Oh hello. So, it's been a while. I reserved a castle area in Glaciar Kristol about a year ago, then suddenly I lost use of my main PC for several months and by the time I got it back I'd forgotten all about mapping and this project. But I'm itching to get back into it, so I thought I'd check if that area is still available
Version 180913 of the Community Atlas has an error going from the parent map to the continent of Kumarikandam. The continent map doesn't load and CC3+ needs to be shut down using the Task Manager.
Thanks for the report. As far as I can tell, there is nothing wrong with the atlas navigation, but I am betting you have hit a "redraw loop". This is a bug that happens in CC3+ sometimes, and causes the map to just redraw over and over. You can generally get out of this loop by clicking the sheets and effects button, and then wait a few more seconds, as once the current redraw cycle is complete the dialog will show and you can click OK to go back to the map.
Okay, several areas looked at but I am nowhere near being prepared to tackle a region 975,000 km square. :)
I happen to like dungeons, and I REALLY like big ones. If possible, I would like to reserve the two caves indicated on the attached image - Northen Scar environs, Continent of Alarius. There are approximately 80 miles between them (as measured in CC3+), so a series of caverns, tunnels and the odd multi-level dungeon ought to spruce the place up a bit.
Also, I am unable to open the Kumarikandam continent map directly, but I am able to 3 other maps from that continent. I don't have the style they were done in, as the three of them are nothing but the Red X to me. Could that be a contributing factor?
Posted By: PerryCI happen to like dungeons, and I REALLY like big ones. If possible, I would like to reserve the two caves indicated on the attached image - Northen Scar environs, Continent of Alarius.
Great, I'll reserve those for you.
Also, I am unable to open the Kumarikandam continent map directly, but I am able to 3 other maps from that continent. I don't have the style they were done in, as the three of them are nothing but the Red X to me. Could that be a contributing factor?
Weird. I wonder if anyone else have that problem too. In any case, you can try to force effects off before you open it by going to Tools -> Options and set the 'Effects on load' setting to always off before opening the map. Many maps will look weird with effects off, but they are much less likely to cause a problem for you.
Downloaded twice and tried extracting to different locations all the same result, and changing the effects on load setting doesn't help. All the other maps seem to open fine, even if I don't have the styles used. Just that one map is an issue for me. I plan on getting all the Annuals soon enough so its not that big of a concern right now. Just figured I'd mention it :D
edit: I really need to figure out how the quotes work on these forums.
You just need to click the small "quote" word at the top right of the comment you want to quote. That places the quote in the comment box you are about to use to make your comment
I've updated the Contribute page on the atlas site to be a little less intimidating. I think this approach is better than the old wall of text. It is difficult finding the right balance between not scaring off potential new contributors and providing enough technical information. Please tell me what you think.
I spotted the time limit for mappers seems to have been decreased from one year down to six months, before they need to renew any pending reserved areas (under "Take your time"). Or am I just misremembering this?
Posted By: WyvernI spotted the time limit for mappers seems to have been decreased from one year down to six months, before they need to renew any pending reserved areas (under "Take your time"). Or am I just misremembering this?
I am just being sneaky. I am still going to stick with the year, I just want to try to get in some early warnings for long-running maps. 6 months is still way more than anyone normaly needs anyway. Call it a "soft limit".
Huge city maps are probably the hardest and longest to do - believe me, both you and me know that. Your Merelan is still my goal towards another city for me. I will actually start a city creation using CC3 thread - would Sue, Monsen and any others be interested in sharing thoughts, experiences, how they have approached it in the past, and what they intend to do different and why.
After some deliberation, I decided to switch over the maps in the online map browser for the atlas to jpeg instead of png. At the 85% quality setting, these are just a bit above one tenth of the png files, making the atlas pages load MUCH faster, making them kinder for people with slow connections to my server, as well as being far more bandwidth-friendly for those with a limited amount of that stuff. The average map is just 300kB or less, compared to close to 3MB for the png versions. While hardly noticeable at the normal view, this does make zooming in the maps look worse, but we already have the hi-resolution versions available for those that need better quality and zoom, and those will stay in .png.
I implemented this change by adding some code to the server, making it automatically generate the .jpg file if it doesn't already exist. This adds a slight delay for the first visitor to any given map (although the reduced map size will probably mean that total page load time will be less anyway), but the jpg is written to disk, so the next visitor is just served the existing one unless the png has been updated in the mean time. I did it this way because it saves me from converting all those files to jpg, and it also leaves my workflow intact, letting me create the pngs as I always have (Saves me from some clicks, since I don't have to switch file type when I generate the normal version from the hi-res one), and also keeping the png's around if needed.
Let me know what you think. Png is obviously a superior format for maps, but for a web page, the load times are a pretty important factor too (and they don't eat up your monthly quota if you are on a metered connection, such as most mobile plans)
The man is sitting in his chair, just like you were told he could be found, the description you were given matches as well. A dirty, smell shell of old man, matted grey hair hanging over his face, a waist length greasy mess of a beard. Hands, crippled and knotted on the arms of his chair.
