Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: bretg80

Sorry guys, I just have to say this, the terrain textures on the maps are BORING. Come'on, it's 2011 and you probably won't finish this game for a while, so in the mean time please revamp the terrain textures so that they at least look like something we would expect to see in this decade.

For example: Mtn hexes look like mud (where are the snowcapped peaks?)
Where are the beaches on land/sea hexes?
Sand hexes look like tan blah - how bout some dunes
Weather symbology obscures the map, why not use some transparency and clouds to indicate weather or
use transparency and weather symbology.

From what I've seen in the AAR, the global high level summary map looks like something right out of the 1980's . Whaz up with that?

I know, it's a harsh critique, but not undeserved. Hire a texture dude and have him fix them up. It'll make the game a lot more enjoyable to look at while playing.

I know this is a big complex game and the rules engine alone must be mind numbing and excruciatingly complex to develop, but the UI look-and-feel is important too. The maps are nice, just spend the extra time to make them look pretty. It means a lot to those of us who have to stare at them all the time while playing.

Best of luck in your endeavor... I'll buy this game if you fix up the textures or at least provide a way for us to mod the game to fix them later on.

Bret

quote:

ORIGINAL: BallyJ

The maps are fine.
Please don't let this post distract you from the main game.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BallyJ

There is nothing wrong with the map.
The counters are excellent.
China will be different but I am looking forward to the challenge.
Lets get on with making the game work.
regards John

quote:

ORIGINAL: BallyJ

The map is fine'
I find it easy to read.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BallyJ

Maps are fine.No need to change them.

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

BallyJ I've been meaning to ask, what do you think of the maps?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Orm

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

BallyJ I've been meaning to ask, what do you think of the maps?

Be nice. The maps are fine.

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Orm

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

BallyJ I've been meaning to ask, what do you think of the maps?

Be nice. The maps are fine.

Warspite1

No Orm the correct answer was:

The maps are fine. No need to change them.

Btw I may have mentioned before but the maps aren't just fine, they are a work of art.

quote:

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

quote:

ORIGINAL: bretg80

Sorry guys, I just have to say this, the terrain textures on the maps are BORING. Come'on, it's 2011 and you probably won't finish this game for a while, so in the mean time please revamp the terrain textures so that they at least look like something we would expect to see in this decade.

For example: Mtn hexes look like mud (where are the snowcapped peaks?)
Where are the beaches on land/sea hexes?
Sand hexes look like tan blah - how bout some dunes
Weather symbology obscures the map, why not use some transparency and clouds to indicate weather or
use transparency and weather symbology.

From what I've seen in the AAR, the global high level summary map looks like something right out of the 1980's . Whaz up with that?

I know, it's a harsh critique, but not undeserved. Hire a texture dude and have him fix them up. It'll make the game a lot more enjoyable to look at while playing.

I know this is a big complex game and the rules engine alone must be mind numbing and excruciatingly complex to develop, but the UI look-and-feel is important too. The maps are nice, just spend the extra time to make them look pretty. It means a lot to those of us who have to stare at them all the time while playing.

Best of luck in your endeavor... I'll buy this game if you fix up the textures or at least provide a way for us to mod the game to fix them later on.

Bret

As someone who does a lot of map modding, I have to say that I am pretty ok with the maps as they are in this game. I would probably change the March and Mountains graphics right away, but it wouldn't affect my decision to purchase.

I assume these are all bitmap images?

quote:

ORIGINAL: mr_flappypants

Lurker here.

I do agree that the maps do look dated. I personally don't mind it too much. I'm eager to just enjoy the game. I do have a couple of suggestions that could help with the the seeming clutter.

1.) Desaturate the colors on the map tiles a bit. There are plenty of nice saturated colors in the units themselves along with other elements in the game. The problem is, this just clashes harshly with the map. I think by adding a subtle desaturation to the map, a cleaner and clearer visual can be achieved. Gary Grigsby's War in the East has beautiful maps with desaturated colors.

2.) Replace ownership flags with shading. The repetitive nature of placing highly-saturated owner flags on each tile adds to the clutter exponentially. I think a translucent shading of country-unique colors could greatly reduce this. Gary Grigsby's War in the East does a really nice job of this.

3.) Remove other redundancies where applicable. I will admit I have no background with this game, board or digitized. However one example I can think of (as seen in the forums) is the 'Flyout' header. Unless there is some other game element(s) that can be confused with Flyout, perhaps consider eliminating that header all together. After a short amount of time, players will understand what a 'Flyout' box is and will not need to see the 'Flyout' header over and over again. I use this example to make a broader point. Look for redundancies that can be eliminated and/or translate textual information into something that is simply graphical (dark black boarder around 'Flyout' box if necessary). In this way clutter can be further reduced for a more clean interface.

4.) Change the font(s) displayed on the map to a less 'sharp' one. Use fonts that have a softer look to them (ones that have roundness). This can alleviate the headache-inducing sharpness of everything on the screen and create a nice offset between map and location names. I'm no artist so I don't know the term for this.

I hope I do not offend anybody with my suggestions. I've tried to voice suggestions that are seemingly simple and straightforward. This game has enough on its plate that contributes to the 'Information overload' mindset. I think it would be prudent to minimize 'unnecessary' (and/or redundant) data being shown to the screen wherever possible.

Looking forward to the game. I've recently introduced this upcoming PC remake to my father who is undoubtedly awaiting its release as well.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mr_flappypants

Thank you very much for the kind response. I was unsure about posting to begin with as to not make anyone think I was being picky.

If the map tiles are stored in a BMP file, it would be easy to load the file into a simple image editor (IrfanView, Photoshop, etc.) and apply a Color Correction filter where you decrease the saturation. I think a subtle decrease could go a long way. This could fix a lot of saturated tiles in one fell swoop. For instance, the desert tiles are just so brightly colored orange. It could be taken down a notch.

I don't think Verdana is a very good font to use for these maps. The big, bold lines with sharp edges only contributes to the overall saturated/busy visuals. Again, I am trying to limit my suggestions to things that are seemingly small and simple to change (or test) that could make a large contribution to overall graphical improvement.

All other points you've replied with are duly noted. I again thank you for your very informative reply.

quote:

ORIGINAL: EUBanana
If anything could use improvement its the menus and such, it looks like a ten year old business app with the little Windows book help icons and the general "Windows form without even look and feel appearance".

Still, I can live with that I guess if the game is good

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rasputitsa
The map look fine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rasputitsa
now is not the time to try changing things.