Master of Elements [05 Sep 2012] [p.3.3] - Territ Text?

[barrack]

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The Master of Elements kept the world in balance. But the Master is no more and the world is at war. A new Master must emerge who will save the world.

Map Name: Master of Elements
Mapmaker(s): barrack
Number of Territories: 42
Special Features: To master the elements (for a significant bonus), one must conquer and hold all the Avatar Temple Shrines. There is one shrine for each element. Also, holding the capitals will convene the Order of the White Lotus, also for a bonus. Otherwise classic gameplay with six regions, with the Air Nomad region scattered over the map.
What Makes This Map Worthy of Being Made: Avatar is a popular television show and a map had been requested by Chigga (http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=173450). After trying to contact other artists who have made maps based on the show, I just made my own. Map territories align more-or-less with sites/locations from the show, taking a few liberties as necessary to make the map "work."

Update: Changed font/locations of gameplay text.

Latest Image:

Click image to enlarge.

Previous Versions:
Removed blue background on scroll: http://i.imgur.com/ywuRH.jpg
Brought back the scroll: http://i.imgur.com/Z6GfE.jpg
Added Big Titles: http://i.imgur.com/P1rEs.png
Original Submission: http://i.imgur.com/ZskS0.png

[koontz1973]

First of, welcome to the foundry and I hope you will stay around.

But you have hit the biggest stumbling block there is with map making, Copyright. Do you have permission to use the names, or anything else associated with the show/film/books etc. If you do, then great, you can proceed, if not, then you need to get. Can you let me know ASAP if you have it one way or the other.

[Moved]
Going to move this to ideas till you get the copyright posted. Will move it back as soon as that is done.

koontz.

[barrack]

Thanks for the welcome. I don't have any copyright permissions. I'm not sure how I'd go about getting it from a big company like Nickelodeon. Although, I picked up all of the details to make this map from a wikia site, which I maintains its own copyrights. If I got permission for use from that site, would that suffice?

If not, what if I were to change the names to something similar?

For Regions: Instead of Water Tribes, it could be Water Clans. Earth Kingdom could be Earth Republic. Fire Nation could be Fire Empire, etc.

For Territories: I've already made up some stuff, but I could easily change other territory names to something similar. Fire Fountain City can be Monument City, etc.

[koontz1973]

Changing names, and the map to something different can be done. It has been done in the past and will be done again. Water tribes to water clans is a good idea and so on. But remember, you need to change it enough so that copyright is not an issue, but not so much as no one will know what it is about.

As for copying the map from wiki, I am not 100% on this so do not hold me to it, but I think it would not be copyrighted. But you must check.

My advice as of now and this is going to be the easiest way forward for you is this, redraw/move the islands around the map and change the names (move artic wolf preserve to the top right and call it Artic Wolves). But keep all of your elements that you have now regarding game play. All of the ideas about the temples and the way each territ joins up.

There are lots of ways to keep this map but it will take some creative thinking on your part.

[barrack]

Thanks koontz. This will definitely end up being the "house brand" version of Avatar. What comes to mind are cereals from when I was kid, like "Fruit Rings" instead of "Fruit Loops."

I'll take your suggestions to heart for the next update. Do you think it would be worthwhile to make a table of what's possibly copyrighted and what I replaced it with?

[koontz1973]

No need for a table. When you post a second draft, put what you have for the first one into spoiler tags so everyone who comes into the thread will see it. When you get that second draft up, I will bung this back into the drafting room.

[thehippo8]

Maybe even call it Clans of Avatar - then each can become clans (Air Clan, Earth Clan, Fire Clan and Water Clan).

[Gillipig]

Did you make that image yourself? If you did I wish to congratulate you on a good first draft.

[barrack]

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. In the old days the Avatar kept balance between the Water Clans, Earth Realm, Fire Empire, and Air Monks. But the Avatar has vanished and a new Avatar must emerge to restore balance to the world.

Renaming it "Avatar: Master of Elements" and in the text I will avoid using "bending" and just leave it as "mastering the elements."

(re)Moved some islands, reversed the world, renamed just about everything.

PS: I hope I did the tagging right.

Click image to enlarge.

[barrack]

Did you make that image yourself? If you did I wish to congratulate you on a good first draft.

