[Abandoned] - Spaceness

[bryguy]

Current Version:

Spaceness V2.5

Click image to enlarge.

Version 2.5 Link

Changes:

-Added backstory

To-Do List:

-Fix borders if possible
-Come up with system name


Previous Versions:
Version 2
Version 1.5
Version 1
______
Original Post:

Ive returned from the mapping depths, and Ive brought along with me Blok's Spaceness map


LoL Not really, but its close. I have brought back the Spaceness map, which was no easy deed, since I had to recreate everything (Blok had deleted the .PSD for it...) but the Spaceness and Planets (<Luckily Blok still had the .PNGs for these, otherwise it would have taken me until the end of the beginning of the end of time... or something like that )

So here it is, Spaceness:

Click image to enlarge.

Note: I have received permission from Blok to do this.

Original Thread:
http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewto ... 42&t=30052

[tlane]

This looks good so far!!
Some territory borders are not clear though, like Urnn and Satt

tlane

[Dublanous1]

Really good for a first draft, It looks very almost 3-D and smooth, I think it will come out great.

[john9blue]

Well done... this is one of the few Drafting Room maps that I can't find much fault with at all. That means of course that nobody will comment on it and it will die out...

[porkenbeans]

Love the idea. Go for it.

[bryguy]

Well done... this is one of the few Drafting Room maps that I can't find much fault with at all. That means of course that nobody will comment on it and it will die out...

I hope that doesn't happen...

This looks good so far!!
Some territory borders are not clear though, like Urnn and Satt

tlane

Really? I thought that the Urnn and Satt borders were really clear... Ill try to fix that tho

[ustus]

THIS LOOKS SWEET!!!!

That means of course that nobody will comment on it and it will die out...

there, that'll keep it on the radar...

[sailorseal]

I support another space map and this one has great graphics

[Joodoo]

you need to clearly indicate that Phlaks can bombard a shapeness
this is a great map, I like how it allows players to "reconquer" the shapeness territories even after it gets bombarded

[bryguy]

you need to clearly indicate that Phlaks can bombard a shapeness
this is a great map, I like how it allows players to "reconquer" the shapeness territories even after it gets bombarded

Ah, I see I forgot that, thank you for pointing that out





Any more comments???

[Teflon Kris]

I'm well into this map - it looks well cool - would be preferable graphically to the other space maps we currently have.

Stick with it, I reckon you'll get plenty of support

[oaktown]

i feel that this needs a "devil's advocate" voice... this map does, indeed, look quite nice, but there were some things about it that we could never reconcile months ago when it was bouncing through the foundry the first time. There were some play concerns, and the entire concept never really made any sense.

Since you seem interested in bringing this map back from the dead, bryguy, I'd suggest you start by going through the old thread and figuring out what was holding it back the first time.

[bryguy]

i feel that this needs a "devil's advocate" voice... this map does, indeed, look quite nice, but there were some things about it that we could never reconcile months ago when it was bouncing through the foundry the first time. There were some play concerns, and the entire concept never really made any sense.

Since you seem interested in bringing this map back from the dead, bryguy, I'd suggest you start by going through the old thread and figuring out what was holding it back the first time.

Sure, I can do that

[Teflon Kris]

The Concept / Setting
Adding some information about the setting might be of some help

i.e. Why the battleground is a battleground - have the planets been at war with each other for centuries? Maybe the system could be a vital place at the centre of the Galaxy - civil war is ripping the Galaxy apart, warring factions rae now attempting to gain control of the system and the shapenesses? Maybe the shapenesses have an important function - communication centres for the galaxy / they control the climate of the planets. An explanatory box at the top or side of the map would be cool. Cairns' Ottoman Empire map is a good example of an explanation of the setting.

For more ideas, watching a few old 70s sci-fi films might help - they tend to focus on galactic empires more than meaningless blood and guts action.

Gameplay
If you post the unresolved gameplay issues on here, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help looking for solutions.

[bryguy]

The Concept / Setting
Adding some information about the setting might be of some help

i.e. Why the battleground is a battleground - have the planets been at war with each other for centuries? Maybe the system could be a vital place at the centre of the Galaxy - civil war is ripping the Galaxy apart, warring factions rae now attempting to gain control of the system and the shapenesses? Maybe the shapenesses have an important function - communication centres for the galaxy / they control the climate of the planets. An explanatory box at the top or side of the map would be cool. Cairns' Ottoman Empire map is a good example of an explanation of the setting.

For more ideas, watching a few old 70s sci-fi films might help - they tend to focus on galactic empires more than meaningless blood and guts action.

I believe that this was the main reason that Spaceness hit a dead end in the Final Forge before. Nobody could really think of a good backstory :\

Gameplay
If you post the unresolved gameplay issues on here, I'm sure you'll get plenty of help looking for solutions.

So far looking through the old thread, I haven't really seen that many gameplay issues brought up. Ill make sure to look tho


Here are some comments from the old thread

What this map is missing is hard to qualify. But to me, it lacks a general sense of purpose, mission, and context. Even the title employs some sort of grammatical vagueness.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing - it's a good looking map, and I imagine it will play alright once when finished. I'm just disappointed in the process that this map has gone through in terms of gameplay, as I think the point of the map was somewhat vague to begin with, and it remains somewhat vague.

I'm looking at this map as would a new player - without following the entire history of the map's production. Here's what I think may be play/user friendliness issues:
• why can't the rings attack the planet they orbit? or can they?
• why is there a one army penalty for holding halo and its rings?
• is the +5 for each ness, or for holding all of them?
• at least two people have agreed that there may be confusion about the targets - why brush this off?
• the bombardment routes are all the way across the board - it takes a while to figure out which terit hits which, and the target behind shinzon was really hard to pick out. Even when you find them there is no logic behind them... entirely random?
• i just now figured out why the borders are dotted on part of halo
• what does Ness3 attack? The ring it touches? Frazz? The entire planet?
• on the map the things are called Ness1, Ness2, yet in the legend they are called Shapenesses.

