Madagascar [Quenched]

[t-o-m]

Madagascar:

No. of Terits: 24
No. of Conts: 6

Final Images Here
--------------

Stamps:




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Ok i have final images here.

Ive lost the PSD somewhere but used the small image and a nifty clone tool and a bit of smudging to get those 88's out of it.

Here they are:

88 & Coordinate Tests:

Small:

Click image to enlarge.

Large:

Click image to enlarge.

Final Images:

Small:

Click image to enlarge.

Large:

Click image to enlarge.

Final XML

Link:
Send Space
File Den

Code Form:

Code: Select all

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
                <map>
                   <title>Madagascar</title>
                   <smallwidth>475</smallwidth>
                    <smallheight>600</smallheight>
                    <largewidth>571</largewidth>
                    <largeheight>723</largeheight>
                    <filetype>png</filetype>

                    <continent>
                       <name>Toamasina</name>
                       <bonus>2</bonus>
                       <components>
                          <territory>A-M</territory>
                          <territory>Atsinanana</territory>
                          <territory>Analanjirofo</territory>
                       </components>
                    </continent>

                       <continent>
                       <name>Antsiranana</name>
                       <bonus>1</bonus>
                       <components>
                          <territory>Diana</territory>
                          <territory>Sava</territory>
                       </components>
                    </continent>

                       <continent>
                       <name>Mahajanga</name>
                       <bonus>3</bonus>
                       <components>
                          <territory>Sofia</territory>
                          <territory>Boeny</territory>
                          <territory>Betsiboka</territory>
                          <territory>Melaky</territory>
                        <territory>Mampikony</territory>
                       </components>
                    </continent>

                    <continent>
                       <name>Antananarivo</name>
                       <bonus>3</bonus>
                       <components>
                          <territory>Itasy</territory>
                          <territory>Betafo</territory>
                          <territory>Ankazobe</territory>
                          <territory>Bongolava</territory>
                       </components>
                    </continent>

                       <continent>
                       <name>Toliara</name>
                       <bonus>4</bonus>
                       <components>
                          <territory>Menabe</territory>
                          <territory>Manja</territory>
                          <territory>Tulear</territory>
                          <territory>Androy</territory>
                        <territory>Anosy</territory>
                       </components>
                    </continent>

                       <continent>
                       <name>Fianarantsoa</name>
                       <bonus>4</bonus>
                       <components>
                          <territory>Vato.</territory>
                          <territory>Farafangana</territory>
                          <territory>Ihorombe</territory>
                          <territory>Haute.</territory>
                        <territory>Ambosita</territory>
                       </components>
                    </continent>


