You can align elements outside of the set grid, making for more visual variation
You are not restricted to any grid whatsoever
You are not restricted to tilesets, but can pretty much "paint whatever you want" to be your maps
Cons:
You still have to be aware of the tile separation for collision in Ace
Filesize: Since tiles are much more size efficient (reuse one bitmap hundreds of times vs. one big compressed image)
Harder and more complex workflow
Performance: One large parallax image is much heavier for the drawing algorithms in Ace than drawing tiles from a tilemap. The larget it gets, the worse it will perform on slower PC's
I think to say that larger file sizes are the only downside is probably over simplifying it a bit. It's one definite downside, but certainly not the only one.
There are some (on these forums and others) who sometimes imply that no map that looks good can possibly be made without parallaxing... I personally don't subscribe to that. There are, however, certain situations that require alignment detail and additional embellishments, which can ONLY be done with parallax mapping.
I would say the biggest drawback is actually that you lose the ease of tile-based map drawing, where the player/event movements are restricted to exactly what you see on the screen, and passability settings are tied to the tiles themselves. Though clever folks have made some nice workarounds for parallax mapping (usually with a dummy tileset that visualizes the passability settings), it's still an extra level of complication.
I think to say that larger file sizes are the only downside is probably over simplifying it a bit. It's one definite downside, but certainly not the only one.
There are some (on these forums and others) who sometimes imply that no map that looks good can possibly be made without parallaxing... I personally don't subscribe to that. There are, however, certain situations that require alignment detail and additional embellishments, which can ONLY be done with parallax mapping.
I would say the biggest drawback is actually that you lose the ease of tile-based map drawing, where the player/event movements are restricted to exactly what you see on the screen, and passability settings are tied to the tiles themselves. Though clever folks have made some nice workarounds for parallax mapping (usually with a dummy tileset that visualizes the passability settings), it's still an extra level of complication.
Yea, Infact It's highly unlikely anyone can make a complex map with Parallax mapping(so unlikely, It's never done). If you actually care about the functionality of a map, instead of "only" how it looks, stick to tile mapping, your game, as well as gameplay over graphic supporters, will love you for it.
Why do you say that? I start my maps in the editor, then embellish them in Photoshop (add shading, "junk", stuff on the walls, etc.). What do you mean by complex? Do you mean lots of *moving/changing parts*?
OP: Keep in mind that you can do both. Some of my maps use tilesets, but others (the more important ones) are parallaxed.
Why do you say that? I start my maps in the editor, then embellish them in Photoshop (add shading, "junk", stuff on the walls, etc.). What do you mean by complex? Do you mean lots of *moving/changing parts*?
OP: Keep in mind that you can do both. Some of my maps use tilesets, but others (the more important ones) are parallaxed.
Well if you're making a map in a real map editer, and then using a art program just to add things to it, you're fine, because you created the map, in a actual map editer, you didn't just draw a picture, throw it in, and call it a map.
Ah yes complex maps is kind of a lost style now adays. It's hard to just explain in words, but if you see it, you'll understand.Look at the RPGs made in the 8, and most RPGs in the 16 bit era,as well as most for the DS lite(as the DS follows the old school styles of game design most of the times) RPGs too.
In short, maps serve a major functioning purpose in RPGs, and Parallax mapping pretty much throws all that out the window.
If a player is basically only gonna beable to go 1-2 ways anyway, you might as well not have maps in your game at all.
Maps don't exist, just to go from point A to point B, and be eye candy, they serve a real purpose..
The thing you really need to know is: What is the next thing for me to learn to be a great game maker?
If you do not yet know how to use image editing software, you want to get started with increasing your capability in that area. No matter where you are on that big slider, you will want to keep it growing. From being able to edit a tile into a tilesheet, to separating or recoloring a sprite, to making small edits of the existing tiles for your use in your game... moving to the kind of skills which would allow you to place tiles on a map and make a blended parallax/tiled map, all the way to OH-Yeah-I-have-four-freaking-layers-of parallax-going-here-and-it-kicks-###! mapping skills, right?
But even if you are strictly a game engine mapper, you can make great maps. Fogs, screen tints - lots to learn and utilize.
And no doubt, parallax maps can be drop-dead gorgeous! But I wouldn't sweat it. I'd just mosey my way along and enjoy the ride. =]
and @Zoltor. I'd ask you what the blazes you are talking about, but I am afraid you'd answer.
The thing you really need to know is: What is the next thing for me to learn to be a great game maker?
If you do not yet know how to use image editing software, you want to get started with increasing your capability in that area. No matter where you are on that big slider, you will want to keep it growing. From being able to edit a tile into a tilesheet, to separating or recoloring a sprite, to making small edits of the existing tiles for your use in your game... moving to the kind of skills which would allow you to place tiles on a map and make a blended parallax/tiled map, all the way to OH-Yeah-I-have-four-freaking-layers-of parallax-going-here-and-it-kicks-###! mapping skills, right?
But even if you are strictly a game engine mapper, you can make great maps. Fogs, screen tints - lots to learn and utilize.
And no doubt, parallax maps can be drop-dead gorgeous! But I wouldn't sweat it. I'd just mosey my way along and enjoy the ride. =]
and @Zoltor. I'd ask you what the blazes you are talking about, but I am afraid you'd answer.
Look a map is an essential part of the exploration aspect. .
As for your maps, things like houses don't count, because they are houses lol.
Likewise your second SS, Isn't a functioning map either, It's just a clearing in the woods, that houses the house.
I'm talking about like dungeons or maps that are "mean" to be used as such/traveling in general.
Things like houses serve no purpose beyond being eye candy anyway. The only reasons houses exist in RPGs, is because it would be utterly stupid to have every NPC just standing in a random clearing somewhere.
I haven't tried parallax mapping (my limit is moving/combining tiles for the B-E sheets, which is a watered-down form of parallax mapping), so I can only say what I believe based on what I've read from others.
Parallax mapping takes longer to do and is more difficult to modify because you're individually dragging and dropping, copying and pasting (I have limited photoshop skills - know nothing about brushes) and using lots of layers to keep things separate and to keep the below/above parts of each image separate. And the file size. And some who didn't really know what they were doing, didn't consider that they still needed to stick with the 32x32 grid for passability, and ended up with maps that were very difficult to use.
But you have a HUGE amount of flexibility that you really don't get with regular mapping, and can make some beautiful maps.
However, beautiful maps don't just depend on the method or the tiles you're using - they depend on the mapper's skills. I've seen some gorgeous maps done entirely in the editor, and some parallaxed maps that probably would have turned out better if they WERE done in the editor.
Cartoonier cloud cover that better fits the art style, as well as (slightly) improved blending/fading... fading clouds when there are larger patterns is still somewhat abrupt for some reason.
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