North Pole V2.3 pg1 [Vacation]

[jpcloet]

Version 2.3



Version 2.2 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/406 ... 4f8f95.jpg
Version 2.1 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2762/406 ... ece5_o.jpg
Version 2.0 http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2524/406 ... 8582_o.jpg

Version 1


Unique because of 1. Theme 2. Impassibles are not mountains and rivers 3. Territories will likely have buildings on them where applicable

Quick draft, looking for name changes on some territories.
The borders are quite rough and would move towards more white and gray and blue colors (snowy,icy) as in the later drafting stages
Have not looked at the bonuses
The impassables are in dark black and would be cliffs/crevasses and not mountains.

There are 48 territories now, (great for 6 and 8 players)

Bonus CONTINENT
6 Reindeer National Park
2 Sleighport
2 Santa
5 Icefields
3 Support
2 Elf Village
Incremental 3 Greater Elf (All Yellow)
3 Valley
2 Storage
Incremental 3 Commercial (All Blue)

White area is non-bonus

Shortened To Do List

• Legend
• Impassible Graphics
• Shops, Factories, Housing Graphics
• Find better texture for Reindeer National Park
• Names

[RjBeals]

looks good for an idea. nice colors so far. you just need to keep it really really cool.

[jpcloet]

looks good for an idea. nice colors so far. you just need to keep it really really cool.

Agreed, I was thinking either going really light on all (I purposely made the first draft obvious in color) or going like Ireland with the outer shadow as the color indicator.

[slowreactor]

I'm not an expert at this, but wouldn't it look a lot more pleasing to the eye if the north pole was at the dead center of the map?

[jpcloet]

I'm not an expert at this, but wouldn't it look a lot more pleasing to the eye if the north pole was at the dead center of the map?

Interesting. I didn't want it to be a circular map, and it could have ended up like a Chinese Checkers. I just thought it would too obvious to put it dead center, plus the game play is not designed to focus on the pole. Poison Rome is a good example of not putting the obvious smack in the middle.

Will keep that under consideration, I can see how by reducing the N&S crevasse how that could still work.

[AgentSmith88]

Suggestions to finish reindeer park's names - Dancer's Dirt, Prancer Way?

Ornaments N' Things for the remaining shop?

[jpcloet]

Suggestions to finish reindeer park's names - Dancer's Dirt, Prancer Way?

Ornaments N' Things for the remaining shop?

Good Suggestions. I think Santa's Yard should become Guest House (sort of a CC play on words)

[Coronaholic]

I see that the thing next to the shrimp market does not have a name or the one to the right Kelving and the two above Ice valley. Is it the same territory?

[jpcloet]

I see that the thing next to the shrimp market does not have a name or the one to the right Kelving and the two above Ice valley. Is it the same territory?

I ran out of ideas for land names. Kelvin is the scientist that developed Absolute Zero. Even Prancer and Dancer were very basic.

[thenobodies80]

Hi jpcloet!

some starting thoughts:

I have 50 regions, not a bad number, but if you find the space for 2 more you'll have 52 regions, it is a better number
You have to increase your map size to add the legend, all the important informations need to be written on the map or people will not understand your gameplay ( = few comments).
Maybe the white zone isn't so easy to hold...draw an impassable not to have midnight sun borders with southern crevace.
Avoid borders like southern crevace/postal processing/shrimp market/polar night club, borders aren't clear: shrimp market can attack southern crevace?
Try to not have all your small zones in the corners/edges or players will run to them instead of fight in the middle.
Valley isn't a good choice for names if you don't want to use mountains.
If you are searching some special features, decay could be a good choice (-1 troops for each turn) with an iced theme....polar wind?

Bonuses :
Green 6/7
purple 3/4
red 1/2
white 7/8 (need different impassables)
gray 2/3
brown 3/4
pole 4/5
light yellow 5/6
yellow 2
light blue 4/5
dark blue 2

Looking forward your next update

Nobodies

[sully800]

48 and 54 territories are even better numbers (unless you have starting neutrals). 6 players is one of the most common settings, so any map should be divisible by 6 to avoid random neutrals.

If you want to include 50 territories, I would make two of them start neutral to decrease the luck. Just a thought.

[jpcloet]

jp-I think I like 48 territories better, lose storage X and the unnamed in the elf district

You have to increase your map size to add the legend, all the important information need to be written on the map or people will not understand your gameplay ( = few comments).

jp-The white zone has no bonus, I should add that to the first post.

Avoid borders like southern crevace/postal processing/shrimp market/polar night club, borders aren't clear: shrimp market can attack southern crevace?
jp-True, if I go to 48 and remove 1 elf one, I can shift the line, makes a lot of sense.

Try to not have all your small zones in the corners/edges or players will run to them instead of fight in the middle.
-That generally happens anyway, I think this map slightly resembles Iberia with the small bonuses on the outer

Valley isn't a good choice for names if you don't want to use mountains.
jp-you can still have a valley with hills lol. I will have to find snow related terms. Field is probably not the best either.

If you are searching some special features, decay could be a good choice (-1 troops for each turn) with an iced theme....polar wind?
-I want to avoid special features as its a seasonal map

The bonuses were obtained via the CC spreadsheet on bonuses. Again, looking at white being non-bonus region.

[jpcloet]

Given the current requests and suggestions, I am redrawing the entire map.

[jpcloet]

Redrawn.....see page 1

[AndyDufresne]

I think for this map to succeed and really take off, the visuals will definitely have to compliment the theme. A map of old that is Vacationed/Abandoned that you may want to investigate is Wcaclimbing's Winter. Here, the visuals give off that cold, snowy, theme. Your map may benefit from a similar kind of feeling, in addition to added thematic elements (that are very specifically North Pole related, like Santa, etc).

Good luck! Look forward to watching the development.


--Andy

[jpcloet]

I definitely like the grey-blue-white icy feel. I tested out some snow dusting on the areas and I'm absolutely going after the same village/housing/structure look as well. Hopefully you will not notice the color as much as this moves along. Wasn't fond of the red, but most of the area will hopefully will be covered by the houses etc.

[xxtig12683xx]

Looks good jp, i really like the layout. Much cleaner looking too.


-tig

[jpcloet]

Developed some of the Commercial District Buildings.

[jpcloet]

Developed the remainder of the commercial area.

[natty dread]

Looks good so far.

[laughingcavalier]

Great to see it taking shape, jp, especially the layout & gameplay.
Don't know what I can add.
Maybe next step, following from what Andy says, is to take a blank sheet of paper & imagine different looks with a cool icy feel.
Here's my fave seasonal game if that helps for inspiration:
http://www.freeonlinegames.com/fighting ... fight.html

[natty dread]

You could add igloos, where you can bombard your neighboring territories with snowballs...

And territories that decay -1 every turn because of snow storms...

And if you hold santa claus he gives you a +3 gift each turn...

just some random ideas.

[jpcloet]

The Santa area currently is 2 territories and a +2 bonus. I'd like to avoid gimmicks like frost/decay etc.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but elves don't live in igloos. However, having said that, I didn't foresee much graphics work on the arctic circle or the non-bonus zone so an ornamental igloo would certainly work there.

[natty dread]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but elves don't live in igloos.

Why, you know many elves then? Where do they live?

[jpcloet]

In tiny elf houses.... lol