ZFGC
Resources => Graphics => Topic started by: Jeod on April 10, 2009, 10:03:06 pm
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Actually I'm making maps for my team's Spirit Blade game. I just finished the town, and I'm going to put Hyrule Castle just above it. (Which is why the gate is there) I used the Seasons tiles from VGmaps.com. Please comment on it...I want to improve!
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Overall the layout is very nice. It's not too symmetrical, and there's enough going on to make it interesting. Where you need to make adjustments is the main road. It looks very square. To change this, add some grass tiles with the border around the road, and in it's corners. I wouldn't border it completely around the road. Just enough to make it visually appealing and random.
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I think it is too simple, add ledges :P. and make it less squareish.
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It's supposed to be simple. It's practice and the town in the game isn't big. Thanks Xfixium, I'll add those.
EDIT: Version 2.
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I also do feel that it looks a bit too symmetrical still, and it just seems to be missing something.. I know you're going for simple but is it too simplistic? There seems to be way too much "open area".. Perhaps try adding more bushes and maybe some rocks?
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I'll add some bushes, but there are going to be a lot of NPCs outside. I'll make a version with the NPCs in it.
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I'm sorry, I should have been more detailed about what I meant by grass. I attached an image. Does your tileset have it? It's the squiggly lined grass bordering the main road.
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Yeah, I have it. Here's an update without the NPCs.
EDIT: A new one with NPCs added. The Goron is just visiting, he doesn't live in the town.
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It's supposed to be simple. It's practice and the town in the game isn't big.
EDIT: Version 2.
Well, I know it should be simple but IMO right now it looks like a square with 5 houses :S, I would add more trees, I will work in an edit if you don't mind >_>.
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Nah it's fine. Practice anyway.
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Well, here is my try. Added more green, probably too much :S.
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Now THAT is a cool looking town! Thank you, O Kren! I guess the fault is becase I didn't think I'd be able to fit that much into 3x3 squares of 160x128. :S I will remember this lesson.
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That looks much better, Kren! I do think there's just too many trees though, and it would be okay if it wasn't all the same trees, but I know that.. nature sprites in GB games are a bit lacking but it looks great!
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Ahh, very traditional, I love it. I like Kren's edit a lot too! But whichever you use, definitely take Xfixium's advice and use that grass tile in some places. It will really finish it off. I love seeing all this GB style on the boards. =D
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GB style rules. Anyway I fixed Kren's map up a wee bit, adding in some grass tiles like Xfixium suggested. I moved the shop up one row because of the screening. If you look at Kren's original map on a 160x128 grid, the shop wouldn't work well because the player would be able to scroll into the back of the shop.
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Sounds goood. Post it up when you're done :]
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I did. However, I'm going to continue working on the overworld for the game. Hyrule Castle will be just north of the town, accessible by the gate in the town. Once done with that, I'm going to move to the right and finish a good bit of Hyrule Field.
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Ok, I finished the castle part. Comments for it?
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It's way too simple again... I recommend you looking at LA,OoA,OoS Castles for some inspiration..
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What's wrong with it?
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What's wrong with it?
It needs to be more interesting; its a bit... plain. Add some sort of decorations, statues, etc. Maybe change the shape to make it less... square.
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Okay, I'll mess with it. Gotta make it fit on the ledge though.
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Um, the castle looks to me like it has no depth.
As if you were to go through the front door, you would only be in a hallway or something.
The castle has no body to it. It's just a wall with a door on it.
If you give me a minute I could fix it up to show you what I mean.
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Um, the castle looks to me like it has no depth.
As if you were to go through the front door, you would only be in a hallway or something.
The castle has no body to it. It's just a wall with a door on it.
If you give me a minute I could fix it up to show you what I mean.
Please do. I'd like to be able to fit the castle within the ledge boundaries.
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Here's what i came up with.
It's not great(I !@#$% up alot of the pixels...I was using Paint).
But basically you need to try something to that effect.
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Ah, I see. I see. Okay, hold on a sec...
EDIT: Here. This better?
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What's wrong with it?
hmm I would prove my point basically, right now your castle looks like a rectangle with another rectangle inside, you should really mess more with figures, same with the town, I allow you to use my edit, but! It would be even better if you make it yourself, that way you will learn more. but anyways.
1st) try to make it original, hell it is a castle, but what is different in your castle?
