Australasia

Thanks Hood, that makes a big difference. To avoid requiring a bounding box, it might be better to straighten the text for the bonus info in the mini map. Right now it is the same as the region names [i]Italic[/i]. The sea labels seem just about the right tone and colour, but at this setting they look blurred. I think I can see that they have an outer dark glow? That would be what is causing the blurred effect. I can't remember if it was suggested and or tried to swap over the colours of Southern Oz with Western Oz and swap VIC & TAS with NT? I can't be bothered to trawl through both threads to find out if it was tried. If not, would you agree that there would be much less colour clash and more distinction? I also think that the light blue of PNG is throwing the whole map out of colour balance. All your other colours are quite Earthy except that one. After swapping the Oz colours, the map would be more balanced with another Greenish colour there. There are two things I particularly like about this map: The Earthy colours of Oz and the Silver Fern texture & colour of NZ. Does anyone else think that the island of New Guinea always looks like a very old turkey having a rest (facing left) ? [spoiler=for reference][img]http://oi67.tinypic.com/o9gxt4.jpg[/img][/spoiler]

rofl. never saw the turkey. I always thought that australia looked like a dog (west) / cat (east) and I just googled it and I am not the only one.

Oh wow hood, this looks much prettier!! The right side of the map, the ocean looks too dark? I'm assuming it's just because there's more blue being juxtaposed with the lighter colored australia on the left. Kind of swallows up the Melanesia islands. I just don't think the New Guinea bonuses will work at +1, even with that bonus for holding both. It just doesn't seem fair. And it makes them unappealing to take I think. But sometimes maps are better with a little bit of unfair regions. Anybody else have an opinion? Maybe just go ahead and make them and NZ as +2's. It feels like the islands are way under bonused compared to the mainland. Honestly, every region, but WA could be +2 :D Anywho, the bonuses do probably need rebalanced and addressed. Sorry I'm not being much help, just saying, FIX IT lol. I feel like the Mulga Mallee connection would maybe be better going to Tasmania vs. Patpa. But... idk then it seems like things are too connected. It's probably alright as it is.

[quote]naathim: I think it looks like a fun little map to play on! I will say that the saminess of the 2 bonuses is a little of a negative for me. But that's a very minor thing. Is there any better name than 'Peninsula'? lol those kinds of names get me down :P There's still the connection/path blocking/chokepoint problem. But it's a smaller map, so that's to be expected. The Goolburi/New Caledonia/Maui connection saves it for me. I'd say play with the territories a little. Maybe take out Chatham? Make NZ a +1, maybe add a territory to the northern territory or western australia? Try and get away from the sameness of +2+2+2. Maybe add a connection line from Mulga to Patpa? Not NEEDED, but might open up the west a little.[/quote] lol naathim.

Wow, a lot better now. Small thing, no time to look preciesly, but you seem to have forgotten the +1 on the minimap. Or maybe just the 1 and not the +? I agree with the bonusses being arbitrary.

[spoiler=Version 4][img]http://oi67.tinypic.com/29zc742.jpg[/img][/spoiler] the text chosen is already italicized. I fitted in a bounding box if we keep the bonus. dark glow taken off the sea text. The colours gave me a headache lol. always one territory not quite working I switched Western OZ with South OZ, which I prefer, I see Western Australia as a yellowish dry grass colour where as the south is more rained and green. I tried the VIC & TAS switch with NT, but it didn't look quite balanced having a small reddish area down south and a lighter colour in the north. Representitavely, I like the red in the outback..red dirt..https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outback got rid of the baby blue PNG and chose a green tone. lightened up the right side of the background where the islands were. As for bonuses, connections. I haven't changed, since there is indecision, If ya could settle on it, I will add the values. ATM Me and CBT are decided on the bonus. rest undecided.

lol I know I suggested them in the first place! that's why I feel so bad!! You could probably keep NG the way it is now. It adds some interest, a little bit of trick play. The regions are still undervalued, but with the extra bonus, probably not by enough to really impact gameplay. Especially since it'll just be a two border combined region. NZ and Melanesia... NZ I would definitely recommend taking back to a +2. That'll make it on par with the Australia bonuses. Melanesia, only has two borders, so I think it's fair as it is as a +2.