                    <territory>
                       <name>Diana</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Sava</border>
                          <border>Sofia</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>381</smallx>
                         <smally>123</smally>
             <largex>456</largex>
             <largey>149</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Sava</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Diana</border>
                          <border>Sofia</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>409</smallx>
                         <smally>155</smally>
             <largex>497</largex>
             <largey>201</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Sofia</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Diana</border>
                          <border>Sava</border>
                          <border>Mampikony</border>
                          <border>Boeny</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>316</smallx>
                         <smally>172</smally>
             <largex>425</largex>
             <largey>191</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Mampikony</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Sofia</border>
                          <border>Boeny</border>
                          <border>Betsiboka</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>344</smallx>
                         <smally>194</smally>
             <largex>415</largex>
             <largey>235</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Melaky</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Menabe</border>
                          <border>Boeny</border>
                          <border>Betsiboka</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>159</smallx>
                         <smally>253</smally>
             <largex>206</largex>
             <largey>306</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Analanjirofo</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>A-M</border>
                          <border>Atsinanana</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>378</smallx>
                         <smally>239</smally>
             <largex>451</largex>
             <largey>299</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>A-M</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Analanjirofo</border>
                          <border>Atsinanana</border>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                          <border>Ankazobe</border>
                        <border>Betsiboka</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>310</smallx>
                         <smally>294</smally>
             <largex>371</largex>
             <largey>363</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Atsinanana</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>A-M</border>
                          <border>Analanjirofo</border>
                          <border>Vato.</border>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>323</smallx>
                         <smally>361</smally>
             <largex>398</largex>
             <largey>418</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Ankazobe</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Itasy</border>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                          <border>Bongolava</border>
                          <border>A-M</border>
                        <border>Betsiboka</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>268</smallx>
                         <smally>315</smally>
             <largex>321</largex>
             <largey>376</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Itasy</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                          <border>Bongolava</border>
                          <border>Ankazobe</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>240</smallx>
                         <smally>327</smally>
             <largex>294</largex>
             <largey>392</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Bongolava</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Itasy</border>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                          <border>Ankazobe</border>
                          <border>Betsiboka</border>
                     <border>Menabe</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>203</smallx>
                         <smally>308</smally>
             <largex>247</largex>
             <largey>376</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Betafo</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Itasy</border>
                          <border>Bongolava</border>
                          <border>Ankazobe</border>
                          <border>Ambosita</border>
            <border>A-M</border>
            <border>Atsinanana</border>
            <border>Menabe</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>240</smallx>
                         <smally>363</smally>
             <largex>286</largex>
             <largey>439</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Menabe</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Melaky</border>
                          <border>Bongolava</border>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                          <border>Manja</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>135</smallx>
                         <smally>368</smally>
             <largex>161</largex>
             <largey>451</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Manja</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Tulear</border>
                          <border>Menabe</border>
                          <border>Androy</border>
                          <border>Anosy</border>
                        <border>Haute.</border>
                        <border>Ihorombe</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>93</smallx>
                         <smally>463</smally>
             <largex>112</largex>
             <largey>557</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Tulear</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Manja</border>
                          <border>Androy</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>64</smallx>
                         <smally>546</smally>
             <largex>87</largex>
             <largey>642</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Androy</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Tulear</border>
                          <border>Manja</border>
                          <border>Anosy</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>113</smallx>
                         <smally>545</smally>
             <largex>139</largex>
             <largey>660</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Anosy</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Androy</border>
                          <border>Manja</border>
                          <border>Farafangana</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>152</smallx>
                         <smally>543</smally>
             <largex>194</largex>
             <largey>672</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Vato.</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Atsinanana</border>
                          <border>Farafangana</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>258</smallx>
                         <smally>425</smally>
             <largex>305</largex>
             <largey>539</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Farafangana</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Vato.</border>
                          <border>Anosy</border>
                          <border>Ihorombe</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>218</smallx>
                         <smally>504</smally>
             <largex>255</largex>
             <largey>633</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                       <territory>
                       <name>Ihorombe</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Farafangana</border>
                          <border>Manja</border>
                          <border>Haute.</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>184</smallx>
                         <smally>479</smally>
             <largex>231</largex>
             <largey>573</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Haute.</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Manja</border>
                          <border>Ihorombe</border>
                          <border>Ambosita</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>201</smallx>
                         <smally>436</smally>
             <largex>246</largex>
             <largey>523</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Ambosita</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Haute.</border>
                          <border>Betafo</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>232</smallx>
                         <smally>394</smally>
             <largex>283</largex>
             <largey>473</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Boeny</name>
                       <borders>
                          <border>Sofia</border>
                          <border>Mampikony</border>
                     <border>Betsiboka</border>
                     <border>Melaky</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>232</smallx>
                         <smally>213</smally>
             <largex>285</largex>
             <largey>260</largey>


                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                    <territory>
                       <name>Betsiboka</name>
                       <borders>
                     <border>Boeny</border>
                     <border>Melaky</border>
                     <border>Mampikony</border>
                     <border>Bongolava</border>
                     <border>Ankazobe</border>
        <border>A-M</border>
                       </borders>
                       <coordinates>
                         <smallx>273</smallx>
                         <smally>238</smally>
             <largex>316</largex>
             <largey>293</largey>



                       </coordinates>
                    </territory>

                </map>

[blackraptor58]

preety interesting
i want to see the idea passed

[t-o-m]

preety interesting
i want to see the idea passed

lmao, after 1 day!
well less than 10mins!
haha
-
maybe later when its developed more

[TaCktiX]

Good start, Tom. One thing I see being an issue is the lack of impassables right now. Make sure you add some so that the middle continents aren't impossible to get. Another thing that might end up being a problem is the map's small-ness compared to maximum map size. I'd say rotate it 90 degrees so it's now doing W-E axis instead of N-S, then make the entire continent bigger. That'll make your life so much easier later when you want to put in circles and territory names. Also, nice job following RjBeal's tutorial on creating nice-looking geographical maps.