“You be thems that been asking about Elben’s Demise? I can smell it on yous,” this gets a chuckle of the old man. You were told he hasn’t been the same since last he ventured into the mysterious valley, according to the legend and tales, this crazy old man is the only one who survived.
“Elben’s Demise… a hateful place. Ye best find another hole to poke yer noses into. Elben, he was always chasin’ the gold you see. Din’t matter where it took him, or what he had to do. This time he tol’ us that he had found a map that showed ‘em miles and miles of caverns and tunnels. He needed me and me wagons. Most ‘liable teamster around then. Pay was good ‘nugh to keep me interested.
“It was good travel till we hit that god-forsaken valley, then we found The Scrub, can’t rightly ‘member who called it that, but it stuck. There is an old, long forgotten trail, on the eastern side. Stay on in. it leads to Gorst’s Hold. He is kind of the boss of the valley, you’ll need to make a deal with to go farther. Any trading you want to do has to be done there. Gorst don’t like visitors pokin’ around his people too much. Gorst himself, is some big bastard of a…. well, I don’t rightly know. He is big, ugly mean, he will make deals, but just like to stab you in the back. He has all manor of bandits, deserters, and Gods know what else up his sleeve.
“Now, Gorst isn’t stupid, he keeps his people alive and fed in that place. He might even offer to sell you extra gear is you are braving those caves. He wants a reasonable cut of yer take, just don’t try to cheat him. Bad things happen.
“To get to the gold and treasure in them caverns, and a lost dwarf city you need to enter the cave called Demon’s Throat. It’s like you crossed the bridge to hell there. A hot, bubbling black streams come s out the cave and into the Scrub. Yup, the water is black as tar, don’t drink. No antidote is quick enough, lost a few men and animals to that stuff.
“Comin’ back out the tunnels with our haul is when Elben made the mistake of trying to go ‘round the other side of the valley from Gorst. I can’t remember how many and wagons were lost trying to drive them through the Scrub. Its full of razor-sharp rocks, stunted evil trees, pieces of stone that had been marked by hands of man lie scattered about the Scrub. You ain’t going to get away from Gorst that way.
“Then we stumbled across that Circle of Stones. Tall, green-purple stones standing taller than a building, and humming with energy. I ain’t never felt anything like that since. Then bolts of light started flashin’ out of them rocks. Anyone they hit, didn’t make it. So just disappeared, others exploded in a mess. Running at night, through that Scrub, with the bolts of light streaking out and exploding, the cries of my friends and the animals as they died.
“Then the shadows started hunting. I think they came from Death’s Gate, its an evil smelling a place I have ever seen. Some sort of fortress made from black rock stood there in ancient times. Strong and proud it was said. At some point it exploded, black rock reigning down all over the valley. Grost and his people avoid the place as they are constantly fighting with the shadow creatures.
“The black stream that flows out of the cave, empties into the Death Gate, thundering over the edge into a hole…a deep hole. So deep ain’t anybody live come out of there.
“Like I said, Gorst don’t like to be cheated, so let this be yer last warning about it.” The gnarled hands lift the matted and tangled mess of hair out of the way. You stare in some revulsion at the mangled mess you see before. The man’s eyes have been gouged out, and his nose hacked from his face. Layers of scars from being cut and burned cover the rest of his face. Lips have been hacked and burned showing missing and cracked teeth.
“Seek yous the treasures of Elben’s Demise if yous have gold lust, just be careful it doesn’t bite back!” His hands fall to his arm rests once again, and the old man retreats into his thoughts and memories once more.
Comments
I reserved a castle area in Glaciar Kristol about a year ago, then suddenly I lost use of my main PC for several months and by the time I got it back I'd forgotten all about mapping and this project. But I'm itching to get back into it, so I thought I'd check if that area is still available
I happen to like dungeons, and I REALLY like big ones. If possible, I would like to reserve the two caves indicated on the attached image - Northen Scar environs, Continent of Alarius. There are approximately 80 miles between them (as measured in CC3+), so a series of caverns, tunnels and the odd multi-level dungeon ought to spruce the place up a bit.
Also, I am unable to open the Kumarikandam continent map directly, but I am able to 3 other maps from that continent. I don't have the style they were done in, as the three of them are nothing but the Red X to me. Could that be a contributing factor?
Weird. I wonder if anyone else have that problem too. In any case, you can try to force effects off before you open it by going to Tools -> Options and set the 'Effects on load' setting to always off before opening the map. Many maps will look weird with effects off, but they are much less likely to cause a problem for you.
Downloaded twice and tried extracting to different locations all the same result, and changing the effects on load setting doesn't help. All the other maps seem to open fine, even if I don't have the styles used. Just that one map is an issue for me. I plan on getting all the Annuals soon enough so its not that big of a concern right now. Just figured I'd mention it :D
edit: I really need to figure out how the quotes work on these forums.
