Game & Map Screenshots 6

[literarygoth]

@GUI I'm using rmVX - too much time has been spent in dev in VX for me to be able to switch engines now. I'm also not going for the default rm battleback feel. T hank you all for the feedback!

@Raider, shadows are looking better and the whole thing looks very good. Well balanced, and has a great atmosphere.

*EDIT*

@FeaR616

You posted right before I did, hence the edit. This is a good map, but your sunlight effect is a bit too harsh. It needs to be faded a bit more. Right now it looks like the sun rays you'd see shining down in a desert, on this lovely scene. The sunlight simply wouldn't be that harsh in an area so lush.

 

[FeaR616]

@literarygoth:

that is a good point! I am not very talented in making sun rays, but I try my best. =)

is this better with the sun rays?

Spoiler

 

[literarygoth]

@FeaR616

Much better! What program are you using to put your maps together?

There's lots going on in your map, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think in some way you put things willy-nilly aiming for a natural feel. For example of what I mean, let's look at the 4 bushes you have in the center of your map. They're placed randomly. Now, randomizing is a good thing for natural maps, but too random and you break up the natural flow.

Bushes typically don't grow one at a time, not out in what appears to be a forest, anyways. It's okay to group them together slightly. Things like grass, bushes, flowers, all grow together in little "pockets", with the occasional stray that's further out. If you go too random with natural map elements, it gives the effect of throwing things at a screen and seeing where they stick.

Your map is good, just tighten up some of the loose elements and it will be stellar!

Also, I'm assuming that brick wall/platform to the right is some sort of ruin? It looks like it's falling apart. To my eyes, it seems odd that you've got a couple pile of bricks so far away from where the wall is crumbling. Unless there was an earthquake or something moving things around, it doesn't seem that these bricks would have fallen so far from the wall. In this case, the grouping principle I mentioned above, would apply as well - you've already got a good grouping of rubble below the crumbled bit, so move the other two piles to join them.

Otherwise, you're doing great. That sun ray looks a loot less harsh. If you're using Photoshop (or any other image editing software for that matter), don't be afraid to play around with blending effects, blurs, overlay styles etc. You can always undo what you've done if you don't like it. Sometimes it takes messing around with the different effects to get the look you desire.

Happy mapping!

Cheers,

~Lit

 

[FeaR616]

@literarygoth:

I am using Photoshop, in my opinion the best tool for me to create maps.

And you are right! I read many things for mapping and natural looks, but it seems I go too randomly to look natural.

I write down your suggestions and edit my maps.

about the stone wall: yes, it is a ruin. =)

everytime I show friends screenshots, I hope they can recognize it. glad it seems so =D

and for sun rays, I look further to it to improve myself!! thanks for your replies!

 

[Kes]

@Raider

I think that looks much better.  You can't make them too round because you're using Ace autotiles for e.g. your trees and they are square.

@FeaR616

Just checking - you say you've never worked with XP (neither have I, that's not my question), but to use XP resources you have to own a legit copy of the engine.  Do you have it?  If not, it's worth the very low price in order to be able to use the assets - but only if you're prepared to put the work in to make them blend better, otherwise it's not.

I think the perspective issue that mlogan referred to might also be because of the mixture of tiles that you have.  For example, that pink tulip-like flower in the middle is the same size as the sprite. Another reason for seeing the whole map.  If what mlogan suggested doesn't work for you, try this.

Take a screenshot by using the key with prt sc on it.  It's usually to the right of the F12 key.  That puts a copy of the whole of your screen into memory.  Open up GIMP, Photoshop or whatever you are using and paste it.  Maneuver it around to get rid of all the other stuff you can see, like the editor, leaving only the map visible.  Save and post here. 

 

[FeaR616]

@ksjp17:

Nope, I don't have a copy of the RMXP, I searched for assets for the Ace to use for commercial purposes and it seems that some of them have XP assets in them... so I don't know that it's a XP asset. =/

and, well, I know how to take a screenshot. and out of the editor, but the trees are overlay pictures, so the screenshot would look stupid, because there are no tree crowns... that is my issue with 'whole map screenshot' ^^"

and the character is just there for testing, I plan to use larger characters so they look bigger than the flowers.

 

[RocketKnight]

Hi, check it out:

Eagle view:​

​

​

 

[Candacis]

@rocketknight:

This looks nice, I like the UI, very clean. Did you make that car sprite or where did you get it?

 

[Lunarea]

Did you make that car sprite or where did you get it?

It's edited from my Zombie Survival pack.

 

[Candacis]

Wow, thanks, just bought it

 

[Athanores]

Finally... Its finally over... Now, i choose you, Wildemaw! BD

Spoiler

Duh...

 

[wynautastronaut]

Athanores that is very beautiful. I love the tiles and the layout of the city. I would change the water color to something bluer and brighter, as well as add some decorations on the water like plants or fish shadows. But, great work that looks amazing. I'm very jealous of your talent

 

[cabfe]

@Athanores:

Nice looking city!

Be careful though while mixing tilesets, that may lead to inconsistencies. Like the red roofs showing the back of the house's roof while the blue roofs don't, breaking the perspective.

 

[Galenmereth]

Been workin on my mouse integration, and I managed to optimize the systems surrounding it for some pleasing results. Here's the menu system being reworked to also support mouse, in addition to keyboard / controller:

 

[Kenen]

That UI is slick, Galen.

I've been having fun modifying the DS set. Made cliffs and stairs that blend a bit more nicely with the grass, and set of stairs leading underground.

 

[Celianna]

I just want to note that several people have already earned the seal of gold for their screenshot, so be sure to check out the opening post of this thread for some spiffy screenshots!

 

[StrawberrySmiles]

@Kenen - The grass and water is lovely! My DS water looks like a dark abyss. What did you do?

 

[Kes]

@Kenan

The tiles are nice, but at the moment you don't have stairs, you have a ladder.  Your stairs begin and end with the cliff, so must go straight up, with no incline.  There are 2 ways of dealing with this, either start your stairs one tile lower - but then you will have to do something about a shadow - or make the tile either side of the stairs a corner piece rather than a straight piece and then you can drop in an extra stair tile.

Like this

 

[FeaR616]

@RocketKnight:

wow, this looks amazing to me! very simple and .. empty, yet effective and great!

@Athanores:

amazing town! I like the little details like the umbrella or the shovel, this makes it more realistic I think. =)

@Kenen:

I like your editings, try to do it myself in further work. ^^

but as ksjp17 mentioned, the stairs doesn't look like stairs if they are placed like this.

good... now I have to ask: how do you all make such great sun rays??

I tried different things today with photoshop, but I never get a satisfying result like all of your sun ray pictures! >_<

 

[Kes]

I just want to note that several people have already earned the seal of gold for their screenshot, so be sure to check out the opening post of this thread for some spiffy screenshots!

They are indeed all excellent.  But I do notice that of the 6 chosen, 4 are parallax maps, or have parallax elements in them (maybe 5, I'm not sure about the first map).  I wonder if the subliminal message that may be picked up here is that it isn't really possible to get excellence in the editor?  As presumably we want people to be able to use the editor with equal skill, maybe there is a case for having 2 separate categories or something, so that people can see that it can be done.

Just a thought, not wanting to start something that might derail the thread.