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MAP INSPIRATION
Posts
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pantsman9
854
pantsman9
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CloseI've been in the mood to making a new RPG, but I'm horrible at designing my maps, I can never really make them look very realistic. But lately, I've been playing Minecraft, and I've been using Notch's generation code.
My question I pose is, what is your inspiration behind your maps?
My question I pose is, what is your inspiration behind your maps?
Well, I have this story in my head, and each place (map) must fit in/with that story, I have to make a place, with the extremely limited rtp (I don't sprite) that will look like some idea I have of it and look decent, of course being so utterly limited the idea can/has to evolve, change somewhat and I map until I find a decent compromission. or, at least, until I have a decent map...
pantsman9
854
@chana: you do know that there are a number or resource out there that can help with maps, so you don't have to RTP the entire game, or you can make small revisions.
True, but since they are pre-made by some one else than myself, I still don't feel very "free" in the mapping, not counting that there's rarely more than 4 predefined floors, 2 kinds of roofs, 1 kind of shelf.... not to discourage you, but that's what I experience when I map.
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
Pasted (in part) from a topic from 8 months ago:
When making a map I sometimes start with an example in mind that I'm trying to imitate.
For example, I was asked to make a city that exists within a vast monster-filled prison dimension, formed by some of the few people who'd survived the monsters and banded together. Any sort of normal-looking city would be inappropriate; it's the game's biggest town, but I wanted something that still gave off an air of depair and desolation. A refuge in a wasteland. My first thought was Orgrimmar from World of Warcraft:
Obviously, recreating Orgrimmar in an RPG Maker game would be both a ridiculous amount of work and a terrible example of unoriginality - but it definitely gave me the inspiration I needed. The wasteland type ground, the surrounding cliffs, the massive front wall with guard towers, the random spiked fences on the sides of every road, the wooden bridges leading overhead to make it seem busier. These were ideas I could use.
So I hunted through my tilesets and found stuff that could be assembled into a wasteland city map. I didn't have bone-spike or barbed-wire fences, but had wooden pike fences. Using Orgrimmar style huts was out of the question, but the huts are made of large uneven stone walls, so I found some dirty-looking stone walls and picked the most disgusting roof tiles I could scounge up. Palm trees and cacti looked pretty stupid so I replaced them with tall grass. I put a waterfall in the city, like there is Orgrimmar, to explain why the citizens chose that spot in the wasteland to build their city.
And ended up making Dustopia.
I don't do this with every map, for sure. A lot of my maps are just kind of haphazardly created with a vague motif in mind but specifics made up as I go along or added at the end. I very often try to combine multiple motifs - a tower is boring, a desert tower is a little less boring, a desert library tower is a little less boring still, and a library tower overrun by demons that stands in the middle of an abandoned orcish war camp on a desert mountain is actually pretty interesting.
When making a map I sometimes start with an example in mind that I'm trying to imitate.
For example, I was asked to make a city that exists within a vast monster-filled prison dimension, formed by some of the few people who'd survived the monsters and banded together. Any sort of normal-looking city would be inappropriate; it's the game's biggest town, but I wanted something that still gave off an air of depair and desolation. A refuge in a wasteland. My first thought was Orgrimmar from World of Warcraft:
Obviously, recreating Orgrimmar in an RPG Maker game would be both a ridiculous amount of work and a terrible example of unoriginality - but it definitely gave me the inspiration I needed. The wasteland type ground, the surrounding cliffs, the massive front wall with guard towers, the random spiked fences on the sides of every road, the wooden bridges leading overhead to make it seem busier. These were ideas I could use.
So I hunted through my tilesets and found stuff that could be assembled into a wasteland city map. I didn't have bone-spike or barbed-wire fences, but had wooden pike fences. Using Orgrimmar style huts was out of the question, but the huts are made of large uneven stone walls, so I found some dirty-looking stone walls and picked the most disgusting roof tiles I could scounge up. Palm trees and cacti looked pretty stupid so I replaced them with tall grass. I put a waterfall in the city, like there is Orgrimmar, to explain why the citizens chose that spot in the wasteland to build their city.
And ended up making Dustopia.
I don't do this with every map, for sure. A lot of my maps are just kind of haphazardly created with a vague motif in mind but specifics made up as I go along or added at the end. I very often try to combine multiple motifs - a tower is boring, a desert tower is a little less boring, a desert library tower is a little less boring still, and a library tower overrun by demons that stands in the middle of an abandoned orcish war camp on a desert mountain is actually pretty interesting.
closedworlds
12
When it comes to designing tiles I just find pictures of locations from other games and begin pixelating... then when its time to map I just find a map from another 2D rpg and copy a small section of it and expand on it. The Povs of Qaros in Final Fantasy Essence is loosely based on Narshe's set up from FF6.
I also have some rules I set for myself. These rules are based on what I've seen in FF5 and FF6. Keep corridors tight and individual interiors small. You don't want a map so big that the player has no idea where they are... especially if you haven't intended for them to get lost. Keep in mind that you see the entire map while creating it but the player has no idea what it looks like from above.
It also sucks having to walk too many steps between shops. I don't wanna have to trek across the city just to buy a potion when I've already spent several minutes crossing the world map from a dungeon. Walking is only fun for intentional exploration. Eventually after mimicking enough maps you'll get the hang of it and you will probably be able to work without them.
