large either. Do they need to straddle the border? I don't think that's a must for the Himalayas because they are in the Himalayan continent and no where else.

The desert needs to cover the border as well, and maybe look into another way to represent it. Doesn't look much like a desert to me.

Desert could straddle the border, shifting sands etc. Classic pictures of Thar desert show it a deep orange colour, which is why my desert is orange rather than traditional yellow.

[Ruben Cassar]

In the legend colour the continent names with the appropriate colours and not only the bonuses.

I still like the sound of Jewel of the Empire better.