Author Topic: LeftoverNoodles's Maps: #005 - Provincial City (Updated 08/08/2017)  (Read 8999 times)

Leftovernoodles

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I have a few of these now.  Figured I would create a consolidated thread.

I really enjoy playing on the larger 4x Mapsheet style boards.  However, it's been been frustrating in trying to find map sheets that work well together, or even Hex Terrain to buy in order to keep the game fresh.  So, I though I would try my hand at making my own maps.   As I am just learning how to use the tool involved, I opted to start by overlaying a game board on a satellite images.  Future maps I hope to try and draw something from scratch.

One of the challenges with the large format maps is getting them printed.  I have has good success with this Print-Shop in getting maps printed on vinyl for ~$60 with a discount code.  BattleTech map-sheets are two inches short of being ARCH-C size (18in x 24in). So if it's a 2x2, ARCH-E is the paper size you want to inquire about at a print-shop. Any place that prints architectural blueprints should be able to print this size for you.  If anyone has another recommendation please let me know in the comments.

Map #001: Frozen Pass (2x2)
Map #002: Hidden DropPort (2x2)

Map #003: Hot Gates (2x1)


Map #004: Othric Mons (2x2)


Map #005: Provincial City (2x2)
« Last Edit: 08 August 2017, 14:18:49 by Leftovernoodles »

pheonixstorm

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #1 on: 12 August 2016, 14:26:03 »
Nice map

Daryk

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #2 on: 12 August 2016, 17:28:36 »
Very pretty, but I have to ask: why did you draw contour lines for the level 3 and 4 terrain, but not the level 1 and 2?

Leftovernoodles

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #3 on: 12 August 2016, 19:27:35 »
Very pretty, but I have to ask: why did you draw contour lines for the level 3 and 4 terrain, but not the level 1 and 2?

I felt that most of the 1-2 was discernible from the context in the image.   I felt that there were enough points that would have several contour lines running in close proximity that it would create more hexes of confusion than it would clear thing up.   I also felt that adding another set of lines needed to be all or nothing.

The other alternative I had considered was to make the White/Snow Hexes all Level-2 and the Gray/Ground Hexes all Level-1, but after having stared at the images for hours on end, I figured that most players would be able to pick up on the snow/slow is level-2 and gray-flat is level-1.

Still need to see how it works out in play though.

Weirdo

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #4 on: 12 August 2016, 22:46:22 »
Okay, THIS is cool. I think I need to try this map out someday...
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Kret69

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #5 on: 16 August 2016, 06:53:52 »
Now I know what my next board will be. Thank You.

kuttsinister7

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #6 on: 22 August 2016, 12:11:52 »
Perfect for Alshain and any ice planet
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Leftovernoodles

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #7 on: 16 October 2016, 20:31:00 »

Bartholomew bartholomew

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Re: Frozen Pass HexMap -- Feedback Requested
« Reply #8 on: 16 October 2016, 23:00:42 »
I can't get mediafire to work. It just keeps playing games with me.

Leftovernoodles

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Re: Leftover Noodles Map Pack - Updated 12/31/2016 with "Hot Gates"
« Reply #9 on: 31 December 2016, 12:29:43 »
New Map!

Map #003: Hot Gates (2x1)


Also repurposed the Frozen Pass thread into a Map Pack Thread.

Weirdo

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Re: LeftoverNoodles's Map Pack - Updated 12/31/2016 with "Hot Gates"
« Reply #10 on: 03 January 2017, 09:46:36 »
What sizes(in inches) do these need to be printed at?
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"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
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I am Belch II

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Re: LeftoverNoodles's Map Pack - Updated 12/31/2016 with "Hot Gates"
« Reply #11 on: 04 January 2017, 08:10:43 »
Nice job. Maps look great.
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Leftovernoodles

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Re: LeftoverNoodles's Map Pack - Updated 12/31/2016 with "Hot Gates"
« Reply #12 on: 09 January 2017, 16:19:58 »
What sizes(in inches) do these need to be printed at?

Everything is in multiples of the standard maps.   

2x2 => 36"x44"
2x1 => 36"x22"


Leftovernoodles

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Re: LeftoverNoodles's Map Pack - Updated 3/04/2016 with "Othric Mons"
« Reply #13 on: 04 March 2017, 22:07:35 »
Map #004: Othric Mons (2x2)


This map has little to no full cover.   Was designed to play with both changing wind+weather and blowing sand.

Also,

Here are pictures of a couple of the maps in use..  In my, extremely biased, opinion they both played extremely well.
« Last Edit: 05 March 2017, 09:14:03 by Leftovernoodles »

Leftovernoodles

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Re: LeftoverNoodles's Maps: #004 - Othric Mons (Updated 3/04/2016)
« Reply #14 on: 08 August 2017, 09:50:17 »
Map #005: Provincial City (2x2)


I made a New Battletech HexMap, Provincial City.  Unlike my previous maps this one was completed made in Affinity Design, a vector authoring tool, as opposed to my previous approach of photoshopping aerial and satellite photography.  This was done in part because I couldn't source the assets to create the type of gameplay I was looking for, and the few city assets I could find were overwhelmingly grey and rather bland.   Like my previous map, Provincial City has only trace amounts of cover to put the focus on movement and positioning.

Weirdo

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Very nice!

Have you considered scaling up the labels a bit? As things stand right now, it looks like they'd be hard to read without getting up and leaning over the table.
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll

Leftovernoodles

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Very nice!

Have you considered scaling up the labels a bit? As things stand right now, it looks like they'd be hard to read without getting up and leaning over the table.

Do you have a specific Font / Size (on a 300dpi) that you think works best.   I ask because I have been experimenting with the labels size, font and outlines and each ones of the maps in the pack has used a slightly different labeling scheme.   So far I have seen that the printing medium (paper vs. vinyl) and finish (gloss vs. matte) has a larger impact on the over all readability thats the labels themselves.   I also see that the the choice of font also seams to have a major impacts and differers between the detailed satellite and vector images maps.    The dimension is that just given the size of the maps a player effectively has to stand over the table to count any play anyway.

Right now I am feeling that the labels are a secondary form for visual identification, with the isobars, colors, and textures making up the more important differentiators.  With the provincial city map the heights are effectively color coded, so we'll see how that goes.   My long term plan is see if I can come up with a way of printing on neoprene that I like and can afford.   Then once I feel like I have nailed down the printing processes optimize all the maps for that medium.

Weirdo

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If we call the current font size 10, I'd advise scaling it up to 14. For most people, the labels are the primary way to identify any hex that isn't a plain clear level 0 hex. My advice would be that everything else must be readable from 3-4 feet away. Gamers often don't have the best eyes, and we need to be able to read everything without squinting.
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll

NeonKnight

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Also, try changing the font color to black, with a white 'glow'. This may aid in readability.
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Leftovernoodles

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Here is a larger font version (124mb).  Font Size is 25% larger with the black outline being 20% thicker.   Larger font sizes made the word Hardened a tight fit.   I did try the Black text with a white glow, but it was much less legible on the darker hexes.
« Last Edit: 08 August 2017, 12:31:34 by Leftovernoodles »

worktroll

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That reminds me - very pleasantly - of an old SPI wargame called Sniper! Individual troop tactics in urban areas. Lots of claustrophobic fun.

Nice work! O0
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