[Age 331] Map Rework - Zoomable map and how to use it
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:13 pm
Dear Commanders,
We have reworked the map, in such a way it brings way more options to both you as players and us as the dev-team.
But first:
### IN ORDER TO SHOW THE NEW MAP: ###
>>> On PC: Hardrefresh the map by pressing ctrl+f5 at the same time <<<
>>> On Phone: Delete cache/cookies from TLK via your browser settings on your phone <<<
These above will make your browser re-download the new map
But then, what is all of this fuss about, let me summarize why this is great:
- The smallmap/largemap is gone. No more clicking between the maps.
- The map is zoomable, you can zoom in on the map if you want to look closer at some borders, cities or nations if you'd like to.
- The namebars and City Icons are now put on the map as with code. Before they were part of the image we called the map. Now the map is a complete empty image, and the code puts names/icons on it.
- The above gets rid of the awkard namebar placing, inwhich the area of a city had to be connected in one piece in order to be filled by patterns. So namebars and dots couldnt be in the way. Now they can, which gives a more natural look to it.
- When villages/mediums get castled, they will receive the large-city icon now.
- It gives us a lot easier access to changes to the map/database combination as it is working. Before we couldnt really change citynames, as they were 'painted' on the map, in some ancient deleted font. Now we can change citynames, change city sizes, relocate the namebars if needed and all those kind of things by the request of players.
- We have a certain standard setting for the placing of the namebars. They are now centered and x-pixels above the city dot. Ofcourse, this gave some overlapping or putting namebars over borders, so I have adjusted some namebars to offset into the sea, or placed them underneath the citydots. However, for clarity, I will only take requests for moving citynamebars if they are really valid and/or blocking a valid border, in order for me to offset them. We like patterns, clarity and logic in this, so its not gonna be a circus again, with namebars going everywhere, like it was in the previous setup.
So, lets have a closer look on how this map works:
On PC: Hold shift. Hover your mouse over the map, hold shift. Using the scroll wheel of the mouse will make your map zoom in. Moving your mouse left/right/up/down will make the map move in the desired direction.
On Phone: Basicly the mechanics on phone are in place which most are used to, for lets say Google Maps. You pinch with two fingers to zoom in, you reverse-pinch (?
) to zoom out. And moving one finger in a certain direction, will make the map move in that same direction.
Laptop users without mouse and other misc.: On the right top corner of the map are a few buttons which can help you in your navigation. The + will zoom in, the - will zoom out, the cross will put you back to the default setting of the map. This can help for players with a touchpad, like a laptop would have. They can zoom in with the + and move around with one finger holding shift like is a pc.
We have reworked the map, in such a way it brings way more options to both you as players and us as the dev-team.
But first:
### IN ORDER TO SHOW THE NEW MAP: ###
>>> On PC: Hardrefresh the map by pressing ctrl+f5 at the same time <<<
>>> On Phone: Delete cache/cookies from TLK via your browser settings on your phone <<<
These above will make your browser re-download the new map
But then, what is all of this fuss about, let me summarize why this is great:
- The smallmap/largemap is gone. No more clicking between the maps.
- The map is zoomable, you can zoom in on the map if you want to look closer at some borders, cities or nations if you'd like to.
- The namebars and City Icons are now put on the map as with code. Before they were part of the image we called the map. Now the map is a complete empty image, and the code puts names/icons on it.
- The above gets rid of the awkard namebar placing, inwhich the area of a city had to be connected in one piece in order to be filled by patterns. So namebars and dots couldnt be in the way. Now they can, which gives a more natural look to it.
- When villages/mediums get castled, they will receive the large-city icon now.
- It gives us a lot easier access to changes to the map/database combination as it is working. Before we couldnt really change citynames, as they were 'painted' on the map, in some ancient deleted font. Now we can change citynames, change city sizes, relocate the namebars if needed and all those kind of things by the request of players.
- We have a certain standard setting for the placing of the namebars. They are now centered and x-pixels above the city dot. Ofcourse, this gave some overlapping or putting namebars over borders, so I have adjusted some namebars to offset into the sea, or placed them underneath the citydots. However, for clarity, I will only take requests for moving citynamebars if they are really valid and/or blocking a valid border, in order for me to offset them. We like patterns, clarity and logic in this, so its not gonna be a circus again, with namebars going everywhere, like it was in the previous setup.
So, lets have a closer look on how this map works:
On PC: Hold shift. Hover your mouse over the map, hold shift. Using the scroll wheel of the mouse will make your map zoom in. Moving your mouse left/right/up/down will make the map move in the desired direction.
On Phone: Basicly the mechanics on phone are in place which most are used to, for lets say Google Maps. You pinch with two fingers to zoom in, you reverse-pinch (?
) to zoom out. And moving one finger in a certain direction, will make the map move in that same direction.Laptop users without mouse and other misc.: On the right top corner of the map are a few buttons which can help you in your navigation. The + will zoom in, the - will zoom out, the cross will put you back to the default setting of the map. This can help for players with a touchpad, like a laptop would have. They can zoom in with the + and move around with one finger holding shift like is a pc.