[Abandoned] - Medieval Denmark

[Balsiefen]

Mod Note:Abandoned - If resurrected, this one must be checked again.

Medieval Denmark

Medieval Denmark V2.7
[bigimg]http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/8383/medievaldenmarkv27.jpg[/bigimg]

Stamps


Current map comments
Changes
-Lost the runes.
-Darkened the sea and tweaked the land colour.
-a few other things but I've forgotten.

To Do
-Whatever turns up

Information
Due to gameplay concerns over my taking over the other Denmark map, I decided to start from scratch, a relative golden age when denmark was second in power only to England in northern Europe. The map is set in the early 1200's during the reign of King Vlademar II of Denmark. This means that the occupance of southern sweeden should give a boost to gameplay.

I'd especially appreciate input from anyone from denmark or with knowlige and sources of its medieval layout. I've already got a good idea from looking on the internet, but I still may not have the most appropriate names in some areas (though Jutland should be right, the rest are from smaller county names {see the source map})

8 Continants
42 Territs
630x459 pixels (small map)

Older Maps
Medieval Denmark V2.6
Medieval Denmark V2.5
Medieval Denmark V2.4
Medieval Denmark V2.3
Medieval Denmark V2.2
Medieval Denmark V2.1
Medieval Denmark FONTTEST-2
Medieval Denmark FONTTEST
Medieval Denmark V2.0-GRAPHICS OVERHAUL
Medieval Denmark V1.21
[bigimg]http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/3285/medievaldenmarkv121jh2.jpg[/bigimg]Graphics test 2
Medieval Denmark 1.2
Medieval Denmark V1.1
Medieval Denmark V1.0
Graphics Test
First Draft

Map source
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Administrative_division_of_denmark_in_medieval_times.jpg

[Balsiefen]

Its been a day now, and some comment would be nice

[InkL0sed]

Well, it looks really ugly, obviously.

But the gameplay looks of interest, I say stick with it.

[Balsiefen]

Obviously, If no one posts any gameplay concerns by tomorrow (or the next time i get bored) I'll start on the high graphics version. It seems graphics make people more likely to post.

[InkL0sed]

Obviously, If no one posts any gameplay concerns by tomorrow (or the next time i get bored) I'll start on the high graphics version. It seems graphics make people more likely to post.

I've noticed that too. People tend to worry about gameplay more in the main foundry.

[Balsiefen]

Which is anoying because thats what you want to get out of the way so you dont have to redo an entire section of a high quality version.

[Balsiefen]

Right, As no one has said anything about gameplay, I started work on the graphics.

This is obv not finished, it still needs colours ect to be added in, just to show you where I'm Intending to go graphics-wise.

Graphics Test

^Click for non cut off image

[Balsiefen]

Come on chaps, If you vote on a change in graphics, tell me what and why, dont leave me guessing.

[bryguy]

oh i never saw this lol, usually i notice everything


i like the graphix test, but maybe a darker background?

[AndyDufresne]

This map may be interesting if you give it a Danish Viking feel in game play and graphics.


--Andy

[Balsiefen]

oh i never saw this lol, usually i notice everything


i like the graphix test, but maybe a darker background?

Okay, I'll give that a go, I'll darken the back a bit and when I use colours, I'll try out some nice dark greens and reds.

This map may be interesting if you give it a Danish Viking feel in game play and graphics.


--Andy

Interesting, i will certainly make a few additions in graphical details on the map (possibly longboats around searouts) but the period I'm aiming for is a little later, when Denmark had modernised a little to become a more medieval realm. But I'll definatly try my best to give the map a better general feel.

How do you mean in gameplay? Sounds like some interesting ideas.

[CoolC]

Nice, except for the fact there is already a quite advanced map of denmark... why not take over that one instead?

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14372

[Balsiefen]

Nice, except for the fact there is already a quite advanced map of denmark... why not take over that one instead?

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14372

I did, Its abandoned and i got the idea of the map from it. If you look at the end of the thread, I was going to take over the map but andy and oaktown dissuaded me.

[Balsiefen]

Okay, I'm off to france for two weeks. I wont have any internet there, but if you keep commenting, it should give me a lot of stuff to work with when I'm back.

[Balsiefen]

Okay, I'm back and i finally got some time. I tried to implement as many as possible the suggestions i got.

Medieval Denmark V1.0
[bigimg]http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/874/medievaldenmarkv10rx9.jpg[/bigimg]
Current map comments
Right, the first full map is up! Sorry about my absence, but real life called . At the moment, The sea routes andbonus box are giving me the most concern. I may also add in a few extra graphics. So what do you guys think then?


