New Zealand

Port's I chose I kept to ronalchns version which are real NZ ports.
I'm thinking also there might be some region confusion with the same color regions between the NI/SI and port connections.

Don't worry about that, I have just made a new version again on naathim's advice to change all the region colours to make each unique.

I will add Mackenzie label on next post that has labels.

These are suggestions for added territories to get past that forbidden range, that would seem good to add and would fit on land space in the map. Need 8, but there are 9 here.

South Island

x 1 Oamaru - Otago region

x 1 Stewart Island - Southland region

x 2 Haast / Hokitia / - Westcoast region

x 2 Marlborough territory could be divided between Nelson and Blenheim - Nelson/Marlborough region


North Island

x 1 Great Barrier Island - Auckland region

x 1 Hamilton - Waikato region

x 1 Napier - Hawke Bay region

Region color choice

As you know, the sport of rugby is like a religion in NZ. I had thought it would be a cool idea to have the team colors for those regions, in specific the 5 Super Rugby Teams.

Canterbury Red/black (Red)
Wellington Yellow/black (Yellow)
Waikato Red/yellow/black (Lighter red tone)
Otago Blue/yellow (Lighter blue tone)
Auckland Blue/White (Blue)

I will look into the region colour suggestion, remembering that certain colours can't be next to each other, plus the feedback to consider about not using repeated colours.

In the meantime, here is version 6 with a mini map added to help you with identifying regions, if you are looking to alter the territory numbers and connections. Gisborne, Auckland & Southland will have to be changed as they are the same names as territories.

Where is my Thames-Coromandel/Rodney connection to avoid those two regions being controlled by one territory?

I think that the font is not suitable for the map. Also, we should try to convince programmers to code the drop correction so we can make maps any size we want, and can stop worrying about forbidden zones. Even if a couple of maps get slightly delayed. It shouldn't be that hard... it's just an if

Yes this would be a good connection, well spotted Psymon.

Vexer stated in the staff forum that this "drop correction" was now on the list after a concern was raised about the unfair initial troop distribution. He would initially make all 12, 15 & 18 allocations into 11, 14 & 17 automatically, therefore eliminating the disallowed territory counts.

It is really difficult to add so many territories when a map is so close to its optimum figure and this reprogramming would really help.

Do you have any font suggestions?
I am just using the font Hoodlum was using before I took over graphics.

Not now, sorry. I'll try to look for something later.

Some remarks:
- I think the colours are too pale and washed out. I like where you are going with the brown though.
- The ports (Dunedin and Christchurch) are truly horrible. The regions already have so much borders, and the ports on the left (south) island are placed exactly on the few territories that would not be a border otherwise
- What's with the weird disk (in the texture?) in S. Taranaki?

Suggestions to prevent the double up of regions/territories.

Name Changes = Franklin to Hamilton (it isn't where franklin is, my mistake)
         Southland to Fiordland
         Auckland to Auckland city
         Gisborne to Urewera

@Hoodlum, thanks, I will alter these.

@Matty, the ports are not set in stone and were only put on for Hoodlum to work on game-play in case he wanted to add 8 territories, it would be difficult to discuss things without reference. These are real ports in NZ, but we can have them where we want or need them. LOL, I have to agree, there couldn't have been chosen more "already too cramped" territories to have additional ports on as well as being unnecessary port requirements. I will increase the colour vibrancy, but must be careful not to make them look like Lego or Kids Play Mat colours. Perhaps I will utilise more browns, is this what you have in mind?
The weird disk thing is on the satellite image, I assume it is a volcano or meteor crater.
Where I am a little confused is the statements of preferring the ronalchn map, this has really bright vivid colours, a wood veneer background, a wooden frame (wall map style), maximum contrast NZ images, flat white ports and embossed land, things we would mostly class as cheesy. If you could find what exactly is making you feel more comfortable with that map, it might help with developing this one? If this map is just too dark overall, I could brighten the background first and foremost!

The thing I like about the old new zealand map is not the technical problems you mentioned, it's the overall feeling it has, it feels kinda warm (yes, even with the icy blue region colours).

Sorry, I don't know really what it is that makes it feel different.

I think the only port that NEEDS moved is the one in Dunedin. Just switch it to Clutha. The one in Aukland could be switched to Rodney or Kaipara. But if you put in the connection line that Psymon mentioned it wouldn't be absolutely necessary.

I'd turn that island off the East coast, Great Barrier isn't it? into a territory like ronals. That way you can add a connection line through it and into Whangarei.

I'll shut up about the colors cause I don't really know how to express what I think needs to change about them. All I'll say is that it still doesn't look good to me and maybe switch the yellow out of Christchurch region. And that I love the shading around the borders, that looks really well done.

I'm with Matty about ronals map. I don't know why it's so eyecatching. Maybe just cause it's very bright  But I think maybe it's one of those things where the passion or excitement somebody put into the map really shown through. And like I said before his is more complex, more things to keep the eye busy, following connection lines, looking here, looking there.

Gameplay wise, your map doesn't have many good choke points. So many 2/3/4 regions, with 2/3/4 borders with no internal, non-bordering territories. I wouldn't play more than 2 or 3 people on it in a deathmatch. And caps maybe 5-6. So it'll make a good smaller map.

The islands are really unbalanced, which idk if that's a bad thing, but it's something to think about. So many little +1 territories on the NI while the SI has mostly bigger ones. So while everybody scrambles to get the +1's, there'll be little to no movement on the SI. I can see deathmatches turning easily into slaughter as everybody dukes it out on the NI (1's, 1's everywhere! lol) and the one left standing either wins by a landslide or stalemates it out with whoever built up slow on the SI. Which again, is not bad in and of itself, but I think that's how a lot of regular deathmatches will play out.

I think it would definitely be more of a small caps map, like the Dominican Republic map.

Don't listen so much to everybody else Aero. Nobody usually ends up happy that way. Why don't you make the map exactly how YOU want it to look. Then show it and see what people think or propose for adjustments. Too many cooks in the kitchen, and you're so good at this that I think it'll look fine.

Lord I'm a windbag. And I ain't even ate no baked beans lately!

Why should you change territory names that share name with its own region name?

@Psymon, purely for no confusion. It is difficult to tell if we are discussing a territory or a region.

@naathim thanks for all the feedback.