Announcement

[Luchino-chan]

Hey everyone. I've been on the forums for a while now, and it has occurred to me that I never really gave anything back to this comm for all the great resources and advice it gives us aspiring game developers. So, I've decided to create a valley mapping tutorial using Mack resources and some custom material. The tutorial is not aimed at the absolute beginner though. You should have some knowledge on composition and working with the Mack tiles ( especially the trees ).

Like what you see? Read on!

That's right, everyone. I'm going show you guys a step-by-step guide on how to create the above map. You are free to use different variations of the valley map. I'm not asking you to create it exactly as is. This is just how I go about creating my maps in Enelysion. No parallaxing or SwapXT is needed.

So, what is it I need, you ask? Well,

-Mack tiles ( including the auto-tiles ),
- You are also welcome to use whatever trees matches the Mack color palette. The trees in the above screen are Joy's.

Right, let's get started. This map is based off the default RMVX map size, which is 17x13.

STEP 1:

Adding ground cover.



First start off by filling the entire area with the Mack grass-auto-tile. Then use the pencil tool to create longer tufts of darker grass. Scatter them randomly, to make it appear more natural. Then use the dirt auto-tile to create a path.

STEP 2:

Adding the cliffs.


Use the cliff autotile to create a border on top of the map. I usually map the top part of the cliff first, to get an idea of what I want my cliff to look like, then I add the cliff-faces. It shouldn't be too hard. Be random and you'll be fine.


STEP 3:

Adding trees and foliage.


Scatter some trees and vegetation around the map. Adjust it as you see fit. Try to avoid lining up vegetation in straight rows. It will break the natural order of things. Nothing in nature is perfectly straight. Add whatever else you feel you need to add, as long as fits in with the map you're creating.

STEP 4:

Adding atmosphere.



Follow these commands as is in a new event tab. Set it to a Parallel Process. You will need Woratana's Fog Script for the Script call. You'll need your own 'Cloud' graphic ( set to 256x256 ) and place it in the Pictures folder. Or you can use the one from RMXP. It's ugly, though. That's why I made my own. ^^

STEP 5:

Playtest.



Playtest, and viola! 5 Easy steps to achieving a great-looking map with no parallaxing or tile-swapping. Hope this helps aspiring mappers out there. I plan on making more tutorials in the future, so stay tuned! ^^

Just for the record, this is what on of my in-game maps looks like using the above process. Cheers, and until next time! ^^



This post has been edited by Luchino-chan: Feb 26 2012, 06:47 PM

[kingsofrpg]

Looks pretty awesome. I recently gave a quick run-down to a person on the forums on how to map, defining the different layers and how you have to start with your ground tiles, then create walls and then trees and such. Your tutorial follows what I said REALLY closely

This post has been edited by kingsofrpg: Sep 6 2011, 09:51 PM

[Luchino-chan]

@kingsofrpg: Thanks. I figured it's one of the better ways to go about mapping when starting off. It took about 10 minutes to map the tutorial map, and this is on a tiny map. The only gripe I have with VX is the number of layers you're allowed to work with. I know there's parallaxing and BulletXT's Swap tileset script, but I posted this tutorial to show players that they can still create relatively decent-looking maps using a limited tileset.

I've seen the RTP question asked a lot on the forums, so I'm wondering if I should do tutorials on how to create pretty maps using ONLY the RTP. Hmm... It will save new developers a lot of time when looking for resources ( imo, the most time-consuming part of creating a game ), especially if it's their first game.

[King OF RMVX]

What can I say cool and easy make more

[Rejali]

Helps me a lot since I've been having a TON of problems mapping outdoor scenes with Mack's tiles. Your mapping has always inspired me.
Now all I need are some great tunes for ambiance.

[Luchino-chan]

@King OF RMVX: Oh, I will be making more tutorials in the future. If it helps game designers become more competent mappers, then I'm happy.
@Rejali: I'm glad to have been of assistance. If you looking for ambient music, you should probably research celtic or new age tunes. There are plenty of free sites which offers music like that.

[kingsofrpg]

BAH King of RMVX my evil twin O_o

[Pentagonbuddy]

I've been on the forums for a while now, and it has occurred to me that I never really gave anything back to this comm for all the great resources and advice it gives us aspiring game developers.

This is a lovely attitude to have! And an informative tutorial, on top of that. I know people have already said thanks for it, but I figured I could toss in my two cents of appreciation. <3

And kingsofrpg, I know you commented on the tutorial, but there's not much reason to chatter about coincidental usernames. It is pretty spammy! Besides, no need to worry about a king of RMVX when you're multiple kings of RPG.

[Luchino-chan]

Thanks Penta. That means a lot, coming from you. I've already have a cave mapping tutorial planned out as well, and I'll upload it sometime in the future.

If you guys struggle with any aspect of Mack mapping, I'd be happy to help out as well. You could post your suggestions as to what I should do for a tutorial next time, after I've put up my Cave Mapping tut. Send in your suggestions, if you have any, of course.

[MeanGreenLizard]

Thanks for making these tutorials!

I'm new to using Mack tiles - they worked fine for me with your cave tutorial,
but with rebuilding your valley map I have a bit of trouble getting those small fine
dirt paths mapped. I've downloaded the tileset from the original site.
Are you using a modified tileset or am I just missing some technique?

P.S.: Problem solved, the set I downloaded didn't contain the tile
needed for making those small paths. I found the autotile necessary
for that in another tileset. Looks like there are different variants
of Mack tilesets on the net!

This post has been edited by MeanGreenLizard: Sep 28 2011, 10:33 PM

[Luchino-chan]

@MeanGreenLizard: I'm glad you found it useful. I'll probably put up an interior-style tutorial up next, after I've uploaded the lava-cave mapping tut. The interior tut will focus on creating nicely sized rooms with proper lighting and ambiance. I'll probably do a bar/tavern for the first one, seeing as they're so common in all games.^^

[Cass]

Oh, this is a nice little addition to the tutorials
on here! I always love seeing mapping tutorials, even when I don't need to map anything.

The thing that I love about your maps is that they don't need parallaxing to give them that edge. They OWN
that edge, so to speak.

I have always been a keen fan of your maps, thanks to your many updates on the Map Screenshot thread.
However, if you would like my opinion, I'd really love to see you do a town tutorial. Your towns are just
GENIUS, I tell you!

Keep doing what you're doing; it's a sight to see, from a mapping extraordinaire.

[Luchino-chan]

Ah Cass. You presume too much. I do make errors here and there, but I wouldn't consider myself a genius. ^^ And I assure you I will do a town map tut in the future as well. Shouldn't be a problem.

And yes, I only use parallaxing if I'm really lacking resources, because I only use what I've got on my tileset. No SwapXT, no overlays etc.

[Luchino-chan]

Thought I'd give this ancient topic off mine a bump. Part of my 'you do not need to parallax to make nice-looking maps' theory.

[TehBoomer]

The first time I clicked on this tut several of the images were broken, after refreshing it works fine. How incredibly weird.

This is a beautiful tutorial, going to have to rate it well.

This post has been edited by TehBoomer: Feb 10 2012, 09:54 PM

[amerkevicius]

It's a good tutorial, and I'm sure I'll find some use for it, but most of the images seem broken. Not sure if that's for everybody else or not, though.

[Luchino-chan]

@amerkevicius: Images should be working now. All my images were down before, so it wasn't only you that was experiencing errors.

This post has been edited by Luchino-chan: Feb 26 2012, 06:50 PM

[amerkevicius]

Excellent! I've always wanted to design valley/forest maps like this, and seeing it here makes it seem so much easier. Great job.