Conquer Club

thegrimsleeper wrote:cybertech-- using Photoshop?

yep, how could you tell :-/

Jota wrote:I dunno, I think a lot of folks will try it at least once or twice. If it turns out to be a really interesting map mechanically, then I'm sure some people will keep using it. And even if it's just average, I'd still expect it to pop up periodically when someone gets bored with the others.

yeah thats what i figure

Scarus wrote:

thegrimsleeper wrote:
Look, I could make a map of my sock drawer, but the only person interested in that would be my left foot.

I think it's great that Hotgun has the time and interest to do this, but ya, It'll never get played. Even if there were 6 players from Minnesota here who had some interest in the game, they're not going to want to keep playing each other over and over....lol

When I saw this thread my first thought was there must still be a lot of snow on the ground up there for these guys to be so involved with this...lol

I had to come see who would get in the best punch lines and was promptly rewarded by Grim's post.....lol

gl Hotgun!!!

Scarus

well acctually there is more than six people from MN i think almost twenty i can think of.....
btw hehehe i think the game play will be good...

Man, what a terrible background!! Trash it and try again. Delete this before more people can see it. (Seriously, simply the worst!!)

Can I suggest you move the legend a bit to the left side, then cut off the useless part at right?

And I still prefer the Arkansas map!!

Marvaddin wrote:And I still prefer the Arkansas map!!

Seriously though... I'm pretty sure by your background you

a) got lost in the Photoshop (which can be an easy thing to do)

b) were going for a land + lake sort of feel.

Now, I might be alone on this one, but it seems to me that if you're going to have the background lend a geographical feel to the map by adding land and lake as surrounding atmosphere, the LAST thing you want to do is split the map itself up.

Look at the Australia and USA maps. They provide some of the iconography their countries are known for in the background; and screw everything surrounding them (nevermind that Australia is surrounded by water in the first place). It's one or the other. You just can't have it both ways.

I'm not much for alternate maps but I just got into a game using the europe map and another using the Middle East map. There's just a big difference between the visual appeal of those maps, and the others that we've all played, and this early attempt at the Minnesota map. I'm really not being critical as I'm pretty much self taught with everything I do on a computer and I sure as heck would be stumbling around trying to do something like this, BUT, I really think this map needs a lot of work before it is ready for primetime. Just look at the other maps and keep trying.

I'd say the biggest thing that jumps out at me is that the borders of both the territories, and the continents, look very, very, straight lined, artificial, and simplistic. Maybe part of it is due to some county boundaries in Minnesota having been made with a ruler in real life, but I'm sure that your boundaries could be made to be more natural looking by utilizing some natural landmarks, like perhaps rivers, or lakes.... I don't know... I'm sure you know much more about this than I, it's just that to me, an outside observer, this map looks like it needs work.

gl,

Scarus

Hello, and thank you cybertech and Hotgun for your efforts!

I am a Minnesota native (currently living in Japan) and am looking forward to giving this map a try someday. Sounds like the two of you and Marvaddin are getting the specs down and set, but as Scarus has mentioned, the aesthetic appeal is going to be one of the keys to the map's success.

Considering that Minnesota holds the source of the Mississippi River, it would be great to have that somehow included in the map. I like that you are including L.Superior (though you might as well make the Lake clear and distinct, instead of a vague part of the background). Lake Mille Lacs? Upper and Lower Red? Red River valley? Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers, etc.

The Metro area is set-up great for play, but how about tossing in Ramsey and Washington counties instead of Anoka being a bit out of place in the Eastern Twin Cities (at least Ramsey..considering St.Paul and all...).

While it might be difficult in photoshop, the continent colors could somehow reflect the nature of MN: forest and/or lakes (think Boundary Waters) in the North; farmland W/SW; Mississippi river valley SE; white/blue/COLD in the very North/NW. or whatever... ; ) Perhaps see how it looks with a solid or fade background (a la the Europe map)? Maybe it would look ok with smaller gaps between the 'continents?'

Anyway, thanks again for your time and energy! Truly!


Oyabe

Hmm I need to talk to cybertech... And we should be able to send it to lack soon

[sarcasm]Yay more strain on the database[/sarcasm]

Looks good guys!

