Iron Mapper IRON MAPPER: Trial III

Deo · Nov 16, 2017

Can you handle the cutthroat and perilous trials set forth by the judges?
This is IRON MAPPER: Relic Castle's mapping competition!

Trial III. Dungeon Map
Deadline: Monday, November 27th 2017
SEASON 3 DISCUSSION THREAD

Iron Mapper
Iron Mapper is a mapping competition on Relic Castle. Each mapping competition, otherwise known as a "trial", will have a deadline clearly stated, and you will have this time to complete and submit a map according to the theme and criteria of the trial. Once all submitted maps are judged after the deadline (this depends on the volume of entries, usually a few days), the judges will post the results, and prepare for the next trial.

For more information (overall rules, how judging works, a list of trials) please visit this thread.

Trial III. Dungeon Map
Deadline: Monday, November 27th 2017

Dungeons are a staple for Pokémon games. They come in all sorts of variety, from Viridian Forest to Meteor Falls, and to Old Chateau. This trial, we'd like to see what sort of dungeon you'll be able to create. There's no restriction on what kind of dungeon you can create, so do whatever sort of dungeon you like.

Good luck!

The following criteria must be met:

Your map can be made with any tileset you want provided the tiles are public. You must include credits for the tiles with your submission if they aren't your own.
Your map cannot exceed 120x120 tiles.

Your judges for this trial are:
@Deo
@Arma (Guest Judge)

A tip from the judges:
"Keep in mind that dungeons aren't usually linear, but they don't have to be a maze either."

Submitting your Entry

Deleted member 561 · Nov 18, 2017

Sanctuary Forest:
Trial: III, Dungeon Map:

Critique Requested: Yes! :
Credits: All Credits here:
Notes: Sanctuary Forest is a small forest, which is very populated by Pokemon. Water Pokemon live in harmony with the other Pokemon in the surrounding part of the forest. The many lakes provide Sanctuary for the Pokemon. But once a human intrudes into this area, the Pokemon will fight back. The Pokemon here are very strong and can end your entire team if it isn't strong enough to defend. Sanctuary Forest is a protected area for scientific study of Pokemon in modern times. The dangers in this time are equal to the danger, which there was in ancient times. Scientists study the natural environment, and the Pokemon there from far away, because of this Sanctuary Forest is still a mystery to humanity. It's up to you to solve the mystery!

Mak · Nov 19, 2017

Map Name: Mosstone Cavern
Trial: Trial III, Dungeon Map

Map:

Critique Requested: Sure.

Credits: https://chaoticcherrycake.deviantart.com/journal/Credits-for-Tiles-367931482 also me, I guess, since I made some custom stuff for this.

Notes: Mosstone Cavern is filled with many hole and crevices dug by the local Drilbur, and the sunlight has caused all kinds of plant life to grow within the caves. The damp, fertile conditions of the environment have resulted in an extremely plentiful mushroom population, which the local town harvests each year. The exact number of paths and tunnels within the cave is unknown, and some theorize them to do straight to the earth's core.

Honestly, my main guideline for this was making something unique that is pretty to look at. After recently playing through Rock Tunnel in Fire Red, I realized how important it is for a location to have landmarks and things that make it interesting. So I tried giving the dungeon a unique aesthetic and an organic layout.

Tomix9tomix · Nov 21, 2017

Map Name: Shallow Heights
Trial: Trial III, Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: yes please!
Credits: game freak for the tiles
Notes:
This map was made in a bit of a rush, but with that being said, I don't really have anything more I would've liked to do with the map so that isn't really an excuse.
I tried to focus on making it more playable this time around, you will see that there are some trainers fishing or going for a walk on the right side, it is quite a popular fishing spot. But the house and the path to it is quite abandoned, people don't really come here much. You can drive here but it is a long drive into the middle of no where.
There is also a cave, but it is quite flooded from when the tide rises slightly and water goes pouring in.
I actually think I might use this map in a project of mine so it is good I made it playable.

