Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2007 4:49:09 GMT -5
I'm hoping this turns into a discussion.
So, what's your ideal World Map Style?
Is there a game that you'd recommend the World Map Style of?
Has anyone else played Breath of Fire 3? (That's what I'm thinking of making mine like.)
I know most people fear the difficult and confusing Map Editor of RPGM2 (and that The Final Rune's Guide and Files help a lot!), but what I was thinking more about was how the Map would function and how it would (hopefully) be fun . I don't want the usual boring RPGM2-style Map, but I've also found that the same thing without battles is pretty much pointless and that by that point I might as well make my map like FFT/TO:LUCT/RPGM1's or make no map at all. In the end though, I at least need a world map picture to show the player where places are and where they're going, but at that point I should just make a real World Map, no? It also doesn't help that it's tough to make a good-looking map that's also expansive with RPGM2 due to the fast running speed of the party and how shrinking the party doesn't stop them from moving a whole square panel every time you press a direction. I guess my dilemma stems from not wanting a Standard World Map and ends with me not sure/satisfied with a good-looking small map without battles, a lame-style map like FFT/TO:LUCT/RPGM1, or no World Map like FFX.
Anywho, I've not only noticed this with RPGM2, but at an old gamefaqs topic where I realized that theoretically a World Map can never truly satisfy since it will always be a mere representation of the World and not the World itself, and that size, looks, special features, etc. all vie for one another.
I guess that's why the Breath of Fire 3 World Map Style appeals to me. You know it's a representation of the world right away like the Limited Map Style so it doesn't disappoint by not being as vast or good-looking as a Standard World Map Style does, but it still has enough exploration and freedom of movement to satisfy like the Standard World Map Style does and the Limited Map Style doesn't.
I'll try to explain the Breath of Fire 3 style of World Map for those that are unfamiliar with it:
The map is small and all the land is squarish (because movement is controlled by square panels, like in RPGM2 and unlike in FF7-FF9 etc.). Because of this, once you reach a new area of the Map, you can find every new location really quickly (you actually spend very little time on the World Map). The exploration comes from side areas that you can enter and explore. Of those side places, some will be mini-dungeons, others will be mini-towns, and others will just be small places with one or two treasure chests (and you don't know until you enter them because they're just labeled '?'). You end up exploring the side areas pretty quickly and they look good like the rest of the game except the Map. There are no battles on the World Map itself. It's like a compromise between both extremes that I think would work well with RPGM2 and in the end be fun instead of either boring or over-in-a-flash.
Also, doing the Breath of Fire 3 style map would mean dumbing-down my World Map to be more squarish and less detailed than otherwise (basically in exchange for the side areas to explore). Would that bother people? (I know a lot of RPGM2 games already have squarish maps that don't look good in them.)
And a side-question, I already have Solemn Truth 2 and 3 Scripts in the works... Would it bother you if you played Solemn Truth 2 and 3 and new places just popped up out of nowhere on the same map that was in Solemn Truth 1? (don't worry, player doesn't explore whole map in Solemn Truth 1 - new areas to be explored in Solemn Truth 2 and 3).
So, what's your ideal World Map Style?
Is there a game that you'd recommend the World Map Style of?
Has anyone else played Breath of Fire 3? (That's what I'm thinking of making mine like.)
I know most people fear the difficult and confusing Map Editor of RPGM2 (and that The Final Rune's Guide and Files help a lot!), but what I was thinking more about was how the Map would function and how it would (hopefully) be fun . I don't want the usual boring RPGM2-style Map, but I've also found that the same thing without battles is pretty much pointless and that by that point I might as well make my map like FFT/TO:LUCT/RPGM1's or make no map at all. In the end though, I at least need a world map picture to show the player where places are and where they're going, but at that point I should just make a real World Map, no? It also doesn't help that it's tough to make a good-looking map that's also expansive with RPGM2 due to the fast running speed of the party and how shrinking the party doesn't stop them from moving a whole square panel every time you press a direction. I guess my dilemma stems from not wanting a Standard World Map and ends with me not sure/satisfied with a good-looking small map without battles, a lame-style map like FFT/TO:LUCT/RPGM1, or no World Map like FFX.
Anywho, I've not only noticed this with RPGM2, but at an old gamefaqs topic where I realized that theoretically a World Map can never truly satisfy since it will always be a mere representation of the World and not the World itself, and that size, looks, special features, etc. all vie for one another.
I guess that's why the Breath of Fire 3 World Map Style appeals to me. You know it's a representation of the world right away like the Limited Map Style so it doesn't disappoint by not being as vast or good-looking as a Standard World Map Style does, but it still has enough exploration and freedom of movement to satisfy like the Standard World Map Style does and the Limited Map Style doesn't.
I'll try to explain the Breath of Fire 3 style of World Map for those that are unfamiliar with it:
The map is small and all the land is squarish (because movement is controlled by square panels, like in RPGM2 and unlike in FF7-FF9 etc.). Because of this, once you reach a new area of the Map, you can find every new location really quickly (you actually spend very little time on the World Map). The exploration comes from side areas that you can enter and explore. Of those side places, some will be mini-dungeons, others will be mini-towns, and others will just be small places with one or two treasure chests (and you don't know until you enter them because they're just labeled '?'). You end up exploring the side areas pretty quickly and they look good like the rest of the game except the Map. There are no battles on the World Map itself. It's like a compromise between both extremes that I think would work well with RPGM2 and in the end be fun instead of either boring or over-in-a-flash.
Also, doing the Breath of Fire 3 style map would mean dumbing-down my World Map to be more squarish and less detailed than otherwise (basically in exchange for the side areas to explore). Would that bother people? (I know a lot of RPGM2 games already have squarish maps that don't look good in them.)
And a side-question, I already have Solemn Truth 2 and 3 Scripts in the works... Would it bother you if you played Solemn Truth 2 and 3 and new places just popped up out of nowhere on the same map that was in Solemn Truth 1? (don't worry, player doesn't explore whole map in Solemn Truth 1 - new areas to be explored in Solemn Truth 2 and 3).