vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:48 pm

Graphics issues

Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:33 am

I have two issues with the graphics in this game.

The first is the use of gray lettering on black that is used for popups on Royalist units and some other features. I find this hard to read, and it greatly detracts from my enjoyment of the game, and even my desire to play it.

This is very hard for many people to read, and literally causes eyestrain. It definitely makes the game less accessible to those with certain visual issues. I have no trouble reading the Parlimentary popups, which use the traditional orange on black that Ageod has usually used in the past.

Using different colored lettering for different factions adds almost nothing to the graphics, and makes some popups very hard to read. I cannot understand why this is still being done, after the issue has been raised several times in other games.

I would hope that Slitherine is committed to taking reasonable steps to make these games more accessible, not less, to many of its veteran and loyal customers.

This issue has risen before, particularly in Wars of Napoleon, when it was corrected somewhat.

I respectfully request that the popups be made more readable, without difficult to read combinations such as gray on black, dark blue on black, etc.

The second is the fact that the map seems dull and drab, especially when compared with Wars of Napoleon and other Ageod games. The British Isles are some of the most beautiful in the world, with a wide variety of terrain, and the map should reflect this, in colors that evoke the nature of the terrain, as most Ageod games do. It might be too late to do anything about this, but it is a huge disappointment. But it does not keep me from playing the game.

User avatar
ferrenava
Posts: 467
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:47 am
Location: Catalunya

Re: Graphics issues

Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:17 pm

Totally agree !!!

Taillebois
General of the Army
Posts: 601
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:09 pm
Location: Nr GCHQ Cheltenham

Re: Graphics issues

Sat Jul 22, 2017 10:03 am

They are white on black to me, with the numbers a sort of purple! (Did you ever play Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri with the Alternate Color patch?) I think all games should include something like this because whenever there are those occasional items in the press about the color of items I see them different from my missus.

I think the map style was to partly recreate the sort of map style at the time. Look at some of the examples of Speed: https://www.jpmaps.co.uk/maps/speed


Also I note from some of the County maps that modern Berkshire is spelt Barkshire and Hampshire Hamshire and many other spellings that would cause some finicky people to go apopletic.


I drove the length of England yesterday from Cumbria to Devon, mostly avoiding motorways. I can confirm the country is largely green, the sky mostly grey. The mountains are what an Austrian or Swiss would call hills. :)

vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:48 pm

Re: Graphics issues

Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:20 pm

Hi Tallebois,

I never had Alpha Centauri, but I agree that something like that should be included in every computer game. With todays tech, it would probably work better.

So you see the letters as White. I wonder, what resolution are you using?

Thank you for your input on the map style. I am sure that you are right. Slitherine has done this also on a non Ageod game, Sengoki Jidai. While there are some who like this style, I do not. I also find them harder to read. I have a great love for the maps Ageod has done in past games, which show the terrain in a beautiful manner. WON and PON, and the AJE series are some of the ones I love the best. To me, the map should evoke the actual terrain, not a map of it.

I enjoyed hearing about your drive through England. Have you ever drive through the Scottish Highlands?
My nephew, who is an adventurous sort who served in Iraq, is a black belt in Karate, and works in security, drove through the Scottish Highlands a couple years ago. He thought it was a fun and exciting drive, and was quite impressed with those mountains. His wife called it "The Death Drive", and said she spent most of the drive wondering if they were going to fall off one of the steep, narrow roads and crash to their death.

Quite frankly, I wanted to see the usual Ageod depiction of those mountains, especially when I was moving around them with Montrose and his highlanders, and I am disappointed with the map.

Regards,

Vaalen

Taillebois
General of the Army
Posts: 601
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:09 pm
Location: Nr GCHQ Cheltenham

Re: Graphics issues

Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:04 pm

Hi Vaalen,

My screen size is mostly 1600x900 and 1280x800 on laptops. Actually, writing this reply on the Ageod forum I am finding it hard to see the text as it is grey on white to me!


I've driven and hitch hiked around Scotland a few times. May and June are the likely to be the best times unless you really like rain. It is not really very terrifying and the roads aren't as narrow as they used to be..

