Lupus ferox wrote:It seems map lab has some non-negotiable rules about maps, like sea connection lines, water blockades, no lines over the overground, width of rivers, graphics quality, etc.
It also appears that these rules are more strict for Vox than for Lux.
Fine with me, but I would appreciate a list of these rules here in the forums so I won't make mistakes....
There's no "list of rules" that can be made as things change and people find new ways of doing things. We have to take maps on a case by case basis
I can tell you this, the mapLAB has absolutely no rules pertaining to "graphics quality," as you say. We don't make any demands regarding aesthetics or graphics choices. All of our comments are focused purely on making sure the
game-play is the best and clearest we think we can make it for the player.
Of that list that you made the only one that there is any sort of "rule" about is the sea connection lines. So let me take you through my testing process so you can understand where I'm coming from and why I'm asking you to add connection lines. In your wonderful world map you have 5 different kinds of borders, shown below:
Border 1:
The player comes across this border most often, can cross it. OK this is the standard country border.
Border 2
This one is right on the edge of the continents, it can be crossed. OK this is your standard continent border. Cool.
Border 3
Ok, so 2 countries separated by water. It gets pretty thin on the left side and there is a red line pointing to both countries. So what this says to me, the player, is that normally this kind of border I couldn't cross, but that red line is telling me that in this particular situation, I can. OK, so that's what connection lines look like in this map. Awesome. So anywhere I see a border not like border 1 or 2, I need to look for that line to see if I can cross. Got it.
Border 4
Ok, so this looks very similar to border 3. Wider water and no red line. As a player, I'm going to assume I can't cross here. WRONG! The map has a connection here, the player can cross. How is the player suppose to know that? It looks exactly like border 3 but without the red line. Confusing, unclear, and inconsistent.
Border 5
Mysterious 5th border, given that my last border assumption was wrong I'm not sure what this border means. It looks similar to the area between Sicily and North Africa and I can't cross there...hmmm Again, confusing, unclear, and inconsistent for the player.
So in the mapLAB we require that you fix any unclear and/or inconsistent borders. Our suggested solution is to provide connection lines over any borders that don't look like your standard country/continent borders. That way we can ensure that the player is 100% clear as to where they can attack and where they can't. But if you have a better solution to that problem, you're free to try it and we'll consider it as a better solution.
Again, ALL of the mapLAB's comments that we require you make are
ONLY our attempt to make the map as clear for the player as we think we can make it. They have nothing to do with aesthetics, nothing. We offer possible solutions to fix whatever problem there is, but you the mapmaker are free to try a different solution if you prefer. What we CAN NOT do, is just ignore the original problem. Unclear borders, is a problem.
MB