Why does it start all dark?

[Nereid]

I have tiles set out, and yet when I playtest it it's as if there's nothing?

 

[NaosoX]

Are u starting on the correct map?
Are there any events which run as you start?
Share a screenshot of the map where your character starting position is set, pls.

 

[Nereid]

Sure it's correct, no events. And I'm not sure what you want screenshot when it's just blank...

 

[NaosoX]

Share a screenshot of the map where your character starting position is set, pls.

The map in event editor mode.

 

[Nereid]

This might not make sense, but surely everything should be displayed in a game?

 

[clownbf]

Are you pressing the green button that says “Playtest?” If you’re trying to test in the event editing mode, it will most likely put your character in a completely black room (if that’s the case)

 

[NaosoX]

The image you provided is just a bunch of pixels.. can you show us your editor before running a playtest?

If you create a band new project and without doing anything run a play test.. does it appear fine?

 

[Nereid]

My playtest button is blue, not green. And I didn't think it matters which mode it's in, before it playtested many times successfully when I was in event-editing mode... and it appears fine if I use different maps, it's just this one doesn't...

 

[Shaz]

Please show a screenshot of your map in the editor, and when you playtest. I'm not sure what that screenshot up above is of - a single tile, zoomed way in, the map, playing? It doesn't look like anything, and it's not black/dark. Is that what your map is meant to look like, or what it does look like when you play, or something else?

Is this tileset one you've used on other maps? Is it one you created / added yourself?

Is your starting spot on this map or are you transferring there from another map? If the latter, if you change your starting spot to be on this map, does it appear correctly?

Quite a few questions there - please make sure you answer all of them, or I'll just have to ask them again

 

[Nereid]

I start the game there (but tried transferring, and still blank). I don't use it on other maps, but I tried replacing some others now and it's still blank, and it's an image I got online, but not sure how that matters as I thought the engine should load everything as long as there's something (blank is usually those white squares while editing). Think it's zoomed in because it's too large for it otherwise. That is the map in the editor, in-game it's just black as if there's nothing. What I don't get is why it's not loading it, as usually it loads everything...

 

[Andar]

That is the map in the editor,

no, it was not - because the editor is nowhere visible in the screenshot.
when we say "map in editor" we mean the screenshot INCLUDING the editor framework with the buttons to get a better reference of what is shown.

 

[Nereid]

What difference does the editor make? It's not any options around affecting it, either, it's specifically when the maps are changed, but anyway, here:

 

[Shaz]

Where did you get the image? It doesn't look at all like a tileset to me, and you definitely don't have it in the right spot. Also, did you resize the screenshot and make it more narrow? That selection box doesn't look square to me.

Please give us a link to where you originally got it, and say what it's meant to be. Even viewing in the editor, I still can't figure out what it is.

Can you also add a screenshot of what it looks like when you play the game? Make sure you have an actor in the party, and the System tab is not set to start with them transparent.

 

[Nereid]

How does it not look square? It's from https://kentaroo.itch.io/free-retro-backgrounds-game-boy-style - and as mentioned it's simply blank when playtested:

 

[Andar]

What difference does the editor make?

it shows us the scale of what the "pixels" are.
and in addition to Shaz' comments above it shows that there is something seriously wrong with your tileset and tilesheet definitions, in addition to a distorted monitor resolution.
Can you give a screenshot of yout tileset definition in the database?

Do you know that there are six different formats for tilesheets, and that each slot in the tileset definition ONLY allows the use of a tilesheet in the specific format intended for that slot?
Placing a tilesheet formatted for B into the A1 slot will massively distort the tiles, but even that is not enough to explain what you're showing in the screenshot.

EDIT:
just got the post above.
Those are BACKGROUNDs, they are NOT Tiles.
You CANNOT use them as tiles at all.

Please read the help file for the asset standards, those pictures can be used for example for Battlebacks or parallax mapping, but never as tiles.

 

[Nereid]

Even if it should be used as a parallax image, though (which I tried, but then the character couldn't move about...) - it doesn't explain why the result is blank, does it?

 

[Andar]

it doesn't explain why the result is blank, does it?

yes it does
the picture is simply too big to be loaded by the engine as-is, so you only see the blank background without any tiles in game.
because even used as parallax, the size of the parallax has to be set compatible to the map itself. There are rules for that (for a parallax map, size of background in pixel = number of tiles in the map multiplied by 48. So a 50x50 tiles map needs a parallax background of 2400x2400 pixel.
Your pictures are much bigger than that.

 

[Nereid]

So I can't even use them as parallax?

 

[C64_Mat]

@Nereid With the greatest of respect, please try your best to read the advice you're been given! You're coming across a little combative and a smidgen uncooperative!

When we're trying to help you, we need the most information we can get. So if someone asks for a shot of the editor, it's the full thing we need. That's what helps us to ascertain where things are going wrong.

There are a lot of tutorials on how to use parallax images as maps and have your character be able to move about.

Also, no, the image you've got isn't useless - you just need to scale it properly in something like GIMP so it fits your map. Again, there are plenty of tutorials for this!

It also appears that you have a misunderstanding of how tiles work. The tabs - especially the A tab, and within that A1 specifically, have properties for autotiling, which is something you must wrap your head around if you're using custom tiles. Again, there's plenty of information out there that's far more verbose and detailed than anything we could cram into this post.

When it comes to using custom images as your map, there isn't a one size fits all solution, as each person has different needs, based on map size, character movement, eventing etc. So when you get asked to provide something specific so we can help you, even if you don't understand the reason for the request, please provide it - we're asking for a reason!

I hope this information is helpful.

 

[Nereid]

Links to these tutorials? I have Gimp, but it's so complex...