Mapping and Map Design tips

じ☆ve冰风

Hello! I made a little guide on mapping techniques I use. This may or may not be more advanced as it assumes you know some of the basics of the map editor. This tutorial doesn't cover autotiles, I don't really use them since I prefer more detail with manual mapping.

I usually draft my maps in paint before going into the editor. You don't really want to go in blind, fully polishing a map then playtesting it to find that there's too much empty space, feels too small and takes like 5 seconds to get from one end to the other, or realize that you want to adjust some portions of the map walls but it'll be a pain because all the decorations are in the way. It also feels like you are mapping into a “fog of war” without a prior draft to reference as you go lol. This also makes it easier to keep the "tile heights" (like 3 tiles tall for one ledge, but 5 tiles tall for another ledge) for mountain cliffs etc consistent, and you'll be less likely to forget that that ledge is actually 4 tiles tall, not 3 for example. Or that 2 cliffs on the map are on the same plane while another is higher. I'm not perfect at this lol, which is why I have a draft to compare with as I go.

Planning drafts before doing the actual mapping in the editor and leaving them in a folder somewhere to revisit later will save you time and avoid having to completely scrap a map you're unsatisfied with because the idea seemed cool but the execution ended up lackluster. Or in the case that you come up with a new map design idea, you can just edit your ms paint draft instead of wrestling the mapping editor of your painstakingly polished map. Only start mapping in the editor once you're sure it won't need heavy modifications down the line, as a general rule.

An interestings mapping style is dependent on the resolution of your game too.

Bigger resolutions like 1280x720 need to make sure surroundings are not boring because you'll see more of the map on screen.

Smaller resolution games like gba pokemon don't really have to do that because you'll only see a small portion of the map on your screen, but are more prone to feeling cramped and overwhelming if you add too many decorations on the screen.

The design of the map depends on the game mechanics too. My game has pseudo platforming so elevation is something I keep in mind as I design maps. Field abilities too when I design areas that will be blocked off until later in the game when the needed ability is unlocked.

After drafting your map on paper or paint of whatever, go into another art program like photoshop or aseprite to implement the grid to visualize how your map would look like in tile form. The tile size here can really be as big or as small as you desire that fits what size you visualize the map would be.

The number of tiles width and height are what you want. These are acquired by dividing your image dimensions by the tile size you chose in the art program. You could also use graph paper to sketch out your maps on.


Spoiler: example 1

The grid also makes it easier to estimate the distance between walls to place them down how you would like them.

Spoiler: example 2

These are scribbles that you put down on paper on a whim. They don't need to be very detailed or fleshed out. Do keep lines straight though so they translate into grid tile form more easily.

Rough out the wall boundaries with a random tile then playtest over and over to see if it feels fun to explore, if the "hallways" and open spaces are too wide or too cramped. How much of the surroundings take up screen space and look interesting.


Spoiler: example 1

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Spoiler: example 2[quote]

Alright, time to playtest the map to gauge if the distance/spacing feels right.

Spoiler: example 1

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If the map spacing is off, I adjust portions of the map by right clicking-dragging to select an area, and pencil click it in a new location to move it. Like this:




Spoiler: example 2[quote]

Finalize the map and add in the objects when you are happy with how it feels to run around in. Slowly fill in the blocked-out walls with their proper A1-A4 etc main tiles. Place B-E tiles (objects) on top of the ground tiles.
Spoiler: example 1

Comparison:

Spoiler: example 3

Another tip is to click and hold to select multiple tiles to place down at a time.





Keep playtesting as you go while adding in objects like houses and large landmarks (The B-E tiles). As well as collision testing because star priority tiles do weird stuff sometimes sigh. Add in “overlapping” objects from top to bottom, so that the lower decoration will be on top. Like the trees above and below. In MV you place them all at once and the order in which you place them determines which layer it's on (max is 3 B-E tiles before the lowest tile will blink out of existence) , in other makers with an actual layer mode, you place your object tiles on the lowest layer then the overlapping object on the layer above it.




For houses, landmarks, generally large furniture, and buildings: Be mindful of the "3d space" the object would take up when placing in front of cliffs/walls. Don't smooth them up too close against the walls or they will look like flat cardboard cutouts.


Throughout the empty ground tiles, sprinkle around some "variation tiles" to break up the monotony of the tiling patterns or blank empty space, like little grass patches or icicles on a cliff wall. Some can have more subtle differences.











Final / Semi-Final versions of these maps:

Spoiler: example 1

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Spoiler: example 2[quote]

(still needs some finishing touches but those can wait until later. In the meantime until I get inspiration for what to fill spaces with, I'll work on other maps.

Spoiler: example 3

Other guides and tips:

These are metroidvania sideview and other genre games but the map roughing+testing techniques still apply to top down jrpgs imo.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/4RlpMhBKNr0



How to design a great Metroidvania map

The creators of Hollow Knight describe how they built a complex, interconnected world, from sketches to final game.

                                        www.pcgamer.com                                




3 Workflow Techniques - How to Draw Top-Down Level Design Map Layouts

Tutorial focused on showing you 3 techniques or methods how to hand-draw top down layouts for level design. Tutorial focus is on Counter-Strike; but the technique can be applied to any other games.

                                        www.worldofleveldesign.com                                




Art of Blocking In Your Map

How to block in your map? In the beginning of my mapping process I spend the majority of my on blocking in the map.

                                        www.worldofleveldesign.com                                





https://www.youtube.com/embed/LFsMenc5Q8I



I guess this workflow could also be applied to parallax mapping size estimations, but do keep in mind that parallax mapping is VERY time consuming (and can be laggy af + cause annoying memory cache/consumption issues if too large I believe) and for repetitive tasks like mapping you'd rather have a quick and efficient way to get those maps out via tiling because your final game will need a lot of maps in the end if your goal is a long jrpg. Remember that collision will be another task that you’ll have to do with parallax. Even more work if you’re using a pixel movement plugin. You're going to burn out if each individual map takes like 2 weeks to complete. Especially as a solo dev.

If you're aiming for a shorter game like 1-5 hours, then parallax mapping should be feasible.


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