I also have some rules I set for myself. These rules are based on what I've seen in FF5 and FF6. Keep corridors tight and individual interiors small. You don't want a map so big that the player has no idea where they are... especially if you haven't intended for them to get lost. Keep in mind that you see the entire map while creating it but the player has no idea what it looks like from above.
It also sucks having to walk too many steps between shops. I don't wanna have to trek across the city just to buy a potion when I've already spent several minutes crossing the world map from a dungeon. Walking is only fun for intentional exploration. Eventually after mimicking enough maps you'll get the hang of it and you will probably be able to work without them.
Urban Wise, Chamomix Mont Blanc, Venice and Maccu Picchu. But that's just the basics, if you really want to see where I get my inspiration from:
(Warning lots of images)
And I would like to say that these are just a very small amount of my inspirations from the Real World (I base my maps on real world stuff)/
Mapping wise, I personally plan out what happens in each map etc. and how it should appear. Uh it's a whole what if imagination sort of scenario. It's really hard to explain but I guess similar to animation storyboard telling or comics??? I really hate making empty useless maps, this is the reason why I also have a hard time mapping them. I rather illustrate and hand draw them than make them into tiles to be completely honest!
That's why I absolutely refuse to use rtp and why my games will never get done 8D;;;
If we're talking about GAME inspirations, then one of them is definitely Legend of Mana and Sword of Mana. Their universe just appeals to me. I also love Eternal Sonata's universe and their eye porn scenery. Myst is also beautiful. But as a base layout for maps, FF6 has pretty cool town layouts. But one of my main inspirations will always be Ragnarok Online.
I'm also a Warcraft Fanatic and WoW surprised me. So I guess that too 8'D;;;
(Warning lots of images)
And I would like to say that these are just a very small amount of my inspirations from the Real World (I base my maps on real world stuff)/
Mapping wise, I personally plan out what happens in each map etc. and how it should appear. Uh it's a whole what if imagination sort of scenario. It's really hard to explain but I guess similar to animation storyboard telling or comics??? I really hate making empty useless maps, this is the reason why I also have a hard time mapping them. I rather illustrate and hand draw them than make them into tiles to be completely honest!
That's why I absolutely refuse to use rtp and why my games will never get done 8D;;;
If we're talking about GAME inspirations, then one of them is definitely Legend of Mana and Sword of Mana. Their universe just appeals to me. I also love Eternal Sonata's universe and their eye porn scenery. Myst is also beautiful. But as a base layout for maps, FF6 has pretty cool town layouts. But one of my main inspirations will always be Ragnarok Online.
I'm also a Warcraft Fanatic and WoW surprised me. So I guess that too 8'D;;;
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
Archeia_Nessiah, I was hoping to see one or two maps at the end of those images that were based on them. Care to share? I think it is interesting to see not only how people find inspiration, but how they apply it.
author=LockeZ
Archeia_Nessiah, I was hoping to see one or two maps at the end of those images that were based on them. Care to share? I think it is interesting to see not only how people find inspiration, but how they apply it.
When the time is right~ Right now, um, it's hard to show them because I want to surprise people for what it's for :)
closedworlds
12
Archeia_Nessiah... those images made me wet. Now I wish I currently had more time to make tiles :( ... Anyway, I have similar methods... I just find pictures of amazing architecture and video game art.
Hoddmimir
200
@Archeia_Nessiah, I absolutely HAVE to know where two of those pictured locations are. 1. The big island covered with the trees. 2. The carved-looking stones with the water in them.
Please tell me you know. They are the most stunning images I have seen in a long time and I need to know more about them. I am literally dying from my need for this. Dying.
That is all.
Please tell me you know. They are the most stunning images I have seen in a long time and I need to know more about them. I am literally dying from my need for this. Dying.
That is all.
Hoddmimir
200
author=Archeia_Nessiah
I'm assuming you are talking about the Mushroom Island and Pamukkale/Giant's Causeway
Yes! Both of those brought up the google search results I was looking for. Also that giant's causeway is natural!?!? Amazing! I love learning about this kind of stuff! That Island is simply stunning and I have decided to live there. As soon as I am rich and can afford to do whatever I want like that.
If you're interested in the Mushroom island, try checking Palau's Seventy Islands Preserve (something like that.) it's interesting :)
Hoddmimir
200
Those are also beautiful but for some reason don't evoke any of the same emotions in me as that mushroom island did.
I tend to cruise pixiv or some other places for bgs. I tend to get inspiration from those drawings, from paintings (usually of Italy), photos, and from just going out for walks. I'm also very inspired by the Mana series which I figure people would easily guess.
I don't really try to copy bgs or those things completely, but more use some design elements or see what they do to make it interesting. For example, seeing one town that had Arches around the sides made me want to use that element in my map too.
I don't remember if this one is it but that's an example.
And the map:
Actually, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that wasn't the drawing, I think the pillars/arches were different and closer to the ones on this map. Oh well, don't have the time to look for it yet.
Here we go:
and some more bgs, I had to stop myself because I have tons of pictures in my scenery folder.
I don't really try to copy bgs or those things completely, but more use some design elements or see what they do to make it interesting. For example, seeing one town that had Arches around the sides made me want to use that element in my map too.
I don't remember if this one is it but that's an example.
And the map:
Actually, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that wasn't the drawing, I think the pillars/arches were different and closer to the ones on this map. Oh well, don't have the time to look for it yet.
Here we go:
and some more bgs, I had to stop myself because I have tons of pictures in my scenery folder.
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