Motherboard - Graphics Underway v1.3

[e_i_pi]

Updated 12th August.

I want a fair few continent bonuses as there are a lot of attack routes. Problem is, if I have too many bonuses, it's gonna be hard to fit them all on the legend. Other options are cut down the amount of peripherals on the desktop, or cut out the minor bonuses (such as mirrored RAID array) altogether, though this is a unique gameplay feature I'd like to keep in. Ideas or input anyone?

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

• Inital Draft (complete)
• Graphics - Motherboard Area (in progress)
• Graphics - Tower Area
• Graphics - Desktop Area
• Graphics - Legend (in progress)
• Initial Suggestion/Consultation on Continent Bonuses (in progress)
• APPLY FOR IDEA STAMP
• Review of Provinces and Continents
• Community Poll/Consultation on Final Continent Bonuses
• APPLY FOR GAMEPLAY STAMP
• Community Poll/Consultation on Graphics
• Review and Correction of Graphics Problems
• APPLY FOR GAMEPLAY STAMP
• APPLY FOR FINAL FORGE STAMP
• XML Initial Draft
• XML Review and Testing
• APPLY FOR XML STAMP
• Final Community Consultation and Overview
• APPLY FOR QUENCHED STAMP

VITAL STATISTICS
Provinces: 67 (66 assigned to continents, 1 unassigned - Battery)
Continents: 11
Starting armies:

• 2 player - 22 each, 23 neutral
• 3 player - 22 each, 1 neutral
• 4 player - 16 each, 3 neutral
• 5 player - 13 each, 2 neutral
• 6 player - 11 each, 1 neutral
• 7 player - 9 each, 4 neutral
• 8 player - 8 each, 3 neutral

CONTINENT BONUSES - INITIAL DRAFT
Power - 5

CPU - 1

Memory - 2

• Dual-channel DDR1 and DDR3 - 1
• Dual-channel DDR2 and DDR4 - 1

Chipsets - 14

• NorthSide and SouthSide - 1
• VGA chip with NorthSide - 1
• USB1, USB2, PS with SouthSide - 3
• PCI, Audio, COM with Southside - 3
• RAID, IDE, FDD with SouthSide - 3
• All territories - 14

RAID - 6 total, 7 max

• Striped array RAID1/RAID3/SATA1/SATA3 - 1
• Striped array RAID2/RAID4/SATA2/SATA4 - 1
• Mirrored array RAID1/RAID2/SATA1/SATA2 - 1
• Mirrored array RAID3/RAID4/SATA3/SATA4 - 1
• Striped and mirrored array (all RAID, all SATA) - 6
• Any of the above with RAID Chip (only counts once) - +1

Frontside - 2

Drives - 4 total, 5 max

• IDE_DVD and DVD - 1
• IDE_CD and CD - 1
• FDD and Floppy - 1
• FDD Chip and FDD and Floppy - +1
• IDE Chip and one of either IDE_DVD+DVD or IDE_CD/CD (only counts once) - +1

Peripherals - 8

• All territories - 6
• COM chip, LPT, Printer, COM - +1
• PCI chip, PCI1, PCI2, Modem, Ethernet - +1

USB Devices - 7

• All territories - 6
• USB Chip and all territories - +1

Graphics - 3, 4 max

• All territories - 3
• VGA Chip and all territories - 4

Audio - 3, 5 max

• All territories - 3
• Audio Chip and all territories +1
• PCI Chip and all territories +1

Battery - 0

BEGINNINGS OF GRAPHIC VERSION, CURRENTLY INCOMPLETE
Initial graphics - most onboard wiring done

Click image to enlarge.

Version 1.2 (initial graphics - some onboard wiring done)
Version 1.0 (initial graphics)

DRAFT LAYOUT, SHOWING CONTINENTS AND ATTACK PATHS

Click image to enlarge.

[t-o-m]

i really dont know why, but i like this map.

good 1st draft, gets the point across

[Ditocoaf]

This looks to be a very awesome map. I'd play that draft right now.

[wcaclimbing]

Looks to be good so far. Nice explanation.
I don't know how to make computers, but you seem to know what you are doing, so good luck.

[dittoeevee8888]

I think you should go for it. Definately looks like an interesting map to play on.

[fireedud]

I can see you really like math

Anyway back on topic, This is good for the fist draft. Some of the words are hard to read ( like VGA, PCI Express, USB chips, and Audio Chips) and you might wnat to pick a better color choice.

[e_i_pi]

The colours are that way at the moment for a reason: I need to export the original .bmp image to Photoshop then grab each colour with the magic wand so I can have ~20 layers, one for each colour group, then I mess with the colour groups to get the gfx looking sweet. They're hard to read because I converted to jpg in MSPaint (easiest lazy way to get the draft up lol).

Thanks for the feedback, I'll push on with it and get the initial territory map done, then start working it in PS.

