Labyrinth [Quenched]

[koontz1973]

Cheers nole.

[koontz1973]

And now for the next update and on towards the GP stamp.
Changes.
Grass now has a path that is worn.
Added two Pegasuses.
Changed the layout of the legend and added a key for the different neutrals.

Click image to enlarge.

Starting positions should be roughly equal now. I have tried to balance them but would like some difference between them.
Hades.
Hades is now at 15 neutrals as he has a lot of power. This is a mid to late game territ as all he can do is bombard if no other bonuses have been taken.
All 8 now have to go through 14 neutrals to get to hades without a trap.
The 4 corner ones can get to Hades with 12 neutrals if they go through a trap.
The centre ones are 10 or 12 neutrals if they go through a trap.
This is the reason for the traps. Get to the centre quicker but with a penalty.
Pegasus.
Pegasus has no bonus but allows players to move around the outside of the board relatively quickly. Because of this, the four corner ones have a trap beside them.
Dead Warriors.
Corner starting positions have to take 10 neutrals before they can get this bonus. The centre 4 territs have 11 or 12 neutrals to take before getting a dead warrior bonus. To compinsate for this disparity they get the Siren bonus.
Sirens.
The 4 centre territs have this bonus of 2 to fight over. To grab this, they have either 7 or 8 neutrals to kill. Sirens cannot attack so it is a dead end if taken. Forcing players to move around the wall and dead warriors to attack another player.
Food and Weapons
Same style bonus but at different rates. All territs have the same amount of neutrals to grab either bonus within 1 neutral.
Spears.
No bonus but can bombard up to 3 territs away including over the walls.
Medusa
Two of these at 3 neutrals apiece. Holding either one gives you a +2 bonus but it is surrounded by lots of killer neutral.
Minitor
4 of these ones at 2 neutrals each. A +1 bonus for each.


Lets see what changes can be made.

My first instinct is that the name Greek Games = ancient Olympic games.
Myths & Monsters would be a cool title.
Would be cool if you could work in Cyclops as well. Probably more applicable than Hades. If I'm not mistaken, Hades had little or nothing to do with these other creatures.
$.02

The Olympic games would be a great idea to do as a map and with the next one in London, I would love to do it but I have a feeling that one might be made soon.
As for the title, I will add yours as a sub title as it really fits.
Cyclops may not be a bad idea and have tried to fit it in to this map, but could not draw one that was good enough. But it is making an appearance soon though (but not on this map).

[nebsmith]

I Like it all, very clear and it looks really good.

[chapcrap]

I Like it all, very clear and it looks really good.

I would say by clear he means understandable.

One thing I would change are the font in the key. I don't have a problem with the font itself, but it's showing up very pixely in the key. Something that looks smoother would be better.

Also, the darkness of the starting positions. Kind of hard to see a few of those numbers. Make it a lighter shade of brown?

[koontz1973]

One thing I would change are the font in the key. I don't have a problem with the font itself, but it's showing up very pixely in the key. Something that looks smoother would be better.

Smoother text.

Also, the darkness of the starting positions. Kind of hard to see a few of those numbers. Make it a lighter shade of brown?

Better?

Click image to enlarge.

Does everyone understand the territ naming system. I know it works for Knights but this is a bigger map.

[Teflon Kris]

I think players should all have the required intelligenceto work-out the terit-naming system once they play.

I love this map- developing very nicely - icons are great and interesting gameplay.




How about "Age of Mythology" as the map series name?

[koontz1973]

Thanks DJ for the support. Any ideas you have for anything, let me know. If you do not mind, I will use your naming idea and drop Greek Games completely from the title.

show: Level 2

[nolefan5311]

I think the only issue with the naming of the grid system is typing them out. I don't know how to access the Greek alphabet on my computer, so for the Greek symbols I have to type the whole word out. Not a big deal, but you asked if any of us had any issues

[koontz1973]

I think the only issue with the naming of the grid system is typing them out. I don't know how to access the Greek alphabet on my computer, so for the Greek symbols I have to type the whole word out. Not a big deal, but you asked if any of us had any issues

Use Google translate.

Αυτό το μήνυμα έχει πληκτρολογηθεί από μια πολύ μεθυσμένος άντρας που επιθυμεί να κάνει έρωτα με 40 παρθένες πριν πεθάνει. Δεν πειράζει αν πρόκειται για γυναίκες ή τα ζώα (πρόβατα προτίμησαν), αλλά θα κάνουν τα σκυλιά. Να έχετε μια καλή μέρα και να κάνουν έρωτα σε πολλές γυναίκες, να πίνουν πολλά μπουκάλια κρασί και θαλασσοκόρακας συζύγων αδελφή σου δεν έχει σημασία η ηλικία της.

But will end up going with the English in the end to save on confusion.

[koontz1973]

New title courtesy of DJ Teflon.
Graphically changes (small but numerous).

Click image to enlarge.

Lets go over neutral values. The layout is pretty much set in stone unless someone has a very good reason to move something.
Current neutrals.

Normal territs (paths) 1
Dead warriors 2 (8 per bonus)
Minotaur 2
Medusa 3
Hades 15
Traps 1
Pegasus 1 (Should these be killer neutrals)
Food 1
Weapons 1
Spears 2
Sirens 5
Water 1

Starting numbers.
Each slaves entrances start with 3. They get a +2 auto deploy so everyone will start with 5 troops round 1. Reinforcements is 1 for every 5 territs, minimum of 3. Seems high but with 150 territs, it seems right as players will end up with lots of territs when they meet.

[ViperOverLord]

Maybe you should have a walk of fire in the middle with higher resetting neutrals. I just think that stuff like that could help to lose the boxy feel to the map.

