make label fonts and label look and feel better

[aumanjoa]

new Chronas:

old Chronas:

Goal

The new Chronas label system shows more labels than the old version, which is good, but the labels currently look worse. Keep the higher label density from new.chronas.org, but make the labels visually closer to the old Chronas style from chronas.org.

Both comparisons should be evaluated on the same map state: year 1000.

What should improve

This is not only a font-family issue. Improve the full label presentation:

• Font family
• Font weight
• Font size hierarchy
• Letter spacing
• Text color
• Halo / stroke / contrast treatment
• Placement quality
• Zoom-level behavior
• Collision handling

Desired visual direction

Aim for:

historical atlas + editorial clarity + modern map density

The labels should feel:

• elegant
• cartographic
• readable
• stable
• premium
• consistent with old Chronas

They should not feel like default web-map labels or generic GIS text.

Typography

• Use a label font that is visually closer to old Chronas.
• Prefer a refined serif or atlas-style typeface for core map labels.
• Ensure good readability at small sizes.
• Avoid labels that look too thin, too gray, or too modern/generic.
• Tune letter spacing slightly for map readability.

Styling

• Add a subtle but effective text halo / outline so labels remain readable over polygons and map detail.
• Use a refined dark text color (charcoal / brown-gray rather than harsh black if appropriate).
• Keep contrast strong enough for all map backgrounds.
• Avoid heavy glow, thick outlines, or noisy background pills.
• The result should feel calm and editorial.

Hierarchy

Define clear label levels:

1. Major empires / realms / civilizations
2. Major cities / regions
3. Secondary settlements / features
4. Tertiary labels at closer zoom only

Major labels should clearly stand out from minor ones.
Secondary labels must not compete with primary political labels.

Placement and density

• Keep the richer label coverage of the new version.
• Do not solve the problem by simply hiding many labels.
• Improve prioritization so important labels win in collisions.
• Reduce awkward overlaps and clutter.
• Make placement more stable during small pan / zoom interactions.

Zoom behavior

• Far zoom: only top-priority labels
• Mid zoom: gradually reveal more labels
• Close zoom: allow denser local labels
• Avoid abrupt popping
• Keep label scaling smooth and restrained

Acceptance criteria

Done means:

• The new labels look clearly better than the current implementation
• The style is visibly closer to old Chronas
• The useful label density from new Chronas is preserved
• Readability at year 1000 is improved
• Hierarchy between major and minor labels is obvious
• Labels remain readable across different polygon/background colors
• Panning and zooming feel stable and polished

Compare chronas.org and new.chronas.org specifically on the year 1000 view.

Use old Chronas as the typography/style reference and new Chronas as the density reference.

Adjust font family, font weight, label color, halo/stroke, hierarchy, and zoom thresholds together.

Do not reduce label count unless required for severe collisions.

Prefer a subtle historical-atlas aesthetic over generic modern map defaults.