Kj

[t-o-m]

some of the orangey terit lines dont look too well on the darkish blue background - cant see them

[e_i_pi]

Yeah these are by no means the finalised colours. I've had to do it in distinct colours in order to do further work easier in Photoshop

Kj

[e_i_pi]

Apologies for the lack of update recently, been working 50-60 hour weeks, and my friend who has Photoshop CS has had a braineurism and doesn't want to be my friend any more. Update coming within the week though

Kj

[e_i_pi]

Click image to enlarge.

This is the official second draft. See the first post for an explanation of how it will look once the graphics are done.

Feedback on the screen layout is apprecaited at this stage. I think in places it looks a little busy, in others its fine. Comments anyone?

[Juan_Bottom]

Great work so far! But be sure and leave room for the troops to fit!

[ZeakCytho]

Great work so far! But be sure and leave room for the troops to fit!

I believe the current graphics are for discussing gameplay only - they're not the the actual graphics.

[Juan_Bottom]

Great work so far! But be sure and leave room for the troops to fit!

I believe the current graphics are for discussing gameplay only - they're not the the actual graphics.

Welp... If this be the case....

I do like how every territory is isolated, yet not. It's easier to hold. I think this is a very Noob friendly map.

[whitestazn88]

eh, computer stuff seems.... meh

i don't like the idea much

[e_i_pi]

Bumped for feedback purposes

[Juan_Bottom]

Great update! Good color choice too. Are you going to finish it if the feedback is positive? Or what was the reason for leaving the rest of the territory out?

[e_i_pi]

I'm working on a bit at a time. I work 2 jobs, and do a bunch of other stuff, so I don't have time to do everything at once. I figured I'd gauge community sentiment before I poured a lot more effort into it going in this direction.

I'd say I'll finish it anyhow. Feedback so far is about 80% positive, and most of that is with the old draft graphics, so I'm pretty positive this will get enough support to go through to completion

[e_i_pi]

*BUMPED* Poll included, feedback appreciated

[hecter]

Sorry, but the name "DDR1-4" doesn't really work... Especially because most computers only have DDR2 RAM, as DDR3 is fairly new, and DDR4 doesn't even exist yet. That, and DDR stands for Double Data Rate. Might I recommend RAM 1 through 4? And have a bonus for holding RAM 1&2 and RAM 3&4. And you shouldn't have "ATX" as your power plug... That just sounds silly! And instead of going to your "RAID", just be normal and call them HDD's.

[TaCktiX]

I'm liking the look of this one so far. Me being among the few who can say "my computer I built myself", I understand the entire map already. One concern I have is the non-motherboard stuff, all your peripherals and such. Explanation is fine, but I'm more worried about losing the motherboard bit while trying to cram everything about computers possible. Instead of all the peripherals and attachments to other hardware, why not find one of those killer-good enthusiast motherboards (like ASUS makes), and increase the number of actual motherboard territories.

If you'd prefer to stick with the peripheral scheme, that's fine with me as well.

[e_i_pi]

I'm liking the look of this one so far. Me being among the few who can say "my computer I built myself", I understand the entire map already. One concern I have is the non-motherboard stuff, all your peripherals and such. Explanation is fine, but I'm more worried about losing the motherboard bit while trying to cram everything about computers possible. Instead of all the peripherals and attachments to other hardware, why not find one of those killer-good enthusiast motherboards (like ASUS makes), and increase the number of actual motherboard territories.

If you'd prefer to stick with the peripheral scheme, that's fine with me as well.

Yeah I've been tossing this up for a while, which is why I haven't updated the graphics of this for a bit. I'd like everything in there, but there's space constraints and, more importantly, gameplay issues. For instance, I have the RAM slots, but no RAM. I could always just do away with the non-motherboard stuff, that'd give heaps more room, and open up a lot more possibilities. Another option a friend suggested is model it as each player being a computer virus / antivirus, though I think this would take a drastic rewrite of the entire project. I'll think on this for a while, stripping it down to just motherboard sounds like the go though.

[Juan_Bottom]

As a matter of record, I showed Packrat this map while he was at my house, and he loved it.

He also rebuilds computers too.

[reggie_mac]

Sorry, but the name "DDR1-4" doesn't really work... Especially because most computers only have DDR2 RAM, as DDR3 is fairly new, and DDR4 doesn't even exist yet. That, and DDR stands for Double Data Rate. Might I recommend RAM 1 through 4? And have a bonus for holding RAM 1&2 and RAM 3&4. And you shouldn't have "ATX" as your power plug... That just sounds silly! And instead of going to your "RAID", just be normal and call them HDD's.

They are Called DIMM Slots, and the numbers would be DIMM0, DIMM1, DIMM2, DIMM3 (why zero you ask, its binary people, zero is the first number) with 0-2 and 1-3 being the pairs.

IDE Channels are Generaly IDE0 IDE1 etc.

The COM off COM chip, im guessing is a DB9 plug on a standard RS232 port? I'd consider changing it to RS232 as it keeps inline with all the other names you've got going on.

One last thing, wheres the rest button?

I love everything else, its sound and is simple to follow (ok, i'm a geek) and im looking forward to playing the boys at work on this one (IT company we are geeks)

[Juan_Bottom]

Yeah, don't tell me this map is foresaken in favor of the Antartica map?......