[Abandoned] Xiangqi

[koontz1973]

Map Name:Xiangqi
Mapmaker(s):koontz1973
Number of Territories:90
Special Features:Conditional borders, bombardments, auto deploys.
What Makes This Map Worthy of Being Made:1v1 map for the strategist in all of us.

Map Image:

Click image to enlarge.

show: Image with Starting positions and current neutrals

show: Game play ideas

show: old images

[Lancelot du Lac]

I don't know the chinese chess. Can we say : Chiness ?

I like very much this idea's game play. Again , very good work Koontz !

[koontz1973]

Thanks Lance for the look in. I do not normally post straight away but this needs promoting.

[Armandolas]

what is stratagy?

[koontz1973]

what is stratagy?

Stratagy is strategy.

Will fix. Thanks for that.

Edit: Fixed spelling and added a couple of things. Still version one and in OP as well.

Click image to enlarge.

[generalhead]

I love the game play. The movement of the different pieces remind me of chess. I am a huge fan of chess. I am also a huge fan of anything oriental. I am a little confused on where the territories lye. Are the territories where all of the lines cross at the horizontal and vertical? The name Xiangoi is a little hard to read. I just checked the Google images for this game. I want to play.

[generalhead]

I don't know if it would be beneficial but might make them stand out more to put a black highlight on one castle and a red highlight on the other. I like the faces on the board. The background of the legend is a little gloomy, I don't know if you could lighten it with color or ad some oriental theme to it. Just suggestions.

[Trephining]

"Horse provide special movement on same side of river." That isn't easy to understand.

[Armandolas]

I like the wooden effect on the main board and i also like the leather look on the borders .I just dont think wood and leather can match in a board, even more if u try to stick leather to wood with a cloth line
Maybe u can add some depth to the border, giving the impression the leather is covering the wood, so its higher

Assuming its a folding board the the depth of river leather should me lowered witch brings "trouble" to the border leather that needs to be folded too

Illl try to comment gameplay when i have more time to study it
cheers

[koontz1973]

I love the game play. The movement of the different pieces remind me of chess. I am a huge fan of chess. I am also a huge fan of anything oriental. I am a little confused on where the territories lye. Are the territories where all of the lines cross at the horizontal and vertical? The name Xiangoi is a little hard to read. I just checked the Google images for this game. I want to play.

I don't know if it would be beneficial but might make them stand out more to put a black highlight on one castle and a red highlight on the other. I like the faces on the board. The background of the legend is a little gloomy, I don't know if you could lighten it with color or ad some oriental theme to it. Just suggestions.

Thanbks GH, glad to have you around provinding these little insights. I will add the neutrals back into the image today to make it more clearer on how the map will work. You are right that the background is gloomy and can work that easily.

I don't know if it would be beneficial but might make them stand out more to put a black highlight on one castle and a red highlight on the other. I like the faces on the board. The background of the legend is a little gloomy, I don't know if you could lighten it with color or ad some oriental theme to it. Just suggestions.

Not sure on putting the glows onto the pieces but these are no way the finished ones. I am working on new pieces and need to get them finished. Will puit that onto the back burner till the new ones are in place.

"Horse provide special movement on same side of river." That isn't easy to understand.

This is a wordy legend I know and need to simplify it a lot. I am sending a PM to another map maker who does great legends and hope to get his advice. But I will make sure it is a lot clearer next time around. Expect that tomorrow.

I like the wooden effect on the main board and i also like the leather look on the borders .I just dont think wood and leather can match in a board, even more if u try to stick leather to wood with a cloth line
Maybe u can add some depth to the border, giving the impression the leather is covering the wood, so its higher

Assuming its a folding board the the depth of river leather should me lowered witch brings "trouble" to the border leather that needs to be folded too

Illl try to comment gameplay when i have more time to study it
cheers

Side pieces would fall of it the border was higher, but I get your ideas and can work on that easily. I chose leather/wood as that is what my backgammon and chess sets are. Will remove the lines as none of my ones have it.
Folding or not, what would you think is best. I chose a straight board as it is easier to do and all of the images I found, none really looked like they folded.


