Mapping Improvement Thread 4

[Necrile]

Much better, but how does grass grow on a stone-paved pathway?

 

[zchin]

It grows between the cracks inbetween the stones, i guess...

Thank you and have a nice day!

 

[Tuna]

I'd try putting the path back to the way it was and just putting the regular grass autotile over some tiles of it.

 

[Ellie]

The only thing that strikes me is that the grass is very, very straight. I get what you're trying to do with the path but I think it would look better with less uniform grass - perhaps bits of path poking through the grass, and bits of grass poking through the path.

 

[zchin]

Any better? I'm not really sure I completely understood what you were saying... And I can't make the path any thinner then 2x2 squares... :huh:

Thank you and have a nice day!

 

[Daxis]

the dark grass tiles are still somewhat square. Try not to let one side length be too long without a grass tile sticking in or out. Kinda hard to explain. Like check the area above the initial large ruins building are to the right, where two large patches of grass are divided. That area's too straight, see?

Use more of the tileset. Try the one and two weed tiles, maybe a flower tile if the area allows, etc.

 

[Holder]

How did you design this, was it previously a designed section or did you start placing broken walls randomly in a map?

If you were to do this map in it's glory days (Built up correctly) would the buildings/rooms look right? Because to me it looks really compact and small with no real structure.

 

[zchin]

Ok, that was good advice, but i don't really see what the problem is with it, but of course I guess I'm not a mapping smart person...

(don't comment on this map I just threw it together and didn't bother to edit the tileset to completely show the whole thing.)

Thank you and have a nice day!

 

[Rayne Aven]

Hey, I apologize in advance if I'm interrupting your critique of zchin131's map, but I was recommended to go here with some of my maps I've been working on.

Spoiler

One major thing: this is a puzzle town and the placement of those doors is integral to the puzzle. I know the carpet doesn't really make any sense, but it's the only thing I could think of that lets the player know where and how to enter the houses.

I've got a few more that I would like to post, but I'd like to take it one map at a time.

 

[Tuna]

Combining tilesets sure can make some odd things happen, like pink carpeting being used as an outdoor doormat. I think having a segment of railroad tracks leading into the entrances might make a little more sense, or simply have a dirt autotile next to and under the entrance (to make it look natural.)

The map is pretty bare and you can easily add more trees, rocks, etc. At the moment it's generally just a sparse eyesore. It needs something catchy.

 

[silver wind]

Farm village tileset has this tree without the grass circle. Try adding it to your tileset, and maybe add some green plants.

 

[Tuna]

Yesterday while searching for tilesets I managed to come across one that combined every single XP RTP tileset. If any mappers are interested in it, I might track it down again.

 

[regi]

Yesterday while searching for tilesets I managed to come across one that combined every single XP RTP tileset. If any mappers are interested in it, I might track it down again.

I would recommend against it. You end up with a huuuge tileset and have to scroll through hundreds of tiles just to find the one you want. Besides, a lot of combinations don't make sense (why would you need a house interior combined with snowy plains?) Instead, combine only the areas that make sense (e.g. grassland + mountain + forest, house interiors, desert + desert town, etc).

 

[Tuna]

But have you seen The Inquisitor's tilesets? They're absolutely gorgeous.

 

[regi]

True, but I expect his tiles are ordered nicely and easier to sort through than the clusterfuck of tiles in the RTP merges I've seen :x

 

[Tuna]

You should really grab a copy of his indoor and outdoor tilesets if you don't have them already. He even leaves little notes to specify what certain tiles should be used for.

 

[G.O.D.O.T.]

Any improvements that needs to be made on this map?

 

[bacon]

• everything is spread way too far apart. To be honest you could fit what you have in a sized map twice or even three times as small.
  
• Do not multi-color roofs on the same house
  
• The walls are too wide really for walls. This isnt an interior map. Not only that, the shape does not make sense as well. Having random turns detracts from the map.
  
• There is not much going on. Add some more objects.
  
• Do not use the square tool for anything. Do not even look at it. Those patches of shadow grass hurt the map.
  
• The road needs to follow through. What i mean by this is that the road needs to go under the houses and to the edges, not cut off.
  
• Think more logically. No one is going to have pot flowers 400 feet away. No one is going to put cement around trees that pose no threat to an immediate collision. No one is going to have a cement decoration piece in the middle of no where. Be smart. Think logically.
  
• Some of the houses are really thin and some are really short. Extend and make them bulkier.

 

[Tuna]

Hey, the square tool is awesome. It just shouldn't be used to make squares, only rectangles.

Concerning the map, it's just too freaking big. Like bacon said, you could easily cut the dimensions in half. Make the dark patches of grass grow more naturally, and put stuff closer to the walkway (which should follow through as stated above.) I don't remember the last time I walked down the street and admired a potted plant 10 yards away.

 

[G.O.D.O.T.]

So that's what been bothering me. Huh.

I knew nature was random, but I forgot the plants were in pots.

Anyway, thanks, and I will make the improvements.

(By the way, I haven't start making events yet, I make the map first, then make events.)