Chinese Checkers [Quenched] May '07 re-opener?

bedplay · Post by **bedplay** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:55 pm

Light texture all the way

RjBeals · Post by **RjBeals** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:29 pm

Light Texture - And I think I would prefer no shading. I know you are trying to represent a true board, but to me they kind of look like they are convex, rather than concave.

EvilOtto · Post by **EvilOtto** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:01 pm

RjBeals wrote:I know you are trying to represent a true board, but to me they kind of look like they are convex, rather than concave.

I think the main reason for this is that the circles are so much lighter than the board colors... the eye assumes that they are catching more light. Since everyone wants them to have the same texture and color as the surrounding board, then the top left edge of each hole should be darker than the flat board (due to shading). This, of course, will could make it harder to read. If the holes are shallow, the dark could fade very quickly with the lightest part of the gradient on the opposite edge.

My preference, I think, is that thet holes all appear to be a light unpainted wood color (maybe this matches the 'center' area). Some texture would be okay, but too much texture interferes with the gradient and makes the concave shape of the hole less clear.

Also, in the current examples, some of the circles have a slight highlight along the top left edge, where it should be darkest. Center-A, for example, has this highlight. May be a trick of the texture...

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:51 pm

EvilOtto wrote:
RjBeals wrote:Also, in the current examples, some of the circles have a slight highlight along the top left edge, where it should be darkest. Center-A, for example, has this highlight. May be a trick of the texture...

Every circle is a bit different because of the way the texture fell - the basic image is the same, but some may come off looking a bit lighter or darker ini parts.

I'll play with making them all the same wood color. It probably won't be in the next few days - I gave the map a lot of time this weekend, and right now I'm sick of looking at it.

Molacole · Post by **Molacole** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:00 am

yeah they definitely need work. Have you tried to keep the circles white with no texture. A darker shade than the triangle to border the white center might work. As of now the board looks like a cloth type material so making the territories 3d'ish might not go so well without a ton of trial and error. Good luck.

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:01 am

Molacole wrote:yeah they definitely need work. Have you tried to keep the circles white with no texture. A darker shade than the triangle to border the white center might work. As of now the board looks like a cloth type material so making the territories 3d'ish might not go so well without a ton of trial and error. Good luck.

That's what i was saying a week ago - that this board looks like it's canvas, not wood - but too many voices kept pushing the shadows! If you look back to page 18 or so you'll see the last incarnation of flat circles, which may not have been perfect but i still think they fit the board better. We had flat white circles a while back, but they seemed to glow against the earth tones.

The 'depth' circles do look more convex than concave, and for the reasons already noted. I can go with darker circles to better achieve the effect, but it makes the numbers harder to read. I'll say again, I'd rather err on the side of playable. I think I may lose the shadows altogether.

AndyDufresne · Post by **AndyDufresne** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:49 pm

Looking at all the various incarnations of depth, I rather like the flat old ones. It was a noble pursuit and effort, but I think they look the best in the older images.

--Andy

Molacole · Post by **Molacole** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:47 am

in all honesty I was happy with these circles...

I liked it with a simple white nontextured center because everything else just looks kind of blurry to me...

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:54 am

Molacole wrote:I liked it with a simple white nontextured center because everything else just looks kind of blurry to me...

Ah, how I long for those simpler days, when all you had to do to make people happy was drop a silly dragon next to your map.

santon836 · Post by **santon836** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:32 am

light

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:31 pm

The "depth" circles look like crap. My new approach is to embrace the 'painted canvas' look of the map. These new circles are all examples of Zen Buddhist circles, which should be more in keeping with the overall look of the map.

EDIT: I had posted a new image, but the color was off so it's been removed... don't have time to work in it today, but I'll get something up this week.

Coleman · Post by **Coleman** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:44 pm

*takes off his glasses*

Oh my god...

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:46 pm

Coleman wrote:*takes off his glasses*

Oh my god...

I take it that's a no vote.

Wisse · Post by **Wisse** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:57 pm

oaktown wrote:
Coleman wrote:*takes off his glasses*

Oh my god...
I take it that's a no vote.

i vote no too

AndyDufresne · Post by **AndyDufresne** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:02 pm

As you noted, I think it's the color that people don't seem to like. Do a quick image with some alternate shades and tones.

--Andy

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:50 am

Well, the hand-painted circle experiment died an early death this evening... while the circles themselves are very nice, the trouble is making it work with a background against which the army counts are readable. And I can say with complete certainty that this is one map that needs the army circles - numbers are difficult to read and confusing without.

So I'm back to the old style or circle, but I want them to 'pop out' less from the rest of the image. I've toned them down a bit from the last version, and the outside color of each circle is pulled from the color triangle on which it sits. Tell me what you think - as I lose interest in the map I lose the ability to tell if something looks good anymore.

Now that it's loaded I can already see that the cicles may need a bit more texture, but i'm tired and going to bed.

Captain Crash · Post by **Captain Crash** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:42 am

oaktown wrote:
Now that it's loaded I can already see that the cicles may need a bit more texture, but i'm tired and going to bed.

I think it looks great, but I see that yes a little more texture in the circles would be an improvement.

Guiscard · Post by **Guiscard** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:42 am

The title needs a black border to match the legend text below, else it looks 'dimmer', if you catch my drift.

As for the circles, they're OK but as Andy said I wouldn't mind seeing some alternate shades and tones...

Enigma · Post by **Enigma** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:59 pm

at this point, i would be happy with any army circles you decide on. i just want to play the map, and not have it die

.

your army numbers look a little off. and i agree with guiscard bout an outline on the title.

other than that, i personally think going back to the original army circles from before the depth ones [light texture and clean border] would be easiest and best, but i dont really think theyre that big a deal.

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:34 pm

Guiscard wrote:The title needs a black border to match the legend text below, else it looks 'dimmer', if you catch my drift.

As for the circles, they're OK but as Andy said I wouldn't mind seeing some alternate shades and tones...

Hmm... i dropped the border (which isn't black anywhere, but a dark green) from the title at the request of others. Look below at the old map and tell me if it was better before.

Andy's comment about the shades and tones was in reference to the hand-painted zen buddhist circles that I posted briefly and pulled because the colors were off. I scrapped the idea because, as noted above, it only looked good without any army shadow, and this map needs army shadows.

The only map/circle options I'm currently entertaining suggestions on are 1) the new map at the top of this page, and 2) the map, below, from two weeks ago. Keep in mind that I haven't made other changes to the map below, such as moving the legend down and putting the circle in the center. I'm looking for a preference on the circles only at this point.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 4:40 pm

the map looks wonderfulland the only problem is the fact that army numbers are deviated.
keep going, i can't wait to play this map.

PS: in team games players should really be carefull what they type in chat.
imagine this:

green: next turn attack q
red: done q is conquered.
green: damn. i ment w it was a typo

Enigma · Post by **Enigma** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:04 pm

hehe thats awful.

i like the #2 map best

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:45 pm

What're these images all about, you ask?
- old version of circles, but the colors muted a bit more so they blend
- text size/arrangement updated to match the more popular, later versions
- kanji brought forward so the center circles don't seem to float above the board

KEYOGI · Post by **KEYOGI** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:55 pm

I like the original white ones the best.

Why don't you just pick one you like the best and go with that. If that's the ones you just posted, then so be it. You could go backwards and forwards on these damn circles for months and still not everybody would be happy.

oaktown · Post by **oaktown** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:21 am

KEYOGI wrote:Why don't you just pick one you like the best and go with that. If that's the ones you just posted, then so be it. You could go backwards and forwards on these damn circles for months and still not everybody would be happy.

I hear that... ultimately it won't matter, because we're talking about subtle differences that don't effect gameplay at all. The circles from a couple of weeks ago are the best in my opinion - not the pure white, but the off-white above. I'll go back to that and end all of this going around in, well, circles.