How would you make the world map better?

Uh, I'm curious. How would some of you break up the monotony of VX's world map? I mean, we have decent choices of things as far as STUFF is concerned, but not enough things as far as geography is concerned. I'm curious as to know what you think the world map could use.

Here's some samples:

Poopy:

Less Poopy:

Now these are both within the same game lol, but the problem is that as you walk around the world, there are a few spots where the map is just lacking. Now in the 'poopy' example, if you were to take like 3 steps in either direction, it wouldn't suck anymore. That happens to just be a pretty blank area. What could this area use that wouldn't be trees? The point is that in this part, you're kind of walking through an open area, but it is just SO damn boring. How could/would you break this up? Any suggestions as to what you would like to have added to a tile set that would break it up?

Is there an option for rivers? Also add patches of dead grass wherever possible, if possible. Haha, the VX tileset is really lacking

Adding grass isn't as easy as it seems on world maps. It's an autotile that sits on top of a different ground than the green you see above.  If you add grass, it replaces the green ground above with the different ground and grass on top of the new with a really nasty harsh border. Also, there are rivers, but just not through that area in particular. I've come up with a really nice solution, though. I've ripped the grass from the background of the other ground and I reduced the size 25% and have made and am working on many tiles that you can combine to make grass on the world map. Tall grass on world maps. It's actually pretty genius. In my game, whenever you step onto the world map, you become 1/4 the size you were, so that's why everything is smaller. I could have just ripped the grass no problem and started using it, but damn, it'd be like grass blades as tall the trees ;o - Also, since I'm reducing the size by 25%, I have MUCH more leeway with the 32 pixel grid. each patch is now only 8x8 pixels instead of 32x32. So I can make like mini-custom designs in a 32x32 sized grid that works perfect tiling with other 32x32 tiles of this grass. I don't know, after I put to use I'll take some screenshots and post it.

Anyone else have some ideas?

Pretty

I think the squareness of it looks really odd. ;o

I lightened up the corners a bit in the game, so it doesn't look quite like the screenshot. It's still VX though :/

I'm going to see what I can do to make the little squares less square later then.

I'm making some new tiles for world maps. I'll let you know when I'll done, if you want.

Sounds good Fizzly. While I was on vacation this past week I complete a ton of extra World Map tiles, like Cliff tiles that wrap around the water for the shore, land cliff tiles, made the grass above better, made quite a few animated areas, some desert things, a few new buildings for outdoors, a jungle autotile, jungle mountain autotile, and a few other things.

Then sounds good, also for you. I'll make castle walls and port for world map for sure.

Well, hey. Some places are just flat and boring. Don't I know it, I'm from Indiana.

IMO, some featureless areas add to the verisimilitude of your world. On the other hand, gamers tend to be visual people and I get that u want your map to be interesting.

You could use the boring area as some kind of hook for a side quest or something.

PLAYER: Why is that patch so bare? I will go find out.
GAME: Surprise! You have found the Sword of Gilgamort the Destroyer in the sand!

Haha, you're right. I do have two deserts, one is actually very bare and by bare I mean there's basically a cliff maze in the desert and by cliffs I mean dunes. It makes the desert larger than it is when it's a maze and you have to do some walking around and not in a straight line. Plus, my world map forces the player to walk at 1/2 speed and 1/2 size so the world map, in effect, is actually twice the size that it is.

Wow. That's a bigg'un, allright. 

Hey,  perfect  place  for a  side quest. Or some tiny detail in the 30th screen that  looks  just like the others that they can  only find  in this trip which  wil unlock yadda yadda yadda. Classic!