Fictional Map / Island Theme? (See First Post)

Samus · Post by **Samus** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:01 pm

To answer your question from a while ago, yes, you are required to have both a large and small version of the map, not exceeding 800px and 600px wide respectively.

Here is how I see this map as a player approaching it from a strategy standpoint.

There are 3 large regions, 2 medium, and 1 small. Never, ever go for large regions in a singles game and very rarely in a team game. The small region borders nearly every continent but one, and considering how few other regions there are to go for you can assume people will be gunning for you and you won't be able to hold it. This leaves the medium regions, however in general you need to start with several territories in or very near a medium region for you to be able to take and hold it. It's not as bad as some maps, but it still has serious issues with the luck of starting position. Fortunately, I think this map is not too far off from being a pretty damn good one.

To fix this map, I would suggest 2 things. First, split Dragon as has been suggested, forming 2 regions with 4 territories each. This would require adding a connection between Oporth and Chauth. The southern of these regions should be worth 2 and the northern 3 (it borders more).

Second, move Bejul from Elves to Liche. Liche now has 5 countries and borders Dark Elves. While it technically still only has 3 defense points, it now borders every region except for the newly formed southern Dragon, so increase the bonus to +5.

Reduce Elves to +5, it now only has 6 territories with 3 defense points, and it's in a corner.

Dark Elves should be +4 and Orc +5. The Orc region has 6 territories with 4 borders to 3 regions including Liche and south Dragon. Meanwhile, the Dark Elves region has 5 territories with 3 borders to 2 regions, and one of these regions is the only remaining large region so in a normal game there will be no players going for it.

Increase Gnome to +8 just for the sheer mass number of territories (12 is a lot to take without anyone stopping you first).

These changes make it rational to go for any region given the situation except for Gnome, but there should always be one huge territory that only and idiot would go for. Idiots deserve a region too.

RjBeals · Post by **RjBeals** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:49 pm

Samus - I made all changes you suggested. I also made the Humans in the center. I also lightened colors a bit.

Samus · Post by **Samus** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:11 pm

Very nice man, I think from a region/connections/bonus standpoint this map is done. All that's left is whatever changes/tweaks to the graphics and doing the XML, both of which there are people vastly better qualified than me to help you on.

Samus · Post by **Samus** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:00 pm

Okay, I know I just told you the region layout of this map is done, but a friend and I were just going through a bunch of "what if" scenarios and we think there's 2 more minor tweaks that could be made.

The first is easy. Eliminate the connection between Sulith and Oporth. Chauth alone is exposed enough that it's one of the hardest to control points on this map, 3 defense points just makes it too hard to hold for a 3 bonus.

The second is adding another country to Elves. Orc is just flat out harder to hold given the borders, so having 1 more country would make it slightly harder to take in the first place. You could split Difafu into two, or Sylan, and it wouldn't effect the borders.

If you want to keep it 42 countries, just take out one of the Gnome countries. Maybe merge Corene and Fonwick. I don't think it's a big deal to have 43, it would just mean a neutral.

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:02 pm

Isn't it a tad Ironic that the Gnome's have the biggest Continent?!

C.

RjBeals · Post by **RjBeals** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:07 pm

Samas - again thanks for the input. I'm glad you & your friend did some "what if's" - I'm okay with the graphics, but when it comes to playability, I need help! I'll work on the changes you suggested tomorrow.

Samus · Post by **Samus** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:14 pm

yeti_c wrote:Isn't it a tad Ironic that the Gnome's have the biggest Continent?!

C.

LOL, they must be compensating.

Sounds great RB, I'm really looking forward to playing this map.

DTT · Post by **DTT** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:37 pm

Man, I think this map looks fantastic and I would play it in a heartbeat. I'm in no position to critique anything yet, but I love the direction this is headed.

RjBeals · Post by **RjBeals** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:33 am

DTT wrote: I'm in no position to critique anything yet...

Of course you are. Any member of this board is in the position to critique - if only just visuals. Thanks for the compliments though.

GreecePwns · Post by **GreecePwns** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 4:23 pm

This map is great and i would play it every time if i had the chance. However the human territories should have human names.

reverend_kyle · Post by **reverend_kyle** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:52 pm

I would play this tamriel clone because I pwn at tamriel.

RjBeals · Post by **RjBeals** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:25 am

I guess you're kind of right kyle. I never started out wanting to copy another map. At this point, not sure if I should continue? Or should I totally change the layout?

