Inca Empire [12-02] V5

[sannemanrobinson]

Map Name: The Inca Empire
Mapmaker(s): sannemanrobinson
Number of Territories: 40
Special Features: starting neutrals, auto decays, partial bonuses
What Makes This Map Worthy of Being Made: great culture and new topic at CC

Map Image:
[bigimg]http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3802/incav5.jpg[/bigimg]

The temples start 1 neutral and also decay with 1.

The inspiration for this map is from Natty's Maya Empire. It would be cool to have a series of first nations maps.

The linear shape along the coast makes it difficult to prevent bottlenecks like California had. For this reason I had to be creative in placing the mountains and rivers.

Old versions

Code: Select all

V4
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/9413/incav4.jpg
V3 - graphic touch up
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5901/incav3.png
V2
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7351/incav2.png
V1
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2580/incav1.png

[VicFontaine]

I love it. You could make it far more appealing and interesting by adding some more unique cultural things to the map. They were fisherman. Add fish or boats along the coast. They grew certain crops. Add those as bonuses. Etc. It would be more educational, add to the gameplay, and you could make it an objective win as well, "Hold 7 cultural (things) to win."

[natty dread]

What are you using for graphics?

[sannemanrobinson]

Thanks for the feedback. More gameplay element would be too much I think. Some decorations are possible of course. I was also considering secret places as a winning condition but they are mostly redundant.

Its Gimp but the borders are not made with paths yet. Then its easier to play with. The south side is a bit slimmer now.

V2:
[bigimg]http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7351/incav2.png[/bigimg]
The style I would like to get a an old drawing. Some sketches of people and symbols could be part of that. I will finalize the border with paths but does anyone have experience with old paper look?

[natty dread]

You don't need to use paths for the borders. I do most of my borders with the ink tool.

[isaiah40]

... does anyone have experience with old paper look?

I know [player]DiM[/player] does.

[natty dread]

*cough* korea *cough*

[isaiah40]

*cough* sorry *cough*

[sannemanrobinson]

Here is an update. Should this not sit in map ideas by the way?

V3(small)
[bigimg]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/6910/incav3small.png[/bigimg]

Overlapping the bonus zones seemed like a nice idea. The number of regions is not the same anymore for every colour which brings some variation.

The ink tool was a good suggestion Natty Dread

[natty dread]

Yeah, the ink tool is the best. I'd marry the ink tool and take it to my bed everynight if that was in any way possible.

[VicFontaine]

I have no idea how you guys do this, but it looks better and better with each version.

[The Bison King]

The linear shape along the coast makes it difficult to prevent bottlenecks like California had.

Hey! careful now!

J/k

There's nothing wrong with having strategic points on the map that can consolidate your borders provided both ends of the map are balanced against each other.

[natty dread]

There's nothing wrong with having strategic points on the map that can consolidate your borders provided both ends of the map are balanced against each other.

There kind of is actually.

For one thing, one player can easily block eliminations of another player for his own advantage if he can block a large are by fortifying one or two regions. There should be possibilities for this on a map, but they shouldn't be made too easy.

[AndyDufresne]

There's nothing wrong with having strategic points on the map that can consolidate your borders provided both ends of the map are balanced against each other.

There kind of is actually.

For one thing, one player can easily block eliminations of another player for his own advantage if he can block a large are by fortifying one or two regions. There should be possibilities for this on a map, but they shouldn't be made too easy.

While "nothing wrong" is probably not really what TBK meant, I agree with his sentiment.


--Andy

[Flapcake]

I realy like your grapich style, please keep it.

Now at ohter hand I think you need to explain your legend better, about the bonuses, I like your idea of have bonus for holding all of same colors, but for the XML code you need to call your bonus areas for something, and in that ligth, put it on the map will also make sence. Using the amasone river for trading route, also nice idea, but it need a better explanition in the legend.

I dont personaly think you need more gamaplay added, its fine as it is, many like to play simple maps. So that is cool.

Keep it up

[AndyDufresne]

I realy like your grapich style, please keep it.

...

I dont personaly think you need more gamaplay added, its fine as it is, many like to play simple maps. So that is cool.

Keep it up

Agree with these items!


--Andy

[sannemanrobinson]

Okay I really like to do this. Here is a bit more worked out version with:
- mountains are in a top view, Pot Mosby is an example: http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=241&t=155147.
- stripes are replaced by mix of both colours.
- temples are now different for each secret place, still searching for Hatun Canar/Ingapirca and Chan Chan inspiration.
- legend is adjusted for each combination.

Taking the amazon river in the game play could be an option. There is a trade route going next to it already. May as a way to travel faster from Cuzco to Chuciyapu and Huanuco Bamba.

[bigimg]http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/9413/incav4.jpg[/bigimg]
or white borders:
[bigimg]http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5254/incav4mountains.jpg[/bigimg]

Rotating 15 degrees is an option to save 100 pixels in height or increase resolution . Coming week I will not have time, but will be continued...

[Flapcake]

You need to name the regions for the XML code

[The Bison King]

This is starting to look a lot better!

[Oneyed]

there are 9 yellow regions and 8 in others colours, if I good count. I do not know if this was your goal, but maybe Pachacamac and Inkawasi could be unite to one rgion.

for the borders, the white ones looks much better.

Oneyed

[Gillipig]

I like this! Just make sure you put in more colourful symbols around the map.

[sannemanrobinson]

You need to name the regions for the XML code

All territories have a name, some are written next to it on the sea.

If you mean the bonus names, the name of the sacred place that is enabling the bonus could be used (Machu Pichhu, Tiwanaku, etc.).

For trails the begin and endpoint can be mentioned (Cuzco-Tupiza).

[sannemanrobinson]

there are 9 yellow regions and 8 in others colours, if I good count. I do not know if this was your goal, but maybe Pachacamac and Inkawasi could be unite to one rgion.

Red and yellow both have more regions. These are more central on the map and more difficult to defend. To make them more attractive I decided to give them more potential to grow. This gives them an advantage later in the game.

It seems like it is not totally clear that some colours overlap. Maybe I will take that out for now and assign a single colour to each territory.

for the borders, the white ones looks much better.

I think so too that the mountains look less cluttered end even snowy. Making the lines thinner, dashed or otherwise more embedded in the background will be the challenge.

[sannemanrobinson]

I like this! Just make sure you put in more colourful symbols around the map.

I will. The Inca flag, stone ruins, motifs from pottery and some people are in planning.

[sannemanrobinson]

A lot of changes:
- Temples are all close to Cusco
- Cusco is no longer a bonus area but can bombard all other lands
- new trails

[bigimg]http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3802/incav5.jpg[/bigimg]