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StormBlade
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CloseIf this isn't the forum area for this, I politely ask the mods to move it to the correct location.
I have a story, and I have a cast, and I have the progression. However, one thing eludes me, and it's probably a granted ability to some, more than others.
I can't design a major social area (large town/city/etc). I can make farmyards, the interiors of some buildings, and other things, but the outside mapping and construction of a large metro area gives me a challenge I simply can't overcome.
So, I ask the community for aid: How do you get your designs, or more so, how do you actually have them take shape? Is there a "How To" guide to city construction I'm missing? (Google hasn't helped).
This is really the only thing stopping me, since there's only one city in my 'freshman' game, my first game ever designed.
I have a story, and I have a cast, and I have the progression. However, one thing eludes me, and it's probably a granted ability to some, more than others.
I can't design a major social area (large town/city/etc). I can make farmyards, the interiors of some buildings, and other things, but the outside mapping and construction of a large metro area gives me a challenge I simply can't overcome.
So, I ask the community for aid: How do you get your designs, or more so, how do you actually have them take shape? Is there a "How To" guide to city construction I'm missing? (Google hasn't helped).
This is really the only thing stopping me, since there's only one city in my 'freshman' game, my first game ever designed.
Just make it functional. If you want player to be able to stock resources in the city, include a few stores. Then you can come up with a few points of interest that are related to the plot (as in, you actually have to visit in them to advance the plot), or then a few locations that tell about the lore and setting of your game.
I'd decide them and then build the area to support them. You might need to include a few empty houses or alleyways in the process, if the map demands it, but that's where I'd drop some NPCs that have information for the player in dialogue. Or just put a few treasure boxes or containers on those areas.
I'd decide them and then build the area to support them. You might need to include a few empty houses or alleyways in the process, if the map demands it, but that's where I'd drop some NPCs that have information for the player in dialogue. Or just put a few treasure boxes or containers on those areas.
Yeah, I might settle on that, but it's a shame. :/
I wanted to do something fancy: Multiple levels through the use of staircases; larger buildings; unique appearances to churches, weapon shops; even a marketplace or something. Guess there's a learning curve to design right?
Eh, might do some more experimenting in my free time.
I wanted to do something fancy: Multiple levels through the use of staircases; larger buildings; unique appearances to churches, weapon shops; even a marketplace or something. Guess there's a learning curve to design right?
Eh, might do some more experimenting in my free time.
It doesn't mean the map can't be fancy if it's functional. It is only that often people forget the basics when they want to make their map look pretty. There can be a lot of useless space and things that take a lot of time to make, but don't really serve any purpose in game.
If you go the way I pointed out above, you can still make the map look fancy. I'd decide the important points of the map, design a layout with them and then do the details. You can still make it visually whatever you want, but that's more a visual design sort of question.
But if the visual aspect is what you were talking about in first place: when it comes to larger towns, I usually start by doing town squares where the houses are located, and then start to place houses in some manner where they look good and still leave some space and alley ways around them. For smaller villages I usually place houses first and design the roads and environment around them.
If you go the way I pointed out above, you can still make the map look fancy. I'd decide the important points of the map, design a layout with them and then do the details. You can still make it visually whatever you want, but that's more a visual design sort of question.
But if the visual aspect is what you were talking about in first place: when it comes to larger towns, I usually start by doing town squares where the houses are located, and then start to place houses in some manner where they look good and still leave some space and alley ways around them. For smaller villages I usually place houses first and design the roads and environment around them.
Not sure if you do this already, but it's always a good idea to actually plan out your town/city with a pen-and-paper as opposed to starting off staring at a huge empty map in your maker. Also, looking at other developers' maps helps a ton with regards to inspiration.
Just don’t do what I did and make one huge city made out of several areas unless you’re going to spend a lot of time there/ it’s a hub area. Because then you have to populate it with tones of NPCs and buildings you can’t enter and stuff and it’s just so time consuming.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
I would recommend looking at major cities you like in other games. Find one or two that sort of match the style you're going for. Try to figure out what about them makes them seem busy, and see if you can pinpoint what other features in them give them their distinct style. You don't want to blatantly rip them off, but you can learn a lot from the masters.
Take a look at my giant post in this thread about taking inspiration from Orgrimmar to create my own city, Dustopia.
Take a look at my giant post in this thread about taking inspiration from Orgrimmar to create my own city, Dustopia.
author=masterofmayhemI don't know, looking at how much progress you've made on a single map can actually prove to be a powerful motivator. I've certainly put in more work into my 172x100 town than any multi-mapped residential area I've ever made.
Just don’t do what I did and make one huge city made out of several areas unless you’re going to spend a lot of time there/ it’s a hub area.
EDIT: Oh wait, I don't think that's what you meant. Anyway might as well make the point that I prefer large singular maps for towns/cities over several smaller individual maps.
doomed2die
180
Well first off, if you'd really really like an amazing map that you can't seem to come up with, you can ask for some help haha.
Personally, I used to just work from the skeleton up. So, what's the base tile for the city? Is it all stones or is it grass with stone roads? What other details are there? Do I need stone roads? IS there a lake around? Is there a well? Okay, now, what about the outside? Are there city walls? Is there a lake? Is there a river? A moat? What's around the city? What marks its boarders? Okay, so now I want a multi-layer city with stairs? Make stairs, separate the levels in an aesthetic and pragmatic manner. Now, make the core buildings (shops, inns, plot areas, other "city-essentials"). Then, move up to the filler buildings. Add the details (flowers, high patches of grass, etc.)
Then, I begin the eventing stuff. It can get pretty time consuming but if you have a skeleton, you have a basic design for the rest of the stuff whether you know it or not.
Personally, I used to just work from the skeleton up. So, what's the base tile for the city? Is it all stones or is it grass with stone roads? What other details are there? Do I need stone roads? IS there a lake around? Is there a well? Okay, now, what about the outside? Are there city walls? Is there a lake? Is there a river? A moat? What's around the city? What marks its boarders? Okay, so now I want a multi-layer city with stairs? Make stairs, separate the levels in an aesthetic and pragmatic manner. Now, make the core buildings (shops, inns, plot areas, other "city-essentials"). Then, move up to the filler buildings. Add the details (flowers, high patches of grass, etc.)
Then, I begin the eventing stuff. It can get pretty time consuming but if you have a skeleton, you have a basic design for the rest of the stuff whether you know it or not.
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