I liked your slanted walls better.

Close Each side by like 2 tiles and add slants the the bottom corners.

See the middle, diving wall. Shrink that by like a few spaces on each side and the make sure it does not reach the left or right walls, but instead the middle left and right walls where the walls make their first turn.

Ok I think understand what your saying, and where some of the confusion lies.



The thing is, is that, instead of it being a dividing wall it's more of a platform. It's suppose to show elevation.

I understand it is a platform, make it more platformy and dont make it end at the side walls, bring in up.

Add more curve to your south walls

No ID, that looks loads better than the original now. Just one point that isn't really to do with the mapping in general, so it's a little off topic, but: Are you using a darkened tileset now, rather than a screen tone? Because the characters stand out way too much against the background, especially the guy in the top right hand corner.

Its just a basic cave with some water and streams. The gaps serve as a function.

I saved it as a JPG, shoot me o:

Interesting. It's a little plain, but nothing bad stands out. I would maybe add a tiny amount of rocks or plant life for decoration.

I'm guessing the tiny islands are hoppable, to cross the water?

Thanks Regi, I added a little stalagmite in the lover right corner and a wide stalagmite on the little island in the middle along with a fallen stones tile here and there

Are the gaps meant to be connectors to other maps? If so I'd suggest using actualy gaps and doors, the likes of which are provided in the RTP.

Actually, I kind of like that style, but it would look better with some kind of fade.

Bacon, I'm loving those maps. They're simple but very effective.

Ok I am really having trouble with this lighting. Tell me what am I doing wrong.

The light ray is a bit big, that's all.
I think your main issue here is the sprite (too much saturation). Use screen tone rather than a dark tileset, and try spacing the windows more.

1) Your map is overall bland. Add some more scenery and objects and scenery.

2) Make sure to spread your objects out to prevent clumping.

3) Your cliffs are overall square and mundane. Add more cliffs to the cliffs and make more curves. To tell you the truth, they really dont make sense. Having a random cliff in the middle odd. Add a touch of realism.

4) Use the 1 and 2 weed tiles and clump them together to create a better effect overall.

5) You have some symmetrical mapping errors.

6) Dont use the staircase. Remember realism.

I hope this looks better. All I seem to get for my mapping is criticism, and never any praise.

I listed in paragraph form:

You still have a lot of straight lines forming in your map. Become more random. The idea of having random cliffs make no sense either. You cannot have a giant random cliff. Why is there a bridge? You did clump the weeds together, make sure to use the one and two tiles. You are clumping certain objects together, avoid this and spread out more. The left side of the lake is really straight. Those patches of long grass do not fit, use the grass tiles to form patches of grass. You still are making a lot of symmetrical mapping errors. Overall, your map looks barren, try to add a variety of objects.

You are here for criticism, not to praise how good your map is. :3
But it needs a lot of improvement. o:

I was going to edit the tileset to make the end of the bridge more jagged, as if it was broken. If you happened to read my latest project topic, the characters are Chao. If the main character is a running attribute, they'll be able to use a support ability to jump over the broken bridge and reach a new section. Random cliffs? Do you not see the cave entrances?
Also, am I doing any better now?


WARNING LARGE IMAGE

I suggest you try the Breeze tilesets, they would fit the Caho sprites style and help you create a less realistic feel to the game.
About your map, 2 words: start small.

This is just a open beta; so I don't really care much about tileset style for now as I still have the mechanics to finish up.

It's not a bad start. Cliffs are decent and you've got the general idea. I would take a look at Tindy's Mapping Guidelines for better details on cliffs, though. You want many more smaller elevation changes to make it more realistic, and add plants closer but non-linear, rather than distributing them completely randomly.

Made some improvements as guided by Bacon and Silver Wind. This is an in progress map for my game's open beta. The open beta main map will have a few subsections: two caves (entrances on the southwest and northeast parts of the main map, and their not connected), and something probably jungly or foresty as I haven't thought of a map that would suit a habitat of wild neutral running Chao.
Also, some further explanation:
Why are the power chao on top of the cliffs: If anyone has raised Chao and done the beginner power races, you know that power Chao are capable of climbing right?

Overall its pretty good. I would seriously work on the cliffs and how you map them. They still are too straight horizontal and vertical. Also, the tileset somewhat has to do with your overall map. It makes it look better overall, as that is how the tileset was designed to be used for. Its simple. Just remember that when mapping with the RTP, I wouldnt consider this map great by any proportions. Again, with the tileset however, it is looking somewhat snazzy. :3

You also have a tree shadow on a cliff.

It's starting to look good. :3 But I think I need to redo the cave entrance in the north-east corner.

I love the layout there; it;s exactly in the right spot between too-detailed and too-plain.

I'm not sure I like the cliffs, they don't seem to fit in with the tileset for some reason. The water and grass are lovelly however.

@Miles Castea

i love the map, it looks fantastic. i cant see any problem with it. Nice work

Thank you Como and Reg. Now I just finished the cavern map which I happen to have a name for which suits it, Fragmented Cavern.

1) the paths stand out way too much

2) Your overall cave layout is extremely mundane. Add more curves.

3) I have only said this like 20 times but please watch out for creating lines when you map. Having 4 things in a row is not a good thing.

Well, how can I make them not stand out so much? Also, the rocks on the other side of the cave with the boulders are there for a reason, for if the player is of any aligment and power attribute they can push the boulders to goodies and shortcuts.

The whole point actually mapping a game is the fact that puzzles should look seemless. Saying "its part of the game, its a puzzle" is an overall lazy approach. Making a map with puzzles that looks good separates the boys from the men so to speak.

To make the path not stand out so much you need to physically recolor it or just not use it.

Oh the sand...kinda does stick out, I'll reduce some of it and make the screen dark a tiny bit. I don't have much options for the floor coverings or whatever is because my grass one has an a green speck everytime I spread (someone edited one into a transparent one for me) and he's still has to work on the shadow grass one for me. I'll see what I can do with the puzzles and I'll try adding some space to the cave and using that to widen it and add more curves/details. And on the left side of the cave, the player can actually surf the water if their swim type.