I think you were right to change it
That's a great idea. Will it change every day?
While hardly noticeable at the normal view, this does make zooming in the maps look worse, but we already have the hi-resolution versions available for those that need better quality and zoom, and those will stay in .png.
I implemented this change by adding some code to the server, making it automatically generate the .jpg file if it doesn't already exist. This adds a slight delay for the first visitor to any given map (although the reduced map size will probably mean that total page load time will be less anyway), but the jpg is written to disk, so the next visitor is just served the existing one unless the png has been updated in the mean time. I did it this way because it saves me from converting all those files to jpg, and it also leaves my workflow intact, letting me create the pngs as I always have (Saves me from some clicks, since I don't have to switch file type when I generate the normal version from the hi-res one), and also keeping the png's around if needed.
Let me know what you think. Png is obviously a superior format for maps, but for a web page, the load times are a pretty important factor too (and they don't eat up your monthly quota if you are on a metered connection, such as most mobile plans)
Thank you for continually reviewing and streamlining everything for us
Link to the FCW file:
The Tale of Elban's Demise
The man is sitting in his chair, just like you were told he could be found, the description you were given matches as well. A dirty, smell shell of old man, matted grey hair hanging over his face, a waist length greasy mess of a beard. Hands, crippled and knotted on the arms of his chair.
“You be thems that been asking about Elben’s Demise? I can smell it on yous,” this gets a chuckle of the old man. You were told he hasn’t been the same since last he ventured into the mysterious valley, according to the legend and tales, this crazy old man is the only one who survived.
“Elben’s Demise… a hateful place. Ye best find another hole to poke yer noses into. Elben, he was always chasin’ the gold you see. Din’t matter where it took him, or what he had to do. This time he tol’ us that he had found a map that showed ‘em miles and miles of caverns and tunnels. He needed me and me wagons. Most ‘liable teamster around then. Pay was good ‘nugh to keep me interested.
“It was good travel till we hit that god-forsaken valley, then we found The Scrub, can’t rightly ‘member who called it that, but it stuck. There is an old, long forgotten trail, on the eastern side. Stay on in. it leads to Gorst’s Hold. He is kind of the boss of the valley, you’ll need to make a deal with to go farther. Any trading you want to do has to be done there. Gorst don’t like visitors pokin’ around his people too much. Gorst himself, is some big bastard of a…. well, I don’t rightly know. He is big, ugly mean, he will make deals, but just like to stab you in the back. He has all manor of bandits, deserters, and Gods know what else up his sleeve.
“Now, Gorst isn’t stupid, he keeps his people alive and fed in that place. He might even offer to sell you extra gear is you are braving those caves. He wants a reasonable cut of yer take, just don’t try to cheat him. Bad things happen.
“To get to the gold and treasure in them caverns, and a lost dwarf city you need to enter the cave called Demon’s Throat. It’s like you crossed the bridge to hell there. A hot, bubbling black streams come s out the cave and into the Scrub. Yup, the water is black as tar, don’t drink. No antidote is quick enough, lost a few men and animals to that stuff.
“Comin’ back out the tunnels with our haul is when Elben made the mistake of trying to go ‘round the other side of the valley from Gorst. I can’t remember how many and wagons were lost trying to drive them through the Scrub. Its full of razor-sharp rocks, stunted evil trees, pieces of stone that had been marked by hands of man lie scattered about the Scrub. You ain’t going to get away from Gorst that way.
“Then we stumbled across that Circle of Stones. Tall, green-purple stones standing taller than a building, and humming with energy. I ain’t never felt anything like that since. Then bolts of light started flashin’ out of them rocks. Anyone they hit, didn’t make it. So just disappeared, others exploded in a mess. Running at night, through that Scrub, with the bolts of light streaking out and exploding, the cries of my friends and the animals as they died.
“Then the shadows started hunting. I think they came from Death’s Gate, its an evil smelling a place I have ever seen. Some sort of fortress made from black rock stood there in ancient times. Strong and proud it was said. At some point it exploded, black rock reigning down all over the valley. Grost and his people avoid the place as they are constantly fighting with the shadow creatures.
“The black stream that flows out of the cave, empties into the Death Gate, thundering over the edge into a hole…a deep hole. So deep ain’t anybody live come out of there.
“Like I said, Gorst don’t like to be cheated, so let this be yer last warning about it.” The gnarled hands lift the matted and tangled mess of hair out of the way. You stare in some revulsion at the mangled mess you see before. The man’s eyes have been gouged out, and his nose hacked from his face. Layers of scars from being cut and burned cover the rest of his face. Lips have been hacked and burned showing missing and cracked teeth.
“Seek yous the treasures of Elben’s Demise if yous have gold lust, just be careful it doesn’t bite back!”
His hands fall to his arm rests once again, and the old man retreats into his thoughts and memories once more.
Thanks for contributing, and welcome to the atlas project.