Baltic Crusades

[theBastard]

more new things to learn? ah, than forgot actual shields

which one is better?
recoloured background of "legend" to land

Click image to enlarge.

water colour of background of "legend"

Click image to enlarge.

how can I move with any area? I want to move with shields and words in legend for better position. I try to lock layers which I want remove, lock all layers but nothing works me.

[Industrial Helix]

I just want to say how much more readable the legend is right now.

First off, if you want to move something use the Move tool, first one down right column of the left hand side menu. Now, righ beneath the File, Edit, Image,.. menu is a checkbox that says "auto select layer" make sure that is unchecked. Now if you hold down the control key you should get a arrow with a menu thing, chick on an object and it will give you a list of potential layers. Select the right one and go on and drag whatever it is you want to move around. Alternatively, select the layer form the right hand side listing of layers and then just click the object and drag it around.

In the mean time make a new folder for the various imapssables, passables, castles and houses that you intend to put on this map. Start adding them in there where they belong. Layer order is important, make sure the folder is above your colors.

Your next task should be to start labeling these territories. First off, make a new folder and make sure it is on top of all your other layers, put all your actual map text on there.

Next, start labeling away. But there are a few CC rule about labelling territories that you need to be aware of.
1) The words must fit in the territory!! They can't be sticking out all over the place. You may have to redraw some borders to make this happen.
2) All words must be readable. That means if you can prevent them from overlapping with a border then do so. If not, go back to your borders layer and cut a hole in it for the words to stick out. This might be something you have to do for Gotland.
3) Font must be readable. You did nice the first time, though its a little plain for my tastes. Find something that really says Baltic Crusades and not 1999 business memo. But make sure you can read it.
4) Use no more than 2 fonts. In your case, you should be alright with 1.

Once this is done, finish up the legend with what the castles and towns mean, what is impassable and what is pasable. If you run out of room, move these rules to the lowerright corner and box it in.

You can also tighten up your box around the legend by selecting the layer the box is in and using Control+T to transform the shape.

I'd suggest using the line tool (same one as the box tool, just click and hold) to separate each superbonus (like all the groupings that make up lithuania) from each other.

Once your'e done with that. We'll finish things up so that you have a nice skeleton of a map.

[theBastard]

what do you think? could it be as I did? than I will write names of regions there. I did not add trees yet, I think we can put them at the end when we will find game balance...

Click image to enlarge.

[Industrial Helix]

The font seems a little tight and hard to read.

What do you think of this font?

http://www.fonts.com/FindFonts/Detail.h ... COPE=Fonts

I think its prefect, but you might not like it. Take a look around online for some good crusades fonts or Baltic fonts. The font isn't going to be final at this point, but something that says Baltic Crusades and is readable will do fine. You can fine tune it later.

EDIT: just saw that they want $20 for that font... but something similar would do. I also found this:

http://www.simplythebest.net/fonts/font ... othic.html

which is simple yet has some baltic flair.

[theBastard]

I a little edit fonts, now they are more redable. yours are great! they looks a little as Old English... I used which I have in CS2.

the trees which I add to map are necessary I think. I have few questions:
1, I made new layer for trees and named it "trees". but every tree has own layer as "layer 65", "layer 66"... is this fine?
2, if we do castles auto-deploy and any of castle will be neutral from start will this neutral castle auto-deploy "neutral" units?
3, is possible to set that castles will auto-deploy +3, but when we mark 4 of them as "special (teutonic)" and player holds all 4 these will auto-deploy +4?

Click image to enlarge.

[Industrial Helix]

I a little edit fonts, now they are more redable. yours are great! they looks a little as Old English... I used which I have in CS2.

the trees which I add to map are necessary I think. I have few questions:
1, I made new layer for trees and named it "trees". but every tree has own layer as "layer 65", "layer 66"... is this fine?
2, if we do castles auto-deploy and any of castle will be neutral from start will this neutral castle auto-deploy "neutral" units?
3, is possible to set that castles will auto-deploy +3, but when we mark 4 of them as "special (teutonic)" and player holds all 4 these will auto-deploy +4?

Click image to enlarge.

I find that font still very hard to read. I think you're going to have to swap it with a new font.

1) This is normal. What you can do if you like is merge those layers to make a single layer of trees. It will make editing slightly more difficult as you'll have to do each tree one by one again, but at least you won't have so many files. To merge the layers, click on the top layer and hit ctrl+E, which will merge the top layer with the one beneath it. Alternatively, you can go to the layer menu up top and near the bottom of the menu is "Merge down"

2) It will not autodeploy neutral units. It only auto deploys when a player holds it.

3) I don't think this is possible. What is possible is that the castles can auto-deploy 3 and you get an additional bonus of 4 for holding 4 castles. Same numbers, just a different way of getting them.

Lastly, some housekeeping. Update your first post or no one will ever comment on this map and the mods won't advance it. Take a look at one of my map threads and its first post:
viewtopic.php?f=468&t=95710

You need to have your map information, the Current image version and previous versions. Always update your first page, a lot of times you can put something in the title that says what the current discussion about the map is going on, but that's more for when this goes into the gameplay workshop.

[theBastard]

thanks for answers. yours maps looks great. I like your style. how you did so "used" look?

[natty dread]

thanks for answers. yours maps looks great. I like your style. how you did so "used" look?

Tutorial on grunge layers

[Industrial Helix]

thanks for answers. yours maps looks great. I like your style. how you did so "used" look?

