[Abandoned] - Ancient Japan

[DiM]

We are going to keep the old back-ground as everyone like it better(look in the poll).

this is plain wrong.
the reason a new background was brought in discussion was that the old one was bad. the fact that the new one is worse doesn't mean you have to keep the old one. it means you have to make a better one.

i and some other people made several suggestions regarding the background. why not implement them?

as for the poll, frankly that's just a joke. i mean come on 5 voters?? and "everyone not liking the new one" is represented by just 3 people that voted no??

Do you like the new back-ground?
yes 40% [ 2 ]
no 60% [ 3 ]
Total Votes : 5

[DiM]

also regarding this thing you said:

Well, theres not really anything we can use for the Japaneese feeling, theres not that much stuff out there that we can use as a base image for a back-ground or anything.

don't use something found on the internet. maps aren't done like that. create something. if you do it yourself it will always blend better look better fit better.

taking an image found on the net and putting it as a background will in most cases look bad.

[Unit_2]

also regarding this thing you said:

Well, theres not really anything we can use for the Japaneese feeling, theres not that much stuff out there that we can use as a base image for a back-ground or anything.

don't use something found on the internet. maps aren't done like that. create something. if you do it yourself it will always blend better look better fit better.

taking an image found on the net and putting it as a background will in most cases look bad.

i know...but i need something to base it off of, i can't just make a back-ground with nothing but the idea "Japanese"...

[DiM]

also regarding this thing you said:

Well, theres not really anything we can use for the Japaneese feeling, theres not that much stuff out there that we can use as a base image for a back-ground or anything.

don't use something found on the internet. maps aren't done like that. create something. if you do it yourself it will always blend better look better fit better.

taking an image found on the net and putting it as a background will in most cases look bad.

i know...but i need something to base it off of, i can't just make a back-ground with nothing but the idea "Japanese"...

yes you can. maps can be created starting from nothing. look at all my maps. just a white canvas and imagination. or look at any other maps in live play

[Emperor_Metalman]

Good map.

However, the map seems to favor players who start in the North/South since they only have to fight on one front. I suggest making some sort of connection from the southern continent to the northern one.

[Unit_2]

how about adding ports?

[iancanton]

u already have the solution on ur map. remove the two shrines from kyushu and put one each on the three seats of power, which i presume are kyoto, osaka and edo. instead of "hold all shrines" to gain the +4 bonus, make it "hold any four shrines". in a four-player game, nine shrines will be enough for each of the two central players to play for the shrine bonuses if they wish.

ian.

[t.e.c]

why are there 2 shrines on kyushu and none on shikoku?

oh and it's saitaMa not saitarna.

[sethcampfall]

I don't like the one bonus. You should make it two and make it so aomori can attack hakodate.

[sam_levi_11]

make aomori atack obihiru(sp) and make it a bonus of 2. otherwise its good

[Wisse]

the whole map seems to be blurred maybe make it all a bit sharper? (like borders, background, the sword etc.)

[Unit_2]

Well... I need to wait untill Telvannia comes back and finishes it or I need someone to help me, if someone will help I can get the layered image and its fine wiht Telvannia.

[DiM]

ok guys.... one more time Now we have to re-do it because yet again Telvannia is gone and won't send me the PSD file, Elisha J(not sure that how you spell your name). He going to work on it a bit and then i'll post it.

instead of constantly switching map makers you should try learning how to create a map. you would have made 3 maps so far

[Unit_2]

ok guys, now telvannia sent me the file so now Elijah S is going to help me finish it, all of your input will be added so just give us a bit and i'll see what he can do.

[oaktown]

ok guys, now telvannia sent me the file so now Elijah S is going to help me finish it, all of your input will be added so just give us a bit and i'll see what he can do.

In my opinion the first priority should be play clarity - what's what, what can attack what, water attack routes that don't look like your borders, etc. I would find this map very frustrating to play.

[Kaplowitz]

so......is Elijah making any progress?

[Unit_2]

I need to send him the file as soon as i can find it....

[Kaplowitz]

its been weeks!

[Unit_2]

Your a pain in my butt I switched computers about 3 times so its somewhere in them, its been kinda hard to find them, i'm trying as hard as i can tonight so hopefully I can find it.

[Kaplowitz]

Your a pain in my butt I switched computers about 3 times so its somewhere in them, its been kinda hard to find them, i'm trying as hard as i can tonight so hopefully I can find it.

dont forget your flashlight!

[Unit_2]

Ok guys, please post all your comments so I can get working on this again, nothing on graphics JUST gameplay.

[gimil]

Do you like the new back-ground?

Poll ended at Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:01 pm

yes
2
40%

no
3
60%


Total votes : 5

[oaktown]

my immediate concern remains the placement of army counts and territory names. At first glance i saw the temple next to Tottori and thought that they went together, only to then figure out that the temple goes with Shimane, way over to the left. The Shimane title and count should be moved up, so that 1) the count doesn't bump into Hiroshima, and 2) the title spans more of the territory.

Another bad one is Kyoto and Hyogo - which "88" goes with what? And is there a border under the 88 to the left of Kyoto? Because a number or title should never obscure a border.

Then do this: try putting three digit army counts on every circle. I bet a lot of your army counts run into borders or other titles.

At this point your gameplay problems and graphics problems are one and the same.

[iancanton]

given the problems of trying to make japan fit into a 600 x 600 square with legible text and reasonably-sized territories, how about rotating the map anti-clockwise by 30 degrees, so that north points straight up, and having yezo (hokkaido) as just one territory in the pink continent?

yezo, where a small japanese settlement co-existed with the ainu people, was regarded as on the edge of civilisation and was politically unimportant, not one of the “happening” places. the webpage below describes it as wilderness.

http://www.hkd.mlit.go.jp/eng/02hoduh.html

in this case, yezo can be its proper size (instead of shrunken) and in its proper location, but u can show just a small part of it and cut off the rest. u can then resize the map so that all of the territories are bigger, giving more space for army counts. this will give more freedom to design the gameplay of the central area without having to concentrate so much on difficulties caused by lack of space.

ian.

[oaktown]

even spinning it 15° and pushing the map width out to 630 would probably allow you guys to make the map 8-9% larger without having to cut off anything. It would make the western ends of the farthest west islands flush, and get that bottom island off of the side - some border down there would be nice. And nobody would even notice if you moved Hokaido a few pixels further to the left than it should be.

But none of this changes the fact that the army titles and counts are just not well placed.