Mapping basics 1

Welcome
Hi there and welcome at Mapping Basics part 1.
Since it's the easiest part of any game to create, let's start with telling you what to do and what not to do.

I'll walk you through some easy steps you will follow throughout every map you will ever make!
And for this I won't use anything too advanced such as houses or whatever. I'll be making you guys a tiny world map.

Step 1: Background coherence
You will have to choose a background (what you walk on) before you continue anything. Choose them wisely!
You don't want straight corners on roads in tiny field towns and you don't want any overgrown grass in huge cities.
Also, choose tiles that fit your liking.

DO:

DON'T:

As you can see, the tiles I've used in the DO are a little different and they give nice rounded corners for the world map where the land touches the water (in DON'T they give rectangular corners, red circle).

Step 2: Details
Add some details to give it a unique look, adding in some mountains and forests... Adding some stone pillars to the water and some depth...
Again, make them coherent with the other tiles! Nothing is as ugly as non-cohering maps.

My world is full of mountains an forests, like this!

There is however a tile that is not good! It's the tiny little island on the right of the big green one. You'll see how I did that in the advanced tool section!

Step 3: Adding more details!
Now, I'm thinking about some villages...A castle, ruins, maybe a tower in the icy south? How about a bridge to get there? Use the tilesets B to E for this!


Again, look at the top and bottom of the bridge, notice how, at the top of the bridge the grass goes all the way to the bridge and at the bottom the snow doesn't? It's a usage of an advanced mapping tool at the top of the bridge!

Good, that was the tutorial on how to create a basic map.

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Some things you should and shouldn't do!

• Always add details! It makes a map look appealing and interesting.
  
• Never add details symmetrically! It makes the map look artificial and you wouldn't want that! (Unless you're going Sci-Fy)
  
• Keep an eye on the maps passable and impassable tiles. We wouldn't want you to make a quest item be in-completable because there's something you can't reach, now would we?
  
• Think about size and function! Are you making an outdoor world map (like I did in this tut) then don't make it too small (like I did). Are you making indoor maps, stack them into one map and do not make several thousands of 17x15 maps for indoors. A good average for maps is about 75x75 as it's still mappable without getting boring and not to big to wander over in a game.
  
• Never give players seas of space on where to wander If you're in a forest and you need to go DOWN, don't give a player seas of space to walk, just give them the path and GO! Same for villages, some space is good, gardens are fine, but keep the player on track!
  
• Ask for feedback. Are you not sure if your map is a good one or one that can be improved? Are you afraid that there are some errors in your map being passable and impassable tiles overlapping or something like that? Just want to feel good about yourself? Ask for feedback!
  

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Advanced Tool 1

This is only for people who want to experiment with an advanced tool! This thing can work beautifully but it can also be very frustrating.
My advice: Experiment on a map that you won't use anyway!

Please welcome: THE SHIFT BUTTON!!!! *applause*

What does this nifty button on every average keyboard have to do with mapping you may say! Well, it's pretty useful for some cool things...
But you can do anything without it! Well, my dear reader, you can't, and I'll explain why not!

When you press the shift button while right clicking(copying) a tile on your map, you copy it as it is and it will show as it is when you use the Shift button again when left clicking (pasting) the tile somewhere else!
If you use Shift button when you just took a tile from the tileset or just copied on from the map, it'll automatically set it to the middle tile when you would draw a 9-square square...

That's how I did the little trees error in the Step 2 Map and the tile at the top of the bridge in the Step3 Map!

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Homework!
Play around with the SHIFT button to see what is does! Then implement your newly achieved knowledge in a basic map you made.
Afterwards: Show it of right here!


If there are any more questions, just ask!

Grtz,
Amycha

P.S.: I couldn't find Teal for the title so I used Cyan!!