New Zealand

This is the current version of the New Zealand map. Please comment on gameplay.



Version 8
- http://i.imgur.com/kqKMubv.jpg
- colour, texture, line style changes

Version 7 (53 territories)
- http://i.imgur.com/mVfK25e.jpg
- Reduction of territories, and changes in connectivity

Version 6 (58 territories)
- http://i.imgur.com/wcgIpjY.jpg
- Change in layout as suggested by Vexer

Version 5
- http://i.imgur.com/kC910rD.jpg
- More rivers, changes in adjacency, changes to bonus armies

Version 4
- http://i.imgur.com/CPiM0sF.jpg
- Added rivers

Version 3
- http://i.imgur.com/F4Gh3aA.jpg
- Outline tidied up
- Changes to Queenstown and Westland connectivity

Version 2 (59 territories)
- http://i.imgur.com/ls1dBFZ.jpg
- More connections (added 4 ports) and simplified territories

Version 1 (69 territories)
- http://i.imgur.com/3Ct9dE8.jpg
- Just drew the territories, and labeled them

Current possibilities/plans for improvement:

- Connect Auckland City, Wellington City and Christchurch with airports.
Remove 10 territories to get 59 territories:
- Combine Franklin, Central Waikato, Waipa, Matamata, South Waikato into Waikato.
- Waitomo absorbs Otorohanga.
- Palmerston North absorbs Manawatu, Horowhenua.
- Coromandel absorbs Hauraki
- Christchurh absorbs Banks Peninsula
- Wanganui absorbs Rangitikei

Extra connections avoids the map being too much like a single long line.

Reduced territories to simplify North Island, so it is not so cluttered, and make some of the central regions easier to defend. Bonus armies may need to be changed.

I think the largest problem in this map is the single connection between the two islands. The map is very linear, meaning there are two clear dead ends. The Southland for example is considering gameplay a bit weird.

The single connection will become a huge problem when playing capitals. If you own Nelson or Wellington City, you can't reach anything on the other island. So yes, this map definitely needs a lot of work.

I also think the map has a lot of territories in a small space. As this is a map which is by itself very linear, it will probably not be a very good map for a lot of players. The choice to make it a big map therefore seems a bit weird for me, especially because you get situations around the Bay of Plenty.

Could you use ports (like in the westeros map) to create more connectivity?

Ok, here's version 2 with some territories removed, to get 59 territories, and ports added. There are now 3 vertex connections between the North and South Island.

I also added shadows to show the connection lines because I thought the really long line looked ugly.

http://i.imgur.com/ls1dBFZ.jpg

Some of the continent values are off but I'll wait until the map is a little more fine tuned before making suggestions on that in case you modify the amount of territories again. Also, if there is further tinkering with the territories, I'll hold off on studying good locations for capitals.

Ok, but please do make suggestions on any modifications should be made to the territories. Otherwise there won't be modifications, because I won't know how to improve it.

As far as studying capital locations, if some part of that involves suggestions for modifications, then that is good.

I will as I can but keep in mind that I am a complete novice regarding this type of endeaver, so while I will make suggestions I think might help, I have no issue whatsoever with being told that something I might suggest is totally idiotic

It's almost impossible to see whether Auckland City and Franklin (orange/green, left) are bordering.

And maybe you should move the port in Dunedin (blue, right) one up or down, as this way every territory in that region is a border...

I've tidied up some of the boundaries, especially the smudged black areas because of all the lines.

Modified Franklin, and that boundary to get rid of the touching problem.

I think moving the port makes it quite contrived. There is a proper real-life port in Dunedin, and putting it up or down would make it look weird for people who know the country. As an alternative, I've extended the Southern Alps mountain range south (it actually does go all the way south, so probably better like this), to isolate Queenstown. I've also put two tunnels in to connect Westland.

Does this make it better?

http://i.imgur.com/F4Gh3aA.jpg

I like the idea of tunnels a lot

After thinking about it for a while, I thought perhaps the tunnels probably didn't look great, and it adds an unnecessary element to the map, so I removed the tunnels in favour of breaks in the mountain range. I just noticed that Cireon might like the tunnels - if there is interest in tunnels, and somebody knows how to draw better tunnels, I can be convinced to add them back in.

Also added some rivers, which change the edge adjacencies. These have the effect of making Waikato and Otago regions easier to defend.

Instead of making a big hook shape with the mountains to try isolate Queenstown (which probably is not quite correct), the rivers now isolate Oamaru and Clutha. I think this change helps with gameplay, without making as many changes to the underlying geography of the area.

The Waikato river doesn't actually make it (much) easier to defend, but as it is a well-known river, including it is probably a good idea.

Here is version 4:

http://i.imgur.com/CPiM0sF.jpg

I am hoping some of the more experienced/expert players will notice this map and start commenting on this. I suggest waiting for them to give you advice before putting a lot of work with it. I really like that you are focusing on gameplay first, that's the way it should be done.

I like the tunnels because they are a new thing and I honestly did not think it looked that bad, but you should not focus on graphics right now. Instead, try to make it fun to play first

Thanks for all the changes.
I don't know new zealand at all, and are only commenting on gameplay, but you have made the right choices so far, great work.

Tunnels are a new thing, fancy, shiney and new, so cool. But it might make your map comfusing to new players, and I guess to make them look really good would be hard to do, so I think this is the best way.


Some small things: Queenstown and Central Otago (blue, right) are not divided by a territory line - there are mountains there, but you might need to add a line none the less - or maybe draw the river a bit further into the mountains (or better, draw a couple of streams that fill the river from the mountains).

The auckland city thing is great this way!


It's not that clear that Whangai (red, top left) is bordering Rodney, so you might draw that line seperating Whangai and Kaipara a bit to the left.


Apart from that I noticed a problem: if you have that top left region (red), and Rodney, you have a region that has only one border, which is the main reason why we have a world modified.
This is actually a real problem, maybe its solved by giving it a bonus of just 1, but I want the opinion of more ppl on this, because I don't see how you can change the map structure easily to get rid of this problem.


(Edit: you might want to change the Otago bonus to 3 now)


The first time I saw this map I was a bit sceptic, but I really like your spirit, and am really curious about this map. Keep up the good work, it has alot of potential!!!

"Apart from that I noticed a problem: if you have that top left region (red), and Rodney, you have a region that has only one border, which is the main reason why we have a world modified.
This is actually a real problem, maybe its solved by giving it a bonus of just 1, but I want the opinion of more ppl on this, because I don't see how you can change the map structure easily to get rid of this problem."

What about moving the port of Tauranga to Far North?