To Do
-Fix continent bonuses
-Fix continent names
-Find any gameplay concerns now rather than later
-new go at sea routes(?)
-new go at bonus box(?)

[t-o-m]

for some reason i dont think that the beige "parchment" (the land that is not being used eg. below denmark) - well i dont think that that goes with the theme of the map. the rest of the colours are very dark and to have a light colour i don think that works...i dont know if thats just me or anyone else???
also the legend needs fixing

[Balsiefen]

for some reason i dont think that the beige "parchment" (the land that is not being used eg. below denmark) - well i dont think that that goes with the theme of the map. the rest of the colours are very dark and to have a light colour i don think that works...i dont know if thats just me or anyone else???
also the legend needs fixing

Ok, I had been thinking that as well actually, I'll replace it with a dark brown next update

[TaCktiX]

A good improvement, Balsiefen. Kudos on the work you've put in so far.

Main gripe: Borders are TOO jagged and uneven, particularly around the sea, it looks like a person with rheumatism drew them.
Second gripe: The legend box doesn't contrast as well as it could with the bonuses you put.
Third (and final) gripe: Medieval Denmark looks fine in that font, but the Reign of what's-his-name is almost unreadable entirely. Suggest switching to the font you use for territories and bonuses, which is quite good.

[ZeakCytho]

This is looking pretty good. Here are a few suggestions:

The outermost coastal borders are very pixely/jagged looking, and not in a good way. It's kind of hard to look at.

I both love and hate the territory name font at the same time. It does a really good job of conveying the medieval spirit, but is hard to read in a few places. Could you either make the size a bit bigger (not sure if you have room in some of the territories) or change it to another gothic font that's a bit clearer?

The water doesn't look particularly...watery. I think it could go a few shades darker - not much, but a bit. Also, you could consider increasing the opacity of the texture on it slightly to increase the perception of waves.

For ease of viewing purposes, could you switch the colors of the Red (?) and Blue (?) continents? The current red-green contrast (Between Red (?) and N. Jutland (?))will be difficult to see by colorblind people.

It's hard to tell what continent the tiny island in the center (Anund? I'm not positive because the font is small) belongs to. The above change between Red and Blue should help fix that, though.

There's a lake in the unplayable area in Sweden that's not colored in - the northmost one.

I agree that the legend box doesn't look great right now, but I don't really have any constructive comments. Maybe you could move it a few pixels down and left so it gets a top and right border?

I think that about covers it
I look forward to seeing the next version.

[wcaclimbing]

I have two suggestions to start off:

1. find a different font.
----this one is very difficult to read.

2. make the edges (the big black ones) between the land and water a TON smaller.
----right now they are just sort of dominating the map, and its kinda difficult to see any gameplay with those lines so big.

I'll come back once the black lines are fixed and comment on gameplay. Right now they are blocking the map up too much, making it hard for me to see what attacks what.

[Unit_2]

That text is horrible, please change it.

[Balsiefen]

Thanks guys for some really useful posts there, that should keep me going fo' a bit
Right, split up into the main probs:

Font
This is going to be the most interesting one due to rather a shortage of suitable fonts. However, there are a few i have which, while being less medievally, should be easily readable. The next version i post will have a selection of fonts for you to decide on.

Coast boarders
I can see your point with this actually. I have thinner boarders dividing off the continents, do you thing replacing the coast with that style would be better?

Water
Darken the blue and turn up the opacity-no probs

Red/blue cont switch
again, thats pretty easy

Font(for "reign of vlademar ect)
I can change that. Is the rest of the font in the bonus box easily readable to yous?

Bonus box
As this is on a seperate layer, and i can change it anytime, I'll leave it 'till some of the other stuff is sorted.

[ZeakCytho]

Coast boarders
I can see your point with this actually. I have thinner boarders dividing off the continents, do you thing replacing the coast with that style would be better?

Yes, that would be a major improvement.

[Balsiefen]

Medieval Denmark V1.1
[bigimg]http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/2822/medievaldenmarkv11gm3.jpg[/bigimg]
Right, this map has got the easy things done, sea is darkened, and cont colours altered.

Graphics test 2
[bigimg]http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5121/graphicstest2rg6.jpg[/bigimg]
This map has our tricky stuff on it.
Each continent has its own fonts, I'm afraid these are the only fonts I can find which look good.
I've erased the coast boarders in places and put in three new types of boarder, which is best?

[ZeakCytho]

I like the font used on Syaland the best. The coast at the tip of Jutland is the best, I think.

Could you make the sea a tiny bit bluer?