BLIND'S PROFILE

One of my biggest considerations, before even thinking about the map's function, is the mood. What should the player be "feeling" at that point in the story, and how can the environment reinforce that? What is time of day, the Hero's mental state, the lighting, the colors, or even sounds that culminate for a distinct flavor?

When I started using RPGMaker, virtually 75%+ of developers still used rips from SNES/PSX games. It was real archaic, but it forced you to think creatively about atmosphere...while having virtually no artistic control over the underlying materials. You basically had to reinterpret someone else's work, usually to mixed results.

Old screens:




I usually landed in the range of clutter-for-clutter-sake, to a handful of decent maps.

When I moved onto creating a commercial game, I decided to very consciously change my approach. I decided to study old SNES titles like Rudra, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana etc to see how the professionals handled it. They were much less indulgent than I had tended to be: visuals were in the service of the map's function, and the gameplay itself.

I've tried to juggle my old tendency of prioritizing ambiance/detail, with a newfound sense of restraint while mapping. When you couple that with the fact that I've started to use original pixel art, it hasn't been easy. XD

Some prototype maps from 2018-2019:

Testing some of the waterfall GFX

Lots of resources for learning Unity these days, luckily! Congrats on the engine swap and keeping the progress going bud.

As I said on Facebook—congrats! This is a huge accomplishment! There are many here eagerly waiting to play. :D

I’ll be sure to shoot up a review eventually.

Great tutorial, LBR! ♥