here's a mapmaking guide i made up some time ago, it'll help you in making maps:
-- TIPS FOR NEW MAPPERS --
- don't spam objects, also don't clutter them;
- one enemy can do the job of two (or more);
- make sure your enemies aren't overwhelming and making the map painful to play;
- gold usually is placed for an extra challenge; in races it can help to find the flow; spread your gold out to make an additional challenge;
- work on the tileset, it's good when tiles are representing something; lines-only tilesets are bad; you can use patterns to make the tiles less random;
- you can use repeating (with slight changes) object patterns;
- you can make a mission for player;
- room-by-room maps are usually bad (not always, though);
- it's good when the map has some flow (but not always);
- it's good when the map isn't repetitive;
- there is no overall rule about what you should make first (tileset or objects) - the best way for me is to make some tiles, then add some objects, then add some more tiles, etc.;
- always playtest your map to make sure it's beatable;
- just keep mapping - you'll start to understand what makes a quality map;
- if you develop a style that works, stick with it if you want to;
- listen to advices from respectable authors;
- look at other people's maps, get inspired, be original and innovative and try new ideas!
Click here [forum.ninjarobotyeti.com] for a list of some mapmaking guides, made by various NUMA community members. Also, I highly recommend reading astheoceansblue's Map Theory [nmaps.net] (scroll down).
You should also get sidke's THUMBS™ plugin [nmaps.net] for your browser if you want to see the fullsize thumbnails! That's because since August 2010 we've got no fullsize thumbnails (they seem to work only on a few maps, mostly the really simple ones) and nobody can really fix it. Anyways, get it if you want thumbnails!
And remember, no more than two maps on the Hot Maps page at one time.
lsudny
welcome to numa
-- TIPS FOR NEW MAPPERS --
- don't spam objects, also don't clutter them;
- one enemy can do the job of two (or more);
- make sure your enemies aren't overwhelming and making the map painful to play;
- gold usually is placed for an extra challenge; in races it can help to find the flow; spread your gold out to make an additional challenge;
- work on the tileset, it's good when tiles are representing something; lines-only tilesets are bad; you can use patterns to make the tiles less random;
- you can use repeating (with slight changes) object patterns;
- you can make a mission for player;
- room-by-room maps are usually bad (not always, though);
- it's good when the map has some flow (but not always);
- it's good when the map isn't repetitive;
- there is no overall rule about what you should make first (tileset or objects) - the best way for me is to make some tiles, then add some objects, then add some more tiles, etc.;
- always playtest your map to make sure it's beatable;
- just keep mapping - you'll start to understand what makes a quality map;
- if you develop a style that works, stick with it if you want to;
- listen to advices from respectable authors;
- look at other people's maps, get inspired, be original and innovative and try new ideas!
Click here [forum.ninjarobotyeti.com] for a list of some mapmaking guides, made by various NUMA community members. Also, I highly recommend reading astheoceansblue's Map Theory [nmaps.net] (scroll down).
You should also get sidke's THUMBS™ plugin [nmaps.net] for your browser if you want to see the fullsize thumbnails! That's because since August 2010 we've got no fullsize thumbnails (they seem to work only on a few maps, mostly the really simple ones) and nobody can really fix it. Anyways, get it if you want thumbnails!
And remember, no more than two maps on the Hot Maps page at one time.