Hi all
I'm starting this thread about a board game I started it a few YEARS back!!, the game is about Arabian middlemen traders, during the dark ages (about 400-500 A.D.), players will play the rule of caravan merchants traveling around the world, buying and selling stuff, then returning home -just in time- for the grand bazaar !!. there is lots of cards to make -about 150 cards !!-, plus 5 mini boards. and I was woundering about the style of cards in the game before starting again

Here is a sample of the cards I made about three years ago, more like "E.V's old school" style:




And a sample card I made two Days ago :




The Question is : "Which of the two styles can capture the spirit of the game ?"

P.S. : The image from the second cards is from the net, and I don't know anything about any rights!!. but since the project is free, I don't think that anybody will mind !!

Regards
E.V.

Great start EV!

I will follow your Game looking for something new!

About the style, the second image seems to be more attractive, but you should try to print it before judging, sometime a printed image looks very different from the monitor. Moreover you have to consider the contrast between the background and the text: the first image looks much better in that sense.

Thanx Claudio

I'll try to keep the opacity low enough behind the text, for me it's not just attractive, I'm in LOVE with the new style, and it's so easy, I think I'll cover the whole set in fewer time. thanks to Photoshop actions .then I'll focus on buying a new camera to take some shots !!

Given that you already live there, I suggest you to take pictures by yourself. It is amusing to have your own country in a Game!

Well...... Claud
Open your Google Earth..

33°58'8.08"N 36°39'38.44"E is where I'm originaly from.
25°47'24.12"N 55°57'31.66"E is where I'm living Now !!

Good! This evening I'll go to visit you at home...

I like the new style too!
There's more of a 'spirit of the country' apparent in the second card.

Many thanx guys, and good to see you back "squirmydad" , how is Alaska now ??

another thing, I've made a sample for the "Exotic Items" card, but I can't figure a good way to insert the text, all cards should have : 1)Basic buying price, 2) Basic selling price.
but some may have a special ability, The problem is how to arrange those three elements on the card ?.. here is an example, do you think it's good enough ??




Next.. is the stage cards -the path you take from one market to the other-, I wanted them to be simple and easy to understand, with some use of symbols to minimize text, -like: lose the lead(red Arrow), Gain the lead (Green arrow)... others not finished yet -, what do you think guys ??

I think the first card is good enough. Pay attention to the frame: in my opinion it should be richer and in contrast with the background.

For the second and third cards, I think you need both graphic and text together. I like the impressive images... I am thirsty now..

Thanx Claud, as for the second and third ones they'll gonna need more time in the garage

but I've made some changes in the Exotic card : what do you think now ??




Note : as for the picture of spice, I've made it to look exactly as the tokens of the "Normal" goods, here is an example :




why it's a token ?
So it can fit inside your Caravan - yes there is a 3D caravan for each player !!-

E.V.

I like the idea of the token inside the Caravan!

As for the first card... there's something i don't understand... in proportions.

Maybe the text is too big? I see many cards with very little text...

The big G instead of Gold... no... maybe an icon of a bunch of coins?

About the frame... I would prefer a dedicated one with not rounded corner (to print and cut 150x4=600 round corners... ).

No..no Claudio..
This IS the card, I mean all of the (267 x 400) pixels shown here
the round corner and the frame are "inside" the card - like the market card, but wider boarder- , that's why the background are fading out of the frame. but as for the token you're right, I'll try to make it with sharp corners, maybe using the same trick..
As for the text, it's big becuase the card is small!, I'm thinking of (4cm X 6cm). the stages are (4.6cm X 4.6cm).

To cut (150X4)cards + (200X4) tokens with round corners = BORING GAME

Then, if this helps, consider that the file should be within 8"x11" so to be right for Letter and A4 printers. In 8" you have 5 cards; in 11" you have 6 cards; in one page then 30 cards. If you draw the cards one near the other so that with only one cut you can involve more cards, you can do it easily and fast.

What? No oil?!!

Thank you Caludio for the advice, I'll but that in mind when making the plot files.
by the way, do you know a way for printing on both faces of the sheet, some tutorial for new people, so they don't miss things up?


Experimental Designs wrote:
What? No oil?!!

??? sorry but I don't understand, do you mean oil like fuel?

Now I starting to write the rule book, due to my english I'm gonna need lot's and lot's of help . can I have some volunteers ??