[koontz1973]

Maybe you should have a walk of fire in the middle with higher resetting neutrals. I just think that stuff like that could help to lose the boxy feel to the map.

Can you explain? What where and how it would work.

Reply by PM.

I haven't looked too closely at the details lately, but if you had like say a walk of fire (or if you can come up with an even more mystical name) and fill it with flames then it could animate the map some.

The only reference I have for Greek fire is Prometheus. The god that stole fire from Zeus. Right now I have Hades in the centre of the map. I think it would be OK to just swap these two names over and have the side of the large territ as the walk of fire as you describe. This would then give the 2 weapons and foods an added peril. Let me have a play with it and see what I can come up with.

EDIT: I tried to add the walk of fire to the map today. Just could not make it work, either the layout stopped working, text for said effect could not be reduced and so on. It seemed to similar to the normal decays and also the Medusa killer neutrals. So just some more in the way of graphic changes. Thanks for the idea though.

Click image to enlarge.

[nebsmith]

I like the killer neutral for Pegasus, so movement can't be blocked easily.
How about 5 neutral for the traps ?

[AndyDufresne]

This is probably a map I would avoid, but I think there definitely is some potential for it. I look forward to seeing some polished graphics.

If you wanted, you could ditch the 'movement' explanation, if you switched from squares to hexagons, since no corners would ever be touching and the movement would remain the same. Hexagons also have that old-style german board game feel, which this kind of has.


--Andy

[chapcrap]

The font still isn't the best I think. I'm no good with fonts and that type of thing, so I feel bad critiquing that part when I have nothing to suggest. What happens, is it looks like someone shrank the font down and it's just not showing up like a normal font.

And, I would try to make the starting positions even lighter. Kind of a light tannish color so the numbers can be seen.

[koontz1973]

I like the killer neutral for Pegasus, so movement can't be blocked easily.
How about 5 neutral for the traps ?

Will add Pegasus to the killer neutrals.
5 for the traps, not really sure about this one as it would then mean more neutrals going over them than going around. No one would ever do it. But if I raise the centre 2 traps (H6,G11) to 2, this will go some way to evening out the drops from centre and corners.

This is probably a map I would avoid, but I think there definitely is some potential for it. I look forward to seeing some polished graphics.

Shame you will avoid it but maybe one day I could persuade you to play a game?

If you wanted, you could ditch the 'movement' explanation, if you switched from squares to hexagons, since no corners would ever be touching and the movement would remain the same. Hexagons also have that old-style german board game feel, which this kind of has.
--Andy

Never liked hexagons which is why I have never tried to use them. Kabs is far better at them. I may not end up with squares at the end though, but right now they seemed the bast way forward. But removing the movement square should be OK and while that is being done, the impassable one could come out as well. But still looking at the legend for the best layout and wording.

The font still isn't the best I think. I'm no good with fonts and that type of thing, so I feel bad critiquing that part when I have nothing to suggest. What happens, is it looks like someone shrank the font down and it's just not showing up like a normal font.

Which font are you taking about? The territ letters & numbers or the legend text? I find it hard to believe that you cannot read the legend font. Title font might be harder but that is just the title.

And, I would try to make the starting positions even lighter. Kind of a light tannish color so the numbers can be seen.

Will do.

[AndyDufresne]

Fair enough, I just think Hexagons are more userfriendly with the setup you have, since you won't need a legend to explain how to move around.


--Andy

[chapcrap]

Andy might have a point about hexagons...

As far as the font, I was talking about the legend. I can read it, but it's not pretty. It doesn't look very good is all I'm saying.

[koontz1973]

Going to change the font again and will change the squares.

I am going to stagger the columns of squares so they are all off set. This will give me the look I want and give Andy and Chapcrap the hexagons they want (Go back a page and look at level two for example). The other way would be to use normal territs on the board. This would really cut down on the number of territs as I would need to fit more into each region.

[patrickaa317]

I'm sure you know this but there is a computer game called Age of Mythology out there. (a kick ass game actually). I don't know if there are any copyright issues with using the same name or not. just throwing it out there just in case.

[koontz1973]

I found that a couple of days ago. As for copyright, I would rather change the name than try to find out if it is copyrighted. Will change it for the next version. Should be over the weekend as it is having an overhaul.

[koontz1973]

Spent a week trying to convert this three times.
Hex grid - did not try very hard as I did not want it but it did not work.
Normal territs - again, did not work. This map is perfectly symmetrical so trying to get a difference with the territs did not work. It became very unbalanced.
Off set square grid - tried this but it moved too much in a direction I did not want.

Nothing changed in game play apart from making the god the winning condition. Graphical changes, well, not a single pixel was left untouched.

Click image to enlarge.

[nebsmith]

I like it - when do I get to play ?

[WILLIAMS5232]

i'm a colorblind person.
the a-n, and the 1-15 are hard for me to read. it seems to be near or close to the same color as the background.
even with the black outline it's still hard.

can i still read it? yes.
but i think if would be much better if you added some more blue or yellow tint to it.
i would still play it either way. i'd just have to squint.

[koontz1973]

I like it - when do I get to play ?

Soon I hope, but expect this one over the summer.

i'm a colorblind person.
the a-n, and the 1-15 are hard for me to read. it seems to be near or close to the same color as the background.
even with the black outline it's still hard.

can i still read it? yes.
but i think if would be much better if you added some more blue or yellow tint to it.
i would still play it either way. i'd just have to squint.

Thanks, I used my CB filters and they looked fine, but they are no substitute for the real thing. I will add that to the to do list for next update.