New Zealand

Wouldn't be false mountains, they're there IRL: http://maps.maphill.com/new-zealand/3d-maps/physical-map/physical-3d-map-of-new-zealand.jpg That's why I suggested them ^^ That lake was created by the largest volcanic eruption in the past 100,000 years or so. The mountains are there, they're just smaller and more explode-y. But, I do agree, that that is Hoods call.

yup they are there, and I hadn't used mountains in the north Island because A. I cant draw them, B. Don't think they would be used as impassibles, ronalchns map I used as part reference didn't use them. But if it helps with the balance of the map or whatever, Mountains mention would be keeping it real. MT Ruapehu with it's volcanic activity in recent years get's international media coverage. Well known NZ location

Okay that's cool, I am totally relying on Hoodlum for all the accurate geographic info and local knowledge, I only meant we can on any map use false mountains as non passable objects, even if they are not there and wanted Hoodlums view on using the ones suggested here and whether or not he wanted to utilise them for game-play or just for balance. They look very different to the South Island mountains, but If I first get those better suited everyone's concerns, I would like to make the North Island ones the same... for balance. Now that I have the go ahead, I will make them, but I am out gigging tonight, tomorrow and Sunday, so may not get anything done until Monday.

I have deleted the region and territory lines behind the mountains and reduced the mountain opacity to 70% to allow the background region colours to come through, representing vegetation growth into the rocks, also reducing the contrast with the map as suggested by Psymon. I added mountains of the same type to the North Island in the places where they are strongest as shown by naathim & Hoodlum. I utilised the natural gaps for game-play, therefore using the mountains to create non passable borders, which creates a couple of enclosed territories, which might help a little with Capitals and general game-play. Please look at the land game-play and see if you want me to open them back up? Remember that Hoodlum has ports set out which I will add soon. I increased the de-toner on the South Island to reduce the white mountains showing through on the topography as suggested by Psymon. I have increased the opacity of the regions to give a slightly brighter colour... not too much, as only one person remarked on these. If anyone wants the colours decreased to where they were, please state? @naathim, please suggest what you would like to be done with the region colours? I will also need feedback from other advisers regarding this, as nothing has been said about these apart from they are liked. I chopped out the beach areas of the big lake as they looked weird being a neutral colour, making the whole lake as water. @Hoodlum, I don't know if you noticed on the last update, but I elongated and narrowed the Spit, to be more like the satellite image and maps of NZ. I will put all 3 versions next to each other for reference to changes and development.[spoiler=New Zealand 1][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/map_resources/NewZealand/NewZealand1.png[/img][/spoiler][spoiler=New Zealand 2][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/map_resources/NewZealand/NewZealand2.png[/img][/spoiler][spoiler=New Zealand 3][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/map_resources/NewZealand/NewZealand3.png[/img][/spoiler]

I like it a lot! I like where you have placed the mountains in the NI just not so sure about accuracy as I am more familiar with the South Island, but according to the both references by me and naathim it looks sweet. I wish syg could make a comment on this as he's from up North and if it feels right to him. I noticed right away how the changes to the mountains blended with the land and don't overpower as much. I hadn't noticed the spit was elongated a bit more btw but gj. I think it looks much more balance, lovin' how this is turning out.

I would stress the need for the snow caps in the South Island as the Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa which poetically translates to "Land Of The Long White Cloud" and this is what you see as you approach from the sea. As far as mountains in the North Island go it would be more accurate to have them through the middle between Manawatu (green region) and Hawkes Bay (blue region) and also splitting Waikato (pink region) just above lake Taupo but not stretching too far up. The main reason for this is that State Highway 1 runs up the left side of the island and State Highway 2 up the right so in terms of travel this would represent it more accurately. One more initial thought is with regards to Lake Taupo. If you imagine the North Island as an upside-down Stingray you will see Wellington harbour at the bottom of the island as the mouth with the sides being the wings and the top as the tail. So Lake Taupo is seen as the heart of the fish which is culturally significant so although it won't affect the gameplay it would be a nice reflection of the local culture. All in all, the map looks great and you have done a fine job so far (Y)

