Conquer Club

Draft stamped: 30.5.12
Gameplay stamped 27.6.12
Graphics Stamped 25.12.12
XML Stamped 16.1.13
BETA stamped6.3.13
Quenched 25.7.13

Map Name: Classic Cities: Moscow
Mapmaker(s): Concept & graphics - cairnskw; XML - nolefan5311
Number of Territories:47
Special Features:Nil; Classic Gameplay
Font:Corbel
Software: Coreldraw X4
What Makes This Map Worthy of Being Made:
1. City on Classic Map
2. Had this started quite some time ago - part of the 12 pack i was going to do - so don't want to waste it
3. Would like to keep the design frame etc - i think it's very old Russian
Original Reference:Map

Size: Small 630 x 630: Large 700 x 700

XML:http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/12/21/3378809/05Moscow.xml

Map Image 31:

show: Starting Neutrals V30

show: Small 888s

show: V25 CB images

show: Older Images

Continent Names and Bonuses:
Inner Tsentralnyy (5)
Outer Tsentralnyy (8)
Tsentralnyy (13)
Working clockwise for outer districts:
[North - Powder Blue (purple)] - Severo-Vostochny (3)
[Northeast - Ice Blue] - Vostochny (3)
[East - Martian Green] - Yugo-Vostochny (3)
[South - Banana Yellow] - Yuzhny (4)
[South-east - Olive Drab] - Yugo-Zapadny (2)
[West - Avacado Green] - Zapadny (2)
[Northwest - Turquoise] - Severo-Zapadny (3)

Spare stuff here.

cairnswk, thank god that you are following through on the classic cities.

Had this started quite some time ago - part of the 12 pack i was going to do - so don't want to waste it

It shows so I know you know what you must do to get this moving along.

I do not see why you cannot keep the border, so let it stay in. The font is easier to read but some of the glows look non-aligned. Will have a longer look later.

koontz1973 wrote:cairnswk, thank god that you are following through on the classic cities.

Thanks koontz

Had this started quite some time ago - part of the 12 pack i was going to do - so don't want to waste it

It shows so I know you know what you must do to get this moving along. [/quote]
Yes a lot of the research has already been done for the 12 pack

I do not see why you cannot keep the border, so let it stay in. The font is easier to read but some of the glows look non-aligned. Will have a longer look later.

OKs

Meanwhile...
Version 2...

1. somewhat of a new frame, bit larger so that i can fit some more legend instructions in of necessary
2. restructure of the photo frames...basically the whole frame has been re-worked
3. down to two fonts now...Corbel and Kremlin Kourier II Bold

Any chance of having a bonus for he inner ring without the outer suburbs?
Going say this now because you know someone will later on. The bonus stars that are on the map, any chance of these going into the legend.
An idea for you, a stained glass window? It almost looks made for that.

koontz1973 wrote:Any chance of having a bonus for he inner ring without the outer suburbs?

Sure, from the math i guess that would be +3...but would need clarification in legend

Going say this now because you know someone will later on.

and good point also

The bonus stars that are on the map, any chance of these going into the legend.

Mmm, ahm, mmmm...neyt...then i would have to do a mini-legend and the design doesn't fit that.
At some point some maps should be able to do without the min-map thinggggyyyyy

An idea for you, a stained glass window? It almost looks made for that.

I was thinking Russian jewellry (if i can pull it off or come close)
Spanish Armada is heading down the stained glass window road

Thanks for further comments

Version 3

1. Proper bonuses going on
2. Design starting to fill out in jewellry style
3. Texturingising going on the territories
4. Signatures complete

I am thinking of splitting the outer ring inner suburbs i.e. those in reds and oranges, into north and south, so that those territories aren't so large to hold in one big block.
Feedback on this?

Splitting the outer ring would work better , but I am not digging the jeweled effect. I know it is early days yet and you need to refine it.

I'm with Koontz as well cairns...as it looks now, I'm not really digging the jewelery effect.

koontz1973 wrote:Splitting the outer ring would work better , but I am not digging the jeweled effect. I know it is early days yet and you need to refine it.

nolefan5311 wrote:I'm with Koontz as well cairns...as it looks now, I'm not really digging the jewelery effect.

What parts are you not diggin' guys?

The overall jewelled effect. It just seems too random. What might work is having it like a glow. So around each territ, you have this random thickness of the jewels but in two alternating colours only. Look at the bottom of Khamovniki, you have this lovely part with two colours that really mesh together nicely (light-dark-light) while the others look very haphazard.

koontz1973 wrote:The overall jewelled effect. It just seems too random. What might work is having it like a glow. So around each territ, you have this random thickness of the jewels but in two alternating colours only. Look at the bottom of Khamovniki, you have this lovely part with two colours that really mesh together nicely (light-dark-light) while the others look very haphazard.

That's great koontz1973...at least i know that you're not totally against it, but by identifying a piece you like, i can work more towards that.
This effect on these territories was only a start with the bitmap effect called crystallise in CDX4, although the diamonds around the watercolours are 293 vector pieces converted to bitmap.
I'll see what else...

It's hard for me to properly articulate what the issue is because I don't know what the graphical terms are, but it looks a little flat. Not enough texture to give it the look I think you're looking for.

nolefan5311 wrote:It's hard for me to properly articulate what the issue is because I don't know what the graphical terms are, but it looks a little flat. Not enough texture to give it the look I think you're looking for.

thanks nolefan5311....taken on board

Looking pretty cool, but I'm totally lost on the meaning of the star territories. I don't see a name for them if they are territories, so I'm thinking they might be the bonus value, if so you should use a plus sign or something. That said, the Stars seem very unclear to me and you might want to add a little blurb indicating what they do or mean. If its somewhere on the map and I missed it, sorry, just point me in the right direction.

cairns... a lot of your maps have to grow on me.


this one is already a GD classic.