TheLightSword · Nov 22, 2017

Map Name: Andur woods
Trial: Trial III, Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: ofc yes!
Credits: magiscarf for the tiles
Notes: The name ANDur come from the shape of the woods being &, it wasn't originaly going to be named that b'cause i just relized that while making this post...
idk what else to add to this note since I just made this map out of boredom today

inkbug · Nov 22, 2017

Map Name: Temple of Zapdos
Trial: Trial 3, dungeon map
Map:

view in new tab

Critique Requested: yes please haha
Credits: default Essentials "factory" tileset, with some scratched (the electric barriers, the electric barrier generators, the buttons, the obstacles' "down" states) and edited (different colored generator looking things with buttons, the arrow tiles, the zapdos statues) additions made by myself. zapdos hgss overworld sprite from the spriters-resource.
Notes: i put all the resources used as well as a playable .exe in a google drive folder if you'd like to use/see the animated object versions of the electric walls or play through the puzzles yourself.

to be totally honest my favorite structures in pokemon games tend to be man-made ones that you need to learn to navigate, like new mauville, the abandoned ship, team galactic hq, etc. i think this is my first time trying to make a map thats explicitly a puzzle dungeon though, and it was super fun. love puzzles. idk if my design thought process behind the layout is something that people want to hear but if it is i can talk

EDIT: none of my Drive links were working, but i think i've fixed that now whoops!!!
EDIT AGAIN: The fixed drive links werent working either but I think the image should display now

Sora · Nov 25, 2017

Map Name: Amethyne Ravine
Trial: Trial III, Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: Yes
Credits: The-Red-Ex (Pokemon Dawn Tileset)
Notes: Originally intended to design this map so that you can navigate in and out of the Mountain Caves but it became like this. That bottom right spot is pretty bland but I'm not sure how I can spice it up.

The Amethyne Ravine is located on the mountain top, surrounded by clouds with rays of sunshine piercing through them. Home to a various dragon type Pokemon, the ravine is visited very rarely by regular sightseers. However, a certain guardian was sighted moving through the clouds, protecting helpless wanderers that traverse through the ravine.

aiyinsi · Nov 25, 2017

Map Name: Mt. Snow
Trial: Trial III, Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: Yes, please.
Credits:
Articuno statue: Laidjon
Rest: Faking Omega
Notes:
When I started out I was in a Christmas mood. So I wanted to do a snow map. I also regret not having done a map progression gif like Arma shared on discord. I'll probably doing that next iron mapper. I'm still not sure whether or not this is a dungeon but I took tried combining the mysterious feel from Meteor Falls with the outdoor from Viridian Forest ... so that's my excuse why this is a dungeon(I only know them from mmos and I kinda couldn't find a proper snow or ice tileset to recreate that feeling). I tried to create the mysterious feeling by making the map about a legendary. I also tried to make it majestic but kinda failed :D

Well about the story of the map:
A long time ago the mountain that used to be green giving home to a variety of plant, rock and flying type Pokémon. But one day an earthquake occurred all over the region. From that day onward the temperature around that mountain fell and turned it into a paradise for ice Pokémon, driving out the plant Pokémon unfortunately. Strangely seasons don't affect the climate there so the people started to believe that it has to do something with the legendary ice Pokémon Articuno. People investigated the mountain but nobody ever saw it. Some people who want to know more about Articuno built a village right in front of the mountain.

PS: If you read and look at the map closely you will notice that there is something strange.

the legendary isn't Articuno ... it is Regice
because:
Earthquake made it appear.
If you look at the cave it's build exactly like the regi caves in rse.

I know in Hoenn Regice doesn't affect the whether but with the Pokédex mentioning it's cold body temperature I thought it would be cool to have such a story.

VanillaSunshine · Nov 26, 2017

Map Name: Clarity Meadow
Trial: Trial III: Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: Yes please! (no deku tree shadow roast pls i have a wife and children)
Credits: Default Essentials Tileset
Notes: I love meadows. There's something magical about the idea of standing in this open field with mountains on all four sides, the sky more blue than its ever been, and the entire world blind to such beauty! I firmly believe meadows are some of the prettiest places on the planet, and while Clarity Meadow doesn't quite fit the definition of "meadow", it was certainly heavily inspired by the feeling I get when I see long stretches of grassy hills with mountains lining the horizons. Eterna Forest and Viridian Forest were other inspirations, along with areas fitting the more "typical" interpretation of the word "dungeon", such as Union Cave and Mt. Coronet.