For Papua, I'd say 1 for West, 2 for East. Just because is Daru is a bigger chokepoint and a combined 4 is too much and get rid of the extra bonus (it looks like we have to put one in each map). The rest seem fine at 2.

The colours look fantastic now Hood. New Guinea, is very nice now. I agree with the dusty, dry grass look of the West, things like this are what guide our choices of colours in natural looking maps. I also thought it would be a shame to get rid of the Red Soil colour of Central Oz, a world recognised geological association (who doesn't recognise Ayers Rock?!). I was trying to separate the similar colours of NSW & VIC, but they are distinguished by tone and I also think that it is a nice look for the map as it is now. I doubt it will cause any confusion in play. The sea labels look much clearer without the glow. The bounding box is great if you decide to keep the special bonus. I didn't see the darker effect of the background on the right, but different people's focus is different due to their outlook / minds eye. It was a good point and I agree that the change has made the small islands more distinctive and brighter in colour. I'll let you all play with the bonuses for a while now and come back soon. Anyone had a go at the Cap's yet? Top Notch work mate!

Adjacent map for value suggestions. I've had a try with caps, path # steps, adjancencies into account. [spoiler=adjacent values for region bonus calculation][img]http://oi66.tinypic.com/2ivd9he.jpg[/img][/spoiler] [spoiler=Caps 2-5][img]http://oi67.tinypic.com/2a7h280.jpg[/img][/spoiler] [spoiler=Caps 6-9][img]http://oi65.tinypic.com/23r68gy.jpg[/img][/spoiler] EDIT: Otautahi = 2 Mulga Mallee = 4value incorrect..

Adjacencies: I'm seeing 3 for Wewak I'm seeing 3 for Merauke I'm seeing 6 for Western Desert I'm seeing 4 for Mulga Mallee I'm seeing 7 for Patpa Warra Yunti I'm seeing 2 for Outautahi I haven't had a good look at the Cap suggestions yet, but Bishop is "mustard" on these.

Thanks for all the feedback, I've enjoyed the process and interest taken. I like how it looks. [spoiler=Correct adjaceny values][img]http://oi64.tinypic.com/125ieyh.jpg[/img][/spoiler] I've had another calculation analysis with the values and ended up with the same reasoning. I like the papua bonus. It's a small map, and plain map otherwise. There aren't any impassable's or ports, and the map is quite easy to follow, not too much to be confused with. Also the Papua special game play, kind of has focus on Papua...why is that landmass divided in two? Are they two different countries? I think 2+2 = 4 for the Papua super region (both Papuas) is a bit much, and 1+1 is too low, but +3 seems just right. Two side by side spots (Merauke and Daru) can easily defend all of Papua. Psymon's suggestion i don't mind, but I prefer the Papua bonus aspect to keep it interesting. I think there is the same predicament with NZ and VIC&TAS. A super region can be held by holding 2 spots being Te Ika a Maui (NZ) & Tumbukka (VIC & TAS) +3 for a combination seems right. So I like that NZ with a 1 value. West Australia 3 because of the larger amount of territories. QLD 3 because it has an extra territory and also a two 7 adjacency territories. although Melanesia has 4 territories as QLD does, it only had to defend 2 territories and it's not effected so much by travel traffic. therefore justified at a 2 bonus Rest of the regions 2.

I don't like the extra bonus because 1) it will be most surely be missed by many players, 2) it's the same situation than VIC/TAS+NZ, and don't like it to be incoherent. And there is nothing plainer than Caribbean and look how well it works, I mean, a map without special bonus is not boring by itself!

In the meantime while waiting for bonus feedback. redid the labels..noticed a spelling mistake in my birthplace of all places lol - similarish font, and fixed up some background pixels. [spoiler=version 5][img]http://oi68.tinypic.com/358bgc9.jpg[/img][/spoiler]

Labels are better now. With mini map bonuses and main map circles, I always imagine the balance of weight of a Region / Territory between four sectors. This gives you an aesthetic centre of gravity. I have placed some lines that roughly dissect the weight balance, on the mini map, so that you can see how it will look more aesthetic if you balance the bonuses. Basically, you need to locate the centre of the bonus number with the centre of gravity of the region. Sometimes even 1 pixel makes a big difference. [img]http://www.the-inkstore.co.uk/map_resources/mini-map-balance.jpg[/img]