I'm siding with oaktown here, at least for now. I mean, you could show me what you could do with a 640 (wide) by 600 but I think the only thing that could really help you is making the map taller then 600 which we can't have yet, although I can say now that there is someone actively working on increasing map size. So maybe if you wait a while?
Aim waiting also to Coleman give me extra 10px for WWII EUROPE MAP,but he dont want to So i waiting and
A is the best But The fonts for your continents are hard to read...and its hard to tell what the value is ... Maybe the drop shadows are to thick....
I would change that font ... the territory font is good... the sword is a better look also...... I would also change the font of the Title ... and Maybe add the name of japan written in ancient japanese writing
As for the way you broke up the map ... Instead of putting boxes around the Northern and Southern territs... Just Draw a thin (or dotted) Line between the proper areas... Or use the Port symbols but make the colors more obvious....Instead of a Black symbol with the color around it ...Make it a colored symbol with a black outline
-Iokushima to Tokushima
-Wakkanal to Wakkanai
-Hakedate to Hakodate
-Ibaragi to Ibaraki
-Obibiro to Obihiro
-Nigate to Niigata
-Yagata to Yamagata
-Kanag to Kanagawa
-Yaman to Yamanashi
Keep in mind that I'm not Japanese, and these are just names I got off of Wikipedia, Google or elsewhere. It might be good to verify these with someone actually from Japan. Though these are better than the original names, I think, because Google and most other things list some of the current names as misspellings.
hm...I'm sorry but I personally don't like any one of the options, and especially option A, in which the size of Hokkaido makes Japan look stupid now with a small head and huge body. I think accuracy is relatively important in map making, especially the balance and proportion of a country everyone knows so well about. Option A really doesn't like comfortable to me, as I am so used to looking at more accurate maps of Japan.
I understand the shape of Japan makes it really hard to fit in the entire country on the map, but I think that's what you should aim for, and utilize the horizontal space for names in order to compensate for the smaller territories if you take that approach.
I like A the most. If only because the entire map is laid out as you would see it on a map and not with islands in boxes off to the side. The text is also much easier to read. Take it from someone who's done 3 years in graphic dessign. Function supercedes beauty. Especially when it comes to all those fancy fonts and pretty glow effects behind them.
I you can send me a list of the current name I can check them. I'm not Japanese but i have been living there for the past 4 years. Also id you need anything translated just sent that as well.
