Making graphs out of Civilizations and Leaders links

[Evolena]

I've already mentioned it in the Civilization and leader overview thread, but here is the official announcement (that sounds so serious...) for a tool I've been first doing for myself and that I've decided to share with all of you: https://civ7-civilizations-and-leaders.tiddlyhost.com/

My aim is to list all (more or less confirmed) Civilizations and Leaders and to highlight the relations between them - be it a Leader of Civilization unlocking a new Civ for the next Age, or the Civilizations tagged as historical choices for a Leader -, and ultimately all the available paths from one starting point.
That's still very under construction, as I'm still trying to decide which graph (or views, or maps) are the most interesting, and which configuration suits the most each type of graph.

If you have any difficulty in navigating the page (yes, it's a single page website), if you have ideas, if my non-native English can be improved, if you disagree on how I've classified a relation, or whatever, don't hesitate to leave a comment here!

 

[AntSou]

That looks really cool.

I don't understand anything about setting up a page like this, but why not make it full screen by default? Or alternatively it goes into full screen as soon as you dismiss the welcome page.

I'd prefer if the font size was just one size or two higher, as otherwise you need to zoom in too much in order to read, but then you lose perspective as you're too zoomed in.

Thanks for this!

Edit: maybe also reduce the threshold at which point the items push others away, just a bit.

 

[Evolena]

That looks really cool.

I don't understand anything about setting up a page like this, but why not make it full screen by default? Or alternatively it goes into full screen as soon as you dismiss the welcome page.

Thank you.
It's something I've been wondering, so feedback is interesting.
The recommendation from the plugin that does the graphs is to leave more space for the right sidebar (where the tabs with graphs are), so I left the left side (where notes opens) at the default size, but that can be adjusted. I've mainly added embedded graphs in each note (which indeed feel tiny) for mobile users, as the graphs in the right sidebar won't work then.
Just in case, there is a little chevron icon on the right of the top menubar, it hides the right sidebar.

I'd prefer if the font size was just one size or two higher, as otherwise you need to zoom in too much in order to read, but then you lose perspective as you're too zoomed in.

I can adjust that if that's a common recrimination, or even make it customizable.

Edit: maybe also reduce the threshold at which point the items push others away, just a bit.

You mean, inside the graphs? That I don't have much control on, I've already used a configuration that give more space to the nodes, but there may be one more configuration I could try. The only thing I can do next is manually place them all.

 

[Evolena]

Mississipian are in, as well as some customization options (text size, luid or fixed-size sidebar - but as I said, the fixed-size is not great with the graphs in the sidebar tabs, at least with the default sizes for each option).
There is no cookie or anything like that to remember the customization though.

 

[The_J]

Looks nice, thank you .
Some of the coordinates seem a bit off, but I guess you might have changed something in the underlying map?

 

[Evolena]

The map is just a svg image (maybe the projection - Robinson - is not familiar) used as background, there is no coordinate system, all Civs are manually placed. Which ones seem off?

 

[The_J]

Maybe the SVG then causes a scaling issue?
(it's about the laders, not the civs, sorry)

 

[Evolena]

Ah, thanks! I've voluntarily put most of them in the water for now, I admit. I think when more civs will be revealed, it will be easier to find them a good spot, but if you have ideas I'll be glad to hear them.
Also, the zoom works for the background map and the icons simultaneously, I can't have zoom on the map with the icons staying the same size as on Rac's Google map, which is a bit challenging

Edit. I forgot the link between Mississippian and Tecumseh (although I did the source link update). Silly me, that's the whole point of the thing!

 

[RedCourtJester]

This is pretty.

 

[Archanist]

This graph looks really cool and I love seeing how each civ and leader has ties with each other.

Though I'd recommend changing the direction of some arrows, the graph makes it look like we go from France -> Norman -> Rome, instead of the other way around.

These are what I'd suggest:
'play as' goes from the older civ pointing towards the newer civ
'historical choice for' changed to 'historical choice' and goes from the leader to the civ (or arrows on both sides of the line), and changes color to differentiate it from 'leads' (leads can mean you unlock the civ by playing that leader)
'linked to' has arrows on both sides on the line

 

[Evolena]

This graph looks really cool and I love seeing how each civ and leader has ties with each other.

Though I'd recommend changing the direction of some arrows, the graph makes it look like we go from France -> Norman -> Rome, instead of the other way around.

