Map Idea. Bermuda Triangle

[L M S]

Just a thought and no more really, I thought I would throw it out there for discussion.

Bermuda Triangle:

planes, ships, land and sea based territories?
sunken ships and planes auto decay troops?
buried treasures +1 auto deploy?
ports and air bases?
objective?....hold all three points along the triangle that start with high number of neutrals?
an area in the center that is always foggy no matter the game settings?

Very early idea, any help or if someone want to take it on that would be cool...I would be glad to help however I could.

[Sir. Ricco]

I don't think the always foggy would work, but other then that sounds like solid idea.

[natty dread]

I don't think the always foggy would work, but other then that sounds like solid idea.

It wouldn't, it's impossible to code with the current XML.

Sounds like it could make a nice map though, but would have to see some drafts to know for sure.

[00iCon]

perhaps all 8 players start around the centre and must make their way to the 3 corners to safety.

[grifftron]

I think this map should be tried... A map in the ocean with wreaked ships, monsters & so on like mentioned above, whoever does it would have to be very creative and have a good but not to complicated gameplay so all can enjoy...

Maybe a black & white classic look with no regional bonuses

-griff

[natty dread]

Sure, why not.

[grifftron]

Sure, why not.

To what? the black & white classic look or to everything? I think it would be a fun map, both gameplay wise and graphically to look at if someone pulls it off.

-griff

[40kguy]

if i was better at map making i would do it.

[L M S]

The black and white look is cool and the maze type look you have there fits the theme well.

[grifftron]

The black and white look is cool and the maze type look you have there fits the theme well.

well it was just a picture i found in searching thru google.. but it wouldn't make for a bad layout, still would have to work on some cool gameplay, a thing i am not very good at...

-griff

[random num2]

This map would be a great place to invoke the use of killer neutrals.

[grifftron]

Yeah that would be cool man

[random num2]

I drafted a gameplay map. Note that I used MS paint with the artistic skill of a baked potato
[bigimg]http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/2176/bermudadraft.jpg[/bigimg]
Bonuses are (probably) as follows:
Florida 4
Central America 2
Cuba 5
Haiti/ Dominican Republic 3
Lesser Antilles 2
Tresure chests provide a bonus 1

Zombie Ships spawn killer neutrals (2).
Capture of Southeast Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico wins the game.

All terrible artwork aside, what do you think?
(No, I did not draw that background. To see the original, go to wikipedia)

Completely off topic, but how do most people make the very artistic looking maps? They clearly don't use ms paint...

EDIT:

It was an OK sketch idea i think, but what i was thinking would be of just the water area of the B Triangle.. none of the surrounding countries... just water with ships, sea monsters, maybe tiny islands, storms and what not... just an idea

Here is my new draft:
[bigimg]http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2176/bermudadraft.jpg[/bigimg]

45 regions, plus 4 treasure chests and 6 regions of killer neutrals
Sea monster heads have 3 killer neutrals, as well as anything bright green.
I know the Plane icons need to be replaced.
Killer sea monster heads give a one way border to the sea monster parts to the far right.
Corners of the trinagle start with 3 neutrals, borders of the corners start with 2.
Objective: Hold all corners of the Bermuda Triangle
Bonuses:
1 per treasure chest
3 for all 7 ships left of zombie ship
2 for all 7 ships right of zombie ship
5 for the 9 territory Lost Bahamas
4 for the 8 territory Sea monsters
4 for the 11 territory Plane region.

Not bad for paint, eh? What do you think?

If the gameplay is inadequate, I need to know why, because this is my first map.

EDIT 2:
The map has been updated to include instructions on the map. Bonuses may not be the same as listed above.
[bigimg]http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/2176/bermudadraft.jpg[/bigimg]
If I want to submit the gameplay for approval, what do I need to do? This is my first map

[tkr4lf]

GIMP or Photoshop are normally used. I have no experience with Photoshop, and only minor experience with GIMP. All I can say is, it's freaking complicated.

[natty dread]

If you decide to take a shot at learning GIMP, you can read this tutorial on GIMP mapmaking:

viewtopic.php?f=466&t=140723

[grifftron]

It was an OK sketch idea i think, but what i was thinking would be of just the water area of the B Triangle.. none of the surrounding countries... just water with ships, sea monsters, maybe tiny islands, storms and what not... just an idea

[Riskismy]

As for the gamplay, you can't 'spawn' neutrals. They remain at the number they start at.

Take that away, and it's pretty bland, to be blunt (!).

I think I would prefer the more abstract implementation, and someone mentioned killer neutrals?

[random num2]

As for the gamplay, you can't 'spawn' neutrals. They remain at the number they start at.

Take that away, and it's pretty bland, to be blunt (!).

By spawning neutrals, I meant killer neutrals.

I think I would prefer the more abstract implementation, and someone mentioned killer neutrals?

I mentioned killer neutrals If you read on, you will read that I completely scrapped the first idea in favor of another comment I read before yours, though it was posted after yours.

