Brethren Coast

When I zoom out, the territory tags are not very readable, they looks a bit too pale, but maybe it's because of that addition of colours that you want to reduce. [spoiler=Geographical warning: those rivers are unrealistic.]Few rivers on the Earth have estuary mouth and they usually have great quantity of water at high speed (mostly in equatorial areas). Normal rivers bring the land to their mouths forming deltas or structures of various shapes ([url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/EbroRiverDelta_ISS009-E-09985.jpg]example[/url]). Also, rivers are supposed to born from mountains, the orange region seems to be a plain with tree farmings, rivers should go through the whole area, and also, if you are going to draw them, they usually form [url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Rio-cauto-cuba.JPG/800px-Rio-cauto-cuba.JPG]meanders[/url] on the plains. Plus, I never seen a map with the river names written on the sea, they normally are on the land.[/spoiler] Also, I agree with what has been said by Cbt about "Deamon Causeway". Maybe it can be written in 2 lines on the left side of the "octapus"? Apart from that pretty amazing look.

Thank you for the river information The_Bishop. [quote=The_Bishop]I never seen a map with the river names written on the sea[/quote] [spoiler=I was seeing a lot of maps like these][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/rivers-fiords.png[/img][/spoiler]They were probably only the Fiords that were listed over the sea. Sometimes I do silly things and don't know why I did them!! LOL Octopus! OCTOPUS!! Just for you The_Bishop [spoiler=Octopus][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/Octopus.png[/img][/spoiler] @cbt711, on the Sea Names, I tried a small drop shade exactly as you suggested and played and played and... you get the picture, but it always made the text more unreadable, so I opted for less opacity and smaller size as also suggested. @V98, I only put the rivers there for effect like the other background graphics, I really didn't want the names readable, they would confuse the game. I have made a new mini map without the map name on it, ready for if / when I turn it into a worn mini map, let's see if people prefer the mini map normal or a real looking folded map? I have reduced the colour saturation and sorted out the region edge spray, I have also changed the territory label text effect and opacity to; hopefully better suit the map? I also made some of the rivers meander and put their names onto the land. I might not keep the rivers though. Oh and I left the circles off for now so everyone can see and analyse the map better. [spoiler=Brethren 5][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/Brethren5.png[/img][/spoiler][spoiler=Brethren 6][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/Brethren6.png[/img][/spoiler]

LOL Ops, sorry! In fact it doesn't look like an octopus! :D But it was the first noun that came up in my mind...

That is just flat out impressive Aero. I like the colors, border shading, and font size on 6, and the map on 5.

I can't advance with this unless I get some feedback.

I prefer the folded minimap. Looks are extremely good in my opinion, I'm all for colour in a map, but this one is seriously good, and it hardly has any :)

I agree with Matty! And I think it was what Cbt wanted to say: Version #6 it's okay, with the folded minimap as in #5. But who knows... Fendi is the boss, she decides!

The map is beautiful indeed and well executed but it's still missing that something extra that I don't know what (yet). However it is good enough to be added to the site and be played on. The graphic part can always come later when that missing something is figured out. But I have a tiny issue. I'm not sure if it's only me or not but I'm having a hard time reading the region names on the mini-map. Is it possible to increase the size by 0.5 percent or somehow make them more readable? I agree with Matty, the mini-map on [url=http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/Brethren5.png]Brethren5[/url] looks the best and is pretty cool.

Beautiful. Maybe the thing Fendi's talking about... bring out the background images a TAD. There's such great detail in there and it's awful difficult to see/make out. Shore farm needs to connect with Deer plateau or Orchard bay and black forest to blye abbey or highland or burial gates to wasteland. It looks like it'd be awkward to maneuver on the map to me. But you never can tell until you play. Such creativity for the territory names but the region names are 'bog' and 'forest'? That seems to fall a bit short.

I agree with naathim. I like the background images as they were in previous versions when you could see them better. I understand that your goal is to make a map that looks old so you have faded everything (except the region boundaries). And you have already pointed out that this somewhat conflicts with making a clear risk map. What I suggest is instead of making the map look like it's a 300 year old map from 1714. Show us what a map made in 1714 looks like after 10 years of use on a ship in 1724. It would be the old style and quite worn but not so faded. I'm not talking about a significant change. Just a bit of sharpening up so that it's more readable.

Sharpening it all like a New ancient map is easy. However, I was last night working on a method I developed to decrease the land outline & region border opacities and increase the territory dividers, as they are all the same layer but of course at two different brush thicknesses. The reason was because there was a problem of not being able to distinguish the territory dividers when trying to make the map uniformed in contrast & wear and IMO I had it near perfect which I think was what Fendi was looking for. The whole map itself became more 2D and uniform in real look and risk playability. So, what I shall do is put that version and the sharpened contrasting version on here tonight. I won't make the mini-map yet until the map is decided upon as it is the last thing to do and it has been made clear by all that the folded mini-map is what is wanted. I will put the new text on both of the mini-maps in each version for approval of readability & suitability, you just have to remember that the mini-map itself (not the text) will be just like the one in Brethren 5. To conclude, there will be 2 new map versions posted and both will also have the new mini-map text for separate approval.

I have barely been on here recently due to some issues with the wife. [spoiler=personal][spoiler=you've been warned][spoiler=last chance]As in I don't have a wife anymore haha.[/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler] But I keep getting on to check this thread. I have focused from maps to tattoos in my graphic ventures lately. Not that I don't LOVE making d12 maps, but good lord there have been a lot lately, and I have noticed Fendi / Vexer feeling saturated with new maps. I love this one because it can't saturate the site, there is nothing like it, yet it is easily the quality we expect here, and when thrown into the black background game page, it would look amazing imo, so it really works here.

Okay, I will ease up on new maps after this one and just focus on sorting any D12 required graphics alterations and assisting other map makers. Here are the 2 versions I promised: 7a) Is the 2D version I hoped to achieve that looks more uniform. 7b) Is the sharp version that could be a new map in ancient times. I am not sure about the levels of opacity / strength as there are so many objects to balance up, but I've aimed for bringing the background drawings into focus as requested and emboldening the outlines and text. I think this causes too much chaos on the screen and detracts the eye, but that's just my opinion. As mentioned earlier, take no notice of the mini-maps they are true miniatures, but the folded effect will replace them. Please check the mini-map text for suitability and readability? [spoiler=Brethren 7a][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/Brethren7a.png[/img][/spoiler][spoiler=Brethren 7b][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/frame/Brethren7b.png[/img][/spoiler]

I definitely prefer 7a. The font for 7b is far too flashy and the lines are too dark, which detracts from the theme.

I'd like it somewhere in between but closer to 7a. Everything on 7a just needs a little more opacity (like 5 or 10%). I can only assume that 7b was designed to be extreme and therefore off putting since what you really want is 7a.