Ned's Map Making Tutorials
A Basic Route
Are you having trouble mapping out a route, or perhaps just struggling with how to lay it out properly? Then hopefully, this tutorial is for you!
This tutorial will explain the ins and outs of mapping out a simple route. Whether you are a beginner at mapping and need somewhere to start, or an advanced mapper looking for a couple of extra tips, this tutorial will have it all!
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 1
Firstly, we're going to need a map, too well, map on. I generally start with a map of size 38 x 22, which I know seems like a weird size, but we can always change it later. I choose this size specifically because when zoomed in at 1x, it perfectly fits on my screen, of course, that'll be different for everyone, but this allows for me to easily focus on a small part of the map at a time, and to also be able to see the entire map close up and filled on my screen.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 2
After we have our basic map created, we're going to need a base ground for it, most people just slap down a big spot of grass, however, I'm going to start by choosing the base ground we want, and then mapping out a rough layout of the route. This route specifically will start on the right-hand side, and end on the left, with a small optional area heading down. Make sure when mapping out the route's base, you use the 1st layer, as this will ensure the ground displays underneath everything else on the route.
I'm aware it doesn't look like much, but we're going to roughly use this to follow how we map the rest of the route. Now we can start laying out some other features that this route will have.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 3
I want this route to include a small body of water, and also a couple of patches of grass. Also, since the player would most likely be exploring this route left to right, I'm going to include a small ledge for the player to use for quicker and easier backtracking if need be. The water location I've chosen here was somewhat random, but I didn't want it to feel out of place, I placed it in a way so that it somewhat segments the route into two sides, and with the ledge to the right of it and more grass to the left. I also personally enjoy placing some extra grass closer to the water, since the area nearby there would be more fertilized most likely. The grass patches are laid out in a way so that there isn't too much grass for this route, but also not too little, most routes want some patches of "mandatory grass" where the player is forced to track through it to traverse the route. A route this size would benefit from 2 or so mandatory patches, depending on the patch sizes, and maybe an optional patch for the people that want to encounter more pokemon.
I've also gone through and slightly, bulked up the pathways so that we can get a better idea of their more permanent locations. In the default Essentials tileset, the water should be placed on top of the base, I would choose the 2nd layer since then any trees or other features can still show up above, the grass, and eventually, our pathway tiles will go on the 1st layer, just like our base. I also tried to spread the grass around a bit, see how it doesn't just start in a straight line, and isn't just a plain square, this doesn't add anything gameplay-wise but just makes it look more natural and appealing in my eyes. Next, we can start laying out our trees, and a couple of other features.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 4
Now that we have the main features of the route laid out, we can start with tree placement, this is one of the most important parts of a grassy route. They define where the player can, and can't go, and how they progress through the route. We want to make sure that the gaps in the trees aren't too big, as to make the route feel open, or too small, which will make it feel cramped and closed-up. To start, we can choose a design for our trees, how they will be laid out across the route, and how they will look. Any design is fine, as long as you're vaguely consistent, and as long as the design doesn't hinder any of the points I made above. I've laid out a couple of standard designs here. For our tutorial, I'm going to be using a combination of style-1 and style-2.
style-1---------------------------------------style-2---------------------------------------style-3---------------------------------------style-4
Style-1 is the most common one for sure, and style-2 is used in lots of places too, usually with the two combined in some way. Style-3 is more aesthetically pleasing, but is also way more time-consuming to map, and can lead to some infuriating times. And style-4 is very similar to style-3, just more spaced out, you can sometimes see this style being mixed with some grass and other stuff between the trees. I dislike this style though since it can easily lead to gaps in the trees where the player can sneak through, however, if you think you can successfully prevent that, or you desire that, then go for it.
I used a combination of style-1 and style-2 here but also threw in some smaller trees to break it up and round off the tree sections a bit. I've also swapped out our temporary grass path with a proper one, to help direct the player a bit more through the route. I placed the trees' bottom two parts on the 1st layer, with the tip going on the 3rd layer so that it stays above all the other stuff on the route. The last we have now is some small features and touch-ups.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 5
Finally, we have just some small touch-ups to do, some small features to add, such as flowers and rocks, and also events, like items, trainers if we want, and perhaps a cut tree or rock smash rock. I placed the flowers and rocks in patches, to make them feel slightly more natural, and also placed them in the more open parts of the route to help balance everything out.
I added in a couple of cut trees off the left, and also added a second ledge to give people some higher incentive to travel back that way. I clumped up the flowers to make them seem more like wildflowers since they generally grow in patches. I added a small bench beside the water, which would be good for an optional trainer, or an NPC that could perhaps grant you some information, or a helpful item or two. I also tweaked some of the base grass nearby the patches of tall grass to help blend them a bit better. It's stuff like this that just brings a route together, small features, and little pieces here and there to just balance it out and make it feel more natural.
_____________________________________________________________________________
And that's all folks! We're done!
I hope this tutorial helped out at least 1 person lol, and if anyone has any suggestions, or needs any help designing or mapping routes, you can always find me on the Relic Castle Discord, there are also plenty of other people who are very skilled when it comes to mapping, so finding feedback is super easy!