It was an OK sketch idea i think, but what i was thinking would be of just the water area of the B Triangle.. none of the surrounding countries... just water with ships, sea monsters, maybe tiny islands, storms and what not... just an idea

Then I'll go with a more abstract idea. How about making continents as follows:
Area of sea monsters, 1 killer neutral territory (killer sea monster, DUH!)
Area of sunken planes, 1 killer neutral territory of zombies
Area of sunken ships, 1 killer neutral territory of zombies
Area of lost islands, 1 killer neutral territory of cannibals.

GIMP or Photoshop are normally used. I have no experience with Photoshop, and only minor experience with GIMP. All I can say is, it's freaking complicated.

THANKS! I may go get gimp later, but from what I've read here, it seams that a lot of features in GIMP have analogous features in MS paint, or analogous capabilities.

[natty dread]

THANKS! I may go get gimp later, but from what I've read here, it seams that a lot of features in GIMP have analogous features in MS paint, or analogous capabilities.

I'm sorry, but that sentence you just typed is so wrong that my monitor just exploded. You owe me $200.

Seriously though, ms paint doesn't come even close to gimp. It's like comparing a tricycle with training wheels to a Formula-1 race car. Sure, they both go forward, but... I'll let your imagination complete the analogy.

[random num2]

THANKS! I may go get gimp later, but from what I've read here, it seams that a lot of features in GIMP have analogous features in MS paint, or analogous capabilities.

I'm sorry, but that sentence you just typed is so wrong that my monitor just exploded. You owe me $200.

Seriously though, ms paint doesn't come even close to gimp. It's like comparing a tricycle with training wheels to a Formula-1 race car. Sure, they both go forward, but... I'll let your imagination complete the analogy.

I had always thought that things like Photoshop and GIMP automatically recognized difference in color, but they don't. Just like in ms paint, you need to trace something first to move it around. Yeah, it's easier in advanced programs, but I'm used to Paint, and enjoy it's simplicity.

I didn't read enough to have a real opinion though.

[natty dread]

I had always thought that things like Photoshop and GIMP automatically recognized difference in color, but they don't. Just like in ms paint, you need to trace something first to move it around. Yeah, it's easier in advanced programs, but I'm used to Paint, and enjoy it's simplicity.

I didn't read enough to have a real opinion though.

Sigh... You now owe me $400. Damnit!!

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "automatical color difference recognition" but if you mean like a magic wand tool, then yeah, GIMP has one. Among with like a million other things you don't find in ms paint, like layers, advanced editing tools, filters, channels...

Let me make something clear to you: you can not create proper map graphics in ms paint. Simply put, it's totally, completely impossible. Ok, it might be theoretically possible, like the same way as it's theoretically possible that unicorns exist but are just invisible so we don't see them... but in practice it's just impossible.

MS paint is not a real graphics software. It's a toy that let's you create doodles. It's easy to use, so people who have no interest in learning a real graphics program can use it to get somewhat, vaguely familiar with the concepts of digital graphics work. It's like those "my first" things you give small kids, like cellphones that have 2 buttons, one for mom and one for dad...

Don't get me wrong, ms paint is ok if you just need to sketch a quick gameplay plan. But if you want to do any actual map graphics, then you have to abandon that primitive software that doesn't even have such an elementary thing as layers...

Or in the way of analogy: Put away your toy cars and start learning for a driver's license.

[grifftron]

natty is right here, but lets go back to the Bermuda Tri. map... discussions on how good MSpaint is, is that way... under my ass

[random num2]

natty is right here, but lets go back to the Bermuda Tri. map... discussions on how good MSpaint is, is that way... under my ***

Thanks grifftron. Back to the portion of my original proposition that wasn't a side note.

As for the gamplay, you can't 'spawn' neutrals. They remain at the number they start at.

Take that away, and it's pretty bland, to be blunt (!).

By spawning neutrals, I meant killer neutrals.

I think I would prefer the more abstract implementation, and someone mentioned killer neutrals?

I mentioned killer neutrals If you read on, you will read that I completely scrapped the first idea in favor of another comment I read before yours, though it was posted after yours.

It was an OK sketch idea i think, but what i was thinking would be of just the water area of the B Triangle.. none of the surrounding countries... just water with ships, sea monsters, maybe tiny islands, storms and what not... just an idea

Then I'll go with a more abstract idea. How about making continents as follows:
Area of sea monsters, 1 killer neutral territory (killer sea monster, DUH!)
Area of sunken planes, 1 killer neutral territory of zombies
Area of sunken ships, 1 killer neutral territory of zombies
Area of lost islands, 1 killer neutral territory of cannibals.

[L M S]

I'm loving that my idea is coming to life; hopefully something will come of it, I'll try to help later tonight when I have time now that I'm back around town.

[Riskismy]

Then I'll go with a more abstract idea. How about making continents as follows:
Area of sea monsters, 1 killer neutral territory (killer sea monster, DUH!)
Area of sunken planes, 1 killer neutral territory of zombies
Area of sunken ships, 1 killer neutral territory of zombies
Area of lost islands, 1 killer neutral territory of cannibals.

Yeah, ok. But it's rather vague, not much to comment on.

How about another Paint draft of the abstract implementation, while you learn to drive (I'm still running down old ladies myself)?