Open RPG mega mapping

[JayRay]

This tutorial may be edited, as it is not just an idea, but an evolving one.

I had a problem editing my tilesets for RMVX Ace... who hasn't right?

Part I: I WANT my OPEN RPG!

We start working on what we are going to create with this idea of a vast world, huge landscapes, a game that can keep the player enthusiastically playing for hours on end. Then we run into problems. Whether it's the tileset size, the inability to parallax map such a huge world, we find limitations after limitations. WELL, one day after talking with Kain here at save-point.org's IRC channel, he brought up a point that floored me. We can create modular maps! That's right, with the limited tileset, we can create maps that take bits and pieces of what we want as far as maps and make them bigger, stronger, more... I digress.

The key is to use the same map base, a nice... say 32x32 map, and using the tilesets, create our vast labyrinth from that. Now, you may be thinking (32x32)? That's kind of small, our default viewport is 20x15? Well, what if I told you you could have that same 32x32 map rendering 100 map sections, all within the same map, and only having to create secondary maps and such for specific 'Areas' of a map. For instance...



Does this look sort of familiar? Some of our mainstay MMORPGS use a large region that we continue to move around in, and each time we navigate them, we move to a different section of that region. Now, imagine each one of these grid-locked sections as a map of 64x64.

Now of course we can't have a 496x496 maps (32x14 per side) to show our entire region.. (Well we could, but that would be a HUGE memory hog, especially if you're like me and like Parallax mapping.) However, as you can see from each section, some grid blocks sorta repeat. For instance, if you look at this map like a plotter, the block at (-2,-3) and the block at (-5,-3) look similar, just open area except for the corner where either a wall, or a cliff or some obstacle is. So, if we were mapping our maps according to this method, we'd have a few maps that look similar, and we can use this to our advantage.

The RPG Editor I'm using is called RPG Maker VX Ace, so swapping our tileset is as simple as an event command. (IN RMXP, you can use Ccoa's Tileset Swap script found here. http://save-point.org/thread-2414.html

What you can do for RMVX Ace, even with its limited tileset, is create your borders as prefabricated borders, on the B,C,D, and E. Each of these tilesets are 512x512, which covers 16 tiles across and down. This means that if you look at RMVXAce tilemaps as B for upperleft corner, C for Upper right Corner, D for Lower Left Corner, and E for Upper Right Corner, you can effectively 'Parallax LAYER' your tilesets to create most of the basic shapes of the connecting map. That's still a HUGE difference from having 20 maps for a small playing area, and can literally boost your "map" areas into the THOUSANDS.

Now, with a quick fade-in, fadeout, you can swap the tilesets, move your events to where you want them to be in each 'Region Area' (take enemies out, put them back in, move trees and other stuff in and out, and hide them) and each map will look differently when you fade back in. You may have to hardcode certain locations of these events, but in the end with enough time and devotion, its all kept within a map group of ONE map.

Now, if you have a specific thing, like an outcropping, or the outskirts of a huge city, you can STILL represent that with your maps by creating special maps. This method is for those long treks through the wilderness, from point A to point B, or large dungeons. You can still use specifc maps for those areas that you have for specific plot points, NPCs, or that secluded house in the woods that you call home.

II - Using parallax layers with this method.

Well, first and foremost, Parallax layers are awesome especially if you're going for photoorealistic textures, but when placing them as your main map paralalx, its important to ensure that they are also the same size as your 32x32 map. IN RMXP this is sort of easy, you add the map parallax, and if it's the same size, You can use it. However, for RMVX Ace users, the parallax map still doesn't move right, even when its exactly the same size. I would suggest Yanfly Engine Ace - Parallax Lock v1.00 for this. Now, they also created a script called Overlay Mapping, which takes this whole idea of modular mapping to a whole new layer. You've got your Parallax map, but don't want to create 20 different parallax maps for each one of your land types? Well, Yami Engine Ace - Overlay Mapping adds a new layer called GROUND, which stays under the character, and over the tiles. I changed my version of the script slightly, so that its based on the variable, not on the map. This allows me to choose what ground is on each REGIONAL area, versus trying to replicate ground layers on different maps and being a memory hog again. This Ground Layer will allow you to texture paint something in a PNG file that goes over your Parallax Layer in a way, if you have a road going say north to south on this map, BAM, need a roundabout? BAM! All the landscape texturing you want to do can be done on these ground layers, and even though they are PNG files with transparency, you are good because they're at say 1024x1024, and with transparency, not every pixel will be used in most cases so file size can be small.

Here's the best part about Setting up specific tilemap combinations. If you make most of your landscape features as event graphics, you can move them around per region, and you can also set up specific passability in areas where you know your event graphic is going to be bigger than 1x1. We have a possible 999 tileset combinations, and if used int he right combinations, we can create 10, 15, 20 different land types, all sorts of variations to each land type and MORE!!! (using basic combinations, I found I would need only 40 tilesets for each landform, many of which re-using the 16 tileset images. This allows me to have upwards of close to 20 different land types... (let's see, forest, swamp, jungle, plains, farmland, city travel, cave, ruins/temples, ports, dreamstate, desert, Ash ruins, Castle/Dungeons, Snow/Ice) I'm sure there's plenty you can use this for, as the idea is only limited by your imagination.

Now, let's say you don't want to use the tilesets for a specific parallax map as well? WELL if you want your passability removed from tilesets and added to the map editor, to make each grid point passable or impassible on a special map, there's this little script I love, In-Depth Maps v2.0 by FenixFyreX. This allows you to determine what areas if any are passable, and what aren't, you can even chose if a characters goes behind tiles as well, for that good usage of PARALLAX TILING.

If you have any questions about some of the things I covered in this section, please let me know.