I wanted to mention something that I have been thinking about for a little while.

The design tool on this site has a ton of neat features, and a lot of maps coming out are employing capitals, artillery borders etc.  This is pretty cool, and so far there are many maps out and more on the way that are uniquely challenging and fun to play....

...if you came from WF anyway.  The fact is that there are very few just normal 6-sided die/continent/map-based maps available for people coming into the online risk scene for the first time.  IF you add to the intital start-up of having to learn how risk works and then to learn to be decently proficient at playing it the complication of every map being different and requiring investigation into how they work, you are going to turn a lot of newcomers off that don't really want to deal with that.  We need a few more maps that are visually engaging that don't require you to read a description (often as not the descriptions for the maps are sparse anyway)

Luckily these maps are fairly easy to concept and balance.  For the sake of the long term health of this site, the established mapmakers should remember that while they may have had up to nine years of experience on WF, other people haven't come in with that type of background, or even a real background playing risk at all.  We need to cater to that player group as well.  Something like a dozen distinct yet similar maps, using classic or iconic imagery in the design, with basic strategy differences would be a nice base to start off with.

What do you guys think?

Yep Red Baron mentioned this here too.  Would be good to have some more "basic" maps (although I'm sure those will come with time as well).

Alright, alright. I'll do a couple.

I think the fact that we have at least 3 versions of Risk itself would be pretty comforting for novices too, though.

By my count, about half of the 42 maps currently in existence are basic 'continent' maps, so I'm not sure this is actually a problem.

However, assuming that board diversity is important in general, Magpie is right that a lot of people want basic, especially when they're starting out. However, I don't think that this is a problem for experienced board designers to address. Frankly, continent maps boring to design and I for one have other ideas I'd rather work on.

However, this is a golden opportunity for new designers to step up to the plate, because continent maps are the easiest maps to make and are good for a first maps.

Magpie,

I'm happy to pander to market forces. What sorts of 'simple' locations and settings would you like to see maps based on? We don't need any more maps of the world. That's for sure. Are you thinking specific continents, countries, or states? Something like an imaginary solar system?

If you look at some of the popular maps from WF, we see a few map-like designs based on pop-culture icons. Things like the various LOTR maps, Zelda map, "Gangs of New York" etc. None of these maps are really that complex, or in some cases even any good balance-wise. But they are very popular because of what they are. Having some maps with no border modifers etc. that focus on being "risk in New York", "Risk on Alpha Centauri" or "Risk in Oxford" provide their own type of excitement without the stress of complex and unfamiliar rules.

If you want current pop-culture, go with "Risk on Pandora". Go go giant blue aliens.

I know I claimed we have no need for another world map, but we're lacking the very popular (for reasons I don't understand) giant, 200 territory every-country-in-the-world-and-then-some map with arbitrary overseas borders and ill-conceived bonuses.

I'll get to work on one right away.

Cramchakle wrote: I know I claimed we have no need for another world map, but we're lacking the very popular (for reasons I don't understand) giant, 200 territory every-country-in-the-world-and-then-some map with arbitrary overseas borders and ill-conceived bonuses.

I'll get to work on one right away.

That's kind of what I was thinking (ie Severen's Earth type map).

Haha, I forgot about that map. I was in a 12? person heavy fog game on that map that ended up with 5 people booted once... *shudder*

Cramchakle wrote: I know I claimed we have no need for another world map, but we're lacking the very popular (for reasons I don't understand) giant, 200 territory every-country-in-the-world-and-then-some map with arbitrary overseas borders and ill-conceived bonuses.

I'll get to work on one right away.

I was planing a giant world map it was going to be a *Hordes base with Empires from history as the main feature for continents ( Inca, Zulu, Persian, Mongolian etc. etc.) it wont be here for a while, i have to put the finishing touches on the three that are almost done.

just throwing that out there because IF you are going to do a world map (then again you could just be being a sarcastic bastard) i know your visuals would beat mine hands down so feel free to use my idea. just let me know so i don't get half way through then you show me up. yes it was just implied that *Hordes is my idea ;P

*Hordes - from the mind of Cramchakle

Hordes is a bit more than just basic as well though.

What we're clearly missing is a good, basic map of Middle Earth. I've got a nice graphic of Middle Earth already, so I volunteer for that duty (despite my earlier bitchy post).

Cramchakle wrote: I know I claimed we have no need for another world map, but we're lacking the very popular (for reasons I don't understand) giant, 200 territory every-country-in-the-world-and-then-some map with arbitrary overseas borders and ill-conceived bonuses.

I'll get to work on one right away.

I find the several tournaments I'm in of those to be soul crushing... it takes me like a half an hour to take a turn once I start amassing a sizable force... and yet, I keep winning so part of me is like yay!

Magpie wrote: If you look at some of the popular maps from WF, we see a few map-like designs based on pop-culture icons. Things like the various LOTR maps, Zelda map, "Gangs of New York" etc. None of these maps are really that complex, or in some cases even any good balance-wise. But they are very popular because of what they are. Having some maps with no border modifers etc. that focus on being "risk in New York", "Risk on Alpha Centauri" or "Risk in Oxford" provide their own type of excitement without the stress of complex and unfamiliar rules.

Which Zelda map are you referring to? The one I played had all kinds of single territory bonuses and several dice modifiers thrown in...

Though I'm really loving the Mario map I am playing over on WF, Nintendo classics seem to be a big hit at all times.  I saw there is a duck hunt map that got created here, I need to check that out still as I think that is awesome.

http://www.wargear.net/boards/designer/503

Here's what I got done today. Still some work to be done graphically, mostly with on board continent and bonus info, but this is pretty close to finished art. Then its on to the actual construction. Huzzah!

Hello everybody, I feel like I've been playing long enough to finally take a swing at a map. I'd like to make a "regular" map, but I'd like a couple ideas. Care to give me suggestions?

Africa would be a good one. I don't think I've that done before.

Cramchakle wrote: http://www.wargear.net/boards/designer/503

Here's what I got done today. Still some work to be done graphically, mostly with on board continent and bonus info, but this is pretty close to finished art. Then its on to the actual construction. Huzzah!

CIRCLES!?!?!?!?!?!

Sigh.

Again: it's not the round shape that the anti-circle-map camp is against (if I may be forgiven for speaking for my compatriots in this matter). It's the shortcut it represents for lazy or bad map designers. When implemented judiciously, there are many contexts in which a so-called "circle map" is better than one made with territory-fill, and good mapmakers always have that choice available. The campaign we undertook to ban circle MODE was intended to force every author to make that choice. And we are still right.