*** October Challenge VOTING - Trading ***

[Meridius]

I think having a 'challenge' is a great and fun way to inspire some creativity in a guild!

I voted for:
- Coyotemax: A great concept to draw up a map made by an 'actual group of adventurers'. Great touch to even vary the handwriting by character!
- Immolate: Amazing detail, amazing amount of work in locating all the artisans and the like, and just a joy to watch.
- Sapiento: Great fun to mentally 'explore' this empire. I hardly would dare trading though. Straying from the routes means death? I'm prone to getting lost... so not the safest place to be a trader. Also very beautiful, and original 'precious goods'. This map somehow feels like it could be placed inside a game or something.

[töff]

I'm a bit disapppointed, because I don't think any of these entries really show significant trade information, which was the challenge. Those that have commodities seem to have dropped them in somewhat randomly, and none of them relate to each other (e.g. a cotton producer would export to a textiles producer!). Those that have routes don't seem really anything more than the normal sea lanes or roads between cities ... which routes, I know, the trade would follow, but the routes don't relate at all to the commodities. Unless I missed it, which is quite possible, in which case I apologize!

For the record, for me to vote for a challenge entry, it must have two things:

MAPNESS. It can't be just a picture. It needs labels, a legend, etc.
RELEVANCE to the challenge. It can't be just a map, no matter how beautiful. It has to answer the challenge somehow.

I voted for only one:

• SAPIENTO. I am really coming to appreciate this cartographer's imagination and graphic talent.

I wanted to, but didn't, vote for:

• RAVELLS. No trade aspect to the map. Love the style, though.
• BLACKLEMON67. That color palette is ... not good. And you need a legend.
• IMMOLATE. Beautiful piece of art! Starving for labels & a legend, though. (Looks like you're the runaway winner!)
• ASCENSION. Ditto Immolate. (I think the graphic styles filters might be a little over-applied. I'm often guilty of that myself.)
• ROGER. This is everything Coyotemax's is, with a somewhat better focus.
• COYOTEMAX. Somewhat confused in focus, trying to do too many things I think. Doesn't really indicate a lot of trade, but there is some.
• STEEL GENERAL. The commodities and routes seem underdeveloped. Did you run out of time? It's visually gorgeous but I don't read enough of a story from it.
• NOLGOROTH. Ditto Steel General, times 2.
• FFXFIEND. Not sure how to critique this one, sorry. "It needs something."
• ROBA. I love the idea. The routes make no sense though. a) Why are they surface routes? Can't these people fly? It looks as if the surface is extremely difficult. b) Why is there only one route that snakes linearly through the whole system? Can't Dolan trade with Jonah? I suspect there's a huge backstory to explain all this, but the map doesn't tell it.

[Gamerprinter]

While I voted for two others as well, I agree that Sapiento's map is by far the best IMO.

GP

[Adanvo]

The descision wasn´t easy again, but now i voted for:

Immolate
Coyotemax
Sapiento

The details in these maps impressed me very much.

[Tom_Cardin]

I voted for:

Immolate - Map is very well painted...the trades are logically grouped well in and around the town - This map is ready to play on!

Coyotemax - I love the continuing adventures of Gromet and friends! I have to salute you for how legible the handwriting is and the details on the map are all very clear even though its been folded and aged and really looks like a hand drawn adventurers map. The trade theme is very well represented as well.

Ravells - Its a beautiful map. The way the labelling is done is so sweet, it looks like the classic old world type maps that first fascinated me with cartography as a child. I love the gif animation of the trade route as well.

I really do love Sapiento's map but I just couldn't read the labelling font at all...The work that went into this map really shines though.

Lots of great entry's, so many styles and genres...I am really looking forward to taking part in the November challenge.

[töff]

Ravells ... I love the gif animation of the trade route as well.

[mogul76]

My first vote goes to Immolate's city map. "Siete Torres" is just an amazing piece of art with lots of details.

Second vote: Ascension's "Empire of the Son". Great colour scheme. Impressive mountains. The map almost looks like a painting.

My third vote: Sapiento's "Trade Map of the Ynchong Empire". Excellent symbols. Nice, oriental atmosphere.

[ravells]

Thanks Tom, but repeat of Toff's emoticon - it had a long, long way to go but I ran out of time.

[shantedracule]

Well, I have to say this was a great experience. I'm actualy suprised that I got a vote other than myself. Any who whish I could of gave you guys a better map. My main focus right now is my game world,to which I am as of yet unready to produce a map for trade or at the scale that it would take. My entrie was not nearly as thought out as it should have been, lacking anything resembling a setting wright up realy plays a large part to this.

This all be true I entered this map for two main reasons (it was somthing different than a fantasy map, my main focus, and it gave me a great chance to see how the challenges worked as far as the development goes I do want to thank all of you for the candid advice/comentation. I do plan on working on this map on the side after the challenge, but will not have this as my main focus. I encourage all of you to follow along until you see a product you like and then use it. As I will not be using this map myself for anything in the future I will gladly let any of you use it as you wish.

[töff]

repeat of Toff's emoticon - it had a long, long way to go but I ran out of time.

I meant the emoticon to express surprise that there was animation in your entry. I just looked at the thumbnails, so all I saw was the JPG, which of course had no animation.

Flaw in the WIP script?