Hmmm. In terms of color and texture I think prefer the previous version. But that's just personal taste, there's nothing wrong with the newest version. I just really loved the texture on the South Island. I can see where it was a bit distracting because it didn't match with the much flatter North Island. They are more even now. I do think adding the mountains to the North Island balances the look out. I'd make the mountains a little less opaque. The underlying color really bleeds through, especially the red on the South Island. I honestly thought they looked really well in the previous edition. As for colors, I'd say you have a better grasp on that than me!! I'm awful with picking colors. I just think it'll look better as a whole once you get rid of the LEGO colors and move to a regular color scheme. The Falklands is a really pretty map when you get right down to it. And has a fair bit of similarity to this one. So idk if you'd want to try and make it look similar or choose something to really set them apart. Really looks well overall.

Just for future reference, there could be a confusion for the map maker with opacity. Opaque means "solid / no transparency". To make something "less opaque" would be to make it "more transparent". I believe you meant make it more opaque as you stated that you "preferred the previous" and it was more opaque then & it is less opaque now. That aside, Psymon has stated that they were too contrasting with the map and I am inclined to agree with him. The only problem with making them semi transparent, is that the background colours show through, even though only slightly in places, but turn the white into slight colour. It does however resolve the contrast problem and blends with the land better. I will wait for Psymon to see the adjustment and if he thinks they should increase slightly in opacity, then I will make it so. I will address Sygmassacre's suggestions when I can get time after work to add some labels to know exactly where the regions are that he is talking about.

hehe, yep that's what I meant :)

I like better the v2, but the mountain ranges in the South Island seem to stand out too much. Maybe a specific fix for those mountain ranges, so the North Island is not so plain as in v3?

The mountains on second one are best. The texture on the land there can use some work though (3 is better for texture, but a bit too bright I think).

okay, I assumed the colours needed to be brighter when naathim originally said "I hope you are not keeping these colours", but have since learned, he just doesn't like them and thinks they suggest "Lego colours". I actually tried to stay close to colours used on ordnance survey maps, but these are normally just sprayed boundary colours and not fully filled as in most game maps. By increasing the opacity of the regions to achieve richer colours, the topography texture gets reduced in clarity. I guessed I had dropped the opacity of the mountains too much, but better to be extreme and take it back, as it shows advisers the difference in the 2 extremes and usually calls for a compromise in between. Okay, I know what you all want now, except the colours naathim, I will need a bit of example or suggestion for these as a lot of people like them. I will adjust the mountains in the North Island to account for Sygmassacre's local knowledge, readjust the opacities and repost it.

LOL By all means keep those colors if other people like them. I just thought you were using them for filler until you developed a final color scheme. I'm just one person stating an opinion! Don't listen to me!

@naathim, I take your feedback very seriously, it is always a valued opinion. Which is why I try my best to understand what you require. I have put the opacity of the land regions back where they were, I kept the de-toner for the south island which was to eliminate the white mountings looking like sea foam, which is more apparent now that the topography texture shows through more. I raised the opacity of the mountains by 10% which is still a little below where they were when they were too contrasting. I moved the mountains in the North Island to the positions suggested by Sygmassacre, or at least where I assume he meant with his description and used the satellite images to match which ranges I assume he was talking about. Some are just meant for continuation and balance, not game-play.[spoiler=New Zealand 4][img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/map_resources/NewZealand/NewZealand4.png[/img][/spoiler]

It would be handy if syg could draw a quick diagram of these suggestions. I got the same for the bottom part. The other bit I'm baffled, as I don't think I see mountain ranges in the places I think Syg is talking about Here are some links for the highways mentioned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_State_Highway_1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_State_Highway_2