I need some testers for my map, Cities of the United States, which can be found here:

https://www.warlight.net/SinglePlayer?PreviewMap=43668

Edited 5/9/2015 18:13:30

i'll do it for you!

Except there is a map like this ... though it is about the interstates i think.

I like the map, I am ot sure if I will like it when I play it, but it looks like a map that I would enjoy playing.
I would like to test

Edited 5/9/2015 17:29:07

Ill test

Looks fun.

I did a fast click through with your connections, and didn't see any mistakes

Woah woah woah, hold on. You forgot Alaska!

And Hawaii :P

Woah woah woah, hold on. You forgot Alaska!

And Hawaii :P

Well, it's more Cities of the Continental United States.

Are you sure you want to make DC a +2 bonus all by itself? I know it's the capital, but it will make the map terribly difficult to balance and it means the map cannot be used with auto-distribution (especially with a lot of state capitals (one-territory +1 bonuses) nearby).

@Finston:
Actually, you mean Contiguous States; Alaska is on the continent. ;)

Edited 5/9/2015 22:27:05

Are you sure you want to make DC a +2 bonus all by itself? I know it's the capital, but it will make the map terribly difficult to balance and it means the map cannot be used with auto-distribution (especially with a lot of state capitals (one-territory +1 bonuses) nearby).

I'm currently balancing that (among other things).

Actually, you mean Contiguous States; Alaska is on the continent. ;)

Good point. Cities of the Contiguous United States.

Edited 5/9/2015 22:32:55

Connections which might need review:

Pittsburgh <--> Charleston, WV
Columbus <--> Charleston, WV
Columbus <--> Canton
Toledo <--> Fort Wayne
South Bend <--> Fort Wayne
South Bend <--> Lansing
South Bend <--> Indianapolis
Raleigh <--> Fayetteville
Wilmington, NC <--> Fayetteville
Wilmington, NC <--> Richmond

All of these are closely together, but they do not have a line drawn between them. I'm not sure whether the line is missing, or the connection should be removed, that's up to you of course.

Lines that intersect connect all the territories.

I disagree with "intersecting lines connect things" statement. That is not intuitive nor easy to understand on iOS and Android. It should be more obvious when things connect. So I would put lines in to show the connection or disconnect them. With your logic Dover should connect to Annapolis, but it does not.

Second, It is not clear what is a capital bonus among all the dots in state. I would suggest some flair, perhaps a star behind capital locations. Inspecting maps is not that easy on android and iOS. So it should be clear just from looking what is worth the +1 in the state.

Third, The colored line surrounding territories of the same bonus bigger. It makes it easier on the eye.

With your logic Dover should connect to Annapolis, but it does not.

Woops, I missed that. Thanks.

I disagree with "intersecting lines connect things" statement. That is not intuitive nor easy to understand on iOS and Android.

But showing every connection is unwieldy and takes quite a bit more space. And could you expand on how it's hard to understand on mobile?

Would adding text explaining the mechanic help?

Second, It is not clear what is a capital bonus among all the dots in state. I would suggest some flair, perhaps a star behind capital locations.

Third, The colored line surrounding territories of the same bonus bigger. It makes it easier on the eye.

Sure.

I'll test if your still looking.

ill test

I'll test

I will test if you want.

And I agree with Mercer about the Capitals being different.

But showing every connection is unwieldy and takes quite a bit more space.

Don't reinvent the wheel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wire_Crossover_Symbols_for_Circuit_Diagrams.png

You could mark the intersections with a connecting dot (or, if space permits, something like a roundabout / traffic interchange icon).

Alternatively, use the "staggered" approach, something like this:

This would look kind of similar to how you've drawn, for instance, Montgomery - Columbus - Atlanta as well as Birmingham - Huntsville - Nashville, so it would fit the map.

Would adding text explaining the mechanic help?

"Show, don't tell" ;)

In my opinion, including a "manual" with a map should be a last resort; sure, it works, but it's far from an elegant solution.