ATN - Cartography: The Guide. (Part 1 of 2)

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(0) - An Introduction: Cartography

Hello there, sapling. Have you ever looked up at the stars and said to yourself "Imma make a map o' that bitch"? If you have (or haven't), than welcome to the official ATN 2.0 opening article (Part 1 of 2), all about the theory and understanding of AtWar Cartography (1) how to make a top-of-the-line Cartograph (P2), presented by AtWar's unofficial Atlas, myself. In this article, I will go over the basic steps a Cartographer utilizes to create, and perfect their own custom Cartographs. An outline of what will be covered: The meaning and importance of Cartography (1), the utilization and definitions of Elements and Dynamics (2), the meaning and importance of Cartography's Golden Triangle (3), Beginning conceptual work on a map (4), Prototyping a map (5), Coordinating map efforts (6), Alpha-testing a map (7), Beta-testing a map (8), Final polishing (9), Playing & Promotion (10). Hopefully all of you reading will get some new-found knowledge and understanding out of this article. Also, before we begin our lesson, anyone who has made a map using what I've taught in this thread may PM me, requesting a review of their map(s); I will gladly help you in any way I can possibly do so.

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(1) - Baby Steps: What is Cartography?

Alright seeds, so I'm sure you've already asked yourself "What dafaq is Cartography, and what does it have to do with me ripping of God, Gold, and Glory or creating UN …in space?". Well, from Webster's dictionary, we can deter that it means "To draw fucking maps, and having skill in drawing dem fuckin' maps", so hopefully that cleared it up for you (If you require a 2srs4me definition: Click me!). In AtWar, custom maps (and customization) are one of the main selling points of the game, as there is no other so easily-accessible map database (with some iron and blood thrown in) on the internet. Keeping Cartography active and supplied with new content is vital to this game's overall appeal and fun-factor, though we obviously cannot focus on Cartography over improving the dynamics and elements of the actual game itself, as without the actual game, our maps would mean jack shit. Ultimately, though, all maps are just the projected personalities of their creators, and depending on the quality put into a map, you can easily determine that person's will for creating said map. Without Will, Time, Ideas, Names, etc, no map, dynamic, or element could be created. Speaking of dynamics and elements, let's dive in with my first explanation:

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(2) - Air and Earth: Elements and Dynamics

So, my little roots, I know every single one of you, no matter how Tik-Tok or Utah you are, has no clue what Elements or Dynamics are. Well- that's good! It's means you're not stalking me…right? Well, they're two simple aspects I coined to describe the two most basic functions of any map. Let's start with Elements.

Elements are the little bite-size characteristics that make a map unique. EX: Germany, a Paratrooper unit, France's capital being in the middle of the Arctic ocean. Elements aren't really important to memorize or keep track of, but if you have something unique, like Giraffe Shocktroopers, keep them in mind when promoting your map. But, in contrast, Elements are the most brutal and metal aspect of this entire game (They make up every important aspect of a map, and recognizing where they are is crucial to balancing a map, and, well, making it fun to play on)…which means Dynamics are the most panzy, colourful things about the game than, yes? You're damn right.

Dynamics are the reactions and tactics that can be used in a map, and can be pre-planned or thought about when designing it. As an example from the Defauly AtWar map, a Dynamic would be using a naval transport to dock on the coast of Italy, then taking Rome with land troops- or completely bypassing the sea, and using the air! Understanding where you can apply strategic Dynamics can seriously help make a map in-depth and intriguing to just about anyone. Keep Elements and Dynamics in mind, and try and recognize them on any map you play- hell, maybe you'll even start thinking of better ones!

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(3) - Now we're talking: The Golden Triangle

Alright leafs, so now that we understand Elements and Dynamics, what can we support them with? Meet The Golden Triangle of Cartography: An illusive creature, thought extinct by such logic experts like Tunder3 and Ezzatam. The Golden Triangle of Cartography is a completely balanced scale of three parameters (Three fucking aspects which are paramount to making your map not be complete dildos): Gameplay, Visuals, and Promotion. So, what dafaq do they have to do with Elements and Dynamics? Well, let's start with Gameplay.

Gameplay is the general enjoyment and critical thinking put into a match. Largely made up of Dynamics, Gameplay is influenced by what kind of Units you put into your map, the Coastlines of your continents, the Accessibility of areas, and the Innovation you come up with in your map. So, as not confuse you: Gameplay = Units, Water, Accessibility, and Innovation. Now, are we ready to venture down the rabbit hole? Feast your eyes on Units, the actual game in this game: They are autonomous characters that possess specified attributes that can either trump, or be trumped by other units and cities. The way in which you implement them is very important, whether it be the name, info, or stats of them. To check off every aspect of a Unit that comes into play:

Function - What the unit actually does (Offense, Defense, structure, virus, etc)

Name - The name of the unit. They [b]must be descriptive and creative (So if you have an infantry soldier that's only one unit, though acts the same, try "Soldier", as an example).

Image - The visual description of a unit. Make sure that actual unit portion of it is clearly sticking out, and has good contrast with the background.

Info - Written description of a unit. Usually made of some awesome buzzwords, maybe some written stats or two.

Stats - The defining aspect of units. Stats have many parameters, which I will not go over with this article, maybe sometime in the future, so we'll focus on Attack and Defense for this thread.

Alright…so now that we have the awesome block of unit text out of the way…let's focus on the Water and Accessibility blocks of text.

