Crazy Europe: House of Habsburg

[Hepps]

Here's a bit more of Italy and its surrounds....

Work continues.

[Frostion]

@Hepps and @CrazyG
I really think that a tiny bit of texturing would lift the graphics up to a higher level.

Also, I think there are some minor border lines that should be clearer for the players. Like the connection from the deep sea above Sicily to the shore west of Sicily. I think this “passage” should be more visually obvious. I tried to redraw the border.

And if the top of Sardinia, and the sea invasion possibilities, should be more obvious, then maybe my drawn red line could work. Otherwise, and if it fits the map, maybe the orange could work.

Just want to help!

[General_Zod]

@Frostion @Hepps

I like the way it coming out, very nice. The stars will be very helpful too, nice addition.

Yeah I also thought some of the borders of invasion beaches was slightly confusing. Although some of them also make it an extra sea zone to sail, which might be a god thing too. Hard to say until its played more, which I'm sure it will since it's such an appealing map (many ignore off putting maps regardless of play quality).

If can make a request on texture, try to keep it 50% zoom friendly for those of us who like big picture and territory tab style play .

[Cernel]

@frostion I'd say red. Makes sense that Corsica to S.Sardinia is a longer way to go.

This also reminds me that, at this scope, I would definitely consider adding the Elbe island (representing all the Tuscan Archipelago), but only if you add Cefalonia too.

[Hepps]

This has been more work than I intended... That being said... I now have all the coastal outlines done and the internal connections are much easier.

Work has picked up momentum significantly. Crazy I shall continue to plow through this as quickly as I can.

Here is a bit of a preview...

[prastle]

@hepps can I add more carrots to prompt you forward? Nice stuff

[Hepps]

@prastle Going well Pras... Scotch not carrots would help.

Should be at 50% by tomorrow morning.

[prastle]

@hepps that requires a drive to boonie land :0

[Cernel]

@hepps It always is... it always is...

The map looks very nice, and demostrates that you don't even need relief to have a very good looking map, except that I'm not getting why the Dardanelles are so much wider than the Bosphorous. I know that in some games you have a canal in the Bosphorous and not in the Dardanelles, and also at this time you have some Turkish forts more in there, with some big cannons pointed at the sea, but I think that, whatever the rules, the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus should go the same way, because they are geographically about the same deal.
They used to be called the Straits of Saint George, in medieval times, at least in Venice, but I don't know if the name stuck until this age.

[Hepps]

@cernel Purely has to do with placements Cernel.

Also there is nothing to prevent setting both Sea connections up as canals or straits. CG designed the map in such a way that both are possible. I am trying to keep the overall structure of the map consistent with the original and trying to keep unit placement quantities in mind while making revisions. Having adequate placements per Terr. or S.Z. is of greater importance than exact geographical representation.

[Hepps]

Central parts of Europe are certainly more spacious with the reduction in the line widths.

[Hepps]

Closing in on the finish line.... maybe 10% of the map left to do.

Here's another teaser....

[General_Zod]

@hepps Will it be ready for play tonight? Would be worth waiting for.

[Hepps]

@general_zod Well given that Crazy G is going to have to redo all the placements and polygons.... I wouldn't hold my breath.

[General_Zod]

@hepps What... you mean your not full service

[General_Zod]

@general_zod I could do the polygons if you get the files to me in time. But no rush. I don't wanna chase open pixel if I rush ya.

[Hepps]

@general_zod I'm full of something.

[CrazyG]

I think I can re-use centers then auto fill polygons and place (I can do a better place at a later date). After that I can reuse most of the XML, I only need to add or delete a few options.

Its also possible I'll scrap the whole thing and spend all night angrily recreating it.

[Hepps]

@crazyg Yup. That should work for almost the entire map... I think between us we Have only changed and added a couple of territories. Should be a pretty quick process once I done.

[Frostion]

It looks great. I really hope there will be a tiny bit of texture mixed into the colored territories, just like in the test picture.

I think there are some borders in the Spain section of the map that could be moved a bit to make the movement possibilities more obvious. It could maybe prevent “surprise” attacks that players could not predict at first glance, but that the AI and veteran players know of. I have marked new borders with red.

PS: I have one or two borders in the Iron War map that I would really like to be different. But as the graphically work is so time consuming and troublesome I will probably never fix it. So just a heads-up before you move on to other map focuses