Clarity Meadow has no recorded history, being surrounded and hidden by mountains, cliffs, and dense forest. However, shrine maidens and those of spiritual leaning insist that there's an underlying and untapped power waiting to be explored. The maidens have taken small residence in a far corner, but spend their time protecting relics they may find in the grassy terrain (and many hidden there are!), and warning newcomers of the burden they will face if they disrupt the peace of the meadow. The wild Pokémon have lost their fear of humans and no longer roam solely in tall grass; they will frequently approach wandering trainers regardless of where they stand, and appear commonly thanks to the traversable paths being small and tight. Because of this, strong trainers stay for quick battles and young explorers visit to study such an interesting phenomena in wild Pokémon! Alongside them come item maniacs, eager to find every long lost artifact that may have been forgotten by the ancient people who were never recorded to even exist in the area. Clarity Meadow is not advertised to the outside world and many visitors have described it as "seeming to exist in its own pocket of the universe."

theAcecelgor · Nov 26, 2017

Map Name: Pixye Woods
Trial: Trial 3, Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: Yes please
Credits:
Magiscarf-Trees and ledges
Kaliser- Grass tiles, Flowers, Mushrooms, Tall grass, Stairs and Box of Berrys
JesusCarrasco- Wishing Well
SaliorVicious- Water
theAcecelgor (Me)- Mushrooms
Notes: Pixye Woods contains a multitude of fairy type pokemon the landscape is mainly Pink trees along with giant mushrooms! Beware the Bewear!

TechSkylander1518 · Nov 27, 2017

Map Name: Stery Manor

Trial: Trial III: Dungeon Map

Map:

Critique Requested: If you don't mind! Thanksgiving kept me pretty busy during the time period, so I know some of the problems with this map could be fixed by spending more time on it (like the simplicity of the maze, the awkwardness of the hallways), but I'd still appreciate having some feedback to keep in mind for next time!

Credits: All tiles used came from the default Essentials kit

Notes: The concept for this map came from the Winchester Mystery House, a house with a bizarre creation. Mr. Winchester was a gun magnate, and Mrs. Winchester was convinced that the ghosts of people killed by his guns would come to haunt her. She built her house with the intention of keeping away ghosts through bizarre architecture-stairs went nowhere, rooms would overlook other rooms, and there was never any actual plan for the house. (It's also partly inspired by the board game Clue-hence the various colors and themes of the rooms)

Miss Stery (haw, haw) doesn't have such a dark history-she's just a rich old lady afraid of ghosts. But word of her phobia has gotten out to the town, and some cheeky trainers decided to spook her with their Ghost-types for Halloween! To make matters worse, some small children and Pokemon have gotten lost in the winding paths! Miss Stery doesn't want them to be in such trouble for just a joke, but she's too frightened to go farther into her house, especially with all the trainers and Pokemon running about-would you mind helping her? (They're all hidden in the staircases, which actually don't lead to other floors-instead, they trigger a battle when the player climbs them!)

xThatOneGuy · Nov 27, 2017

Map Name: Jeweled Forest
Trial: Iron Mapper Trial III Dungeon
Map:

Critique Requested: Yes please
Credits:

Tileset: Dewitty, Calis projects and minorthreat0987 https://br.pinterest.com/pin/651192427341152579/
Gemstones: Streetie1 https://streetie1.deviantart.com/art/Diamonds-717240261
Fog tutorial: Midnitez-REMIX https://midnitez-remix.deviantart.com/art/Pokemon-Map-Fog-Tutorial-320744056

Notes: Jeweled forest is not just any forest. Glowing gemstones emit light to illuminate the somewhat dark forest. Sableye, as much as they love gemstones, have made the forest their home. Deep within the forest stand 4 gemstones taller than any of them. Some say they were placed this way for a reason and that somehow a mysterious force guards over them, the forest and the Sableye.

