*** February 2013 Challenge VOTING - Submerged ***

[Kier]

A lot of nice maps this month again, and a few that didnt get finished which show a lot of promise.

My votes: Brigatines Rest, Temple Aquatic, and Flooded City

[Gamerprinter]

For me, while I certainly recognize the excellent potential in Ramah's entry, it's not finished - which for me is major criteria for any vote in a monthly challenge.

So my votes went to Kier's and Vorropohaiah's entries. Good job on everyone else who finished their entry!

[The Marked Hat]

And again, I failed to get a picture of my entry... Woe betides me endlessly. I shall once again attempt to attain an image next time.

[Jaxilon]

I don't like voting in challenges I participate in. It just feels wierd to me.

When I have the time I don't mind explaining my thoughts about the pieces, what I loved, liked, or even what I didn't. So...

I am going to cast a vote in for Larion's entry however. I really like the feeling I get from this little map. For me it's like looking into a fairy tale and I think that's cool. It's not overly complicated which is kind of refreshing from time to time. You can also see some bits of a ship or two in the shallows of the island. All in all it makes me want to get in there and see everything in more detail. I can totally see this on the cover of a children's book. I think it might be a bit underrated. Hence, my vote.

GP - I think you took on a challenge to execute the views you have in this. I thought you did a nice job of it though. My eye gets a little bit confused with the sail cloth and the waves because I keep thinking the tatters are another wave going crossways. I think it would have been nice if the buried portion of the ship had some depth to the exterior of the hull. The interior looks good but if I can see that much of the bottom and middle decking I think we would see some of main deck as well? Definately caught the submerged aspect and a solid entry. Also, I really like the mini map. I appreciate too that you squeezed this out of your busy schedule in an already shortend month. Thanks for do so.

Jaxilon - This is awesome!!! ROFL Obviously, kidding, although I do like it.

Kier - Cool look. I like what I can see beneath the waves but I wish I could see more down there. I'm not sure about adding the red roofs at the end. I know I've seen those before and I know you mentioned where you got them but I always find it harder to vote for "stamped" stuff. Now, if you were the orginal creator of those roofs that's another story entirely because they are really awesome looking. (It's not that I don't like stamped maps but when I know how much work it takes to make all your own stuff, it's going to have to blow my socks off in order to get my vote.)

Larion - as stated above

Pryme8 - Withdrawn I know but still some nice line work that would have been even more fun if you could have finished it. Hope you are able to get back in the saddle again soon.

Ramah - What's to say, this is gorgeous so far and I really can't wait to see it finished. Personally, I'm with GP on the idea of voting for incomplete maps though. After all part of the point of challenges is to meet a deadline. I know I only finished by not sleeping and blowing off a day of work around the house. I'm not sure what the message is if unfinished maps start winning, LOL. Still bro, in all honesty the potential in this is so mouth wateringly awesome I can totally understand why folks are falling in love with it.

veracusse - Nice save to running out of time using the portal view. I think a floodlight of some kind might have helped it, especially if you could have made some colors pop right where the light hit and then fade into the desaturated look you have.

Vorropohaiah - This looks like a real historical map or something to me. Well done! I have yet to tackle a city map like this but I've been working up my nerve. Thanks for the boost. You took a different approach to the challenge than I expected but that's part of what makes these so much fun anyway.

All the above is just my thoughts and feelings as I looked at the entries. I'm not a professional art critic but I always find it helpful to hear what goes through people's minds when they look at something I've done so I have tried to return the favor. Hopefully it helps because after all, the better you all get the better it forces me to become in order to keep up.

Cheers!

[Gamerprinter]

Really I don't participate in challenges much anymore, even though I want to. So the only time I enter is when I come up with something interesting I want to try as an experiment. However, I do realize my 'experiments' may not fit the majority of voter's criteria in what they seek as a winning map. The point for me is I've won 4 challenges in the past, I have no more needs of winning. I do this as a challenge to myself to meet the challenge's theme and try to meet my own challenge to meet odd experiments that fit my whimsy. My experiment this time was to do a cross-sectional elevation map - I think I succeeded in doing so. Whether my entry wins the hearts and minds of the voters is pretty meaningless to me. As long as I succeed in my own experiments, that's good enough for me.

[Jaxilon]

Well, that's the point of these challenges, to expand our paradigms. I'm glad when those who have their craft well in hand have a share because it keeps everyone on their toes and pushes everyone farther.

[vorropohaiah]

ok, it's march 4th... any news on the march challenge

[Jaxilon]

Congratulations Ramah, You clearly caught the imagination of everyone with an amazing entry.

[Ramah]

Cheers Jax. I feel kinda bad in that my entry wasn't just incomplete it was so incomplete that it really didn't touch upon the challenge theme. :S

Anyway, thanks all who voted for me and expressed a desire to see the map complete. Rest assured I am continuing with it and I will in fact post up a new WIP thread later today to show some of the changes I've made in the last few days. Still nowhere near complete though. Perhaps if the forum were to start a 6 month challenge then I reckon I could just about finish it in time.

[Jaxilon]

Well, don't feel too bad, it seems I join these things on a whim during the last week because I must really love pressure or something. I sometimes wonder what I might do if I did actually take more time. Hehe, maybe we need a snail's pace challenge