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Falcon's Exterior Mapping Tutorials: #1The Mountain Town

Started by Falcon, December 11, 2006, 11:16:14 PM

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Falcon

Tutorial One: The Mountain Town
Well, in my opinion, mountain towns are some of the easiest towns to make, as you can use terrain to take up most of the space on the map.

Part 1: Preparation
Making a town is much harder than making a small map, you need to take a few minutes to plan out your town.

Step 1
Get an idea of the location in the world.

The map we're going to be making will be a town in the middle of two mountains, the town will be mainly a pit stop for traders going from one city to another. The city will have only one road, an inn, a equip shop, a item shop, and a farmer's house.

Step 2
Sketch the map out on paper

I highly suggest sketching the map out on paper, you don't need it on hand when you make the map, but you'll get the overall shape of the map in your head, and you won't be making the map as you go.


Part 2: Creation

Download the map data that I made for each step
http://www.mediafire.com/?enjd0ylxx3r (extract the map datas in to a blank RMXP project)


Step 1
Alright, let's start by making the southern mountain.
Tip: While making mountains, vary the length and height of the edges to make the map feel more realistic
Tip: While making mountains, vary the height, using three spaces for the wall makes it look repetitive

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 2
Let's do the same for the top part, let's also make a small cut off for a sidequest or a path to another small town.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 3
Now, one elevation isn't really a mountain, so let's make two or three levels of elevation for each side.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 4
Let's do the same to the northern mountain.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 5
Now, let's make the path that runs through town, and on the northern path, lets make grass and other things which obstruct that path, so it's clear it's not traveled as much as the main road is.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 6
It's time to add the houses, let's put the inn where the both roads meet, let's put the item shop along the main road, and let's put the other houses along the road. Let's also add a well in town and a graveyard.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 7
Now all we have left is to add the trees and other details.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 8
Time to add events.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Step 9
Walk away from your map, return in about 15 minutes and see if there's anything you forgot. We need to put in more autotile use, or the northern path will look out of place, so let's add more autotiles.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

The Final Product
A great town, perfect for an inn break after a mountain pass :)

[spoiler][/spoiler]

:)

I like it! wow its great, and the end result is a nice looking HUGE map. Just one thing You should add, is how to change the roof designs on the houses, just so the houses don't all look alike. anyways you kick a** at mapping!
Watch out for: HaloOfTheSun

Falcon

Thanks :P

I've just realized that I made a small error on the houses, look above the door and you should see it, the tile doesn't belong there :P I don't plan to change it though, I spent a week on this and I won't do any more tutorial work until I release my game demo and finish my scripts.

Falcon

A weeks worth of work and only one comment? I thought a lot of people wanted a town tutorial....

Cheal

Well, I really like this. It really helps me think about what I want my towns to look like and shows off some things I can do.

The end looks awesome and I will definetly be referring back to this when I make some towns. Great job! ;D


Got no good story ideas? Try using Seventh Sanctum. It's got millions of generators for things you might need.

SexualBubblegumX

You know I've never really tried to make a mountain town. Well maybe one, but it was a mining town actually.

GilgameshRO

I actually clicked this expected another shitty tutorial full of errors that drove me insane. I was pleasantly surprised. I noticed a couple minor errors, but overall this is pretty nice. Space could have been used better, but it's better than being too cluttered.

Falcon

Yeah, the final map had too many errors, I'm probably going to fix it over the weekend.

suiko

sorry for the late post on this but just wanted to say thanks! great tut and i'll be using it to help me build a town or two :)
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby (1937 - )

Darico

Nice tut, all my mountain towns look a bit crap so ill go change them now  :-X

Christina


:)

Quote from: Christina on December 23, 2006, 06:12:49 PM
lil mistake i found...

yea...theres also one down below on the bottom level of the mountain.
Watch out for: HaloOfTheSun

Falcon

I know, there are three errors which I'm going to correct, eventually :P

Leknaat

Oh, very nice. Are you planning on doing any more tutorials, say for a snow town or desert town?

Falcon

Alright, time to revive this.

I'm thinking of making another exterior mapping tutorial, any suggestions?

:)

Watch out for: HaloOfTheSun

Atracious

How about a world map? i am creating a fan-game (http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,13132.0.html) and i want to create two massive world maps, that are on par with the size that the original game had (i'm thinking something like 10000x7500 >_<) i'm just wondering how i should go about this, make the map or make it multiple maps that scroll onto one another.(if that's even possible)
"Facts are useless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." Homer Jay Simpson

"I do not know what weapons WWIII will be fought with but i know WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones" Albert Einstein

"It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." from In Memoriam, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

"all your base are belonging to us!" awful fantasy 3

"the grapes damb it, it's alway's the grapes!"

Funny anagrams:
Desperation=A rope ends it
Mother in law=Woman hitler
Lottery machine=Money lost in 'em
Election results=Lies lets recount
Dormitory=Dirty room
Snooze alarms=Alas! No more Z's
Eleven plus two=Twelve plus one
Cosmetic surgery="Yes, I correct mugs."
The IRS=Theirs!
Public relations=Crap, built on lies
Astronomer=Moon starer
Dementia="Detain me."
Internet chat rooms=The moron interacts
The eyes!=They see!

Currently making:
http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,13132.0.html

Falcon


Atracious

"Facts are useless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." Homer Jay Simpson

"I do not know what weapons WWIII will be fought with but i know WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones" Albert Einstein

"It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." from In Memoriam, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

"all your base are belonging to us!" awful fantasy 3

"the grapes damb it, it's alway's the grapes!"

Funny anagrams:
Desperation=A rope ends it
Mother in law=Woman hitler
Lottery machine=Money lost in 'em
Election results=Lies lets recount
Dormitory=Dirty room
Snooze alarms=Alas! No more Z's
Eleven plus two=Twelve plus one
Cosmetic surgery="Yes, I correct mugs."
The IRS=Theirs!
Public relations=Crap, built on lies
Astronomer=Moon starer
Dementia="Detain me."
Internet chat rooms=The moron interacts
The eyes!=They see!

Currently making:
http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,13132.0.html

Falcon

Just out of curiosity, what's keeping this out of the tutorial database?

:)

I don't understand that either... :P
This tut is the best I have seen for this type of town, mountains have various heights, organized, great use of space....perfect for database.
Watch out for: HaloOfTheSun

Darico

If you want it in the tutorial database, send a PM to a mod. That's what I did!

Falcon

Last bump for the database, if this doesn't get in I'll PM a mod -_-

Darico


modern algebra

I think this should be in the Database. It's really good.