Graphically the map is pretty tight, though the arrows are really bad - the arrow head sides don't even match on each arrow - and the buckles need a redo.

Have you considered adding a couple of lines of text to put people in the mindset of this world? You know, "A long time ago in a galaxy far far away" sort of thing?

I think the title needs to be changed to something that will put this map in context.

arrows look much better, as does the border obscured by the rings. It would be cool if where the army circle dips under the rings it was obscured in the same way.

It's unfortunate that "corresponding" has to be hyphenated... anybody have a suggestion for that? And to solve the target confusion, what if a green target was visible behind where it says "corresponding territory?"

Errr, wait, why are the bombard targets missing from the new large map, but still in the small image?

I don't think you need to go overboard with the back story... a simple line of info will do. What do you see happening in this image? What's your vision? Spell it out and maybe we can boil it down for you.

[bloknayrb]

My original idea for this was that the spacenesses are unidentified alien ship that are so powerful that they were capable of wiping out this whole star system and that the people on the planets had to band together to stop it from happening.
(in case this is useful to anyone)

[bryguy]

Spaceness V1.5

Click image to enlarge.

Changes:

-Added Target Symbol behing Phlaks
-Tried to make Urnn/Satt border more visible

To-Do List:

-Come up with backstory
-Come up with fitting title for map after coming up with a backstory


@-->Blok

I actually kinda like that idea, Ill have to think more on that angle

[Teflon Kris]

Setting
The original idea sounds good - for it to work you might be best making the alien craft neutral to start.

[donny the bull]

Cool I like it!

[thenobodies80]

This map is very nice.

Few concerns about:

• Ness: adding a name on gun sight symbols isn't a good idea, make confusion, and some symbols are difficult to distinguish (very dark areas,like shinzon), dyfferent symbols could be more easy to understand.
• Urnn/Satt borders, i think is not so clear what are the real borders (not the two blue) and attack routes...
• Could be better if attack lines end directly to terrain or circles and not on names (e.g. : satt-eff/willey buckle/erch-klahm)

Good Work!



TNBDS

[bryguy]

Thanks for the comments TNBS

Ness: adding a name on gun sight symbols isn't a good idea, make confusion, and some symbols are difficult to distinguish (very dark areas,like shinzon), dyfferent symbols could be more easy to understand.

Are you talking about the target symbol behind territory names?

If so, I could always increase the opacity, making them more visible, and maybe in addition to that put them on top of or in replacement of that territories army circle?

Urnn/Satt borders, i think is not so clear what are the real borders (not the two blue) and attack routes...

I'm confused. Are you talking about where they border each other, or how they border other areas, such as Halo? If you are talking about how they border Halo, then I am thinking that I might add in somewhere that the Halo rings can only attack Halo via Eef-Satt. Ill have to look into that.

Could be better if attack lines end directly to terrain or circles and not on names (e.g. : satt-eff/willey buckle/erch-klahm)

That should be doable, unless you are talking about the glowing arrows, in which case I do not think it would be possible.

Good Work!



TNBDS

Thanks TNBDS


I have been thinking for a backstory, and I have only had time for one rough idea, but here it is for any who wish to comment on it, and or add on to it. For adding it to the map, I was thinking of increasing the height by 100px, allowing me sufficient room (I hope) to add in the backstory, as well as make a reference about the Shapenesses being more commonly referred to as Nesses.

Quick Backstory

The recent sudden appearance of 6 alien spaceships, dubbed "shapenesses", has thrown the once peaceful _________ sector into total war. Old animosities have ben dug up, and its everybody for themselves.

[thenobodies80]

Ness: adding a name on gun sight symbols isn't a good idea, make confusion, and some symbols are difficult to distinguish (very dark areas,like shinzon), dyfferent symbols could be more easy to understand.

Are you talking about the target symbol behind territory names?

If so, I could always increase the opacity, making them more visible, and maybe in addition to that put them on top of or in replacement of that territories army circle?

Targets near various ness have on them the territory names which rapresent the territory that the ness can attack. You could use different simbols instead use of names. it's easier to distinguish them graphically, rather than look for the names on the map
And increasing the opacity in the darker zones could be a good way to make targets behind territory names more visible.

Urnn/Satt borders, i think is not so clear what are the real borders (not the two blue) and attack routes...

I'm confused. Are you talking about where they border each other, or how they border other areas, such as Halo? If you are talking about how they border Halo, then I am thinking that I might add in somewhere that the Halo rings can only attack Halo via Eef-Satt. Ill have to look into that.

Others areas.

That should be doable, unless you are talking about the glowing arrows, in which case I do not think it would be possible.

Glowing arrows are ok

TNBDS

[rjz115dude]

nice map, i like, names are kewl... but the map doesn't seem to have a constitnatin color scheme...the shadows look really kewl but you can't really tell between them...i know there differnet planets and can't really confuse them, but it might look kewl with less shadow and more color

[Dublanous1]

Coming back to this I realize that the crosshairs on sigma is darker than the rest.

[bryguy]

nice map, i like, names are kewl... but the map doesn't seem to have a constitnatin color scheme...the shadows look really kewl but you can't really tell between them...i know there differnet planets and can't really confuse them, but it might look kewl with less shadow and more color

I might be able to lower the shadow, but I dont know. Ill see about it.

Coming back to this I realize that the crosshairs on sigma is darker than the rest.

Really? IMO The crosshairs is darker on Shinzon