Opinions on my Map Editor FAQ

[The Final Rune]

Here is the list of contents from my FAQ. Read over it and let me know if you think I missed anything or if the structure seems confusing.

1.) Understanding the system
- a.) Basic Tab
- b.) Custom Tab
- c.) Advance Tab

2.) Controls

3.) Planning

4.) Landscape 101
- a.) X/Y/Z
- b.) Rotation
- c.) Fixed Height Mode
- d.) Add Height Mode
- e.) Slope
- f.) Peak

5.) Basic Landscape Design
- a.) Beaches
- b.) Plains
- c.) Mountains (Stand Alone)
- d.) Mountains (Ridges)
- e.) Plateaus
- f.) Slopes
- g.) Rivers & Lakes

6.) Advance Landscape Design
- a.) Terraces
- b.) Basins
- c.) Volcanoes
- d.) Waterfalls (The setup)

7.) Terrain 101
- a.) Style
- b.) Turn
- c.) Color
- d.) Order/Priority
- e.) Rotation
- f.) Transparency
- g.) Edge/Erase

8.) Basic Terrain Layout
- a.) Grasses
- b.) Dirt & Sands
- c.) Trees
- d.) Rocks
- e.) Snow
- f.) Soils
- g.) Bricks
- h.) Lavas
- i.) Stone
- j.) Solid Colors

9.) Advance Terrain Layout
- a.) Overlapping
- b.) Using Transparency
- c.) Using Edge
- d.) Realistic Forests

10.) Water
- a.) Oceans
- b.) Seas
- c.) Rivers

11.) City/Village/Town Maps

12.) Dungeon/Cave Maps

13.) Final Notes & Suggestions

EDIT: I added - 12.)Dungeon/Cave Maps - at the request of Doan.

[Dungeon Warden]

You seem to be covering all the system has to offer. I look forward to seeing how to do some of the more advanced techniques.

[WarDragon]

yes this is very interesting

[Neo Samurai]

A lot of this stuff seems pretty advanced. I'd like to read about those advanced landscape designs.

[Tinbok]

Grats on getting it done! ;D
Everything looks good!

[The Final Rune]

It's not done, I was just checking to see if anyone thought I missed something.

[The Final Rune]

So far, I'm not very far into it. I'm on number 3 right now, planning, and I'll have to go home to properly describe how to go about planning the design of a world map.

:PUgh , I'm hungry, I'll be back.

[Neo Samurai]

Hurry and finish it up! I wanna read it now !

Anyway, what site is this going on? I'll definitely check it out! ;D

[The Final Rune]

Sorry for the slow progress, holmes but I only got started at 3:00 PM today! No, I'll get it done by firday if I keep up this progress and don't any snags. Which of course means it'll probably be out in two weeks, not one. That aside, I'll need to get Doan to host the faq for me, as it's currently not in full ASCII working order, so it'll show up here first. Then I'll send it to Valk at the Pavilion and eventually I'll convert it all to ASCII and send it to gamefaqs.

EDIT: In the meantime I'll open up a thread on my ENDLESS DREAMS board with a chapter by chapter post for those who can't wait.

[Deleted]

Yeah it sounds like you've got everything covered. I planned mine on paper to help, just drawing stupid little trees and mountians and enterable locations, and erasing that was much nicer than deleting work on the tricky map editor'd be like. It also helped to map out the spacing of everything first by placing big square blocks of land around the map. If you need any help/advice for anything more specific I can probably help. I've worked with it a good deal. The only thing I don't really know is building a lake/river into land and the other #6 things, and some of the custom/advance tab that I haven't done anything with. This will definitely be very highly appreciated by many.

[Neo Samurai]

I'm really going to appreciate this, Final Rune. I suppose I'm okay with the Map Editor, but not great. I can make a pretty decent looking town scene, but nothing too spectacular. Thanks for taking the time to do this. And good luck finishing it .

[Doan the Nado]

Everything on the list looks pretty good, but you might consider adding one more thing: caves/dungeons. A lot of dungeon caves are better suited to be built in the map editor, so if you could include that, it would be great.

[The Final Rune]

Will do Doan ;D

[The Final Rune]

I shut down my chapter by chapter thread because even with copy and paste I was spending to much time redoing it all. So all of you impatient individuals (yeah, like anyone who plays this game is impatient ) will just have to wait. On the plus side, Doan said he'd set up my guide with some example screen shots. So, everyone will get a beautiful visual reference done by me to help them along.

[Tinbok]

You might consider adding one more thing: caves/dungeons. A lot of dungeon caves are better suited to be built in the map editor.

I agree with Doan. Maybe if you have some kind of camera, you can take pictures of maps you make on your FAQs. Just a suggestion. Maybe that's what you ment by the:

11.) City/Village/Town Maps

12.) Dungeon/Cave Maps

thing.

[The Final Rune]

I'm creating example screen shots for use with the guide. Doan has generously agreed to convert my guide to HTML and insert the images from my save file into the guide. This should allow everyone to see exactly how some of my maps should look.

Also, I made a new thread in my game board for people who don't get all the help they need from my guide to ask me specific questions about how to exactly do anything they want with the map editor.

My guide so far encompasses 18 pages. I haven't even reached a quarter completion yet.

[Doan the Nado]

And about that Dungeons/Caves topic, he added that after I suggested it. Just don't want anyone to think I'm a moron...

[The Final Rune]

This game came out in Oct/Nov of 2003 right? I remember the first thing I did was dive into the map editor and start learning. Sometimes I wish I had spent just as much time learning the other systems. I hate not being great with scripting. I can learn sure, but by the time I learn scripting like DW has part 3 will likely come out. Oh well. Guess I'll have to envy the works of others and hope I can learn from them.

By the way DW, I read a post by PRG Learner that you were compiling his preset scripts, are you making any sort of DBS FAQ to go with it?

[Tinbok]

Heh, yeah. I can relate to you FR. ;D
I dove straight into the VFXs. I spend weeks, months even on them. I realized I needed to start on my game after that, which by the way, was utter crap. Yeah, I too wish I had started scripting before messing with the VFXs. Oh well, can't change the past can we?

[Dungeon Warden]

Final Rune, My FAQ will basicly be an advanced users guide to RPG Maker 2. Since all the preset battle scripts will be included as well as the variables and flags (which I have posted here in a different topic), the FAQ should cover everything you need to know about the battle system, including making enemies (since enemy and character script are also included). Basicly, if there is a script for it, it will be covered in the FAQ.

[The Final Rune]

Much love for all us FAQ makers!

[vespuleth]

i one time considered writing a scripting technique/cbs faq w/ vic, but i havent seen him in a while.

[The Final Rune]

I'm sorry to say this project has run behind schedule. I'm still working on it, but it seems nothing ever works the way you want it too. The real problem is that I suffer from ADD and I tried to take on too many projects at once and my concentration slipped. Now that my website is semi-complete I can get back to this with renewed vigor. An extended apology goes to those waiting for my maps demo. I ran into a few scripting woes and I am still in the process of working them out. Right now though, I going to put all my energy into the guide so I can get it finished. Thanks for your patience everyone.

[Dungeon Warden]

Thanks for letting us know what is going on. I was getting a little worried that the promised FAQ and Demo weren't coming. Glad to hear you are getting back on track and they will be ready soon. I look forward to seeing what you've done.

[vespuleth]

*taps foot*

no, really, take your time. i, of all people, understand what it means to be busy.