# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Board Game Mapping >  Hammer of the Scots game map

## timallen

Hi all:

Just thought I would share a map I made up last year, for a contest run by a game company called "Columbia Games". They were planning on re-printing a war game of there's called "Hammer of the Scots" and put out a call to see if anyone could design a better map.  Winner gets a free game.  So I thought I would enter.  This was just a few months after I got Photoshop CS4 and really started to play around with it, so the first map I came up with was a bit less than I had hoped it would be.  But I like the final result.

I"ll start out by showing you what the original game map looked like (set up with the wooden block units).  Its....OK-

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## timallen

One of the things I felt was needed was more detailed game info on the map. I also wanted to go for a kind of cloth look.  This is the map I came up with after a couple days and submitted to the contest.  The tracks on the right hand side is were you put your blocks when they are not in use.

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## timallen

But after a while, I didnt like the map I made up. So I decided to go back to the drawing board and make up a new one.  This was after several months of working with photoshop CS4 and I felt I could now do better.  I wanted something that was simpler, with more of a old old paper map look.  This was my first attempt.

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## timallen

I felt this was looking much better!  But it still needed some changes.  I found out how to add curls to map edges and wanted to add that in, and I made some spelling corrections and a few other minor changes.

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## timallen

Finally, I wanted to add a background and darken up the whole thing, to give it a more moody appearance.  I also decided to add in the crown- after all, that's what it was all about- who would be King of Scotland! (The game is about the Scottish wars of independence made popular by the movie Bravehart).  This is my final result.  I printed it out and it looks pretty good with the game pieces on it.  

My original map did not win the contest, and now I think that is quite right as I no longer like it either.  This one is much more what I was wanting to create.  Too bad it was too late for the contest.

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## Jaxilon

Dude, that's sweet looking. I can totally see that as a board for a commercial game. I wonder what the winning map looks like compared to this beauty?

I like that you are able to show the progression of the work. It shows others what they can imagine getting to as they begin learning a program and feel frustrated by not being able to create what they see in their mind. (like I felt)

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## timallen

Thanks.  Here is the map that won...remember I had sent in the first map I made, not the last one.  This one is very nice too.  Definitely better than my first attempt.  I personally like the last one I made up better, but I suppose that's understandable!   :Wink:   Its a different look than mine.  Lighter.  More....Illustrator-like; which is not a bad thing.

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## Jaxilon

Yeah that last one of yours would have made it a contest for sure. It probably would have come down to which coloring they liked better. Ah, well, maybe next time eh? I think your's wins just for having the Stewart plaid as background, LOL

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## tilt

those are nice looking maps ...all of them!   .. have some rep with my HAMMER of nice repping +4   :Wink:

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## todd636

Are you maps available for download?  I have the original Hammer of the Scotts and would love to use your design.  Off topic, but your War at Sea map is also impressive.  I huge improvement over the original.

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## timallen

Thanks Todd!  Yeah, the WAS map did turn out nice.  That one should be available for download off of  "BoardGameGeek.com".  I have a picture of it somewhere with the counters set up...ah here it is!  It prints out nice, if I do say so myself! ;-)  The map on the left is from the original game, circa 1977.  *Shudder!*  Sooo ugly.

As my finalized Hammer map; that's not available anywhere, but if you send me an email  [Alltim(at sign)gmail.com] I should be able to send the file to you.
Thanks for the interest.

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## hohum

Sweet maps. Have some rep.

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