Guys, thanks for the look in. You have all brought some great ideas to the thread and I hope to bring them out in the next version. Hope you come back.

[Teflon Kris]

Great concept for a 1 v 1 map

I will have a proper look and maybe some suggestions soon

Nice graphics, especially for this stage

[koontz1973]

Great concept for a 1 v 1 map
I will have a proper look and maybe some suggestions soon
Nice graphics, especially for this stage

Thanks for the vote of confidence Teflon.

Lets repost this after the data loss.

I believe I got most of the above suggestions. I only kept the title as it is as I do like the font. Most things on the board are changed and well as the legend.

Click image to enlarge.

I am still working no new game pieces. But here is the new one that I keep coming back to. It is very similar to the current one but with some important changes. Again, it is not finished.

show: starting neutrals and positions map

[ViperOverLord]

"Plus 1 AD. Hold general and both advisers to leave castle." -- Took me a while to figure out that means auto deploy. Not sure you want to abbreviate it.

The adviser and general symbols are too much alike, I think.

Why's the elephant a top hat?

I'd consider a starker contrast for the graphic on the castle. Dark Shading, bricks, whatever have you.

What attacks an adviser can make are not stated.

"Chariots attack all regions in a straight line." - If that is meant to be everyone on the straight line; I'd change it to "Chariots can attack all regions along a straight line."

"Holding an elephant allows you to attack diagonally on the same side of the river. Both must be held to attack enemy pieces" -- The way that reads; both elephants must be held to attack enemy pieces on the side of the river. I don't know if you possibly mean to mean that they can attack across the river if you hold both elephants. If that's the case then I would write it like, "Holding an elephant allows you to attack diagonally. Both must be held to attack enemy pieces" If not, then I question why it would be requisite to hold both elephants to attack an enemy upon your side of the river?

"Hold a horse allows you to move like a Y on your side of the river." - A Y maneuver is a bit vague. Perhaps the Y-Shape should be outlined and then you could put something like the Horse attacks along its Y-axis.

Cannons: Again, I'd avoid the AD abbreviation.

Soldiers: "Can only attack towards the river. Hold any two to cross the river." - Again, I'm not excited about the hold two to do something formula. Perhaps consider some invention; such as a bridge builder piece or creating soldier regiments; two to three parts to a piece. Own the full piece to cross the river.

For the language, I'd get rid of the "only" and put something like soldiers attack soldiers across the river or soldiers attack any soldier (if they can attack soldiers upon their side of the river).

Lastly, I'd separate the deploy bonuses from the description of moves and put them in a separate color.

[generalhead]

I like the new border on the board.
I like a lot of the ViperOverLords suggestions. Especially the one with the highlighted castles. And the movements of the pieces could be made a little more clear.
As far as the title it doesn't look very oriental. It also looks a little messy. I downloaded this font that looks a little more oriental. It would be nice for the title to stand out a little more too. This one is called deng thick.

Click image to enlarge.

[generalhead]

Can I see the next draft without the faces on the board. I do like the faces but it might be a little distracting; taking away from the simpleness of the board.

[generalhead]

Maybe an oriental background might look cool too?

Click image to enlarge.

[Armandolas]

the faces look nice, maybe just lower their visibility help
oriental look is nice too if very faded

[koontz1973]

Guys, all great ideas and am working on Vipers ideas right now. Will incorperate some others as well. Expect a new map today. Generalhead, I will post the map without faces and a lower opacity to see which one everyone likes. But I am really liking that bamboo motif you got on the top paper so will be trying to get that in.

[koontz1973]

Double post I know and apologise for that. Here is version 3.

"Plus 1 AD. Hold general and both advisers to leave castle." -- Took me a while to figure out that means auto deploy. Not sure you want to abbreviate it.

Dealt with. All abbreviation are now gone. Bonuses, whilst not in another colour are the first part of each after the name.

The adviser and general symbols are too much alike, I think.

New pieces, larger and better detailed. Should stop all confusion. Also, the three in the centre are the only ones so no one should of needed too much help. But I hope the new pieces help.

Why's the elephant a top hat?

Forgot to give him legs.

I'd consider a starker contrast for the graphic on the castle. Dark Shading, bricks, whatever have you.