I'm regularly driving across England these days - mostly Devon to Lincolnshire, thence to Cumbria and then back down to Devon via Gloucestershire with occasional trips to London via Oxford. This game has added some interest in the places I pass. Yesterday's route took me by Nantwich, Shrewsbury, Ludlow and Hereford. I was surprised at how narrow the river Mersey was where I crossed it, but how wide the river Severn was near Shrewsbury.

When in Devon I stay near Lyme Regis. Few Englishmen would believe that Lyme Regis would feature in a historical wargame. Most people just think of it as the location in the film "The French Lieutenant's Woman".


I quite often go to Spain and so Leibst's "Espana" game on the Civil War added extra interest for me there too. I don't envy the time it must take him to produce these games only to get criticism.


Of the Ageod games Napoleon's Campaigns and AJE have the maps that are most pleasing to me. I've got Wars of Napoleon but the turn times on a 1.6gh laptop are too long for me to endure.

I'm enjoying this English civil War game and I wish more people would give it a go. It doesn't cost much more than a pizza and a beer.

Cheers!

vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:48 pm

Re: Graphics issues

Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:01 pm

Hi Tallebois,

I like the way your travels enhance your enjo

I agree that Leibst has done great work on the three games he has blessed us with. I deeply appreciate them. The only problem I have is with the graphics of ECW, as i described in this thread.

I also wish more people would buy this game and give it a try. It is quite challenging, and, like TYW, you have to think like a general of the time, where getting supplies, money, and replacements is a constant. concern. When you are actually able to accomplish something, you have a real feeling of accomplishment.

regards,

Vaalen

User avatar
Philippe
AGEod Veteran
Posts: 754
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: New York

Re: Graphics issues

Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:48 pm

Just to be clear, I think the overall appearence of the map is very tasteful and quite attractive. I particularly like that it draws its inspiration from the feel of antique maps. Too many art departments just grind out another glitzy computer game with inappropriate modern computer graphics.

vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:48 pm

Re: Graphics issues

Tue Jul 25, 2017 5:26 pm

Philippe wrote:Just to be clear, I think the overall appearence of the map is very tasteful and quite attractive. I particularly like that it draws its inspiration from the feel of antique maps. Too many art departments just grind out another glitzy computer game with inappropriate modern computer graphics.


Philippe, I am glad you like the map. I feel very differently. But our views are equally valid, and you raised a great point about glitzy computer games with inappropriate modern graphics.

I thought the previous Ageod map art was quite appropriate and not modern at all.

Regards,

Vaalen

User avatar
PhilThib
Posts: 13705
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:21 pm
Location: Meylan (France)

Re: Graphics issues

Wed Jul 26, 2017 7:57 am

... the famous "colors and tastes" (des goûts et des couleurs in French) debate....no one was ever able to end it :mdr:

What could be done, if someone is a good enough artist, is to produce another map (as a mod) with the colourful style... but the artist we used works on commission basis and would not do it for free. :sourcil:

User avatar
Hrothgar
Lieutenant
Posts: 115
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:58 am

Re: Graphics issues

Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:39 pm

I was always quite pleased with the map art in AGEOD games. Nevertheless, as a change of pace, I really enjoy the map for ECW. For some reason, it seems to fit the topic excellently. My congratulations to the artist!

vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:48 pm

Re: Graphics issues

Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:23 pm

PhilThib wrote:... the famous "colors and tastes" (des goûts et des couleurs in French) debate....no one was ever able to end it :mdr:

What could be done, if someone is a good enough artist, is to produce another map (as a mod) with the colourful style... but the artist we used works on commission basis and would not do it for free. :sourcil:


Very nice point about the "Colors and Tastes" debate.

I will note, however, that this is the only Ageod game that does not use the colorful style. And I believe it is true that many people will base at least part of their decision on whether to buy a game or not on the screenshots they see, which tells them what the game looks like.

I am thinking that perhaps the sales of the game might reflect how popular this change might really be. though of course their are other factors. For example, the subject should be quite popular, at least in England, and the price is very attractive.

Speaking for myself, if I was not already a devoted Ageod fan, I would have passed on buying this one after seeing the screenshots of the map, even though I am interested in the subject.

Of course, the people who like the map would see it as a positive factor in their decision on whether to buy the map.

And I am being an advocate for the style I greatly prefer.

I hope there is an artist who loves these games who would be willing to do the color mod. Who knows?

Regards,

Vaalen

Return to “English Civil War”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests