Advice on making world maps

[Luninareph]

Does anybody have any tips for how to make good world maps? For some reason I find designing them quite difficult.

 

[MinisterJay]

Are you custom making your maps or are you going to make them from the tilesets?

 

[Cunechan]

I think the hard thing in making world maps is the variety of tiles and how the sqares are spread. You have the squarish tiles in interior/exterior and dungeons as well but a lot more tiles to choose from. Don't have many experiences of making them since i try to avoid them tho. You could try to make similiar to normal exterior maps tho or just think how the things in nature look like. How are the trees and mountains arranged in reality for example

 

[Luninareph]

Are you custom making your maps or are you going to make them from the tilesets?

Probably from the tilesets, at least for the moment. I'm still getting used to MV and learning/unlearning/relearning everything I knew from earlier versions. Uploading new tilesets looks complicated, so I'm apprehensive... although maybe it's not as bad as it looks?

 

[MinisterJay]

So from what I read, you are currently focusing on the world map?

 

[Luninareph]

So from what I read, you are currently focusing on the world map?

Sure? But there are lots of other things I can be working on as well, and honestly, this was intended to kind of discuss world maps in a more general sense, not just for me and not just for one project of mine. Especially because designing a world map can be helpful for figuring things out: how close are certain towns? Does that mean certain NPCs could know each other? If you need a dungeon, are you putting it in the northern reaches where it could be cold and snowy, or in the tropic zone where it might be hot and sweltering? If two towns are separated by a mountain range, do they regard each other as practically aliens? You can get all these kinds of flavorful details out of having a world map, but making one can be quite difficult, considering how big they are--and personally, I have trouble visualizing an entire continent, let alone several across a world. So how do you guys do it? What tips on thinking of them do you have? Do you draw them out first and then tileset them in RPG Maker? Do you always start with the player's hometown and work out? Or maybe the final dungeon and work backwards? Are there little tricks you use with the basic world map tilesets to make them look better? Anything, really.

I think the hard thing in making world maps is the variety of tiles and how the sqares are spread. You have the squarish tiles in interior/exterior and dungeons as well but a lot more tiles to choose from. Don't have many experiences of making them since i try to avoid them tho. You could try to make similiar to normal exterior maps tho or just think how the things in nature look like. How are the trees and mountains arranged in reality for example

There certainly are a lot of tiles in the world map tilesets! I've avoided making them in the past as well because I find them so troublesome, but I feel like I should buckle down and figure out how to make them work at long last. Looking at maps of IRL countries might be a good idea! Thanks for that :D

 

[MinisterJay]

I was in the geology field, for ten years,, when I was in the oil field. Sometimes I like to make maps that are based on structures and weather patterns. I lie to look at the mountain ranges as focal points, some caused by two plates pushing towards each other. If most weather patterns are coming from the west, and there are two separate mountains ranges, do not be surprised to find deserts between them. Small flowing bodies of water start at the mountains and then increase in size towards the nearest bodies of salt waters. An ever flowing body of fresh water can bring life to a deadly desert area. Sometimes rivers have a source that is a fresh water spring. Water just comes out of the ground and flows. I tend to put coniferous trees in colder regions, and warmer regions deciduous trees. Living near bayous, swamps, and marshes, I love to have those on maps too.

After stating ALL this structure, I also realize this is a land of fantasy or science fiction. You are the world creator. Practice, practice, and practice. When you see on the map what you envisioned, you are there.

 

[Jazeeri]

I have found with my limited experience, in making a world map, to zoom out to 10% view and to just start with drawing the coastlines. Decide on the shapes first of your land masses. Then, you can zoom in to your land mass to add features. Once I did that, It was actually pretty simple.

 

[Luninareph]

I was in the geology field, for ten years,, when I was in the oil field. Sometimes I like to make maps that are based on structures and weather patterns. I lie to look at the mountain ranges as focal points, some caused by two plates pushing towards each other. If most weather patterns are coming from the west, and there are two separate mountains ranges, do not be surprised to find deserts between them. Small flowing bodies of water start at the mountains and then increase in size towards the nearest bodies of salt waters. An ever flowing body of fresh water can bring life to a deadly desert area. Sometimes rivers have a source that is a fresh water spring. Water just comes out of the ground and flows. I tend to put coniferous trees in colder regions, and warmer regions deciduous trees. Living near bayous, swamps, and marshes, I love to have those on maps too.

I LOVE this. I didn't know most of this; thank you for the information! I'm going to try and keep that in mind.

I have found with my limited experience, in making a world map, to zoom out to 10% view and to just start with drawing the coastlines. Decide on the shapes first of your land masses. Then, you can zoom in to your land mass to add features. Once I did that, It was actually pretty simple.

...I've never thought of that. That seems like a fantastic way to start!!! I'll give that a shot, thank you! :)

 

[JibstaMan]

zoom out to 10% view and to just start with drawing the coastlines. Decide on the shapes first of your land masses. Then, you can zoom in to your land mass to add features.

