A little map critique?

[Tomo2000 60]

Hey guys. Just been working on one of my projects... The most time consuming part, for me, at least, is mapping... I hate it so much. Unless I know exactly what I want and where, an alright map I make takes at least 2 hours, including just sitting there thinking "I hate mapping"...

 

Anyway, this is just taken straight out of the game, two frames, put into photoshop so I could get some good gif quality, and I want you guys opinion. The lighting affects were all done in photoshop and then put in as fogs (this is called a CFL. I got a basic tutorial on them over in the Tutorial section), and then just loop a change fog event so it flashes like that in-game.

 

But, anyway, I'd just like an opinion of what you guys think. Is it good? Is it bad? What needs fixing? Thanks guys :D

 

[Saltome 16]

Ew, blood, and a dead girl...

I don't know who's responsible but I already want to plunge my sword in their chest...that is, if they have one.

 

The map's okay, too dark for my taste.

And medieval clothes in a modern age look out of place.

The grass and trees look too bright in contrast to the rest of the map.

[Tomo2000 60]

Thanks Saltome :D

 

Yeah, I agree with the bodies. I don't really have any modern corpses on me for the time being, sadly, and I'm really pressing to get a demo out (since I haven't released anything for what must be close to a year now). The medieval ones are just the most modern-looking ones I could find, really, and probably just placeholders for now.

 

Edit: Oh, and zombies are responsible. You got a lot of sword-stabbing to do.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Tomo2000

[Moonpearl 32]

It's a little too empty to my taste. And the wrecked car feels out of place to me (in terms of graphic style).

[Saltome 16]

It's not always good to clutter maps, especially when the point of the map is to translate a lonely empty environment.

As for the car, its a wreck, i don't see how it clashes with the environment. Zombies tend to wreck cars.

[Moonpearl 32]

As for the car, its a wreck, i don't see how it clashes with the environment.

(in terms of graphic style)

[ShinGamix 1]

It seems like the cars are the focus off the map and the rest of the intersection is just to plain besides being all dark and gray-scale. Also the gif of the flashing lights is annoying to me. Latly, I see the puddles of blood. Where are the drips, splatter, and trail of how the blood got there?

[Polraudio 122]

Maybe add some cracks in the ground cause no city/town has perfect sidewalks and definitely not perfect streets. There should be scorch marks on the ground because theres a car that was on fire.

 

Theres a car with some bullet holes in it so it might be a good idea to place some bullet holes on the ground near it unless who did it was a perfect shot.

 

Last but not least the flashing lights should be moved over to the right little. looks like the lights are coming from near the tire and the back windshield. Was the first thing i noticed about the map.

 

Just remember. Its a city. Theres usually papers around the ground but not to much clutter. Maybe a mailbox sometimes or an ad on the wall/post

 

Other than those tips good job. I always enjoyed your mapping Tom :D.

[madanchi 18]

The layout is great but I'm struggling to see what this scene is all about and what actually happened. I see two cars in the car park that are damaged pretty severely, then the Police car and other damaged car across the map, so there must have been a pretty big explosion or something to damage all cars in that area.

 

Edit: I took a closer look and it makes a lot of sense now, the gun shop. I presume someone came out and started shooting damaging all cars and killing people. I'd suggest just making the shop the focal point of the scene, so then it's easier for the player to notice and put together an idea of what's happened.

 

It seems empty which is spot on in my opinion, has atmosphere which is relative to the scene and lighting is good, depending if the location is in a quieter part of town, but if busier it should be lighter.

[Tomo2000 60]

Thanks Madanchi :D Zombies happened.. xDD The place is pretty quiet, most of them moved further into the city, as zombies do. They go where the food goes, and so, more people would be in busier areas of the city. Thanks for your comment :D

[albertibay 0]

There are a few things to point out

-The top part of the road is larger than the bottom part

-the wheel graphic of the car on the top

-If there is a zombie invasion it lacks floor cracks stuff like that

And since zombies raided that town a bit more density is needed bones, flesh, dirt shoud be clattered on the floor

and you would need to add some more windows in that gun shop

but still the colors complement each other perfectly (except that pink hair)

[deathmoverz24 2]

the tiled sidewalk area is not really compatible with this scene. it look like a wall or a part of the wall of the gun shop beside it. and i think its too "squared".

[ShinkuAura 15]

Hi Tom!

 

i would like to say that your map isn't very alive it feels too artificial.

 

for example who puts a gun shop near a park? lol...

i do know that your trying your best to map a street at night.

 

just try your best go outside and observe your street imagine it if it was filled with zombies. what cars would be destroyed and parked.

 

you can always use google images to give you a good idea.

 

by the way i have been always wanted to make a short zombie horror on RPG Maker XP. but i get lazy in writting the storyline and placing the events.

 

but my biggest problem on XP is that i lack a bunch of resources to even make a good horror game. i may have some tilesets for an epic map but what about the next one?

 

well back on topic. just think in detail pure detail.just free yourself.

 

oh by the way is there any chance to make you some maps as examples so you can take them on your project? or can i Map some maps for you (if you want but i can offer you 2 maps every 3 days i got a secret project of mine).