[W.I.P] Mysteries of Arcania

[Ogoku]

Hello everybody,
first of all, i'm sorry for my bad english.
I'm new here at this board and i'm from germany and the last time i practise english is looong time ago;)

A few weeks ago I started to get experience with the Map Editor of Eclipse Stable. I also start to cut an exclusive Tileset for my project.
The credits for spriting these Tiles goes to DeVeX. I just cut them.

So here are my result:
[](http://img683.imageshack.us/i/fountburb100113.png/)

Okay the left upper corner is still empty and there are some Details upcoming, but for me it is importante to get some feedback, so that i can improve my mapping a little bit. I also want to gether some ideas to make these Map look more alive.

So long…
Ogoku

[magezhilo]

I love the tileset.

[Dthen]

I think that the tileset needs some diagonal borders for the roads, cos when the road goes diagonally it looks silly with all those round bits.

[Ogoku]

@Wraith: Then you will love DeVeX;)
@Dthen: That's a good idea. Thanks

[Marsh]

The tileset is amazing, as for the map you just need to add tiny bits of detail. Add some shrubbery some random flowers rocks just small things littered across the empty field. Also the gated off area to the right looks a little bland, perhaps add a door. It would make sense because then there would actually be a way in and it also may help with it just looking to square with the additional detail.

[DrNova]

Looks very good

[MasterBit13]

Nice, reminds me of Ambardia.

I like how it's not square. Most newbies make mountains and water squared.

[ddunit]

I want that tileset. :O

Anyway, it looks god damn sweet with gloomy-ish styled mapping, but the top left corner looks slightly plain.

[azure]

I zoomed in and couldn't find anything wrong. It looks good. Nice texture in the tiles too. :D

[TheWorldAsunder]

You're doing pretty well, and because I know you're looking for mapping advice, I'll give you that more than comment on the tiles.  Constructive criticism does focus on the bad, and I'll be pointing more of those out than goods, but that's not to say that your mapping is bad at all.  Just if you want to get better, I've got to point out what needs fixing more than what's already good. xD

What you're doing well-

1.GRASS TRANSITIONS.  Oh jeez, I see so many people mess up on doing these decently.  But you seem to have a great grasp of how they work and implement it well. :)

2\. Cliff and water edges.  They aren't straight, and that's the problem MANY people new to mapping make.  You didn't, and I'm really happy about that :D  You aren't making many mistakes at all as far as cliffs and water.

Needs work-

1\. Make sure what you add makes sense.  Why is there a gated area off to the right?  I mean, there's nothing in there at all.  If you want to gate it make sure there's a reason for it.  Maybe it could be a gated garden, or you could throw some animal in there or something.  But when it's just empty, I don't know what to say. :P

2\. Details-  While you do them decently, you've left the whole left side above the cliff pretty much empty.  Though you seem to realize that.  Rarely is there ever an empty plain in nature.  Usually you'll find shrubbery or something.

3\. Kind of on a "make sense" note, why is there a fountain in the middle of the dirt path? o_o  Maybe make some stone around it at the base?

4\. If this is a dirt path, it's probably not manmade, make sure some of it is overgrown with grass, so it's not just a straight path.  You can still make a path noticeable without being completely straight- For example-

See how the path here breaks off, and doesn't connect the whole way, yet you can still gather where it's going?  That's what I mean :)

Those are really the only major problems I see here though, all in all, good job :D

[Rithy58]

Dang, that is really nice tiles set.

I like flashy graphic but that gloomy one is nice. I totally love it.
Mapping is pretty good. Better than mine, I can tell.
Just need a little more details.

Sincerely,
Rithy

[Ogoku]

Ok, i've tried to implement your advices. I don't finished diagonal borders for the roads yet. The door at the gated area is also missing.

With the following Screen I will give you a little preview of my GUI. This is just WIP!
But the mapping is more important.

[](http://img11.imageshack.us/i/moafb2.png/)

What you think about it? Can you imagine to walk around in this mapping style?

Edit:
Btw. I'm not a beginner. I'm in the RMXP scene since 2007.

[Sealbreaker]

in my eyes it needs more detail…. but it's pretty good looking

[TheWorldAsunder]

> Btw. I'm not a beginner. I'm in the RMXP scene since 2007.

That explains how you knew how to do grass transitions well. :D  RMXP kinda teaches you that pretty quick. 

Also- this map looks **much** better.  I'm glad you took the advice on the chicken pen, and the road.

I'm also digging the tileset and look.  (Even to the point of looking up DeVex, though I couldn't find it o_o)

Honestly though, nice job here, I don't see any real problems.  As far as more detail- I don't know if you could really do it without making the map look cluttered, but if you wanted to give it a shot, you could.  :P

[Dthen]

Dirt track looked better without broken bits. Maybe if they were just tiny patches of grass it'd look nice, but breaking it completely, especially in a populated area just doesn't make sense.

[TheWorldAsunder]

@Dthen:

> Dirt track looked better without broken bits. Maybe if they were just tiny patches of grass it'd look nice, but breaking it completely, especially in a populated area just doesn't make sense.

Part of the reason I suggested it is because it didn't look like a populated area at first (And actually still doesn't.)  And honestly, if it's not that populated, the roads are probably going to be A.) Overgrown B.) Not manmade C.) Manmade but by wearing down, rather than building it.

So the path actually does make perfect sense.  Now, if it was a stone path, I'd completely agree with you.  Likely someone would be making sure that a stone path wouldn't get overgrown in any way. :)  And honestly I think it also helps make the roads look less "round"

[Dthen]

I think it should have small patches of grass poking up through it, but not breaks in it.

[azure]

Odd thought, why is there a fountain there? that doesn't match up. Shouldn't it be a well?