This is what I did as well (after watching some tutorials trying to get inspired). Once I had the continents, I started drawing what I already envisioned would be in the story. This means some (capital) cities and towns. Then I started to consider what I could use, maybe a city with a large college for education. Some secondary castles for rich people, some random farm villages or stand alone houses where people live in quiet. Then I can use those locations to tie it in the story, giving me something to go on while writing. Meanwhile, I flesh each new town out with the necessary elements, like rivers, forest or mountains. In my map, forests and hills can't be walked on, so in that case you need to keep in mind where the player can walk. One of the challenges I will have is how to show the user where he can do things (like enter a forest). I don't really have a plan for that, since I'm not yet sure how I'm going to use the world map anyway. :P

I'm far from done with my world map, plenty of writing still to do before I can fill up the rest. Also, since I plan to have different regions with different architecture styles, I need to know whether I can find the resources needed, otherwise I might want to change how I fill those regions.

 

[Zebestian]

What I would always do was starting off with a white piece of paper and a pencil. I would plan out my game world on that piece of paper completely before doing anything in RM. I shaped the continents and islands, created different regions such as a desert, mountains and one time even a jungle. When I had my game planned out already I would also go ahead and put all the different countries and cities on the map. Having an existing "lore" definitely helps in the map creating process. You have a people that lives in giant trees? Guess you need a big forest then. Things like that. I always love to plan out things on paper before actually doing any work in RM.

 

[Luninareph]

In my map, forests and hills can't be walked on, so in that case you need to keep in mind where the player can walk. One of the challenges I will have is how to show the user where he can do things (like enter a forest). I don't really have a plan for that, since I'm not yet sure how I'm going to use the world map anyway. :P

Because of your post, I was considering this problem as well when I started on my world map last night. I think I found a solution for myself: there's a little sign graphic on the world map set that I think I'm going to put down on the entrance and exits for sprawling dungeon-y areas like forests. Touch or examine the sign (not sure which yet) and you enter the forest/ desert/ mountain range. I don't know if this idea will work for your map, but it's at least a possible solution to the problem!

What I would always do was starting off with a white piece of paper and a pencil. I would plan out my game world on that piece of paper completely before doing anything in RM. I shaped the continents and islands, created different regions such as a desert, mountains and one time even a jungle. When I had my game planned out already I would also go ahead and put all the different countries and cities on the map. Having an existing "lore" definitely helps in the map creating process. You have a people that lives in giant trees? Guess you need a big forest then. Things like that. I always love to plan out things on paper before actually doing any work in RM.

I'm still working on finding the right balance of planning for myself. I've had projects where I tried to wing it and ended up crashing and burning, and I've had projects where I did way too much planning and accidentally turned the actual creation part into a slog. But I think I'm getting closer to the happy medium! NaNoWriMo has been pretty helpful with that XD;

 

[Iron Croc]

Avoid making things too busy or plain; there needs to be a balance. Also, avoid gigantic maps if you're not ready for it. (And if you question yourself, then chances are you're not ready!)

 

[Luninareph]

Avoid making things too busy or plain; there needs to be a balance. Also, avoid gigantic maps if you're not ready for it. (And if you question yourself, then chances are you're not ready!)

Oh man, that balance is so important, in all maps, big small world or otherwise. It's trickier than you'd think it would be, too! You go in thinking, "Of course I would know if I put too much stuff down," and then before you know it there's barely space to walk from side to side and you have to cut half of the little doodads you added in out. Although at least that gives you the chance to only pick the best doodads to leave in :D

It is also true that you shouldn't overextend yourself on a map that's too big for you, but you DO also need to take a leap sometime or else it's hard to learn the skills you'll need to make such a map. I'm definitely much more comfortable on smaller maps--I think I'm going to make every map other than the world map in my current project only one screen large--but chipping away at a giant world map in the background is teaching me quite a lot that I wouldn't be learning otherwise! I think it might be good to go ahead and try making something that you're not totally confident in sometimes, but to make sure you're ready to scrap that giant idea if it proves too difficult for your current skill level and have a backup plan ready just in case. Well... that's my opinion, anyway.

 

[Neotheny]

i hate world maps and never use them, so i can't really add to this topic. but if you want to know how to avoid them, then i could be of assistance :)

 

[Cunechan]

but if you want to know how to avoid them, then i could be of assistance :)

Speaking of, I never use them because the player should have the feeling of being in a "place" not in a "world" also, i like if you have to walk the paths and streets and see all the surroundings. But for typical mid-age adventure games I prefer making world maps. Like @Iron Croc said, don't make the maps too big. Pay attention to the same things like when you map a normal map:
Not TOO big, make it smaller and accurate, add details but don't forget about the balance, make it realistic (I've seen weird stuff in rpg maker games yet. It can't just go from desert to snowy kingdom ;) ), well that's it right?

 

[Neotheny]

Not TOO big, make it smaller and accurate, add details but don't forget about the balance, make it realistic (I've seen weird stuff in rpg maker games yet. It can't just go from desert to snowy kingdom ;) ), well that's it right?

tell me about it. i've seen some maps that would put side scrolling games to shame :)

i also like more to connect points of interest via exteriors or dungeons and waypoints, instead of world maps.