Tutorial on grunge layers

Natty's got it. I think once we get the skeleton of the map done, we'll work on adding some grunge to give the map life. But I'd rather have the basics of the map done first before we move on to advanced graphics.

[theBastard]

o.k. and thanks guys. what do you think now? I am going to edit my first post as you told me Helix. when you say it is good I will write names of regions. will we do visible army circles?

Click image to enlarge.

[Sir. Ricco]

I have to admit, the green as water is very confusing. Would it be possible to change it to a blue?

[theBastard]

I have to admit, the green as water is very confusing. Would it be possible to change it to a blue?

for me no problem. I have one old map as base and there was water green. I wait for Industrial Helix what he will say...

[theBastard]

what about this?

Click image to enlarge.

[natty dread]

Btw... I noticed something in your legend: "Hanseatic towns, autodeploy +2 if you also hold visby"...

This is not possible: you can't make a conditional autodeploy.

You can make it give a normal deployable bonus of +2 if you also hold visby, or you can make it give a +2 autodeploy at all times, but sadly conditional autodeploys are not supported at the moment.

You could make them give a +1 autodeploy, and then give an additional +1 regular bonus if you also hold Visby.

[theBastard]

o.k. thanks.

[theBastard]

Helix, I´ve look at your "Italy map", could I write names of regions as you wrote "Nice"? so names of coastal towns/castle will be in the sea?
I´ve change deploying of towns, natty_dread told me that is impossible to have "each auto-deploy +2 when you also have Visby", so I added "each auto-deploy +1 and when you also have Visby bonus +1".

what do you think now?

Click image to enlarge.

[Industrial Helix]

Ok... that text is a tad too small for that font to work... I'd suggest picking a font that has less going on in it. Though, if you increased the size of it in the legend it might be alright for the legend only.

Instead of killing hours changing them one by one, check out this tip which makes it real easy.

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/11/ ... photoshop/

Noticed you've got an image int he background... it works pretty nicely in the water but on the land its just distracting. Move the image so that the colors and borders layers sit on top of the image and the water underneath.

Speaking of water... I think you ought to go for a blue color instead of the tan. The tan is just too similar to the land to work for this map. Here's how: Select the layer that the water is. In the upper menu go to Image -> Adjustments -> Hue/Saturation. Hit the checkbox colorize. Play with the Hue until you find a nice blue. Desaturate will make it more gray or real bright, lightness will make it darker or lighter. I'd say a lightly desaturated blue would work well for this map, especially with the image in the background.

[theBastard]

I a little edit fonts and made them bigger. also recoloured water and added sea routs. and I did Lordship of Courland and Bishopric of Osel and Wiek not so dark. the castles and towns symbols are smaller -10 %.

this is size 630 x 600

Click image to enlarge.

EDIT:
or look here. less dark Duchy of Pomerania, Livonian Confederation, Kingdom of Poland, Principality of Rugen.
size 630 x 600

Click image to enlarge.

[theBastard]

what about to do "Hanseatic trade routes" on land too?

Click image to enlarge.

[Sir. Ricco]

I like the water color. It balances out the overall look of things.

Does the land route connect the starting and ending points?

[theBastard]

I like the water color. It balances out the overall look of things.

thanks, yes now it looks better. more natural...

Does the land route connect the starting and ending points?

I only think about this. if there will be land routes they will work as sea routes, so yes they connect towns. but this take importance of castles, which "secure" bridges....

I will see what Industrial Helix will says.

[Industrial Helix]

The trade routes seem like a pretty cool idea. I say keep it for now and work out the details later.

Ok, so let's talk advanced Graphics. We're going to give it that worn look that you mentioned I had on my maps. The first thing you need to do is find an image of a piece of worn paper off a search engine, make sure it is LARGE and bigger than your map. Then save it to your desk top and open it in Photoshop. Select all, Ctrl+A and use the move tool to drag it from it's window to the window with your map. Move the layer towards the bottom. Now go back to your region color layers and turn down the opacity. For start, bring it down to 50% on all of them and then tweak them as necessary until they're about equal in apparent opacity.

Next, you're images are getting pixelated... Make sure that you save these jpgs as a large file. you're cutting yourself short when you save as a small file.

In the space next to Passable/Impassable in the lower right legend, you should list the trade route and sea route as connecting.

Lastly, the font needs to go. Even increased in size it's too unreadable. There are a number of names I can't make out. Use the trick I posted a link to so you can make the changes quick and find a clear font that works with the theme of the map.

[theBastard]

about trade routes, hm I think if we (I) can hold importance of castles it needs any idea. maybe between two towns connected with trade route could be one castle, so who hold castle also have control of trade route...

about fonts, I used about 20 Gothic/Medieval types but no one was fine. this one is the best, I think.

Click image to enlarge.

[theBastard]

I maybe confused layers or gruop layers which are not the same, do not know but for some parts of map I can not set lower opacity. I will tomorow start on new version (and I will better mark layers ).

Helix, what do you think, is better to have more different bonuses or not to do game too complicated?

[Industrial Helix]

You're going to redo it? You might want to hold off on that. Editing layers is a good way to tackle problems without having to redo everything.

Layers are the individual colors or words or lines or shapes, ect.

Folders are what layers go into. They each have little buttons at the bottom of the layer menu... which if you don't have out its menu at the top, Windows -> Layer.

This link kind of goes through the bits and pieces of layers, give it a brief look cause I'm not entirely sure what you're asking me: http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/layers/intro.htm