My first map. Axis&Allies minatures battlemap.[WIP]

[carrion]

The map still needs some tweaks, but thought I would share and receive some critques.
Each hex represents roughly 100 meters.
Any questions and coments are welcome, I'm a big boy if it needs work don't hold back.
The map has been offered for free for about a month.

Thanks

[mearrin69]

Awesome. Rep from me. Forget A&A minis...I want you do make some Squad Leader boards!
M

[Immolate]

I think you shadows are a little harsh. My advise is standardize on an intensity of 75% or lower, and then hit them with a Gaussian blur of 1 pixel or more (depending on the scale you're working in). If you look at your building, the cathedral has a dark black shadow. Most of the other casters, buildings and trees alike, have a gentler shade. They are all too sharp though.

I've been working on a castle project that is meant to showcase shadow technique. It isn't a tutorial though I may circle around and hit that at some point. Take a look and see if this helps at all.

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...astle-Keep-WIP

My original hand-shaded project is Siete Torres, the one that I won a gold compass for. You'll be able to figure out a lot of the technique just by looking at that one. Rep to you for your efforts and for bringing back a lot of fond memories of days spent on games from Tactics II to Squad Leader.

[tilt]

Looking really good - but I'll have to agree with Immolate - you shadows need some dampening ... but have some rep for your first map

[rdanhenry]

I don't know. Low sun, snowy environment, shadows can be pretty dramatic, as there you aren't getting the brightness of reflected sunlight off the snow. Might be good as is.
Compare http://www.hillerscapes.co.uk/Snow%20Shadows.jpg

[Steel General]

The map is quite nice (though I agree the shadows may be a bit heavy).

I think the scale may be a bit off. At 100 meters/hex a couple of the bigger building are huge. The one that looks like a church would be 125-135 meters - seems a bit big to me if this is a village.

[carrion]

Thanks for the feedback will look at the shadows and see what I can do.

[NeonKnight]

Well, having played A&A Minis, I must ask. How does armor cross the Norther bridge? In which hexes is it in. What about the islands? Can vehicles get to the islands? What about infantry? Or has there been new rules published for the game.

[ravells]

I'd say in this case the shadows are OK. It's a winter scene and if it's a clear blue sky you're going to get very 'hard' shadows.

[carrion]

Well, having played A&A Minis, I must ask. How does armor cross the Norther bridge? In which hexes is it in. What about the islands? Can vehicles get to the islands? What about infantry? Or has there been new rules published for the game.

That's the nice thing about house rules . We have come up with some solutions and they are being addrerssed. One solution for the islands was that there are just there and the water is frozen over[that sounds weak], so another was to treat the water just like streams and movement rolls are needed to get them to island hop, per say. We also added a rule that vehicles could use movement rolls to enter the open water and proceed to cross using up their sped points for each hex and needing another roll to exit the water, plus while being so exposed in the water the assaulting team would gain a bonus to hit much like the barren hexes in the North Africa maps. The Bridge is filed under the WIP as are some other issues that have arisen under playtesting.

Thank you for pointing these issues out and those kind of questions will help me refine the maps, keep it up, i will try to answer them best I can and hope to complete the map as soon as I can and will repost, for futher review.