Curtis Lemay
Posts: 12969
Joined: 9/17/2004
From: Houston, TX
Status: offline
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Attached are shots of all the PNG tiles compared to all the BMP tiles. As earlier threads have noted, not everyone is using the new PNG tiles. Part of this could just be due to old habits, but clearly, some of it is due to issues with those tiles. Since the new tiles have a dedicated huge view that the old tiles lack, it would be useful if we could identify any of those issues that are correctable. This will be especially important once we start work on 4.0, since the BMP tiles are owned by Take-Two, and most likely will have to be left out of the product (although hooks may be provided for users that already possess them).
I think that most of those issues can be traced to the muted color choices the PNG tiles exhibit. This had been an intentional choice, for artistic purposes. But practice has seemed to show that it often resulted in poor differentiation between terrain features. Fortunately, color shifting is not too difficult to do – so some improvement should be doable, once identified. Here I’m going to list the issues that concern me. In general, I’d like the colors to be shifted closer to the colors of the BMP tiles. I encourage others to list any specific issues they have as well.
1. To me, the most egregious issue is the color of Deep-Water tiles. It’s very hard to tell them apart from Shallow-Water tiles. They have to be made a deeper blue.
2. Arid tiles are way too light and hard to distinguish from Sand tiles. They need to be color shifted closer to the color of the original Arid tiles.
3. Dunes are hard to see. I don’t know if color shifting can help but it could be tried.
4. Badlands are hard to distinguish from Rocky. They need to be color shifted closer to the originals.
5. Hills can be confused with Mud. They also need to be color shifted closer to the originals.
6. Alpine is too similar to Mountain. I’m not sure if color shifting can fix this, but it could be tried.
7. Marsh and even Flooded Marsh need more blue in order to distinguish them from the various Forest tiles.
8. The various Forest tiles need richer and more distinct green shades each so that they can be distinguished from each other.
9. Wadis need to be color shifted closer to the original.
10. Roads can’t be seen against Sand or Arid. Perhaps color shifting can fix this.
11. Bocage needs to be more mottled (mix of green and brown) – to distinguish it from the various Forest tiles. That might even be beneficial for Cropland as well.
12. The distinction between Fortified Terrain and Major and Minor Escarpments could be increased a little more by more color shifting.
13. Entrenchment Levels are too dim in some terrain. Color-shift closer to the original colors.
14. Major Rivers/Canals need a deeper blue.
15. It’s just me, but I find the Peak symbol too cartoonish. Same for the various Clouds.
16. Ownership lines no longer reflect the color of the Red and Blue sides – probably to accommodate the change in the Border color. That Border is too similar to Broken Rail tiles.
17. I just prefer the original Blown Bridge tiles. I think they’re easier to spot – especially since red lines are used for other features.
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PNG Tile Issues - 
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