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[Luchino-chan]

Hello everyone. It's been a while since my last mapping tutorial, but I've decided to stop procrastinating and post this tutorial.


This is what we will be creating today. A simple city map, with a fog overlay added for atmosphere.

All you will need is Woratana's Multiple Fogs script, found in the Master Script listing. You don't need to use it, though.

Alright, let's get started.

STEP 1:


First of all, you will lay the groundwork for your city. I also created the walls in this step for the buildings.

STEP 2:


Next thing would be to add the roofing. First, use the red roof autotile ( the one that matches the Mack roof ), and make it 3 tiles/blocks high. Then you will go and add the pre-created Mack roof that comes with this tileset.

STEP 3:


Now, we will go ahead and start seperating the buildings from each other. First, bring down the autoroof tile by one block in the spaces between the two pre-created roofs.


Then you will select the matching wall autotile and bring that down by 3 tiles/blocks. I also added another, different coloured roof here, to give that illusion of 3D.

Provided you added in a extra roof, you will notice the bottom of the wall autotile sticking out at the top. This can easily be remedied. Use the Shift button, and click with that wall auotile selected. It should disappear.


And it will look like this.

STEP 4:


Now, you would go ahead and mapping normal house like you usually would. For the roofing at the bottom of the map, just repeat Step 2.

STEP 5:

Once you've created the basic structures for your city, you can start decorating it to your heart's content. Just don't overdo the details.

STEP 6:


Last, but not least, you can add in a Cloud overlay if you wish to do so, or even a sunbeam. You'd have to get your own graphics for that, though.

Add npcs, smoke coming out of chimneys etc, and you're done!



Hope everyone who read this found it useful and informative. And replies don't hurt.

[Sanane]

The result is looking awesome Luchino-chan. You bet this will help newbie mappers like me.
Thanks for that great tutorial

[Luchino-chan]

@Sanane: Thank you. That's the whole purpose of these tutorials, to help out the very beginner, and to show that you don't need to parallax to create nice-looking maps. I'll probably do a village or two next, depending, or maybe a hidden elf village. Maybe even a castle town. Anyway, the results can be endless with clever usage of a limited tileset. ^^

[lightspeed15]

Nice tutorial. I'm lovin' 'em. Really teaches people like me how to map!

I applaud you.

[Luchino-chan]

@lightspeed15: Thank you. I'll try to keep them coming. Note that the techniques above can also be applied to RTP-style maps, and are not just limited to Mack's.

[kingsofrpg]

Though these don't really make me that much better, I love your tutorials. Gives me an idea for a city in a game that takes place 2000 years after my current one Good job on the tutorials!

Also, I'm making a city with a giant castle and garden in the center (Think like a European Castle, Versailles for example with the large gardens in front). Not exactly my forte so any tips? Or maybe an idea for a tutorial

This post has been edited by kingsofrpg: Nov 18 2011, 03:55 AM

[Luchino-chan]

@kingsofrpg: Oh, did I bruise your ego? Sorry about that, but I'm glad that you like them, at least. And I am thinking of doing a tutorial like the one you suggested. I haven't tried it before, but I'll give it a shot. I don't plan out my cities/wildernesses out on paper, I just map. That way, the finished map looks more natural. Of course, the mapper has to know how to use the tiles first. I like to call it 'instinctive mapping', which is something that can maybe be learned. I wouldn't know how to explain it though...

[kingsofrpg]

@kingsofrpg: Oh, did I bruise your ego?

Ummm.... no? lol
And yeah the only maps I plan out on paper are my puzzles

[Luchino-chan]

2 month necro bump. I should probably start creating more of these tutorials again.

[RobinTrevize]

Really handy (Sorry if this is a Necro-post) :S

Cheers!

[TehBoomer]

I really enjoy your attention to detail. The fog effect for ambiance, the smoke coming out of the chimney stacks, the grass, different styled windows, etc...however there is one thing I must constructively criticize. It all looks too symmetrical. Your map looks good as is, but if you threw a bit of random variants into it--it could be great. Move one of the houses up two tiles; remove one of the two piece foundations from another. Outside of that though, it's awesome.

[Luchino-chan]

@RobinTrevise: That's why I bumped it up. It's not considered a necro if the OP bumps up a topic.

@TehBoomer: Thanks, but that map was literally done in 5 minutes, from start to finish, so I just mapped. ^^ But yes, attention to detail is one of my signatures on all my maps. I should bump up my valley mapping tut, mine tut and lava cave tutorials as well.

[kingsofrpg]

I always feel like when I place grass in my more industrialized cities, it looks really out of place... Any tips on that part?

[Luchino-chan]

@kingsofrpg: Well, I wouldn't put leaf-green grass in an industrial area in any case. I'd rather replace it with dirt tiles. It makes more logical sense.

[ShinGamix]

Could you show/post a pic of the sunbeam pic you used in Step 6?

[Luchino-chan]

@Shin: Here you go. It's actually in my other tutorial as well. ^^

[Foggy]

Nice tutorial...

I would appreciate it if you created another one with more "advanced" tiling (Tile C) houses cause I can't get to get used to it and I barely make houses.

[Nilaihah]

Oh hey, I wish I would have seen this last week. Pretty much all the stuff you taught here I learned by shouting at my monitor and flapping my arms until it all worked and looked like I wanted.

Definitely helpful for newbies!

[RivalNightmare]

I'm new and.. What roof tileset do you use? I can't seem to find any that work that well... Sorry for this off-topic question.. Great tutorial otherwise.^^

[Juunanagou]

Yet another Mack tutorial

this, you can find them here: http://www.tekepon.net/fsm/modules/refmap/...php?mode=vx-map