Deo · Nov 28, 2017

Thank you for your entries! We'll be reviewing them within the week and announcing the results when we've reviewed all options!

Deo · Dec 4, 2017

Trial III. Dungeon Map
RESULTS
Submissions: 12
Deadline: Monday, November 27th 2017
SEASON 3 DISCUSSION THREAD

Thoughts

Not a bad trial to get back into the swing of things! It was interesting seeing some of the unique dungeon ideas that popped up. We understand it was a bit difficult trying to fit an entire dungeon on one map, so we didn't count that against you too much. Thank you to everyone who entered, hopefully this made you think a little more about what kind of dungeons you'd want to see in a fan game!

Trial Champions: artcanary & xThatOneGuy

We've picked out two pretty different maps for this trial!

artcanary's map introduces a couple puzzles that need solving in order to have a chance to get that sought after legendary Pokémon, which is always refreshing to see! xThatOneGuy's map is a take on a really unique dungeon idea; one that we would love to see in a fan game at some point! Both of these maps (and this trial in general, honestly) have us thinking about what sort of dungeons we would love to create for our own personal projects, and we hope you feel the same!

Kudos to both artcanary and xThatOneGuy!

artcanary's entry - xThatOneGuy's entry

Critiques

- The trees feel too far apart vertically; you should move them up by one tile so the player doesn't feel like they can walk between them.
- The playable area is cramped. Don't be afraid to use empty space to add a bit of breathing space to your map.
- The amount of trees on this map makes it feel like a bit of a waste. This space could be used for other areas in the map.
- This map is very linear. There's essentially no exploration, just the player getting herded down one path.
- The use of the smaller, skinny trees feels more like a filler to plug up holes in the map than something that's thoughtfully placed.
- The water areas are inaccessible and while they look nice, they aren't doing anything for the playability of the map.
- Overall, this feels like more of a route than a dungeon.

- Having tall grass in an inaccessible area feels like a bit of a tease to the player.
- While this is mapped really well and looks excellent, it's just one small room of a dungeon.

- The area with the cave entrance feels very small to be a cave, unless it's just one room with a ladder.
- The trees being used as barriers for the south side of the map feels awkward when it's just a row like that. Feels more like they were deliberately planted there as a barrier instead of being a natural part of the map.
- The space around the mansion feels a bit misused; if it's supposed to be a spacious property then why is it cramped around the front? Moving the mansion back and opening it up a bit by removing some front trees could help with this.
- Overall, it doesn't really feel like a dungeon, and feels more as a prelude area to one.

- This map's shape curves in a way where the player is going to have to change directions just to progress in it. This is especially apparent when going along the path to jump over the ledge. Generally paths don't need too much direction adjustment.
- A tree on the south part of the map is cut off.
- Despite the above, it's a pretty solid forest.

- Having the blue and red switch for Zapdos' gate right next to each other felt a bit disappointing. Perhaps the switch puzzle could have been adjusted to accommodate both switches in different locations?

- Feels similar to Unova's Twist Mountain (in a good way), but is fairly linear. Some extra paths or dead ends could go a long way, especially with the multiple cave entrances.
- There's a pretty big variety in the different trees, but a few of them are used only once or twice. If they're insignificant, it might be an idea to reduce the amount of different tree types to make the map feel a bit more cohesive in that regard.
- Some parts of the northern 'cliff' area are missing an edge/border tile for the mountain.
- The one tree 'behind' the cliff edge in the northern area feels a bit wasteful. It's a decent idea, but why have only one tree that does that?

- The village area is a bit bland; especially the ground. Having one big piece of pavement for the entire area makes it rather monotonous, where having even just the snow and pavement road could break that up a bit.
- The skinny trees, rocks, and ledges around the north part don't feel very deliberately placed. It feels like they're just there to fill the map up, and not be a part of it.
- Overall, a neat idea for the map (the Regice cave is a nice callback), but the areas that the player traverses could do with some more detail rather than tall grass, and trees to block off areas.

