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Mapping Help

Xyphien

Owner
Staff member
Administrator
Resource Team
Xy$
9.57
So, I've never been the best at mapping. What would be some things you'd recommend for just about everything. I've been looking at other works to get some general ideas as to how to map things, but I still feel like I'm not good at all. I gave up on this:
upload_2016-1-16_22-52-49.png

Because I don't think it looks that good. Can I get some tips and tricks to mapping :)
 

Khayalan

Towns Guard
Xy$
0.00
The trees looks so unnatural ^^ Place the trees single (sorry for that bad english), than put other trees in too ^^
And put Flowers, Rocks and other stuff in the gaps

-Khayalan
 

MinisterJay

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Seeing the lowest right sides of the hills makes be want to created a curved shadow instead of the angular one. It is not you fault @Xyphien , it's the RTP. I see you have limited the access point on the lower eastern part of the map, what are you intentions for north, west, and south, and northeast? I DO like the representation that you created for going down the second to last hill, unto the last elevated section. I see you put paths in the forested sections; good for potential ambushes. As I know more, I will be able to critique more...
 

Xyphien

Owner
Staff member
Administrator
Resource Team
Xy$
9.57
The trees looks so unnatural ^^ Place the trees single (sorry for that bad english), than put other trees in too ^^
And put Flowers, Rocks and other stuff in the gaps

-Khayalan
Seeing the lowest right sides of the hills makes be want to created a curved shadow instead of the angular one. It is not you fault @Xyphien , it's the RTP. I see you have limited the access point on the lower eastern part of the map, what are you intentions for north, west, and south, and northeast? I DO like the representation that you created for going down the second to last hill, unto the last elevated section. I see you put paths in the forested sections; good for potential ambushes. As I know more, I will be able to critique more...
That picture was just to show that I'm not really good at mapping. I gave up after realizing that it doesn't look right to me. As for the plan for it, I honestly have no idea, I just want to get a basic idea on how to make areas look better than plain areas.

Here's some actual areas I have done

upload_2016-1-16_23-50-25.png

upload_2016-1-16_23-50-34.png
upload_2016-1-16_23-51-2.png

When it comes to mapping, no matter what it is, I'm really bad at it :/ I can't even build something other than a square house in Minecraft >.>
 

LTN Games

Master Mind
Resource Team
Xy$
0.01
Just keep at it, you will never learn from your mistakes if you don't make any. I also created a topic when I first signed up here about mapping tips and tricks. In real life and espically in nature things don't line up in rows or grid like patterns only cities and man made shit does that. Also working one small area at a time is way easier, so start your map sizes small try and get used to filling small areas before moving onto bigger maps. Clunp things together. Make a preset map where you can make small clumps of tiles you can copy and paste, so a few flowers then a small tree and a larger tree mixed together, then copy it and paste it around, instead of taking the one small tree and repeating it to fill a void. I'd give more tips but I'm on mobile and I can't type fast enough and autocorrect pisses me off.
 

MinisterJay

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Remember that with the mapping options that come with the engine, the ability to express one's ideas may have some limitations. Have you ever thought about making custom maps? In artistic skills, it requires cut and pasting. In mathematical skills, with MV, it requires knowing how to multiply/divide by 48.

If the map does not feel right, keep making more and more smaller ones, for practice. I have seen 2D games on Steam that have had not-so-good mapping, but had also had awesome stories and experiences.

In the next section of maps, I can envision the first one, heavily forested, having all kind of exciting things in the trickier outreaches to the east. The second, I can look at and see a once popular path that is slowly being overcome by nature. With the wide area void of trees, I am curious if a long time ago, this may have been a settlement. I love towns represented by the third map. One way in, and one way out, not confined by one terrain. Well there are actually confined by trees, but the water to the north and northeast gives the feeling of a different terrain.

Post some of your maps to RPG Maker MV Forums. People will critique and give advice.
 

Iron Croc

I eat my fries with fire.
Xy$
0.00
The mountain area isn't that bad! It's just... very very large. A bit too large if I may say so. A mistake many junior mappers make (including myself) is that we tend to start a map bigger than what we can handle. Then we get overwhelmed, then burned out or fatigued... and then we don't do as good a job as we normally might. Start out small, practice lots, get as much constructive feedback as you can, and if you enjoy mapping you'll be a decent mapper in no time! :)
 
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