[AndyDufresne]

Mildly interesting map. May be more appealing if you gave it a theme of some sort. Consider doing something with all the National Parks and Preserves there are on the island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_p ... Madagascar


--Andy

[CatfishJohnson]

good start man, maybe make the water more real, if thats what ur going for, but i like the earthly tones.

[t-o-m]

Good start, Tom. One thing I see being an issue is the lack of impassables right now. Make sure you add some so that the middle continents aren't impossible to get.

yepp, im thinking that the parks could be an immpassible,

Another thing that might end up being a problem is the map's small-ness compared to maximum map size.

i think i made it at 450px X 600px, not too sure though, i think thats it,

I'd say rotate it 90 degrees so it's now doing W-E axis instead of N-S, then make the entire continent bigger.

90 degrees! that much?? are you and me thinking of the same angle???????

Also, nice job following RjBeal's tutorial on creating nice-looking geographical maps.

ive been thinking about this map for sometime, then i had an hour free so i came up with this,

Mildly interesting map.

one hours work, hardly anything added to it yet!

May be more appealing if you gave it a theme of some sort.

i was thinking of some sort of animal theme, like lepod print, tiger skin as a texture fore the conts. what you think of that?

Consider doing something with all the National Parks and Preserves there are on the island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_p ... Madagascar


--Andy

i thought about that a bit when doing research, but i didnt have much time, i will go on the link soon and maybe put some parks in

ood start man, maybe make the water more real,

yeah its bad init, i was just playing around with the textures' depths and things like that,
but for some reason when ever i altered the bevel or texture on something, it altered all of the layers, - anyone know why that is????
and he layers arent linked/merged

i like the earthly tones.

thanks, i was going for an african colour scheme, even though they have like green trees/plants there
-
-
p.s. the terits are the actual political boundries, i didnt just make em up

[Ruben Cassar]

I like the idea. You should definitely give it a shot.

I will add more comments once you post another draft with more features.

[t-o-m]

I like the idea. You should definitely give it a shot.

I will add more comments once you post another draft with more features.

i acctually laughed when i saw your post, you came!! haha thanks,
an update should be later today, maybe the parks will be added
EDIT:
the national parks are quite small so im wondering if theyd make any difference, i suppose i could put that map on top of my map and see if the parks are in more than 1 terit but i dunno,
one other immpassible could be mountains, i will have a look for some on other maps of madagascar

[t-o-m]

ok, new version up, at the top of the page:

Click image to enlarge.

i'll just copy and paste what i put at the top:
"i played around with the bevel, and took DiM's comments away (the ones about making the sea first) and came up with that ^ again not much time spent - 45 ins, what ya think of that?"

[TaCktiX]

Too little added to the map to really garner an update. We've lost the continents, still have no idea on bonuses or such, and now have prettier water and a better bevel?

[bryguy]

needs better water

[t-o-m]

lol
im just ttrying out different things, and if you want something that really deserves to be called a version - go to the travian (or something) map and see his version - its a picture that he found on google images,
anyway - im still trying to work on it but i have v little time to do so, i will do those things soon - and the conts are easy to do - take about 5mins

[RjBeals]

A beveled nightmare. You shouldn't overdo it with the bevel. It looks cheap to me. You should be very subtle with your layer blends. Too much and you lose the effect.

[ZeakCytho]

I like the general idea of this map, but it needs a lot of graphical work.

I agree with RjBeals on the bevel. Also, is the bevel on the entire image (the background layer) necessary? Next, looking at the water makes my eyes feel very out of focus. The background should be redone to look smoother. To get a wave effect, try setting a simple pattern to the later at a very low opacity.

Other than that, there's not much to really comment on yet. There are no continent groupings or impassables, so I can't discuss the gameplay. Once the necessary elements of the map are in place, I'll have more to say.

[t-o-m]

i know what you mean by the bevel - for some reason it chages all of the layers and not just that one i have selected (when adding a bevel or something)
anyway ive got an updated version here:

Click image to enlarge.

i will tone down the layer effects next time i edit it,
-
sorry i havnt really addressed your points - im in a rush,
-
things to-do (in breif)
fix colours
kayer effects tone down
many more...(in a rush)

[TaCktiX]

Make the entire continent bigger, your names are way too long for the territories right now, and you have space.

[t-o-m]

ok ill enlarge it on my next update, the names are really long lol
Atsimo-Atsinanana
i was using 4.5pt, and on some much larger names/smaller terits 4pt,
but yea ill make it bigger -
do you think it needs more rotating?