2nd) lol, zelda games tend to have castle with secret entrance (OoA/LA/OoT/ALTTP) I reccomend you that before you continue mapping, think what items will link have when he goes to the castle? what type of mini puzzels I can add( for example add rocks blocking the way or hiding stairs)
3rd) well, in many GB games a map doesn't fit perfectly with the maps to the sides( for example see the castle in OoA)
well here are the maps if you want inspiration:
LTTP: http://www.zelda-infinite.com/files/wallpapers/lttp/1280x1024/castle.gif
Oracle of Ages( top middle part): http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/GB-GBC/LegendOfZelda-OracleOfAges-Labrynna(Past).png
LA: http://ndex.simgames.net/specials/gb/ladx/map/kanalet.shtml
Oracle of Season(top-left): http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/GB-GBC/LegendOfZelda-OracleOfSeasons-Holodrum(Default).png
Currently yours remind me of LTTP, which is fine, but try going for more original figures.
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Ah, I see. I see. Okay, hold on a sec...
EDIT: Here. This better?
Yes, because now the castle looks like it has depth and height.
Still a rectangle though...lol but a better looking rectangle.
Nice job!
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Well see I'm designing this while keeping the items and all that in mind. The castle plays an early role in the game, so Link will barely have any items. There is maybe one secret entrance under a rock in the corner, but that's about it.
The castle is not huge because "Queen" Zelda does not care for her royalty to be a big thing. The castle matches her personality: a loving queen who cares more for her people than herself.
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Maybe Zelda doesn't care for her royalty, but a castle is the home of a family for many generations. Her predecessors have put in some decorations. Your castle as it looks now is more like a gangs hideout. Wild growth and barely a decoration. In the attachment I've marked some changes that might be usefull.
1) The castle gate is not attached to the castle. At the place of the red square should be some additional gates. Or the secret entrance under the rocks in the corner doesn't serve a purpose. Or with the secret entrance in mind, you need move the gates.
2) Your castle does look like a cube. It isn't that bad, if you add some variation to the form. For example put towers on the corners of the walls.
3) The look of your castle is plain and looks nothing more than fortress for thugs. Even if Zelda doesn't care, her predecessors might have cared and the big guys in her staff also might care. So give it some more decorations. Put some statues at the front entrance and on the second level. You don't need to use Zelda statues, but some may be nice. Put the trifoce symbol on the walls on the second level and maybe even on the walls outside. Because you do want the outside people to know that this castle is home to the royal family.
Some flags and banners are a nice addition to the castle.
4) The garden looks a bit like Wild growth, instead of a garden. My advice is to remove the stone floor tiles (only leave them in the path to the door). And put some structured flower beds and plants there. A tree or two isn't bad, but it does fill the garden. Maybe put in some color next to the oh so dark castle walls.
I hop
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I don't have a tower that I can use but I did the rest. There is a reason the gate is not at the entrance to the castle itself, but I won't say now.
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with the current tileset you are using you can make a tower >_>.
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Meh, it looks good anyway. Besides, there are other buildings where I can use towers.
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Did some more work. I'm not done with the beach yet. I think the Zora area could use a touch up.
DO NOT USE THIS MAP. (Like you would anyway)
Credit: Kren, Xfixium, Niek
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/33/hyrule.png
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I had a map similar to your atlas somewhere for a game I was going to make. I might even get the inspiration to do it if I start tiling it.
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The map looks nice, it seems to have a broad variation of areas. But I can't help but feel that the field part dominates the map and pushes out the other parts. But I don't know what you've planned for the map. I only see Lon Lon Ranch and Graveyard in the field.
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http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/33/hyrule.png
That better for visualization?
EDIT: Update. Have the desert now, and finished off the beach.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/97/hyruleg.png
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Hmm, looks like many maps are there just to make space, that is something wrong, in all GB Zelda games each map is important in certain way, but you seem to just add map without thinking for what it is going to be used. And again the tilling is really bad D:, you should add more objects or change the shape of different parts.. anyways to illustrate my point here is my edited castle. The colours in your castle made it look lika a villian tower of some sort.
EDIT: it seems that I forgot to add some tiles making some parts look odd :P my bad, I will fix them later.
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Thanks Kren, I did change the colors. But Hyrule Castle doesn't play a big role in this game, so I don't think it has to be that big.