Water areas are areas outside of established borders in the editor, in which Naval and Aero units may occupy. The placement of these areas is vital to gameplay, as they can be used as blockades, transportation, and warzones. There's no need to go in-depth about the philosophy of…the depths, but know this: A well placed-river, lake, or sea adds to the character of a map in every way possible. Dynamics and Elements are vastly altered by their presence, which is exactly what we want, no? Alright, now let's move on to Accessibility, which is a little more complicated. Accessibility is comprised of No-Go Zones, Waterways, and City Planning. Use No-Goes to keep players out of specific territory, simulate rough terrain, or create challenge. City planning is crucial; having many high-income, high-reinforcement cities scattered around the same proximity will most likely lead to balancing and playability issues. Planning Waterways are important in the same sense that we discussed with Water: Transportation. Make sure they're placed in areas where they're necessary, or create new, interesting Dynamics.

Now, the final stretch of Gameplay! Isn't it lovely? Well, now we're going to talk about Innovation. Innovation is your ability to take new spins on things, or come up with new, better ways of accomplishing certain tasks. So, in other words…be creative! If you can think of anything original, it can probably be simulated through the editor. Understanding the editor is key to Innovation, and manipulation of Elements and Dynamics only make it better.

Oh god, it's over! We've gone over every aspect of Gameplay!...And now we get to do Visuals and Promotion. Yaaaaaaaaay. Alright, let's get started than (Long-ass lesson, huh?). Now, Visuals and Promotion are much more simpler to explain, especially Promotion. So let's cut to the chase and start with Visuals.

Visuals are all of the graphics you see on-screen during the course of a game, and…well, everywhere else! Visuals are comprised of Detail, Background, Borders, and Covers. Now, Details consist of Flags, City Images, and Unit Images. We already went over Unit Images, so let's focus on the other two. Flags should be historically accurate if the scenario is based in the real world, or as creative as possible otherwise. City images should reflect the era that the city is in, as well as major landmarks or notable areas of said city. Now, for Backgrounds. A map's Background is the most crucial part and important part of a map. It is a visual aide, a piece of art, and an accurate representation of your world in question. Creating your own, or using HD ones are highly advised. Style also has merit: If a map is set in the Age of Exploration, using a map from that time as a Background would be a great use of style!

Alright, the tricky chunks: Borders. We understand what they are…why we need them…but how do we make them look SEXY? Fear not, all you really need to focus on, are the accuracy of borders, imagination of borders, and balance of border. Accuracy refers to how accurate and detailed they are to their real-world counterparts, while imagination refers to how creative you can make them look instead. Either path can be used, depending on what type of map you're making. Balancing of borders basically refers to give appropriate amounts of land to each country. This refers moreso to asymmetrical and competitive maps, so don't worry about it too much if that's not your thing. Finally: The Cover. This is the image you stick on the front of the whole package to make it look fine as hell. It describes the map to people in the lobby, potential fans, and critics alike. Make sure that it's stylish, descriptive, and memorable (No Google Images Bullshit, get into Photoshop or Paint.Net and make that shit look stylish (I.E., Make a logo for it, have a cool background, and voila)).

Okay! All done with Visuals. All you really need to know for Promotion, is that spending Protocoins to feature and promote your game from within the Maps menu is advised, using word of mouth is essential in spreading popularity of your creation, and making threads on the Forum about your map is a sure-fire way to get some popularity (If you want a more in-depth explanation of both Visuals and Promotion, check the main graphic at the bottom of the page).

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Thank you for reading Part 1 of my look into Cartography; in our next piece, I will be discussing the step-by-step process of using all of the concepts I just taught you, and applying them to a fabulously sexy Cartograph.

VISUAL GRAPH OF CONCEPTS (CLICK HERE, ASSHAT)

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And now a word from Madara:

Greetings everyone,

Hope you enjoyed ATN's incredible reopening article! As president I want to let it be known that once again our 'article every week' tradition shall continue! I'm honored to been able to reorganize this for our dedicated community and that I have such a great team at my side. Garevoir is a new member of our team and as you can tell he's not only proves himself but he's written a top quality article that expresses his talent and ATN's talented team as a whole. Who's looking forward to our next article? I look forward to reading your responses! For more updates visit our home page here.
Huzzah!

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Now, to our hot seat! We're bring the tradition back. Madara will be in our hot seat this time for ATN's reopening meaning you all post your questions below and they will be featured in the next article with Madara's responses!
Cheers!

(reserved for future post)

Can i join atn?

Good approach and lots of ideas: https://atwar-game.com/forum/topic.php?topic_id=7997

I like your signature heh.
I couldn't read it all but idk, default units are the best imo, I haven't seen balanced custom units yet.

Scris de LordEdwardthe5th, 08.12.2013 at 13:05

What is the most advisable way to beat a sm player in a euro + game?

Praying to Zizou and to blame VRIL for all of your problems.

Scris de LordEdwardthe5th, 09.12.2013 at 16:14

Scris de Guest, 08.12.2013 at 13:34

Scris de LordEdwardthe5th, 08.12.2013 at 13:05

What is the most advisable way to beat a sm player in a euro + game?

Praying to Zizou and to blame VRIL for all of your problems.

seriously, my imp turkey was broken by someone using sm as spain, he always had an advantage in movement which resulted in me not being able to win.
looking back i could have done more but I had gone into about to loose all crediblility blind panic mode ( aka right to be awsome)

Purchase necessary AA's, and/or level his piss-poor back defences...now back on-topic plz ;P

Scris de LordEdwardthe5th, 08.12.2013 at 13:05

What is the most advisable way to beat a sm player in a euro + game?

Make another topic, ty :3

I think i might have to remove my post before I am trolled by the "noob hunter" community

Scris de LordEdwardthe5th, 09.12.2013 at 19:36

I think i might have to remove my post before I am trolled by the "noob hunter" community

They are not so mean

Don't forget to ask me questions guys!