Don't worry about how many people will play it, I know of at least 15 people on CC (including myself) that are from MN. So it might not be popular with everyone, but it WOULD get played.

Hail Minnesota!

I haven't looked it over very closely, but before sending it to lack...


---Look into some sort of background other than white...

---Try to get some texture for the continents, perhaps fiddling with various other tools to give it more of a map feel, rather than a piece of paper with a picture on it...

---Look into changing the colors of the continents, perhaps different shades and tones.

---Try to create a more appealing legend. Perhaps in the shape of the state, or of something that is state local.



--Andy

AndyDufresne wrote:I haven't looked it over very closely, but before sending it to lack...

---Look into some sort of background other than white...

We are planing on doing that next time we see eachother.

---Try to get some texture for the continents, perhaps fiddling with various other tools to give it more of a map feel, rather than a piece of paper with a picture on it...

I will talk to him but I think it could be done

---Look into changing the colors of the continents, perhaps different shades and tones.

Umm isn't that what you just said

---Try to create a more appealing legend. Perhaps in the shape of the state, or of something that is state local.

I'm not sure what your saying

He's saying that your legend looks flat and boring, and that you should fix that by adding some graphics that contribute to the overall Minnesota-ishness. It's a good suggestion because for many maps, the overall theme of the entire image is due in no small part to the appearance of the legend.

Try the silhouette of a lady slipper! Now that would be very minnesotan!

Do not forget:

Change that terrible background, please.
Reposition the legend, preferently after change it a bit.
Avoid those 4 corners borders, as in the Southeast continent. Correct them so they will be more readable.

I think these are the minimum. Add some good art and appeal is with you. If you can, maybe your map can be more played than some others. Do your best, because from the start, the appeal is really small.

Y is the text of lake of the woods in black, when all the text of that continent is white? Mayb u should keep the font the same colour throughout.

Well, Derwiddle says he knows of at least 15 Minnesotans that play CC. Let me be #16.

Questions/comments:

-I don't get the skepticism about how many would play the map. The assertion that "only people from MN would play" makes me wonder if people really choose to play the classic map because they're thinking, "Ooh, Earth! HEY, I LIVE THERE!" Not to mention Tamriel or Discworld, or the fact that more people call MN home than Montreal... My favorite maps are my favorites because they play well, not because I've lived in them.

-Can I ask why you've left off Ramsey County, the seat of the state's capital?? I saw first that my own county, Washington, was missing, and -- though hurt at the east metro getting brushed aside as usual! -- figured you'd left out some of the counties. But why the dislove of St. Paul, I ask! Perhaps if you gave Ramsey and Washington their rightful place in the Metro and gave the Metro a higher bonus, it would both address the "hard to keep the Metro" business as well as better reflect its RL importance.

-I just hope the person who asked if it was a part of Texas was trying to be funny. But omg, not funny.

-lobos

lobos wrote:The assertion that "only people from MN would play" makes me wonder if people really choose to play the classic map because they're thinking, "Ooh, Earth! HEY, I LIVE THERE!"

Well excuse me, but that is exactly how I choose what maps to play. And that is precisely why I don't like to play on the Classic map. Hmph.

Dp you play on the space map?

Of course -- and really, why haven't we seen a map of my home town in Olympus Mons, yet?

Wait.. You're from mars!?!

This map is unnessarry...

spiesr wrote:This map is unnessarry...

So? Someone might play it..
I won't, because I don't like Minnesota.. But someone will/might..

Evil Pope wrote:

spiesr wrote:This map is unnessarry...

So? Someone might play it..
I won't, because I don't like Minnesota.. But someone will/might..

Yeah, not reason enough to waste space...

I just wanna say that if it is a well designed map, I'll play it. I think location is secondary to enjoyment or playability. Wherever the orginal guy making the map is, if you want to continue, keep working on it, but if you don't, please don't let it be because of the naysayers.

just my two cents,

-doogey

Conquer Club is unnecessary. But it's a pleasant diversion.

This map has a little appeal, as many others. I would play it, but I dont intend play that CCU map, as crosswords and Indochina... I think it could be fun... but I really dont want one map from each little state of USA, this is sure.