Thanks. Honestly, thank the CA's for making such a useful guide. It contains really good information and tips.

[koontz1973]

barrack, looking good. Will get it moved back into the drafting room when you have these elements on the map itself. But naming the map Avatar master of elements is too close. Drop the Avatar and most people will get the reference.

Maps name.
Bonuses. How much do I get for the fire island?
Rules. Do you have any yet? If not, not a problem.

Get them on today and back it will go. Remember, these may change so no need to have them done nice now.

[barrack]

Thanks koontz. I won't be able to add the bonuses and stuff until later in the week as I'm in the middle of moving.

[AndyDufresne]

Did you make that image yourself? If you did I wish to congratulate you on a good first draft.

Thanks. Honestly, thank the CA's for making such a useful guide. It contains really good information and tips.

This does look pretty cool, I am going to keep an eye on it so I can give some more constructive comments sooner rather than later.


--Andy

[barrack]

Added the tentative gameplay notes. I decided to add a visual element, though I'm not sure if it's "too much." I present to you the blue map and the scroll map.

Here's the normal one:

Click image to enlarge.

And here's the scroll version:

Click image to enlarge.

[thehippo8]

No, that wording looks good to me!

[koontz1973]

[Moved Back]

barrack, looking good and moved back to the drafting room. Will take a look later today and see what I can see.

koontz

[thehippo8]

I much prefer the scroll map. Although on my screen the islands look too faded - can hardly see them!

[koontz1973]

barrack, as promised, here are some thoughts for you.

Scroll is the way to go. But the one you have is a shitty jpeg that you have enlarged. This is going to be a real sticking point for the map and the hardest one you will have to overcome. Go and find a royalty free one that is larger than your map. Scaling down is always going to look better than scaling up.

With your islands, they are now very washed out. What are your aims with these as I will advise you when I know.

Text, find one that fits the map. If you do not have one, you can go to dafont and down load one that is free.

Give your title a more prominent placing. Make it larger.

Let me know if you need any help.

[barrack]

Thanks koontz. Look forward to an update in a week or so.

[Flapcake]

Hi Barrack,

Nice start, you got the skill for goin all the way I can see.

The scrool look are cool, you migth end up with something else, who knows? but its the rigth direction your goin in my opinion..

Now goin all the way, that meens get it quenched and listed as a solid map on CC, its a process that can take quite a long time, please have patients and stand up for your work. Listen to constructive critique and work with the suggestions that will come. Dont hesitate asking CA´s for advise. If you commit your self and you got the time, you get the pleasure playing you very one map

God spirit and thumps up PS. remember to put you last version in top of first page.

Flaps

[barrack]

PS. remember to put you last version in top of first page.

Thanks for the kind words flaps. I didn't realize that I could edit the first post. I'll put the latest there.

[AndyDufresne]

PS. remember to put you last version in top of first page.

Thanks for the kind words flaps. I didn't realize that I could edit the first post. I'll put the latest there.

Posting an update of the latest image in actual pages of the topic is also useful, as you can then post an image and then ask for feedback regarding a couple of questions you might have (directed feedback might give you some more responses than just say posting an image).

Best of luck, I like the look of this map.


--Andy

[tkr4lf]

Yeah, the scroll map looks much better than the original. Like Koontz said, find a bigger image and scale it down to meet your needs, the way it is, it looks blurry and messy.

I'm not all that familiar with the Avatar series, so can't offer much help regarding titles and terit placement, etc.

I can say that with the background being a scroll, some of the continents blend in too much with the background. Consider changing the colors, or adjusting the hue/lightness etc. to make them stand out more.

I'll post back with more feedback when you upload another draft.

Good luck!

[barrack]

Okay, the scroll's back. I had to scale down the actual map so that it would fit. I kept the blue so that the map wouldn't get lost on the scroll.

Click image to enlarge.

[koontz1973]

Barrack, a lot nicer scroll has done wonders for your map. Two things I would like you do do for me and post the result so I can see how it looks. Turn your text of and remove the brown backing. When you have the islands sitting on the scroll, can you go through all of your layer modes for me and opacity with the islands only and post the one you think looks the best. Burn mode on 100% opacity will look bad but burn at 40 or 50% should look OK.

As a new map maker, I do not know your level of experience so forgive if I am saying things you already know. If you do not understand something, ask.