Fall of Singapore map re-design (WIP)

[timallen]

I was asked by Peter Schutze (Schutze Games in Australia) to redo the map for his game "Illusionary Fortress: the Fall of Singapore". He made up the orignal map back in 2000. Not sure what program he used, but it was a pretty basic looking map. Here is the original.

[timallen]

Well, I figured this would be an excellent way to try using textures and tips I have gleaned off the Guild. So I fired up Photoshop and several evenings and versions later I showed this to Peter.

[timallen]

I thought this was looking pretty good, and it was fun to make, but after showing it around to some other gamers, I realized the results were still sub par. So I went back at it in order to try and add more flavor and get the layers to have a more natural look. (Someone said of the map that it looked like carpet samples dropped from on high!). This was the next result.

[timallen]

I felt this was much better, but some gamers still had issues with the textures. So after some hard thought and lots of tweaking, I am now here at version 18. I just showed it to someone who immediately pointed out that there are no mountains in Singapore, only hills.

Dang! And the mountains were probably what turned out best of the whole map. So now I need to go back and see about lowering them.

Its a good thing I like doing this, because I surely am not getting payed enough for the effort I put in (in fact for this map I am not getting paid at all...instead I will get a free game at the end of it). If this ever starts to feel like work, I'm outta here!

[tilt]

looks good im(not so)ho ... I like textures (as long as they don't look like textures), a thing I noted it the road ending in the south-west corner of the map - it's got the "vector line" tiny bend at the end. I liked the cities better when they were flat - now they gotten a little boxy... sorry ... but nice work and remember a lot of old-school gamers are use to the colors on maps being flat and have a hard time accepting anything else

[timallen]

Heh! Don't I know it!

[Steel General]

More fine work here.

I liked the original font you used for the title better than the current one. I kind of like the cities now, maybe reduce the black 'shadow' on them a bit.

[timallen]

I preferred the original font as well, but there was some concern over how legible it was, so I went with this one (its called Old Newspapers I think). It works too.

Here is another version of the map. Added on hex numbers, a turn record chart, lowered the mountains and tweaked the coastline a tad to eliminate some tiny bits that should not have been there.

Still to be done; delete the terrain effects chart and add in a simple terrain key instead (the chart will now go on a separate player-aid sheet). Then I think its done.

[ravells]

Looking Great Tim! One spelling error: It's 'Johore Bahru' or 'Johor Bahru' not Johare Bahru'.

[timallen]

Boy its been a while since I was here! I finished this map up before Christmas and sent it off. I havent heard yet when it will be available. Still, its nice to have it done. No real changes were made to it from the last version I posted, just a few little tweaks.