Testing my mapping before starting my game…

[magezhilo]

Before I start my game I'm testing my mapping with this tileset. I was quite fond of the snow screenshot below and decided to post it. Go ahead and **Rate x/10**. Rate as strict as possible, I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME CRY!  :cry:

Northridge Mountains:

[](http://img189.imageshack.us/i/screenshot6l.png/)

[Zerlin]

i love it 10/10

[Anna Comnena]

Too straight. Seriously it's always straight! Everything is blocks in newbie maps!

Anyway, you have a good amount of detail, you just need to make the mountains not so straight.

This is from [The Mana World mapping tutorial](http://wiki.themanaworld.org/index.php/Mapping_Tutorial) but it's relevant for Eclipse with these hints:

@TMW:

> *  Before you start with a map you should have a loose idea of the layout. Making a sketch of the map on a piece of paper can be very useful.
>     * Try to avoid choke points like bridges, mountain passes or corridors that are only one tile wide. They can be blocked very easily.
>     * Don't put too many similar objects on one screen. Very eye catching tiles should only be used sparingly. Try to break up large areas with the same tile over and over again by throwing in some objects.
>     * Avoid regular patterns in natural environments. Trees usually don't grow in grid patterns. Rivers, mountain ridges or corridors in caves should never be completely straight.
>     * Don't map too functional. Give the players something to look at, even when it hasn't got any relevance for the gameplay.
>     * But keep the playability in mind.

Bad & Better map examples:
 

[Lam3r]

Yes very straight like Anna said, but also that railroad looks like it doesn't belong. It looks likes it's going between two mountains but still on the ground?

[SHADERS]

omg. what is this shit?

first of all, it looks like you just put it down. like your mouse just became happy. also, the foot prints in the snow.

it looks like they took the same steps over and over again. like no variaty of steps in between each step.also. how would you go below the bridge and over it at the same time. i say its in a wrong spot.

also, the hill thing on top of the hill thing, just looked like it just kept going down. even after the one below it ended.

all and all, i give you a 8/10 for trying. a 5/10 because you should have known better

[magezhilo]

@Lam3r:

> Yes very straight like Anna said, but also that railroad looks like it doesn't belong. It looks likes it's going between two mountains but still on the ground?

That's definitely not a railroad.  XD

That's a bridge.

@SHADERS:

> omg. what is this shit?
>
> first of all, it looks like you just put it down. like your mouse just became happy. also, the foot prints in the snow.
>
> it looks like they took the same steps over and over again. like no variaty of steps in between each step.also. how would you go below the bridge and over it at the same time. i say its in a wrong spot.
>
> also, the hill thing on top of the hill thing, just looked like it just kept going down. even after the one below it ended.
>
> all and all, i give you a 8/10 for trying. a 5/10 because you should have known better

Dude, this was only casual mapping with a very limited tileset. The steps in the tileset went up and left, that's it. Also, what do you mean I should have known better? You don't know me.

[SHADERS]

if you want to take my advice, take, if you dont, just leave it

[Anna Comnena]

@SHADERS:

> omg. what is this shit?
>
> first of all, it looks like you just put it down. like your mouse just became happy. also, the foot prints in the snow.
>
> it looks like they took the same steps over and over again. like no variaty of steps in between each step.also. how would you go below the bridge and over it at the same time. i say its in a wrong spot.
>
> also, the hill thing on top of the hill thing, just looked like it just kept going down. even after the one below it ended.
>
> all and all, i give you a 8/10 for trying. a 5/10 because you should have known better

:huh:

None of those are major issues. Steps in the snow? Seriously? Most of the time there are only 1 or 2 styles you can do if it's tile based; and even less if it's a dynamic generated step (like in Tibia).

About the bridge, yeah I thought it was a fence or something, but that's a tiles issue (there needs to be a better landing tile for the cliff edges).

[Dark Crusade]

@SHADERS:

> your mouse just became happy.

I like that expresson. =D

[Qazaam]

@Anna:

> Too straight. Seriously it's always straight! Everything is blocks in newbie maps!
>
> Anyway, you have a good amount of detail, you just need to make the mountains not so straight.
>
> This is from [The Mana World mapping tutorial](http://wiki.themanaworld.org/index.php/Mapping_Tutorial) but it's relevant for Eclipse with these hints:
>
> @TMW:
>
> > *  Before you start with a map you should have a loose idea of the layout. Making a sketch of the map on a piece of paper can be very useful.
> >     * Try to avoid choke points like bridges, mountain passes or corridors that are only one tile wide. They can be blocked very easily.
> >     * Don't put too many similar objects on one screen. Very eye catching tiles should only be used sparingly. Try to break up large areas with the same tile over and over again by throwing in some objects.
> >     * Avoid regular patterns in natural environments. Trees usually don't grow in grid patterns. Rivers, mountain ridges or corridors in caves should never be completely straight.
> >     * Don't map too functional. Give the players something to look at, even when it hasn't got any relevance for the gameplay.
> >     * But keep the playability in mind.
>
> Bad & Better map examples:
>  

To the OP: nice start! 

I agree w/ Anna's comments though (thanks for the picture example by the way). I'm actually going to use this advice and rework some of my maps as well. 

7/10

[ddunit]

Aren't those aveyond tiles?
O.o

[Dark Crusade]

@Ddunit:

> Aren't those aveyond tiles?
> O.o

I hope not because Aveyond tiles aren't for free usage?

[magezhilo]

I'm not using them in my game. In fact I don't know if this game is going t work out anyway. I was only testing my mapping skill with a very limited tileset. I was going to use custom tiles.

[kwarz]

i hate the colors lol,

but, yah to stright

[Monkey Boy]

Its not a railroad,
Its not a bridge,
Its a fence dammit.

[magezhilo]

It's a bridge and this topic is like a month old. Either way I'm not using this tileset anymore for my game.