Crazy Europe: House of Habsburg

[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

[CrazyG]

@frostion
Fair point. I approve both of those suggestions.

If anyone else spots things like this, please point them out now while the map files are already in flux.

[Cernel]

@frostion Those are good catches, because, while they are good enough as is, it restricts what you can do with the relief tiles.

[Hepps]

@crazyg @Frostion Changes done.

[Hepps]

The map is more or less done now. I am just running through the detail tests to ensure there are no stray pixels and that all lines are fully connected.

Should be ready for you @CrazyG by tomorrow night. Have been super sick so I haven't been doing much of anything as I could not even sit up straight.

Here's a look...

@CrazyG You will notice I made some slight alterations to St. Petersburg and surrounds including adding Lake Peipus just to create some interest in that area with the lake blocking several territory connections.

Let me know what you think.

[CrazyG]

Change is fine by me, I'm looking forward to starting

[Hepps]

@crazyg Well if you like that then hopefully you will like what I've done in Scandinavia as well.

Added Lakes Vanern and Vattern.

Should create some interesting situations between the Sweds and Marks.

[Hepps]

I also added 2 other island groups to a separate layer. Since they were not in the map and I had no idea whether it would interest you or not.

The Channel Islands. (While this is probably insignificant to this MOD, I thought it might be more significant to a different MOD... I don't know... say a.... umm just to take a guess.... a WWI MOD).

I also have the Aland Islands.... while pretty insignificant from a production point of view... could be of some use to create more give and take as well as potentially being used to create a Strait connection to limit movement as well as creating more back and fourth opportunities.

Let me know what you think and I will either include or exclude them from the final draft.

[Frostion]

@hepps I see yet another border drawing that creates a tiny passage that could lead to players not noticing a threat In the south-east of the Aland Islands water to the Gulf of Finland the connection is very slim. MAybe the border should just be + shaped or maybe redrawn a bit?
Its a super good move to make the map WW1 ready

[Hepps]

@frostion The example was just for planting the seed. Should "Germanica Dementia" descide he likes the addition of the Island chain.... then I'm sure the Coastal and SZ arrangement would need to be fine turned for better clarity.

[Hepps]

@frostion To be honest this is a lot more of the kind of thing I had in mind.

[CrazyG]

I'm fine with all those lakes/ islands

I think the channel islands ought to be drawn a little bigger though
The Aland islands hould have the second rendition

[Hepps]

@crazyg As you command my liege.

[Hepps]

@crazyg Is this to your satisfaction My Lord?

Before....

After...

[Hepps]

And lastly.... in the same vein as the channel Islands.... perhaps it would be prudent to include Scapa Flow for a MOD of a different era.

[CrazyG]

Looks great to me

[Hepps]

Map is 100% complete.

It is now all in the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor.

[Frostion]

@hepps The Crazy German Holy Roman Emperor