13 Colonies Quenched!

[isaiah40]

This is looking great!! Well done IH! Letter is very readable now and self explanatory (at least to me). I really don't see any glaring probs with your graphics now!

[MrBenn]

I still think the clarity of the bonus instructions has been lost with the desire to add character. Is there any way that you could make it look tlike some sort of tactical plan or something instead of a letter? I had to read it a couple of times to understand what it means, and it doesn't allow for quick reference (ie you have to read the whole thing to understand a single part of it).

I also still think that the stamp in the top-left still looks a bit out of place. It's good, but feels a little bit overdone. If you're going to have a graphic there, then I'd suggest embellishing it as your title - the title on the US flag feels almost like a throwaway afterthought.

On the large image, the corner of the parchment (with the minimap on it) is very crisp; I prefer the burnt away corner you have on the small version.

Once the bonus instructions are clear, I can't see any other legitimate reason to hold back the graphics stamp...

[Industrial Helix]

Any better?

I think the letter is clear as day at this point. It literally took me 30 seconds to read it through and the spacing between paragraphs serves to indicated each rule. I dropped the fancy language and went for terms like get and hold. At this point, its very straightforward and I have my doubts as to whether anyone will not understand it. As for quick glances, the rules are pretty simple so a once over should about do it. Even then, most of the gameplay rules are in the chart.

So here she is, I might make the FF after all

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

[cairnswk]

IH.
Blodoy excellent work with that flag top left corner...i'd almost say -> MrBenn: Stamp it!...'cept for the top left corner of the legend parchment.
Suggestion, rather than place anything in there, can you give that top left corner a very slight corner scroll to get that parchment away from the "pearler" line and thus just taking up some of that empty real estate there. But only a slight one so much that it won't take emphasis away from any part of the map.
Edit: i am happy with letter and the instructions it gives, while i understand what MrBenn is saying, sometimes i wonder how much slack we have to give players and if they can't read that letter and gain instructions about the play from it, then they don't deserve to play the map.

[AndyDufresne]

Technically, CC Lingo is "Troops" -- but I leave that up to you and others to decide if it should be changed in the letter.


--Andy

[Industrial Helix]

Well... I have no idea how to do that short of changing the paper out and what not. It doesn't really strike me as a huge problem though. I think you're right about the letter and giving players too much slack. Legibility is one thing and needs to be corrected but you gotta draw a line on how simple you're going to make things.

Andy - yeah, i used troops and soldiers before but someone, not sure who, suggested that armies really was more appropriate as 12 men wouldn't exactly be taking over new york. I see his logic and agree, so I'm going to run with armies for a little spice.

[cairnswk]

Well... I have no idea how to do that short of changing the paper out and what not....

In my corel draw it's a bitmap 3D effect called paper curl, don't know what it's called in PS or others...

[MrBenn]

Edit: i am happy with letter and the instructions it gives, while i understand what MrBenn is saying, sometimes i wonder how much slack we have to give players and if they can't read that letter and gain instructions about the play from it, then they don't deserve to play the map.

I'd just like a wider opinion on it really.... if there is support for it as is, then I'll give it my blessing... I'm just wary of confusing people unnecessarily

[isaiah40]

I think the letter is perfectly plain and easy to understand, so count this a a vote to keep the letter as it is!!

[RedBaron0]

I'm okay with the clarity of the letter/legend getting across the rules.

Only problem I have at the moment is the flag, while a nice, and a necessary addition, the one there is too photographic to be on a parchment IMO.

[isaiah40]

Only problem I have at the moment is the flag, while a nice, and a necessary addition, the one there is too photographic to be on a parchment IMO.

I'd have to agree with RB0 on the flag. How about putting the old flag you had in that corner?

Also since you removed the old stamp, on the large map you have the border of Lake Huron running out onto the desk Just a nitpick of course, but easily fixed.

[RedBaron0]

Instead of the flag, and the stamp, hows about something along these lines? Deceleration of Independence

[isaiah40]

Instead of the flag, and the stamp, hows about something along these lines? Deceleration of Independence

I like it! I like it!

