Colorblind friendly Tollenkar Map?

[krakajak]

I'm not colorblind, but I immediately saw that map as a huge oversight (I work in videogames, and accessibility is a big focus of mine). I saw it during the kickstarter too and I didn't think to bring it up:/ If you have access to the pdfs, maybe you can do a grayscale print/image? Don't know how close those colors are when converted to grayscale though

With Steve Jackson Games permission, I would be happy to try to do a paint-bucket edit of the map in more colorblind friendly colors and post it.

[Skarg]

Someone who knows how to replace colors in a program such as Photoshop or GIMP (and who understands the map) could do a good job in an hour or two.

I just converted the top level to white hexes for level 1 and black for the rest, in a few minutes. It would take a few more minutes for each of the other levels to make the crossed-over hexes white too.

If SJG would give permission to share them, or make/share them themselves, it's not very hard at all using such tools.

[krakajak]

I've got one ready to go now. If I get the go ahead, I'll post a link.

[Shadekeep]

I built out the Tollenkar map in Shamat as one of my first proofs of concept. I did a quick test yesterday of peeling the layers out, and there is a LOT of whitespace in each individual level. So yeah, I can see why they did the layered map originally. It is a design conceit that does rather force one to minimise overlap between levels and such, and really isn't suited except in special cases like this one. But it's a pretty clever solution nonetheless.

I'm curious now as to how many of the colours in Shamat are not distinguishable to colourblind folks. (And yes, I know there are several varieties of that condition, each with different issues with particular colour groups.) I'd like to revisit those colours to a more optimal set that everyone can use, if possible.

[larsdangly]

I don't think of this as an oversight or mistake; it' more like an atavism that is part of the general approach the Legacy Edition took (reproducing the original, other than a few modest tweaks and additions). It was weird in 1980 too, but everyone was a lot more accepting of weirdness back then.

[krakajak]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I don't think of this as an oversight or mistake; it' more like an atavism that is part of the general approach the Legacy Edition took (reproducing the original, other than a few modest tweaks and additions). It was weird in 1980 too, but everyone was a lot more accepting of weirdness back then.

That doesn't make it not an oversight. I doubt the people at Steve Jackson games would have issues making a "modest tweak" to their chosen color palette while they were updating the map if they knew it would render it more playable to more people in their audience.

The map is a tool for people to play with, not some artifact they are preserving. There are people in this thread who cannot read the map. I would give SJ Games the benefit of the doubt that this is an unintended consequence, rather than believe SJ games was aware and actively chose to exclude people in their audience from playing easily.

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by krakajak

I would give SJ Games the benefit of the doubt that this is an unintended consequence, rather than believe SJ games was aware and actively chose to exclude people in their audience from playing.

There is nothing in the history of SJ Games to indicate they would ever choose such a course.

Honestly, I believe I am somewhat to blame for the new Tollenkar map. I created a version of it in Shamat which was colour-coded and shared it with Steve, and it appears that it might have influenced the design of the final map. I neglected to account for colour-blindness when designing Shamat's palette, and very probably SJ Games didn't either when producing their version. That's why I'm asking for input on the current colours and recommendations to make the application more friendly.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I don't think of this as an oversight or mistake; it' more like an atavism that is part of the general approach the Legacy Edition took.

The choice of color palette isn't an atavism, since the original was B&W, it's just an oversight.

Incidentally, there are probably other graphical tricks that could be used to make this more readable. For example, standard faux-3d would be to identify wall lines, and give them a bit of width, with the width (and color) depending on angle and depth in the map.

[Barantor]

Originally Posted by krakajak

I'm not colorblind, but I immediately saw that map as a huge oversight (I work in videogames, and accessibility is a big focus of mine). I saw it during the kickstarter too and I didn't think to bring it up:/ If you have access to the pdfs, maybe you can do a grayscale print/image? Don't know how close those colors are when converted to grayscale though

With Steve Jackson Games permission, I would be happy to try to do a paint-bucket edit of the map in more colorblind friendly colors and post it.

I hope they allow it as it would definitely help not only myself but anyone else with color vision issues.