The South Will Rise Again! (WIP)

[timallen]

I have been working on various maps for VPG over the last several months, but he project that is the strangest is for a map for this game. "The South Will Rise Again!" Its a hex based, man-to-man combat game, set in the US Civil War....with Zombies!

It took me quite a while before I was happy with the quality of the textures and patterns, especially for the wheat field. But I think the overall effect works.

The game is still in development, so the map may well change. But you get the idea.

[Steel General]

Is that a 'zombified' J.E.B. Stuart?

[rdanhenry]

I serious hope that contrary to the text, no players will be killed or wounded in the course of this game.

Overall I like the layout, but feel the lower right corner is a bit awkward. You could get yourself a little extra space to work with if you move the "RANGE" box label to the lower right of the box, allowing the box to be made somewhat less tall.

ZEB ATTACK: 3-5 result reads "gappled" where I believe "grappled" is intended.

THE 'TURNING' TRACK: "is equal to are greater than" should be "is equal to or greater than".

[timallen]

Thanks for pointing those errors out. I'll get them on the next version.

The designer added in some more stuff on the tables, and requested a map key be added. So I had to drop the zombie portrait.

[timallen]

Gaa! This map is driving me nutz...or rather the game designer is. Now he wants a map with hexes as large as possible. So I made up this version. The tables and charts are now on a separate sheet.

[Lukc]

It looks complex, though the map is yay nice.

[timallen]

Well, this game Still hasnt been published. In fact I thought the project was dead until I heard from the developer and designer the other day. They wanted the map to have a more blasted look, so I took the opportunity to overhaul the map and change the patterns, which I now feel were rather heavy on the older version. I also used a new open style of hex grid and tried to tone down the hex numbers which were "popping" a bit too much, IMO. So now its looking like this. Still have to change the Terrain Chart. I'm still not super happy with it, but the designer likes the new look.

[generalhead]

The hay field and green on the old map were a little heavy. You could have kept them and lowered the opacity a little. maybe added a layer with a nice texture below that layer.
I liked the legend in the second version just maybe added the three zombie soldiers on the right hand side and lowered their opacity a little more.
The skull with the title and the dead soldier with the title are a little overpowering in my opinion.
The open hexes seem like they would be easy to loose site on. You could have kept the hexes and just lowered their opacity. You could have also added a one pixel white line on the outside of the hexes and lowered the opacity of that layer to about 30 percent and that would have mellowed out the hexes.
On the new map the trees need more green on top. They look like cut out of lungs.
the shadows need smudged more and the layer on that needs the opacity lowered a little more too.
I like the dirt road on the first and second version better.
The stone wall looks a templated or jpegish. I would try to draw these by hand.
These are just my opinion. I have not been doing this for too long so don't take what I say to heart.
Over all you are doing a great job. The concept of the map is awesome.
I know how hard making maps for gaming can be the people you are making them for can be critical.
You have to realize though that they are only trying to help you make the best map you can.
keep up the good work buddy.

[timallen]

Thanks.

This project has gone through a Lot of revisions since I was doing the map, and the art for both the map and the counters has been taken over by someone else. Its for the best; this way the art on the map and the counters should match up seamlessly. The game is slated to be produced in the next 1/2 year or so by Victory Point Games. Last I heard, they were still using some of the background I made up, which is a Good Thing, as Martha Stewart would say.