[Industrial Helix]

I've tried putting the Dec int here a couple of times and it just never works out. It's too small to really see what it is or just doesn't fit. I'm gonna pass on that suggestion but thanks anyway. Here's another stab at the flag:

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

[isaiah40]

That looks good! How about Lake Huron border being drawn out onto the background on the large map?

[the.killing.44]

Make the flag and dude more saturated and parchmenty, but I like it.

[Industrial Helix]

Should be fixed now.

[jefjef]

Keeps getting better. Hey in that empty corner of the guide map how about a cannon silhouette? Might look good and will fill and empty spot.

[MrBenn]

That flag looks heaps better... I'll have to be convinced by the soldier though - I think it feels a bit too much and it doesn't feel like it quite goes with the soldiers on the bottom right...
I could be persuaded otherwise though

[Industrial Helix]

I'm going to keep the soldier on the flag I think, I kind of like him

So... how about that stamp so i don't have to quit working on this map for a month?

[isaiah40]

That flag looks heaps better... I'll have to be convinced by the soldier though - I think it feels a bit too much and it doesn't feel like it quite goes with the soldiers on the bottom right...
I could be persuaded otherwise though

I'm going to keep the soldier on the flag I think, I kind of like him

So... how about that stamp so i don't have to quit working on this map for a month?

Actually I really believe that the soldier on the flag is fitting considering the era we are talking about. My vote is KEEP IT!! and let's get this map stamped!! Everyone say yes to keeping the soldier and flag!!!

[cairnswk]

That flag looks heaps better... I'll have to be convinced by the soldier though - I think it feels a bit too much and it doesn't feel like it quite goes with the soldiers on the bottom right...
I could be persuaded otherwise though

I'm going to keep the soldier on the flag I think, I kind of like him

So... how about that stamp so i don't have to quit working on this map for a month?

Actually I really believe that the soldier on the flag is fitting considering the era we are talking about. My vote is KEEP IT!! and let's get this map stamped!! Everyone say yes to keeping the soldier and flag!!!

I agree about the soldier, it doesn't look out of place.
And i vote to have this stamped so that it can be continued in Final Forge.
To me, i think IH has put in a great effort to try and got this to FF before Xmas closure, and has doen his best to please everyone, so deserves to be able to continue this in FF.

If FF doesn't happen for you IH, Mapmakers Guild is not closing...as far as i know!

[MrBenn]

IH,

Some of the foundry team got our heads together to discuss some of the maps that were on the brink of the Final Forge, and we decided that in the normal way, there are still a couple of issues that would keep the map out of the forge. I'll set out the things we discussed in the hope that you are able to spend some time fine-tuning the map without feeling like you've been shut out.

1. Image sizes. The most recent 'small' image you posted is 640x610px - which is greater than the 630x600px limit. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/Shone/13Col13bonusesREVAMP2-8.jpg

2. Army numbers. We looked at your most recent image with '888' digits on http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/Shone/13Col13bonusesFLAG-7.jpg, and realised that there are a number of areas where the clarity of which territory each number belongs to is lost - particularly Baltimore, St Mary, Delaware etc. You may need to redraw some boundaries in order to ensure that there is no confusion as to which territory the army number belongs to, and to make it obvious where territory boundaries are (ie Baltimore/Delaware). This is the most pressing concern to be addressed.

3. Your parchment in the bottom corner overlaps your ocean path

4. We were divided on our opinion of the soldier in front of the flag - while it isn't a major concern in any way, it would be nice to see what the map looked like without it, or possibly with something similar to the other soldier images on the map.

The real issues that prevented me from being able to lift the map into the Forge before the main foundry closed down were points 1 and 2. If you can resolve those to the satisfaction of the foundry team, then there's no reason not to get you in the forge.

Cheers,

MrBenn

[Industrial Helix]

The foundry is back up! Alright!

Anyway, here's the latest version. It should meet all the criteria specified. I made Maryland and Connecticut bigger as well.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

[fumandomuerte]

The letter says: "Beware of of the shwanee..."
Can you add the trees to that part of the letter as you did with galeon's flags?