The board designs have altered and hopefully improved over the time period between term one to term two; even between the play tests they would change through out. Some May of been simple alterations but they are things that had been done to accommodate for things that needed changing or hadn’t been put into play yet.
Version board one:
Colours used:
- #2e6a94
- #d9cab0
This was using the image from my research on the Odyssey journey, this was done because I wanted to ensure that I had monsters shown on the map, meaning that I had ensured that the apparent sea of monsters was present on the board. Original shown below (found via Google):
From this map, I was able to do a large amount of my play tests thankfully, and I was able to see what was possible visually (in referring to playable).
It’s progress came out as the following alterations:
Each using the same map design (version 1), but having events recorded onto it to that I could increase the difficulty upon claiming certain pieces. Above have the following images: Events.1, Events.2, Board.V1.1, Board.V1.2
Once I had done these final things, I had looked at changing the colour pallets because I had an interest in possibly keeping this board. Only problem was the colours not being as bright and colourful, or completely working for me while thinking about Key-Stage 2 students.
Colours used are the following (minus the first one, as that one was kept the same from the first time it was made):
- Board.V1.C2
- #2e7b94
- #bca98f
- Board.V1.C3
- #17476c
- #8c7f5e
- Board.V1.C4
- #7dafba
- #ddd4c0
After several playtests, the comment of there being a large amount more sea than actual physical land was noted down as something commonly mentioned, so coming up with a second board was the other option to figure out how to change things. Another thing that I have yet to consider would be that of the possibility of maps being within the copyright law, this is something I am having to look into.
Version board two:
With this board the following colours had been used:
- #2e6cb9
- #d56363
- #6cb80a
- #b88d0a
- #ae0ab8
- #0ab8a1
- #7a6b50
- #f1a4c8
- #470ab8
- #6abbe9
- #d9f1a4
- #e9ca6a
- #a14141
- #6a6de9
- #b80a85
- #0ab83b
- #d9e96a
- #a36ae9
- #b8230a
- #6cb80a
Despite being happy with this design, I still had things I needed to add to it. The sea, as this section of the Greek empire actually had 6 different sea’s present (basically…), this would allow me to add less sea area’s onto the map, just they would be larger control area’s simply because it would be that of the sea mass present on the physical board. While this was considered, another thing I wanted to do was change up the colour pallet again because the present colours seemed a bit too harsh and clashing for myself. The second version (colour wise) of this map came out as the following:
With this version I used the following colours:
- #436fb6
- #5b52a3
- #70c3ed
- #f8f08b
- #71c055
- #df92be
- #3fb9ea
- #9bca3c
- #317cd9
- #324a97
- #87519f
- #f68567
- #9188c1
- #427da1
- #abdac6
- #ec197a
- #fba51a
- #f4eb20
- #756bb0
- #f489a7
- #70c5a4
- #c1dd89
- #ed1e24
The over all appearance of this is a lot softer and less harsh on the eyes, the only fault being that of the sea regions. I say this because the colours of sea unless they have their text on them, they blend into the land a bit too well. The options now would be to edit the sea tones, see how that comes across, then also consider looking up textures to apply on it. If I go onto textures then it would make sense to apply it to both the sea and land, not one nor the other due to that most likely looking unprofessional and putting the image into a unbalanced appearance.
The other things I am struggling with thinking of is that of placing the claiming recourse tile images onto it, I say this because it is very much noticeable that some of the areas you are able to claim are small or consist of a series of scattered islands. Meaning it would be hard for me to design it onto the land areas straight off. This is something I should do a series of variations to ensure that I cover all options and ultimately selecting the best one possible.
Now using the natural colours that had been selected from my colour palettes collected from the first hand research trip abroad. Personally the tones of the sea work nicer in this version but still unsure if I am happy with the multiple toned sea sections. I can stand behind the idea of the land being different tones but not so sure with the sea. This maybe something I can try out now that I have this wider ranged colour pallet…
Version 3:
With this version I used the following colours:
- #698d9f
- #5b52a3
- #87c9c8
- #a45c04
- #c3cbe4
- #777d6d
- #41aeb5
- #506522
- #e5cdb6
- #bacf87
- #44740c
- #c9a682
- #47322f
- #97a49a
- #304022
- #b47c06
- #a4b391
- #d7d0bd
- #d2cb6c
- #9a8470
- #69868b
- #395c6b
- #4b6a89
- #a39c8a
- #62613f
Colours of this version are more natural and less in your face, which is easier to stare at for long periods of times. Yet I stand by my comment about the sea areas. I will try alternative effects and see what comes of it.
With the fact I have tried to see how I can get the correct information across to the players with this version of the map (Notebook 5, P56 – 59) – this also is board layout possibilities – presented currently.
I believe it is something I should consider to work on until I get it correct. I shall try out a few more options that are possible before I make my final decision. Though I will place a time frame deadline onto this now.
Using one of my photos from the research trip I used it as texture to apply for the water to see if it had any effect. As well as applying other means of fade with colour to see what was possible to work with or not.