A Basic Route
Are you having trouble mapping out a route, or perhaps just struggling with how to lay it out properly? Then hopefully, this tutorial is for you!
This tutorial will explain the ins and outs of mapping out a simple route. Whether you are a beginner at mapping and need somewhere to start, or an advanced mapper looking for a couple of extra tips, this tutorial will have it all!
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 1
Firstly, we're going to need a map, too well, map on. I generally start with a map of size 38 x 22, which I know seems like a weird size, but we can always change it later. I choose this size specifically because when zoomed in at 1x, it perfectly fits on my screen, of course, that'll be different for everyone, but this allows for me to easily focus on a small part of the map at a time, and to also be able to see the entire map close up and filled on my screen.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 2
After we have our basic map created, we're going to need a base ground for it, most people just slap down a big spot of grass, however, I'm going to start by choosing the base ground we want, and then mapping out a rough layout of the route. This route specifically will start on the right-hand side, and end on the left, with a small optional area heading down. Make sure when mapping out the route's base, you use the 1st layer, as this will ensure the ground displays underneath everything else on the route.
I'm aware it doesn't look like much, but we're going to roughly use this to follow how we map the rest of the route. Now we can start laying out some other features that this route will have.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 3
I want this route to include a small body of water, and also a couple of patches of grass. Also, since the player would most likely be exploring this route left to right, I'm going to include a small ledge for the player to use for quicker and easier backtracking if need be. The water location I've chosen here was somewhat random, but I didn't want it to feel out of place, I placed it in a way so that it somewhat segments the route into two sides, and with the ledge to the right of it and more grass to the left. I also personally enjoy placing some extra grass closer to the water, since the area nearby there would be more fertilized most likely. The grass patches are laid out in a way so that there isn't too much grass for this route, but also not too little, most routes want some patches of "mandatory grass" where the player is forced to track through it to traverse the route. A route this size would benefit from 2 or so mandatory patches, depending on the patch sizes, and maybe an optional patch for the people that want to encounter more pokemon.
I've also gone through and slightly, bulked up the pathways so that we can get a better idea of their more permanent locations. In the default Essentials tileset, the water should be placed on top of the base, I would choose the 2nd layer since then any trees or other features can still show up above, the grass, and eventually, our pathway tiles will go on the 1st layer, just like our base. I also tried to spread the grass around a bit, see how it doesn't just start in a straight line, and isn't just a plain square, this doesn't add anything gameplay-wise but just makes it look more natural and appealing in my eyes. Next, we can start laying out our trees, and a couple of other features.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 4
Now that we have the main features of the route laid out, we can start with tree placement, this is one of the most important parts of a grassy route. They define where the player can, and can't go, and how they progress through the route. We want to make sure that the gaps in the trees aren't too big, as to make the route feel open, or too small, which will make it feel cramped and closed-up. To start, we can choose a design for our trees, how they will be laid out across the route, and how they will look. Any design is fine, as long as you're vaguely consistent, and as long as the design doesn't hinder any of the points I made above. I've laid out a couple of standard designs here. For our tutorial, I'm going to be using a combination of style-1 and style-2.
style-1---------------------------------------style-2---------------------------------------style-3---------------------------------------style-4
Style-1 is the most common one for sure, and style-2 is used in lots of places too, usually with the two combined in some way. Style-3 is more aesthetically pleasing, but is also way more time-consuming to map, and can lead to some infuriating times. And style-4 is very similar to style-3, just more spaced out, you can sometimes see this style being mixed with some grass and other stuff between the trees. I dislike this style though since it can easily lead to gaps in the trees where the player can sneak through, however, if you think you can successfully prevent that, or you desire that, then go for it.
I used a combination of style-1 and style-2 here but also threw in some smaller trees to break it up and round off the tree sections a bit. I've also swapped out our temporary grass path with a proper one, to help direct the player a bit more through the route. I placed the trees' bottom two parts on the 1st layer, with the tip going on the 3rd layer so that it stays above all the other stuff on the route. The last we have now is some small features and touch-ups.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STEP 5
Finally, we have just some small touch-ups to do, some small features to add, such as flowers and rocks, and also events, like items, trainers if we want, and perhaps a cut tree or rock smash rock. I placed the flowers and rocks in patches, to make them feel slightly more natural, and also placed them in the more open parts of the route to help balance everything out.
I added in a couple of cut trees off the left, and also added a second ledge to give people some higher incentive to travel back that way. I clumped up the flowers to make them seem more like wildflowers since they generally grow in patches. I added a small bench beside the water, which would be good for an optional trainer, or an NPC that could perhaps grant you some information, or a helpful item or two. I also tweaked some of the base grass nearby the patches of tall grass to help blend them a bit better. It's stuff like this that just brings a route together, small features, and little pieces here and there to just balance it out and make it feel more natural.
_____________________________________________________________________________
And that's all folks! We're done!
I hope this tutorial helped out at least 1 person lol, and if anyone has any suggestions, or needs any help designing or mapping routes, you can always find me on the Relic Castle Discord, there are also plenty of other people who are very skilled when it comes to mapping, so finding feedback is super easy!
- Credits
- Feel free to credit me if you want to, but it isn't required!
