(https://sphotos-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1239603_4695594487899_576812595_n.jpg)
(https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1175610_4695322161091_616290768_n.jpg)
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/Products/tabid/58/ProductID/153/Default.aspx
Niko is a wonderfully talented graphic artist and has done some of the most impressive artwork to come out in wargames in quite some time. That said, my only issue with the map is strong white hex outlines in the "urban" areas. It's very distracting from the artwork - just too strong. Perhaps a light gray hex outline or maybe shade the hex itself in a light gray would of worked better. But, I don't know the game and there may be something in it that needed those hex outlines to really stand out the way that they do.
Gorgeous work. Do agree with GJK about the white borders.
Loving those counters. Agree with comments regarding the white hex sides.
pretty sure those hexsides are noting something particular about those hexes - victory, urban terrain, etc.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on September 12, 2013, 03:45:56 PM
pretty sure those hexsides are noting something particular about those hexes - victory, urban terrain, etc.
Sure, without a doubt. It's just too much of an annotation (IMHO). I think that a light gray, or a background filler in a muted gray hue in the hex itself might of worked better. Those hexes now almost look like they're magnified; I almost feel like I should see the handles of a little magnifying glasses attached to each of those white hex outlines. Maybe that's just me though.
They only happen in hexes with buildings. Never having played or even read the rules for the series are there special "urban" rules that need a clear marking on the map to insure they are enforced during game play?
Ok, here's how my minds eye sees it:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.garykrockover.com%2Fuploads%2FCrucible_Sample.jpg&hash=cf98aea687d68a0590c019ac509b4797f93ce4f6)
And in case my drawing is too crude to give you the right idea, its an elarged portion of the map drawn as an inset like this:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fej.iop.org%2Fimages%2F1367-2630%2F12%2F11%2F113006%2FFull%2Fnj367114fig1.jpg&hash=e8bf5036b6795da5810067307c2001b955225dda)
Never mind. I see what you did there GJK.
Quote from: GJK on September 12, 2013, 04:30:00 PM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on September 12, 2013, 03:45:56 PM
pretty sure those hexsides are noting something particular about those hexes - victory, urban terrain, etc.
Sure, without a doubt. It's just too much of an annotation (IMHO). I think that a light gray, or a background filler in a muted gray hue in the hex itself might of worked better. Those hexes now almost look like they're magnified; I almost feel like I should see the handles of a little magnifying glasses attached to each of those white hex outlines. Maybe that's just me though.
+1 I understand the purpose of the white border. It just seems overdone.
Quote from: Bison on September 12, 2013, 04:49:28 PM
Why does La Villeneuve have an extra building hex in the blow up that isn't in the original screen shot that Brant posted?
Because I copied the buildings and then shrank them and placed it on a blown up section of the map in order to give you my sample of what I see with those over done white hex borders.
Quote from: GJK on September 12, 2013, 04:53:51 PM
Quote from: Bison on September 12, 2013, 04:49:28 PM
Why does La Villeneuve have an extra building hex in the blow up that isn't in the original screen shot that Brant posted?
Because I copied the buildings and then shrank them and placed it on a blown up section of the map in order to give you my sample of what I see with those over done white hex borders.
Yeah. It clicked in my brain about 10 minutes after I posted the question.
Maybe it's a LOS mechanic?
Well it's easy to pick apart another persons map - you know what I mean if you follow "Board Game Maps" folder on CSW, but here's what I'm seeing:
1. Looks like the white hex outlines represent building/city terrain areas, probably as a defensive modifier. Why the building symbol alone isn't enough to represent that, I can't figure out why.
2. Notice also that certain areas have a white "circle" around them with a drop shadow to indicate height. I'm not a fan of this at all. Firstly, white to indicate elevation changes on a "photo-realistic" map looks too artificial to me, and secondly, the drop shadow looks ok if you're sitting at the south edge of the map but turn it over and the elevation looks like a depression. That flaw with the Photoshop drop shadow/bevel filter has been pointed out many times in said CSW folder. Same effect for the lake(s). They look like they are sunken in lake areas if you sit at one end of the map but if you sit at the other, they will look like elevated water. You can see what I mean below - here I've rotated the map around and have zoomed in to the lake area:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.garykrockover.com%2Fuploads%2FCrucible_Sample2.jpg&hash=bcab6880d46e37b14ac40f25a2eb3f51f55eef2c)
For the player on this side of the map, the lake appears to be a blue elevation. Notice also that the trees appear sunken because of the reverse of this same effect.
3. And again, look at the elevation around what I assume is a RR bridge on the southern portion of our map example. Here it is rotated 180 degrees as the player sitting on the opposite side of the table would see it. Does this look like an elevation to you?
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.garykrockover.com%2Fuploads%2FCrucible_Sample3.jpg&hash=639bf1b36067177c8c78769afcf056511e6a6a59)
I'll say again that Niko's skills blow mine away without doubt, but I think that this was a poor production from him. Certainly not up to his standards. I will say however, having designed maps for game designers, sometimes you are at their mercy and it depends on what they want and not neccessarily what you would want to do. Photoshop is a wonderful tool that has really taken boardgaming graphics to a whole new level, but it can also be a curse if you're not careful.
The lake really doesn't bother me as it doesn't really seem out of place compared to the other environmental effects;the trees, buildings. However I agree with the elevation marker. I assume that the solid line is the crest with the shaded white being the slope, but it does seem an odd design choice. This might be because I really like standard topographic symbols for terrain features such as elevation or rail/road cuts.