I'm in the process of making a new map and I really like how it looks as it is, but the problem is that I haven't done anything to show the distinction between bonuses.  This is always one of my least favorite things about map making.  In fact, the reason I make non-traditional maps most of the time is because I hate this so much.  I've considered Hordes! but it wouldn't work for my overall concept.

Does anybody have any good ideas aside from outlining in different colors?  I'm considering Icons and keeping the colors of the map as is, but I really don't want to do that.  I want some creative ideas.  I'm not gonna give away my concept so just try and imagine something that is familiar but the territories aren't what is familiar.  Kinda like Manifest Destiny but without the colored borders.

I'd need to see the base image, I think, before I can make a useful suggestion.

Sorry, I'm not going to show the image.  I'm looking for general suggestions for ways to do it.  Maybe ways it's been done in other maps that people like or even if people tell me things they don't like at all.  Personally, I dislike the colored borders because they always seem to take away from the overall look of the map.  Plus, there is the frustration of trying not to have player colors too similar to the other colors and that always screws me.

Not sure if this would work for you map but here's the idea: How about making bonuses based on spatial location on the map?  For example, imagine a series of rings where the outer rings are higher bonuses than the inner rings, etc.  

Another common option is to make continent borders thicker than normal territory borders (like I did on Ancient Isles of Kjeldor). That way you don't get ugly color-clash. You can also experiment with different styles of line, e.g. dashed, dotted, double-line, zig-zag, hashmarked, etc.

Both of these suggestions helped.  Kjeld's is gonna eliminate a future anti-aliasing issue I was not wanting to deal with, and AtH's suggestion will allow Kjeld's to work better on this map.  It's been a long time since I've had a new map and now I remember why.  Map making is tedious!

Another suggestion I've used a few times so as not to take away from the look of the map itself is to use a mini-map delineating the borders/bonuses like on Civil War and Wargate Atlantis.

RiskyBack wrote:

I want some creative ideas. 

Here's an out of the box idea. Include an opaquish layer on your board image such that every "continent" has a different texture ..like hashmarks, dots, etc.

Actually M57 that was an original consideration but I have some icons (cities, mountain, etc) so it got too busy looking.  Plus, I went nuts with the "Pattern Fill" plugin on paint.net and I had a section of map that was all hearts because it made me laugh.

It's hard to get the pattern thing to work in such a way that it's not visually over-bearing but yet still clear enough to tell continents apart. This very problem of continent delineation is one of the main reasons I haven't put up HexGear for review yet: http://www.wargear.net/boards/view/1331

Yeah, the borders on that one were really hard to see.  I basically just stayed alive until I got an opening without ever really understanding the map.  I lost of Yertle who I think understood what he was doing better than I did.

Before you ask, yes, you wrote it clearly, I just didn't read.

I've treaded slightly on the texture as continents (Zombie States, Ninja Nation Scenario), but I think it is quite difficult to pull off without being overbearing or differing player colors too much.  

Sounds like some good suggestions already put forth, I'd say you could also handle with Wingbat-ish territories, and them being different for the different continents or icons.

http://www.phoneballs.com/

Once again Cram has come up with the perfect solution!

Cramchakle wrote:

http://www.phoneballs.com/

Well played sir.

Bravo, Cram, bravo.
And did anyone else laugh hysterically at picture 11 of 17?