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Thanks Kren, I did change the colors. But Hyrule Castle doesn't play a big role in this game, so I don't think it has to be that big.
erm >_> but It has the same size, 3x3 screens, and it has the same quantity of doors 2, I don't want you to change it I just want you to improve your mapping it is just.. way to simple.
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Okay, thanks. But yours does look like it has a lot more rooms in it. That's why it's bigger. As for the other screens, I'm just mapping the general area. After all that's done I'm going to go back and edit each screen so they all have a purpose.
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I actually have to say, Kren's version of the castle looks much better. The original one looks really well, plain and far too symmetrical... The map is coming out pretty well, but the desert also looks really HUGE. Can you imagine having to roam around a giant desert where there's not much going around. Even if there's enemies and traps, that's still going to be annoying to walk around.
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I actually have to say, Kren's version of the castle looks much better. The original one looks really well, plain and far too symmetrical... The map is coming out pretty well, but the desert also looks really HUGE. Can you imagine having to roam around a giant desert where there's not much going around. Even if there's enemies and traps, that's still going to be annoying to walk around.
not only the desert, also the beach looks really loong.
BTW, do you mind If I continue editing it just for fun :o?
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Go ahead, Kren. Just remember that this isn't for free use.
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Update: Moar map!
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/33/hyrule.png
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Why is everything so square?
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Why is everything so square?
Because you touch yourself at night. Go away.
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Hey Jeod, fancy some help after May 2nd?
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Sure, Tetiro. I just want to be a good cartographer. By the way, Porkchop, don't think I didn't take your comment seriously. I did. And I went ahead and colorized the areas in Holodrum to compare them to my colorized areas. Mine are a tad too square. :P
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I even had thoughts of doing a zelda fan-game again. Providing I got permission, I have my eyes of Unknown Origins (Scoot)
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I'll have to take a look at that one. I didn't know it existed! =O
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I'll have to take a look at that one. I didn't know it existed! =O
Go onto youtube. Type
Zelda Unknown Origins Deku 1
Watch it. And the other 7 videos. A good fan series
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Say, that's pretty good. I thought it was going to be a game, not a flash series. Reminds me of Naruto.
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look at the MC areas though, they're rather rectangular.
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Meh, I redid some of my area outlines anyway. I'm going to redo the Zora area. I didn't like it.
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Because you touch yourself at night. Go away.
No, seriously, why is everything so square? That's a sign of bad mapping, especially when all your cliff formations are squared, which is purely unnatural.
I used to map GB style long ago for a long time, and that's the first mistake I made when I started. I made everything square and it made things look terrible.
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Oh, the cliffs. I'll have another look at the cliffs in Holodrum and Labrynna and get some inspiration.
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Oh, the cliffs. I'll have another look at the cliffs in Holodrum and Labrynna and get some inspiration.
I find it cool that you are inspiring yourself from Holodrum and Lybrinna maps but you should try to get inspiration from nature >_>, you will see that most rock formation aren't squares/circles/triangles/etc. they are more irregular shapes, for the maps I find nothing wrong to do square areas, since you are doing that due to the screensize. I am glad you are going to change what you have :3. I am glad that you are going to change the desert, I still find it really big, I hope that the orange part in the desert turns looking as ancient ruins. I still don't understand the point of the right down corner, you are using many screensize in just adding random treasures, IMO with only one screensize you can accomplish to add all the treasures in that area by adding puzzles. in the desert you can also add some rocky formations.
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The lower right corner is supposed to end up being a sort of minigame using the shovel and speed. I'm using those two maps because I'm limited to those tiles now. (I don't really want to make customs yet. I'll have to eventually though. There's a peach spot on my map that will be like the Cloud Tops in MC) I'll add some rocks and cliffs to the desert, too. I WAS going to make a Gerudo fortress in the huge orange space, but I do like your idea of ruins a lot better. Maybe I'll mix the two!
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Halfway through the forest. This is the hardest area I've had to do so far.
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That actually looks quite nice! Great work, Jeod!
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That actually looks quite nice! Great work, Jeod!
Thanks :)
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I dislike the colours, they look dull, I would go for a dark-ish forest, or for a autumn forest, well, hmm I would also add a water area since it looks odd that the river starts from a random point. then I reccomend you to delete those weird cliff they just don't have a purpose to be there. You should think "would a random guy enjoy this map", that might help you with mapping, since in some parts you have just one tile to link to walk, and you are not considering enemies D:. this is my try, I don't reccomend you to use it, since if you will not improve that way:
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True, I do need a "source of the flow". I haven't considered enemies, either, so thanks for the reminder. As for the colors, I COULD make a swap for the autumn pallette, but the forest is supposed to have a mysterious, ancient, and abandoned theme to it.
