Templars

[TrafalgarLaw01]

Looking much better than the first draft, borders are much clearer, so are terts, now we would need to see how it would look with the legend maybe.

[MichelSableheart]

I have to agree that the connections are a lot clearer in the second one. It could be an idea to mark the borders for the sea territories, to make those connections even more clear?

Perhaps like this?



Terrs that can access the sea have a small anchor

If you're trying to show that Wessex can only attack into the Atlantic, and not into the north sea, then yes, that's excellent.

[SoN!c]

Well your right, Wessex is the only terr that should be able to acces North Sea too so a double anchor perhaps, one one both sides..

then all seas are single killer neuts (north sea connects to atlantic, atlantic to west sea, west sea to east and vice versa), I'll post it in the legend (to be made).

Would there be other "sea connections" needed for good strategic gameplay (like saxony connection to North sea for example)?
--

Then for balance Troyes will get the "Grand Fair of Troyes" +1 auto deploy.

So west side :

6 small bonusses
1 autodeploy (troyes) +1
4 +2 regions
1 +3

2 big bonusses:
2 +5

East has :

6 small bonusses
4 +1 regions,
2 +2 regions

2 big bonusses
1 + 4
1 +6

extra bonusses are :

caliph of the almohads bonus (the pentagon symbol) for holding al andalus and al al moravid
sultan of the ayyubids bonus : (hollow) half moon + star = syria and egypt
emir of the seljuks: (full) moon and crescent star = seljuk + cilician

any suggestions on the balance part?

[SoN!c]

Here is the "final" version (2.00):

[SoN!c]

this is the small version 630x600 pixels:

[Murphalot]

Hey SoN!C! ...i have a slew of super helpful feedback for sprucing it up, but running low on time right now, and want to be able to read through this whole thread a few times over to see what you're going for in terms of gameplay flow on the map.
It looks great though

Could you maybe help me understand where EXACTLY the nobles connect to-and-from. As well as access to-and-from the 'Overlords'? Thanks

[SoN!c]

Hey SoN!C! ...i have a slew of super helpful feedback for sprucing it up, but running low on time right now, and want to be able to read through this whole thread a few times over to see what you're going for in terms of gameplay flow on the map.
It looks great though

Could you maybe help me understand where EXACTLY the nobles connect to-and-from. As well as access to-and-from the 'Overlords'? Thanks

Yes, so the nobles (bottom corner) is the starting point. 4 on east side, 4 on west side/ They can attack all "christian" terrs (= all non muslim terrs) on their side of the map.

Overlords have to be taken from a temple (also on the same side of the map).

So this is what it should look with "fixed" neutral positions (rest is random drop except any player gets a "nobles" starting point):



So for example, the nobles of the east are called:

The Prince of Antioch
The Count of Tripoli
The Baron of Ibellin
The Lord of Oultrejordain and they can attack any non muslim terr on their side of the map like Cyprus, Kingdom of Jerusalem, County of Tripoli and Principiality of Antioch.

Im thinking on autodeploys for the Temples too (it should profit "big" to hold them)

[iancanton]

i'm thinking that it's too easy to go between the two halves of the map: two ways from each of the four temples, plus one each from west sea and east sea, meaning five ways from each half. going between temples on opposite halves ought to be harder than the easiest attack on the board.

there is currently a very high chance that player one will have a clear advantage because he's likely to start with a bonus.

please number each map version, so that we can refer to our favourite one easily.

ian.

[SoN!c]

Thx for the advice! Much appreciated! Also needed because sometimes your to close to see such things, not seeing the forest due to the trees..

So only Paris Temple and Temple Mount connect (besides the sea), i call this version "2.01" (+ some small tidy ups too graphic wise like small visual faults on the oultrejordain shield) :



also i feel like the overlord should yield extra bonus, like +? for every noble he holds, or +? for every terr you hold on his side of the map or something

[TrafalgarLaw01]

Looking at it better I like the last version. Mayve would make the overlords with more neutrals to make it harder for a stack and run for the kill

[Fuchsia tude]

Well your right, Wessex is the only terr that should be able to acces North Sea too so a double anchor perhaps, one one both sides..

Maybe you could color code the anchors and their corresponding seas? That would remove all ambiguity.

Also, please don't write black on dark colors, at least without adding a light-colored glow. Same with the white text over the seas--at least add a dark shadow to them. Half of the map is illegible right now.

[SoN!c]

Well your right, Wessex is the only terr that should be able to acces North Sea too so a double anchor perhaps, one one both sides..

Maybe you could color code the anchors and their corresponding seas? That would remove all ambiguity.

Also, please don't write black on dark colors, at least without adding a light-colored glow. Same with the white text over the seas--at least add a dark shadow to them. Half of the map is illegible right now.

yeah, ill make it some nice fuchsia and some salmon roseate fluo

This is wha it looks with color code anchors (version 2.02):

[iancanton]

going between temples on opposite halves ought to be harder than the easiest attack on the board.

So only Paris Temple and Temple Mount connect (besides the sea), i call this version "2.01"

the attack from paris temple to temple mount is still equal to the easiest attack on the board. u can solve this and keep much of ur original intent by letting eastern and western temples connect only if a player holds both temples of one side.

the different anchors of v2.02 are a good improvement.

put the latest version number in the title of the original post, as i have done above to the current post, to help readers.

ian.

[Shannon Apple]

Please use light text on dark backgrounds. Many people will have trouble reading it. =) You can use a light shade of the colour you used for the country if it's a dark colour. So on France, you could use a pale blue for the text.

I don't think the graphic style of this map is one that needs a bunch of outer glows, but some repositioning and re-colouring of text could make a difference.

A very subtle drop shadow on the white text could work.

Let me know if you need any help.

[SoN!c]

Please use light text on dark backgrounds. Many people will have trouble reading it. =) You can use a light shade of the colour you used for the country if it's a dark colour. So on France, you could use a pale blue for the text.

I don't think the graphic style of this map is one that needs a bunch of outer glows, but some repositioning and re-colouring of text could make a difference.

A very subtle drop shadow on the white text could work.

Let me know if you need any help.

Feel free to give your opinion on what colours should be used:




reddish in the east = Holy Land, should have same colour spectrum, same goes for the islamic terrs (currently greyish), thinking on a new bonus terr portugal and cyprus (templar ground)..

if we have the colours right to begin with we can move forward

[Shannon Apple]

Okay, I will take a look tomorrow. It's midnight here hehe!

Also... the shields are distorted. I'm not sure what program you're using. But, if you go back to the original images you used, hold down the shift button while you drag the corner to resize. This should keep the shields in their original shape. Always use the shift button when resizing images.

[SoN!c]

Okay, I will take a look tomorrow. It's midnight here hehe!

Also... the shields are distorted. I'm not sure what program you're using. But, if you go back to the original images you used, hold down the shift button while you drag the corner to resize. This should keep the shields in their original shape. Always use the shift button when resizing images.

I know i will have to make the map all over again so the shields are just there as a fast decoration.

Very frustrating if you have to start over with step 1 (the colours, and they already changed twice due to comments.."too light so you cant see the white numbers well", then comments "too dark"...)

But since it has to start from scratch again we better rethink it all (hence the "new bonus' region portugal and cyprus together)

[Shannon Apple]

Why do you have to start from scratch? What program/app are you using to create your map? Maybe i can suggest something better.

Changing text and colours should be fairly simple without having to change everything. That would frustrate me too.