With these two it was to either apply a fade of colours or have one single flat colour. If I played around with the flat colour one it may come out cleaner, because sadly the one I had picked I don’t think stands out enough and takes the colour palette from clean and natural colours to flat.
Next was texture, with the photo and applying a reduction of opacity from 100% to 30%, as well as adding the effect of ‘Soft light’ to it, the results were interesting but hadn’t worked with the gradient colour idea. Nor completely the flat, so the next idea was to create strips of different sea tones from my colour pallet and see which ones worked better.
Colours used with the sea scheme here are the following:
- #395c6b
- #41aeb5
- #32d7de
- #69868b
- #9abbdc
- #94c0d6
- #a4b4e6
- #87c9c8
Despite doing all of these variations of tests, I don’t feel like I am completely getting as far forward as I would personally like.
Version 4:
This is two of the same image, only altered colour tone was that of the ones in the negative space. The colours are the following (still using from the natural colour pallet I had put together):
- #41aeb5
- #9a8470
- #c3cbe4
OR
- #41aeb5
- #9a8470
- #b19988
Personally I like the second one better because it shows the subtile progress from active land to in-active land.
I wanted to also see what it would look like if I did it with applying a custom texture that I created with the photos I took while on the research trip aboard. The textures were the following:
Trying to make them seem to a degree seamless, I had more trouble with the sea feature than the land despite both of the images having used only 2 actual photos. I would consider reworking the water texture more but for now it stands with the results of the following:
Personally it is too clashing for me and I will consider looking at possibly doing small figures drawn over it rather than having it textured like I have done in the above image.
Using the preferred map currently I have begun playing with the symbols (as you can see on the image above) and word placements for the board, I have come up with the following results:
(Shown in Notebook 5, 138P – 141P)
Using 5 different visuals in both tones of black and white, using the option of altering from black as normal and divided to produce the white variation. Personally I am more fond of the Just text option, and the BT – Black Temples versions more so than the others. The ringed version works for the costal pointed areas as it highlights points that the actual cities would resign upon. This is something that I may have to take to an external group that hasn’t been staring at the same thing for as long as I have at this point in time. This isn’t to insult my work or say that I am unable but to ensure that I am still producing positive results that are to the standard that I am aiming to achieve.
** I done messed up with one of my actual selected cities, It would make sense for me to remove the playable piece known as ‘Byzantium’ because of the relevance towards the time frame it came to be known. It wasn’t until after the romans had begun their expanding empire that it came forward.
Though some history lines highlight the actual importance of it, as I am so unsure as to if the current information at this point in time is actually relevant, I will remove it.
Taking a visual break from the board, I’ve begun working on the boarder design and word placements for the complete sized board. With doing this I have been using the patterned designs that I had been recording in the past (Examples shown in Notebook 5, Pages 81 – 85) to create designs that would work as a not overwhelming compliment to the visuals. The difficulty again is the colour selection.
Version one, with 8 different colour placement shown:
The colours are the following:
- Accent: #a39c8a
- 1.1: #395c6b
- 1.2: #395c6b, #87c9c8
- 1.3: #25221f
- 1.4: #25221f, #647c06
- 1.5: #a45c04
- 1.6: #647e7c
- 1.7: #ddb6a3
- 1.8: #7c3a7b
I will be asking 10 people their opinion on which 2 stand out to them, and the one with the highest vote will most likely be taken forward. The people I will ask are both artists as well as children of the target audience.
Version 5.
Personally this is the one that I have come to adore out of each of the ones I have created, and it is honestly less overwhelming despite the not overwhelming colour pallet.
With this version I used the following colours:
- #755e43
- #a39c8a
- #9a8470
- #777d6d
- #6e6646
- #997852
- #6c4f4b
- #765e6d
- #464b26
- #97a49a
- #95842a
- #62613f
- #7c6530
- #444235
- #b19988
- #7a6859
- #543c35
- #25221f
- #41aeb5
- #a3b7c5
- Soft light effect
- Opacity 20%
- #69868b
- Mulitply effect
- Opacity 50%
- #32d7de
- Outer glow effect
- Opacity 15%
- Spread 30%
- Size 90px
- Range 50%
- Outer glow effect
- #00aeff
- Outer glow effect
- Opacity 60%
- Spread 0%
- Size 7px
- Range 50%
- Outer glow effect
- #ddd8d2
Despite it being flatter and more simple with the pattern line work, and there is an obvious reduction upon the islands. This was to reduce overwhelming confusion that may possible occure during gameplay because of the amount of smaller islands avaliable. Only thing at this point is to edit the text so that it would be fitting for the actual game. I say this because as I stand, this is the best board that has come forward, the lack of clash of colours, the not blinding bright colours in my face, no vast amount of negative space that doesn’t have something interested going on within it.
Only thing I would edit and see if worked would be to apply the figures that represent the points of wind around the larger cloud spaced areas to add something into those voided areas. Other than that I am pleased! Time to find a working text.
Basically the final design, with the smallest consideration towards that of any alterations.
Only alterations that are being considered at this moment in time is the chance to edit the text on ‘Mediterranean Sea’ and an area to place the collectable worship tokens.
SRG-DEV 