East Indies

@Hood, I too was a victim of file loss recently as well as all my programs set up just the way I want them. I was lucky enough to be able to rescue my drive. I had to buy a 500Gb external hard drive which was £40 = 77 Aus Dollars. Now all I do is, when I think I really need to keep that safe, I copy it to the external as well. Every few months I will also do a file back up, which is all files. Most people are using Clouds now, but from what I can see, they cost a rental fee and I don't like the idea of my files being on someone else's computer. I will post my information about your map soon guys.

[spoiler][img]http://www.bluemelon.com/photo/5383583.jpg[/img][/spoiler] I add an update because I was very bugged by the different thickness of the Myanmar-Thailand border related to all the other borders on the region.

Thanks Psymon, I didn't want to appear too picky on my first appointment, but I noticed the slightly thicker looking border in Mayanmar as well as a thinner one in Kendari which you have also corrected when you retouched all the borders. That's what I like about working with Psymon, he notices the fine details that put the finesse into a map. I will get back to this thread very soon.

I too don't want my personal files to be on some cloud server, although uploading a file to the cloud is easier than plugging in an external harddisc. On the map I'm a bit torn. Technically it looks extremely good, but the colours are a bit dirty. Especially the yellow region numbers feel just weird. But it's not only the numbers, it's basically the entire map. Ignore me if you like, I'm way too late with saying this I guess, and if others disagree that's fine. I'm no carthographer (luckily). But I figured I should just say it, that's it.

Matty, I'm with you. I don't know why but the map doesn't look as good as it should. Let me try a couple of things. [spoiler][img]http://www.bluemelon.com/photo/5383596.jpg[/img][/spoiler] I cleaned a bit the background. The problem is that the texture is merged so it's not easy to modify it as is. Do you see any improvement?

I see a difference, but unsure about improvement. The minimap numbers look worse, I kinda miss the brightness of the inside of the texture, but the borders look less mossy (moss, not mess, although it also looks less messy).

I can't tell any difference between the two. I think in this case, the thicker land borders hurt the map because there are so many smaller land masses and islands. And the texture/blur only emphasizes the problem. But it is what it is, and I still think it looks fine. The more you stare at it and nitpick at it, doesn't necessarily mean it will make it better. Don't go second guessing yourself too much.

A good way to spot the differences is to open them beside eachother in two tabs and then switch to and from. In this case the brightness of the background texture is changed.

Brightening the background slightly has made an improvement to the whole map, because now the effects are more contrasting and therefore the connection lines and text appear sharper.

So I added some touch ups to the map: - I switched the colours of Maluku, Papua and Java. The reason for this is that Maluku is so small and spread out that it almost went unnoticed, so I wanted to give it a colour that stood out more - Added some texture to the land and background and played around with the settings a bit to give it a rough like appearance. - I decided to remove the shadows because I felt like it was cluttering the map a bit and since there are a lot of tiny islands on this map it made things look worse. Another reason was because the lack of space. Territory circles and the labels make this map look busy due to the partly small territories on some areas so removing the bold/strong colour will hopefully make those busy areas a bit clearer. I will work a bit on the text and redo the mini-map, among other things. What do you think? Original: http://www.bluemelon.com/photo/5383596.jpg Fendi's: http://s2.postimg.org/hp5zh3f49/East_Indies_Fendi_2.jpg

Overall, it looks very good. Those labels will need some distinction, as you said you still have to work on them and the mini-map. Do you want a job as a cartographer? The money is rubbish, the hours are endless, but it's really rewarding to see your hard work get a bit of positive support?! I like the lighter outline, it is less contrasting on this map. I don't think the land outer shadow is required now anyway as the transition to the sea is more subtle. The connection lines are much better now too, they are less bold and yet still nice and clear. The texture enhances the colours with more vibrancy & liveliness. I think Hoodlum & PsymonStark will be pleased with the new direction of the map. I am a fan of hand drawn looking maps and this definitely fits the bill.

<3

So here's the map after some more touch ups. I changed the text a bit and added a new mini-map. [spoiler=Without Circles][img]http://s16.postimg.org/i9f40mx43/East_Indies_Fendi_3.jpg[/img][/spoiler] [spoiler=With Circles][img]http://s18.postimg.org/o9old7kuf/East_Indies_Fendi_3_circles.jpg[/img][/spoiler] Some territory names may need to be moved a bit as well as some circles. [spoiler= @ Matty]Best feedback I've ever received. lol[/spoiler]

I notice when using postimg.org, the link they provide is temporary. working links below [spoiler=working link Fendi's edit][img]http://oi62.tinypic.com/30jp6gx.jpg[/img][/spoiler] [spoiler= with circles] [img]http://oi60.tinypic.com/taj692.jpg[/img][/spoiler]

Looking fab Fendi. There is a tiny thing, Malaysia text in the mini-map has a darker background. Do you think this is enough contrast for these circles? I think it's right on the cusp. [spoiler=East Indies Feedback reference][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/resources/East_Indies_feedback.jpg[/img][/spoiler] At certain angles the colours blend more.