Good world maps

[Oddball]

Just wondering how you make a good world map were it's non-linear but not open world on the same land mass


Obviously the rules to make a good world map are different than area maps so i was wondering what those were

 

[Skunk]

I read it four times and still don't know what exactly you are asking.

 

[lokirafael]

Do you mean something like that?

 

[Oddball]

I read it four times and still don't know what exactly you are asking.

Essentially how to make a good world map for a non-linear game. With not all areas open at once


@lokirafael: that shows good world maps, but doesnt really tell me how to make a good world map

 

[lokirafael]

Most RPG with world map uses Mountains and lakes to limit the access of certain areas. There's many ways to go about:


* A broken bridge that need to be repaired.


* A underground cave that need to be trespassed to reach the other side of a mountains.


* The lakes and all kind of water portion that can stop progression while the party don't have a ship/plane.


* Checkpoints that are locked by soldiers for many different reason.


Most rpgs use natural environment to stop player movements and keep then in line till they clear enough areas to be able to free travel the world map. Just look the DQVIII, FFIX, Tales of..., etc.

 

[Andem]

It really depends on what world the game is set in and how big it is, but I tend to make my maps from scribbles and refine them and add details for natural looking features. This method is especially good for creating fjords and islands. 

 

[Oddball]

im designing my world map so that if the player wants to go back to a string of areas they can do so from either side of the string saving time. though early game only one side is avalible


so only mountains and lakes? no others?

 

[Valryia]

I will be radical and ask: Why a worldmap? A worldmap is nothing but an abstraction of great distances, leading the adventurer to his next destination. You could also make the player not use an worldmap, but an fast travel system. Or something like in Illusion of Gaia or Grandia, where the worldmap is kept like ye olde map and the characters travel on defined paths (automatically).


It is easier for the player too, since he can just watch the overworld while the characters are traveling.


But if that is not interesting to you, and just want an answer to "only mountains and lakes" they you need to be more radical still. Most normally, there could be thick forests. Maybe Poison swamps, or deadly lava lands. Why not a splintered world like septerra core? Or floating continents like in Bahamut lagoon? Even more radically, multiple mini-dimensions interlocking into each other.

 

[Oddball]

Why a world map? first let me start off by saying i hate making world maps because i dont like how segregated they are. 


That said. I dont want my game to be too linear and i want to give players the option to explore some areas they arnt supposed to go yet


i want to make quests were the player can complete the objectives in any order they want. also, i want to give the player more freedom of travel and let them skip straight to the destination if they want to


skip travel is good and all. but it only goes to places the player has already been


i should also mention that better stats come exclusively through equipment and all skills are going to be equal to each other so my design choices require a world map


Edit: Also. Optional Areas that benefit the player. thanks for the help

 

[Valryia]

Don't be limited to what the mayority of games do with skip travel. New locations are unlocked whenever you want them to be.


For example, let the player find a treasure map that unlocks a new location.


Or the players talks to a guard ala Skyrim that tells you of a bandit lair to unlock a place to travel to.

 

[Skunk]

I always much perferred some type of warp as opposed to a world map, but even in zelda they had both and utilized them quite well in my opinion.


The world map was used as a reference to see where you have and haven't been, where as common world maps are maps that you physically walk on to get to the next area.


I prefer the reference world map and some type of warp feature

 

[Oddball]

i guess theres no reason i cant do both. although, i may make the warp go to an area of the wold map if i get too many areas to save on the headache of eventing


to give an idea. the first area of the world map has ten areas and counteing. seven of which arnt connected and are important at some point in the game

 

[HeathRiley]

These are ways to close off areas you don't want people in yet.


physical obstacles:


mountains, forests, water (river, lake, ocean), disaster (lava, fire, crevice), locked entrances


require different modes of transport:


airship, boat, mountain goats, submarine, sand buggy, teleport


mental blocks:


nothing interesting this way, we need to go to xyz place now not here


These are things you can do to add non linearity without affecting your forward moving story


optional dungeons


caves, forrests, abandoned castle/fort


side content


quest hubs, mini games, collecting points for things, gathering/crafting


rewards for finding something off the beaten path


gil/exp/item when a map is fully found, certain rewarding locations/landmarks, optional bosses


using a combination of these can keep your player in a certain area but still offer them


things to do to feel that you are not in a completely linear game.