As above with new pieces, hope you like.

What attacks an adviser can make are not stated.

Is it clear now with the bottom part of the legend?

"Chariots attack all regions in a straight line." - If that is meant to be everyone on the straight line; I'd change it to "Chariots can attack all regions along a straight line."

Your wording. It does work so thanks.

"Holding an elephant allows you to attack diagonally on the same side of the river. Both must be held to attack enemy pieces" -- The way that reads; both elephants must be held to attack enemy pieces on the side of the river. I don't know if you possibly mean to mean that they can attack across the river if you hold both elephants. If that's the case then I would write it like, "Holding an elephant allows you to attack diagonally. Both must be held to attack enemy pieces" If not, then I question why it would be requisite to hold both elephants to attack an enemy upon your side of the river?

Is it clearer now?

"Hold a horse allows you to move like a Y on your side of the river." - A Y maneuver is a bit vague. Perhaps the Y-Shape should be outlined and then you could put something like the Horse attacks along its Y-axis.

y-axis was not the intention. In the original game, the horse moves the same as the knight in chess but it is discribed differently as you can block in xiangqi. I cannot add the blocking element to the map.

Soldiers: "Can only attack towards the river. Hold any two to cross the river." - Again, I'm not excited about the hold two to do something formula. Perhaps consider some invention; such as a bridge builder piece or creating soldier regiments; two to three parts to a piece. Own the full piece to cross the river.

The building aspect of what you suggests seems promising but it would then add a whole new piece to the map and do just the same as what I have now. Hold an engineer and soldier is the same as 2 soldiers, no? As another piece is not in the game, I would only consider this if a lot wanted it so I will keep this one on the back burner for now.

For the language, I'd get rid of the "only" and put something like soldiers attack soldiers across the river or soldiers attack any soldier (if they can attack soldiers upon their side of the river).

Again, this is my wording causing confusion. Lets see if anyone has any ideas.
The whole idea is that soldiers can only attack in one direction only. So they cannot go left, right or backwards. So once you take it on your side, it will help with the advance, but attacking the enemy soldiers it becomes a barrier to going towards the enemy general. So of like a trap.

Lastly, I'd separate the deploy bonuses from the description of moves and put them in a separate color.

I did try this, but it did not work. I will have another go with another colour next week. Anyone with a suggestion for the colour?

As far as the title it doesn't look very oriental.

Changed to another font.

Can I see the next draft without the faces on the board. I do like the faces but it might be a little distracting; taking away from the simpleness of the board.

They are reduced a lot. Board looks bland without them now so will keep them on.

Maybe an oriental background might look cool too?

Added, do you like?

the faces look nice, maybe just lower their visibility help
oriental look is nice too if very faded

Done.

[generalhead]

The new pieces are beautiful.
The new heading is Awesome, but it might look better standing out a little more.
The background looks great.
Simple is not always bad, I would still like to see a version without the faces (sorry to keep mentioning this)
Might look good to see the names of the pieces stand out a little

With the castle movement is it suppose to say as well as inside the Palace?

When we were mentioning about the castles with the highlights, what we meant were the palaces with highlights so they stand out
kind of like this>>>>>

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

Looking awesome buddy.
I am so excited to play this.

[koontz1973]

The new pieces are beautiful.

The background looks great.

Thanks

The new heading is Awesome, but it might look better standing out a little more.

Hows this?

Simple is not always bad, I would still like to see a version without the faces (sorry to keep mentioning this)
Might look good to see the names of the pieces stand out a little

Done.

With the castle movement is it suppose to say as well as inside the Palace?

No but changed the wording anyway. It should be all good now.

When we were mentioning about the castles with the highlights, what we meant were the palaces with highlights so they stand out

Done.

[DearCyrus]

I like the new version much better. Simple but elegant. That fits nicely with an Oriental theme.

[generalhead]

Love, Love, Love it!!!! Lets move it on!!!!

[koontz1973]

I like the new version much better. Simple but elegant. That fits nicely with an Oriental theme.

Love, Love, Love it!!!! Lets move it on!!!!

Thanks guys.

Now go and grab some friends to comment on this map. We need a lot more support and the gameplay a lot more fine tuning.