I dont know if you are envisioning the gameplay yet, but I am... it is everything atlantis should have been.

please do not split up the bonus like you are thinking.



and also koontz has an Idea.. does the xml allow a tert to be part of 2 different bonuses? because making an inner circle bonus would add depth.


edit

army of nobunaga wrote:and also koontz has an Idea.. does the xml allow a tert to be part of 2 different bonuses? because making an inner circle bonus would add depth.e

XML allows for a region to be a part of multiple bonuses. Two maps that immediately come to mind are Space (the first) and Eurasia (the most recent I think).


--Andy

AndyDufresne wrote:

army of nobunaga wrote:and also koontz has an Idea.. does the xml allow a tert to be part of 2 different bonuses? because making an inner circle bonus would add depth.e

XML allows for a region to be a part of multiple bonuses. Two maps that immediately come to mind are Space (the first) and Eurasia (the most recent I think).


--Andy

I forgot about space! thanks

Industrial Helix wrote:Looking pretty cool, but I'm totally lost on the meaning of the star territories. I don't see a name for them if they are territories, so I'm thinking they might be the bonus value, if so you should use a plus sign or something. That said, the Stars seem very unclear to me and you might want to add a little blurb indicating what they do or mean. If its somewhere on the map and I missed it, sorry, just point me in the right direction.

Thanks IH. i'll fix those bonus numbers

army of nobunaga wrote:cairns... a lot of your maps have to grow on me.


this one is already a GD classic.

Thanks. Waht does GD mean?

I dont know if you are envisioning the gameplay yet, but I am... it is everything atlantis should have been.
please do not split up the bonus like you are thinking.
and also koontz has an Idea.. does the xml allow a tert to be part of 2 different bonuses? because making an inner circle bonus would add depth.
edit[/quote]
You mean split up the inner circle bonus into north and south?
I am wanting this gameplay to stay classic in the sense of being classic i.e. no special tricks etc. you simply conquer from territory to territory...as it is a small map.

however, if you care to elaborate on the xml idea you have in mind...i don't see where koontz posted anything about doing something special with the xml ?!

GD= gosh darn

Koontz in maybe the 6th post ( 6th i think) asked if the circle could count also for a bonus as well as the territory bonus that each color in the circle corresponds to. You replied to him.
edit - My eyes were glazing over that font, man.!! lol there is a circle bonus.. nice.

I agree 1000% , I am not a big fan of all the bonus tricks that are in some maps now-a-days.

I think maybe if the circle itself had a bonus that was not insane it would add to the gameplay options without being 'tricky' but even if you decide against this the map will still play like a charm.

One thing you are going to have to watch out for is what I call the "lower Nile effect" I do not know if you play the lower nile but it is exactly what happens when you have -- small map + chokepoints.

what you get is = game is over before it really starts.

What I mean is a lot of times on lower nile, well almost all the time, the game is usually over before you hit round 7 (not actually over, but someone usually has a huge lead by then)

Your larger bonuses on the outside may never even become realitys if a person can grab a quick small bonus because of some of the bridges and impassible's.


Notice I said "may". I am not sure.

edit 2- would it take away from what you were after to have +1 bonuses for owning a pair of colors? for example owning arbat and AI = +1? might even out some of the easier bonuses that people may be able to grab soon and hold easy.


My gut tells me you are fine and this is going to be an instant classic.

army of nobunaga wrote:...

edit 2- would it take away from what you were after to have +1 bonuses for owning a pair of colors? for example owning arbat and AI = +1? might even out some of the easier bonuses that people may be able to grab soon and hold easy.

Thanks for reply AoN...
I am fine with having any sort of bonus as long as works best for gameplay.
My suggestion of the rings is quite alterable or additionable.
I am happy to have "owning a pair of colours for +1" ...but we need to define "pair of colours":
- is it a pair of same colour inside and outside the inner ring road
- or is it a pair of only two territories of different colours both inside and outside the inner ring road
- or something else

and last question...do you want this to be an addtional bonus to or replace the ring bonuses there now.

Keep in mind that some of those colours may have to change because of CB issues.

cairnswk, this deserves a sticky. Will move it up the chain in a couple of days for you.

cairnswk wrote:

army of nobunaga wrote:...

edit 2- would it take away from what you were after to have +1 bonuses for owning a pair of colors? for example owning arbat and AI = +1? might even out some of the easier bonuses that people may be able to grab soon and hold easy.

Thanks for reply AoN...
I am fine with having any sort of bonus as long as works best for gameplay.
My suggestion of the rings is quite alterable or additionable.
I am happy to have "owning a pair of colours for +1" ...but we need to define "pair of colours":
- is it a pair of same colour inside and outside the inner ring road
- or is it a pair of only two territories of different colours both inside and outside the inner ring road
- or something else

and last question...do you want this to be an addtional bonus to or replace the ring bonuses there now.

Keep in mind that some of those colours may have to change because of CB issues.

I like pairing up the colours. A nice small +1 for a pair.

I think if you did this you would need to have one of the pairs start as a neutral to negate a huge uneven drop.

I am getting more and more excite about this.

army of nobunaga wrote:...

I like pairing up the colours. A nice small +1 for a pair.

I think if you did this you would need to have one of the pairs start as a neutral to negate a huge uneven drop.

I am getting more and more excite about this.

Thanks for that, but we will have to see where and how much those neutrals are later.

a quick Version 4...