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Topic: Tribal Resource Signs

QCS

Joined: 2009-12-29, 21:47
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Posted at: 2012-05-02, 17:45

The droplet is a great idea. Much better than the blue blob face-wink.png And I agree to the reasoning about the buckets.

From the 'other' signs, I like the sand piles with the ore samples most... I'm only thinking how it might look like to have 20 sandpiles on the mountain. Well, I guess it clearly shows there has been some digging... face-smile.png

So my vote is clear - the sandpiles with samples, and the droplet for water.


CMake is evil.

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Venatrix
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Joined: 2010-10-05, 19:31
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Posted at: 2012-05-02, 18:43

Hmm… Personally I prefer the signs. The version is not important for me (only B for Empire). But can you provide the pictures on different mountain terrains? There’s more than one, right? And the water sign is needed to be shown on grass. I think it’s hard to decide without all the informations.


Two is the oddest prime.

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fuchur

Joined: 2009-10-07, 13:01
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Posted at: 2012-05-02, 22:29

Thank you, Chuck, for the overwiew. When I look at them I prefer the signs. Maybe it's just that I'm more used to them, but I like them more as the piles. And I think especially gold and iron ore are better recognizable even at a short glance.

For a small amount I vote for 2, the vertical bar. For a large amount I also prefer 2, and for the empire version B. The darker background increases the visibility of the small amount sign.

To indicate no ressources both the white cross and the empty sign are fine.


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chuckw
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Joined: 2010-03-15, 15:23
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Posted at: 2012-05-02, 23:49

Thanks for your comments.

Per Venatrix's request, here are the resource markers with various terrain backgrounds:
sum
mtn1-2
mtn1-3
mtn3
mtn4

and here are the water-bearing terrain
water

As much as I like the sample piles, I have to admit that the signs do stand out more consistently. I think their regular rectangular shape with defined edges makes them easier to distinguish.

Let me hear your thoughts and post a vote for your favorite. face-smile.png


I see little people.

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Venatrix
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Joined: 2010-10-05, 19:31
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Posted at: 2012-05-03, 08:03

Yes, still vote for the signs. face-wink.png

I just have a little trouble to recognise the Atlantean signs on the yellowish mountain terrains (the second and the fifth). IMO they don’t distinguish enough from the background. Especially the None sign with cross is hard to be seen on the fifth terrain.


Two is the oddest prime.

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Nasenbaer
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Joined: 2009-02-21, 17:17
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Posted at: 2012-05-03, 12:24

The pile animation sounds like a nice idea, but I still prefare the old fashioned signs

  • +1 for keeping signs (no piles) :).

The general color of the signs for each tribe looks good.

  • +1 for taking the tribal colors as they are in your later pictures (row A) face-smile.png

The water color looks too dark for the imperial and barbarian signs, while the light blue for granite/marble seems to be missleading

  • I would like to have the barbarian and imperial water color lighter and the marble/granit color be white (as before). The atlantean crystel color looks good.

Adding geometrical signs as replacement of big and small spots seems a bit unintuitive to me... I did not get what they want to tell me until I read the explanation. So:

  • I am for keeping the small and big dots on the signs. Alternatively:

  • Instead of the small spot a hollow rectangle

  • if more than 2 values should be shown: lines of the color (like battery charge lines on mobile phones or laptops).

Just my 2cents face-smile.png

Thanks Chuck for your work on all these examples, it makes the decission even harder, as there are many good ideas. But that's the way it should be in a creative phase :), shouldn't it?


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wl-zocker

Joined: 2011-12-30, 16:37
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Posted at: 2012-05-03, 17:32

After having seen the signs in direct comparison to the piles, I definitely prefer the signs.

As Venatrix already said, the Atlantean signs are bad to recognize especially on the fifth mountain terrain. As the signs look good, what about changing the color of the mountain? (just an idea, what do others think?)

I prefer the signs number 2 (of both the small and the big amount) and the B version of the Empire's signs and the Atlantean crystal signs. For the "none" sign, I prefer the version with the cross.

I like the color of the different ressources as they are and I see no need to change them.


"Only few people know how much one has to know in order to know how little one knows." - Werner Heisenberg

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chuckw
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Posted at: 2012-05-03, 18:35

Here is another summary (I know it is getting confusing) incorporating some of Nasenbaer's ideas, i.e. lighter water color and marble, along with an empty rectangle to signify small amounts.
I have also made a version of the Atlantean signs with a high-contrast black border to improve their visibility on the brownish mountain terrain. Additionally, I have added two more empty options for the sample piles and lightened up the marble samples.
berg1
mnt1-2
mnt1-3
mnt1
mnt3
mnt4

@wl-zocker: Mountains I will save for another time and another place after I get these markers put to bed (if ever). >:-)

What I am hearing from the majority seems to be:

  • signs not piles
  • black borders on Atlantean signs
  • the #2 version or possibly Nasenbaer's rectangle for small amounts
  • the A version of the Empire signs (lighter gray background)
  • brighter water color for the barbarians and empire
  • whiter marble
  • darker stone
  • blue crystal
  • blank sign for no resources

Have we whittled this down to just the bar or rectangle for small amounts? (My old eyes think the dot is too small to be readily visible in some cases.)
If not, speak up.
If so, cast your vote for bar or rectangle for the small amount sign.

I await your pleasure. face-grin.png


I see little people.

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chuckw
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Posted at: 2012-05-03, 18:50

I just realized the barbarian stone should be whiter not darker as I have depicted it. So picture that option as more like the white empire marble.

Like this: white

Speaking of marbles, has anyone seen mine? I seem to have lost them among these signs. face-grin.png

Edited: 2012-05-03, 19:06

I see little people.

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Venatrix
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Posted at: 2012-05-03, 19:35

chuckw wrote:

What I am hearing from the majority seems to be:

  • black borders on Atlantean signs

It definitely sets them more apart from the yellowish mountain terrains. But it seems a bit strange as the other tribes don’t use such a border (one could argue with the different cultures though). Can you perhaps try to use the texture from the Atlantean buildings? I don’t know, if that would make visibility better or worse, but maybe it’s worth a try?

  • the #2 version or possibly Nasenbaer's rectangle for small amounts

Vote for #2. The rectangle especially of the brighter colours are not easy to distinguish at the Atlanteans signs. Must be the tribe, I think. face-wink.png

  • the A version of the Empire signs (lighter gray background)

Most people voted for B, the darker background, as I see it.

  • brighter water color for the barbarians and empire
  • blue crystal

Hmm… I think that can be very confusing, especially for new players, when light blue at the two first tribes (according to the tutorial scenarios) means water and the next tribe uses the same (or nearly the same) colour for a completely different resource. That’s more important as the stone colours from the other tribes are similar to each other.

  • blank sign for no resources

I read “sign with cross” one time more often than “blank sign”.


Two is the oddest prime.

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