Looks like the new trend in map making is non-traditional maps. Like Checkers, Connect Four, Monopoly, King of the Mountains, Senate.... Maybe we have enough traditional maps?

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:18 am

RjBeals wrote: Looks like the new trend in map making is non-traditional maps. Like Checkers, Connect Four, Monopoly, King of the Mountains, Senate.... Maybe we have enough traditional maps?

there's never enough maps. traditional or not this map is great.

Wisse · Post by **Wisse** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:20 am

i love this map much more

Samus · Post by **Samus** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:18 pm

I can certainly see the similarities, but it's not an exact clone. The most important difference is that Cyrodiil is so big, you would NEVER go for that region and in most games it just blocks access between the other regions. Human, on the other hand, is a perfectly rational region to go for, much more of a head-on conflict. Even the person who said it was a "clone" was looking forward to it, and we've definitely had a few maps make it out of the foundry that I'd call "clone" before this one.

I like this map a lot, and unlike the other maps on this forum that I like so do most other people!

spinwizard · Post by **spinwizard** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:22 pm

i like it, this is gr8, i can't find any faults!

Molacole · Post by **Molacole** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:45 pm

if you flip your map 90 degrees counter clockwise it looks even more like the tamriel map...

Didn't you delete a race for Humans? Why not break pink into 2 sections and bring that race back? Would that be something you want to do?

Right now pink is bordered by 3 bonus territories and has 5 borders to protect which will make it next to impossible to hold. If it was a nuetral battle ground that would be frequently traveled through it might not be as bad, but it's on the edge of the map.

Also if you could connect more land to land I think it would make the map a bit more attractive. Downside of that would be if you didn't get it just right it might make it look even more like tamriel. I think if you did it right it would make it look so much different though.

this way You would have 8 bonuses and tamriel would have 7. I think it would really change the similarities of the map also.

AndyDufresne · Post by **AndyDufresne** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:36 pm

I think if you make the map in its current lay out, it would *seem* to similar to Tamriel. I think you've got a decent idea for a map, so I think you should play around with the lay out a little more. Perhaps you could try a few different images, and post them. We could choose, or maybe take the best out of each, and combine.

--Andy

Coleman · Post by **Coleman** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:53 pm

RjBeals wrote:

I guess you're kind of right kyle. I never started out wanting to copy another map. At this point, not sure if I should continue? Or should I totally change the layout?

Looks like the new trend in map making is non-traditional maps. Like Checkers, Connect Four, Monopoly, King of the Mountains, Senate.... Maybe we have enough traditional maps?

Here's my take, I don't know if I've posted here or not. Worst case scenario if this even passes is that you have made a Tam clone without the flags. I think that is enough of a playability difference for this to be okay.

That having been said, I can't look at this and feel excited about it. I'm sure it would be as fun as any other map, but it seems to be missing something. Sorry, I know from experience that hearing something like that sucks, but it is how I feel.

Enigma · Post by **Enigma** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:04 pm

i have the same perspective on this map as i had on dims original parchment map- great graphics but needs a better theme. hes put his graphics to work on an original theme, try doing the same with yours. there are lots of ideas in the idea thread, id say just find one that works with your graphics and do some tweaking.

Unit_2 · Post by **Unit_2** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:00 pm

i think tha you need to take the lines out that are not needed

TMG26 · Post by **TMG26** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:44 pm

i hate the tamriel grafics...
this map is complete diffrent from tamriel....

RjBeals · Post by **RjBeals** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:42 pm

I'm taking a short break from both my maps for a couple weeks - This is a very busy time at work & home. I'll start back on them soon though. Thanks for the comments.

Samus · Post by **Samus** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 2:05 am

RjBeals wrote:I'm taking a short break from both my maps for a couple weeks - This is a very busy time at work & home. I'll start back on them soon though. Thanks for the comments.

You don't get paid to take breaks! Oh, that's right, you don't get paid. Well, good luck then, looking forward to when you return work on this.

Gustaf Wasa · Post by **Gustaf Wasa** » Sun May 20, 2007 3:33 pm

I don't like the hobbit/gnome world of British names and tobacco, it is so un-fantasy. There is a reason why hobbits are confined to Tolkien's novels, and don't appear in better literature such as Wheel of Time, and A Song of Ice and Fire.

I would suggest changing the gnomes to humans. (Yes, humans could have two continents)

Fictional Map / Island Theme? (See First Post)

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