[t-o-m]

Update: Version 2.5

ive enlarged the whole cont (thanks tack) and it looks better now,
updated the legend, havnt altered the text but i will on the next update.
well here it is
Version 2.5:

Click image to enlarge.

[ZeakCytho]

I don't like the exclamation point at the end of the title. I also don't like how the title is vertical. Furthermore, you have a lot of empty space at the bottom right. So here's a solution that fixes a bunch of things: move the legend as a separate box into the bottom right corner and make the title horizontal in the top left. If this leaves you with too much blank room in the top left, put a compass rose or something there.

Now, I'm not crazy about the pattern on the back of the title/legend, but if you don't have anything else, then I guess it could stay.

For the legend, you didn't leave yourself any room to give the bonus number. If you use my idea of moving it to the bottom right, you could stack all six provinces vertically and have the bonus next to it, rather than have two columns of three. This might require shrinking the font a bit. Also, since all of the continents are "_______ province", you could title the Legend "Provinces" and then just list the first part ("Antaananarivo, Fianarantsoa, etc.)

Fonts: some of your territory names have different sized fonts. If you can't fit the larger size into certain territories, then make them all small. It's very distracting to have different sizes when they mean the same thing. In addition to that, I think the font you have for territory names right now is very bland. Is there anything more interesting that is still legible that you could use? San-serif is definitely the way to go for this map, though.

Nice work so far

[t-o-m]

yea the legend was done at last minute,
the reason why there is an empty space on the bottom left and no bonus numbers was because i was considering putting a mini-map there, but i dont think it will work for this kind of map (dont know why)
the title - sure it can change,
as i said ive not put much time into the terit text - havnt chenged it since the previous version, but that will definitely change - ill also try san-serif

Now, I'm not crazy about the pattern on the back of the title/legend, but if you don't have anything else, then I guess it could stay.

hmm - i picked that in a couple a mins, 'coz at the time i was thinking of a sort of animal theme, but i dont think ill go for that now,
there are highlands in madagascar running vertically down on the right, where the conts. boarder - do you think i should add that as an impassable?
and i like your idea of the "Provinces" - thats a good'en
lol - when i next have the PS up (otehr than 1.30AM in the morning) i will edit it
thanks for your suggestions,

[Unit_2]

T-o-m, mayeb ask either Gimil or Cairswk(or if you want to do it your self) to add some forest and make it more "Madagascar" themed.

[t-o-m]

T-o-m, mayeb ask either Gimil or Cairswk(or if you want to do it your self) to add some forest and make it more "Madagascar" themed.

yea ive been trying to put a theme in and add other things like that in, but i dont know how to do it -
and why only cairns or gimil?
and does anyone have a good way of doing mountains?

[t-o-m]

Here Version 3:

Click image to enlarge.

ive done that province thing Z and it looks good i think, maybe theres a lil bit too much bevel on the "Madagascar" title??
ive added army circles, re-done the terit names - although its not san-serif (for some reason i dont have it on my photoshop!) but ive picked another font instead, i think the font sizes fit in fairly well, not too much 'squishyness', i havnt put the bonuses in, whered you think i should add them?
mini-map or...?
Tack i also made the entire country bigger - looks better thanks

[ZeakCytho]

I meant a sans-serif font, not necessarily the standard MS Sans-Serif. Sans-Serif fonts are ones without sticks and bars (serifs) at the corners/edges of letters. Compare Arial (sans-serif) to Times New Roman (serif) and you'll see what I mean. Serifs make the font look much more formal.

I like this font you've chosen, but the territory names look a bit blurry. Is the opacity on that layer turned down a bit? If not, I'm not sure what's causing the blurriness.

The font for the word "Provinces" should be changed to something less rigid.

I would reduce the bevel on the title.

The top left corner of the map (below the title and your signature) looks a bit sparse. I'm thinking you should add something like a compass rose (remember to rotate it the same amount that you rotated your image). This could be done in a Madagascaran (is that a word?) style. Or maybe scratch the compass rose and just put in a Madagascar-like image?

Still need to work on the impassables.

For bonuses, I think you can move each province name up a few pixels on its color splash and put the bonus right under it, on the color splash. You could also move the splashes a bit farther apart; you've got unused room near the bottom of the legend box.