These are what I'd suggest:
'play as' goes from the older civ pointing towards the newer civ
'historical choice for' changed to 'historical choice' and goes from the leader to the civ (or arrows on both sides of the line), and changes color to differentiate it from 'leads' (leads can mean you unlock the civ by playing that leader)
'linked to' has arrows on both sides on the line

Thank you for your insights, especially as these are things I was not totally set on yet.

I initially chose "play as" relation from the Exploration Age Civ screen with the 3 "play as" unlock conditions. But the same screen also has on the right side which next age civs it "unlocks", so the 2 directions works (and I have noted them both ways in the "source link" section), and I was unsure of my initial choice, so I will change it for next iteration, if nothing else to see how it feels.

The "leads" relation is somewhat not a "mechanical" relation, in the sense that it is more metagame information than in-game. The unlock aspect is (for now) covered by the "play as / unlock" link. As Civs and Leaders have distinct aspect, I haven't (yet) feel the need to differentiate between a Civ or a Leader unlocking a Civ. In the end, I think there will always also be reprensented by a "historical choice" relation, and that there probably will be a link between the two in the description of one or the other ("Emerging from Rome's civil wars, Augustus consolidated the fractious republic into an empire", "Egypt flourish beneath the guiding hand of Hatshepsut", "Tecumseh [...] was a Shawnee chief", "the [Maurya] dynasty reached its height under Ashoka"), so it will end up being redundant. I think I will let it more time before decinding on its fate.

"Linked to" comes from when a note includes a hyperlink to another so the semantic is one-way, but it would be very easy to have it display 2 arrows (as for historical choice, which is a good idea and will be in next iteration too). For now these "link" links are only displayed in views that are not predefined ("Live view" for Leaders and Civs without a game guide yet, and other notes) and the "Default" view, because I was unsure of the value to display them or not.

Edit. Hum.. there are side effets of the 2-ways (or no-ways for the "some link" I've also tried) links, Augustus has invited Hatshepsut and other Leaders inside his graph ^^
Well, I knew at some point I probably will have to define precisely which note to include into each view manually.

 

[Evolena]

I've completed Ashoka and Chola notes with the game guides information, and added Persia.
Beware, Ashoka may be "dancing" on the graph (I don't know how to stop that right now)!
Due to the previously mentioned side effet, "historical choice" and "some link" are only one-directional for now (I want to keep semi-auto-generated views for the moment before eventually manually crafing each of them).

 

[Evolena]

The Abbasid are completed with the new game guide information.

I'd prefer if the font size was just one size or two higher, as otherwise you need to zoom in too much in order to read, but then you lose perspective as you're too zoomed in.

I've just realized maybe you weren't talking about the notes' font size, but inside the graphs. I've up 1 size for the Ages graphs.

 

[AntSou]

@Evolena ahah, yes I meant inside the actual graphs, I should have been more clear.

 

[Evolena]

I've added Xerxes and Persia (and increased graphs font size by 1).

Also out of best idea for them now, I've uniformized the nodes tooltips inside the graphs to be the name of the Leader / Civ (maybe when all Civs will have their icon, the names could be in the tooltips only?)

The "Default" view is very zoomed out for reason. There is a button just above the "+" zoom to "Fit whole graph" that helps.

 

[Evolena]

For this week, Norman civ and Machiavelli leader!
I've also embedded the soundtracks video, but I'm starting to wonder about what to really keep in civs pages.

 

[The_J]

I think they are relevant.
(therefore I also added them to all the threads in the OP)

 

[Evolena]

Finally some new confirmed unlock links thanks to Spain, with Isabella as a new Leader and Mexico revealed!

 

[Evolena]

Addition of the Ming information.

I've finally understood how to zoom in the graphs embedded inside the notes: by default, one must press CTRL while using the mouse wheel.
So as an experimentation, I've modified the notes for Leaders to allow zooming with only the mouse wheel, as the cost of clicking once inside the graph beforehand (that is somewhat indicated).
The Civilization notes still works on the default, CRTL + mouse wheel to zoom.
Please let me know what you think the best or the most intuitive!

 

[Evolena]

And the Inca are confirmed with a new Leader, Pachacuti, so here they are with their (very) little graph (for now).

I've made some adjustement to the world map background in order to be able to slightly increase the size of the Leaders icons compared to the Civ icons without having side effects everywhere. For now the civ and leader names on the graphs using this map as background are smaller than before compared to the size of the icons. Let me know if a font size increase is needed!