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True, I do need a "source of the flow". I haven't considered enemies, either, so thanks for the reminder. As for the colors, I COULD make a swap for the autumn pallette, but the forest is supposed to have a mysterious, ancient, and abandoned theme to it.
Hmm well if you want a ancient/abandoned feeling you should use browns, see OoS map, top left area.
http://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/GB-GBC/LegendOfZelda-OracleOfSeasons-Holodrum(Default).png
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I kept the color for now. We'll see how t blends with the rest of the map when it's done. I also added the water area, stemming from the mountain. So I'll have to add a water source in the mountain. As for the river, what could I add to it to make it appealing? I don't think the player will be able to swim in it, depending on how I make the Zora Lagoon.
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the foresty section around the volcano should seem more desolate. Having bright cheery tiles lead directly into boiling lava seems awkward
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I had the subrosian colored tiles there before, but then I changed it because I couldn't think of a good transition from cheery to desolate. Plus the subrosian tile colors might not go so well, idk.
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Jeod I don't understand you >_> you keep on asking for help but you don't use those c+c that people gives you, if you don't really need help then you should just lock this topic or not post until you have the completed version.
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Well giving c+c doesn't mean I'll use them. I do consider every one and picture it, though. And also, you're not some random guy. Nobody else has said anything about the forest yet.
DJ: I'm going to put the subrosian colors back in. I'll try to make a good transition, too.
EDIT: Put the subrosian tiles in.
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I see what you mean... maybe have some kind of cliffs leading up to those tiles? the Half-trees feel off. Maybe the original way is the best :P
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I'm having trouble with it, so I just put it back to normal for now. Did work with the graveyard today.
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To my idea the graveyard has much open space, but the wall around it makes it feel as if it is boxed in. Especially because there is only one entrance. Sorry to put it this way, but it makes me think of a big empty cardboard box from those big old TV's that you can use as a house.
Make 2 additional entrance/exits and fill it up with some random gravestones, trees and creepy statues.
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To my idea the graveyard has much open space, but the wall around it makes it feel as if it is boxed in. Especially because there is only one entrance. Sorry to put it this way, but it makes me think of a big empty cardboard box from those big old TV's that you can use as a house.
Make 2 additional entrance/exits and fill it up with some random gravestones, trees and creepy statues.
To be honest the whole Map almost seems it suffers from this... [nearly?] every area only has one entrance/exit... at least to me, playing it would suck ass for me to walk all the way to the far end of the desert (for example) then all the way back to get out... Land is not naturally closed off like that.
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To my idea the graveyard has much open space, but the wall around it makes it feel as if it is boxed in. Especially because there is only one entrance. Sorry to put it this way, but it makes me think of a big empty cardboard box from those big old TV's that you can use as a house.
Make 2 additional entrance/exits and fill it up with some random gravestones, trees and creepy statues.
To be honest the whole Map almost seems it suffers from this... [nearly?] every area only has one entrance/exit... at least to me, playing it would suck ass for me to walk all the way to the far end of the desert (for example) then all the way back to get out... Land is not naturally closed off like that.
not only the desert, the forest, the village, the beach, and even the lava area, if you try to go from the volcanoe to the village you will have to take a really long path, not only that but the desert is really big, and not only the desert also the Graveyard seems really big.
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Ok, so I gather...
1. Need second opening to graveyard, desert, mountain, forest, beach
2. Graveyard needs more things in it
3. Opening to mountain location near the volcano
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Add this to your list: keep working on that castle. I'm sorry man, but it still needs a lot of work. Shouldn't it be symmetrical? Your castle is slightly longer on the left roflmao.
Looks pretty cool though. You've mapped out a lot so far.
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Hyrule Castle? No, it's not supposed to be symmetrical. I'm going to make changes to it.
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Hyrule Castle? No, it's not supposed to be symmetrical. I'm going to make changes to it.
Well, the castle has 1 tile error, just push the left part one to the right, or the opposite, hmm I hope you have permission from Spritecollector to use that church looking castle.
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I believe he said I could, but I can easily replace it if he changes his mind.