- Map feels cramped in a number of areas, often having only two tiles of space to traverse through.
- Tall grass placement feels a bit heavy handed in some areas, such as the south west map exit.
- Overall, a neat dungeon idea that has a sense of intrigue to it. Adding in the house was a cool idea.

- Map is very large and has an unnecessary amount of open space.
- The tall grass patches are overwhelmingly large and could be broken up further into sections.
- The map could be cut in half to condense it, and it wouldn't really lose anything from it.
- The water feels a bit random. It could have been used through out the map in little ponds/lakes to break up the monotony of it.

- The idea of having a different color scheme per room is interesting, but a more gradual transition might have made that a bit more spiffy. Neat idea for a map overall.
- As you mentioned, the simplicity of the rooms and hallways aren't helping the map a whole lot.
- Also mentioned was that the maze aspect is pretty weak here. You could probably cut down on the size of some of the hallways and rooms, and fit more on to the map.
- Some of the object placement feels a bit... off? Not sure if that's intentional because the homeowner is a bit loopy. eg: the statues in the grey room being against one wall, the room with the boxes in only the upper half, the bookcases in the green room being pushed back from the wall with not much else in the room.

- Some of the 2 tile wide areas feel a bit cramped and would feel a bit claustrophobic to go through in game.
- The amount of direction turning the player has to do while traversing the map seems like it could be a little annoying, and something that could be smoothed out a bit.
- While it doesn't count against the map: if you're putting this in game, please consider making the glow of the crystals a bit more subtle. It's a little in your face as it is now.

Note: Due to circumstances beyond their control, Dr. Pikachu PhD was unable to submit the map within the deadline. They sent us their entry via DM the very next day.

Map Name: Deep within Enemy Territory!
Trial: Trial III, Dungeon Map
Map:

Critique Requested: Yes please! :)
Credits: Public Interior Tileset by That'sSoWitty https://thatssowitty.deviantart.com/art/Public-Interior-Tileset-281775677
Notes: Descend into the headquarters of this region's villainous crime syndicate - Battle through waves of grunts and navigate puzzles to reach the Boss at the end. It's up to you to put a stop to their nefarious plans! Like many evil team dungeons in Pokémon, the Boss is barricaded behind locked doors (represented by dark blue walls) that require a Key Card to open, so obtaining that item is the first task for the intrepid trainer. With Key Card in hand, the second half of the HQ becomes open to navigate and explore. Stop to rest and heal in a side room before heading off to face the final challenge - a one-on-one battle with the Boss! For your victory you will be rewarded the invaluable Master Ball on his desk. This dungeon is sprawling and challenges wait around every corner, but don't dawdle - the villainous team is bent on destroying the universe (or mass genocide, or some other family-friendly Pokémon style plot) and only you can stop them!

Navigating this map is fairly straightforward, but it might be helpful to see some directions so I have included them below! The red arrows indicate the critical path, but as you can see there are items to get and side rooms the player can stop and explore along their journey.

Finally, I came up with the name and theme of this map when listening to ZameJack's remaster of a classic DPPt track, so why not give this beautiful piece of music a listen? Not a part of the challenge but I thought you all would appreciate the track ^.^

- From where the player enters, why bother having the hallway that just goes to the spin panels that turn you back? Considering you've placed items in the area, it would be a decent area for one.
- The second area with the spin panels feels very simple and a bit disappointing. It looks like once you take the bottom green one, you can just walk the rest of the way?
- While there's a couple optional rooms, it feels a bit linear/straightforward for a villain's hideout compared to the ones from the official games. Although that's a bit understandable given the map size restriction.

Iron Mapper IRON MAPPER: Trial III

Deo

Ex-Staff

Deleted member 561

Guest

Mak

Edge Lord

Tomix9tomix

The beetle is waking up

TheLightSword

does anyone read this?

inkbug

doing his best

Sora

Trainer

aiyinsi

A wild Minun appeared!

VanillaSunshine

.｡.:バニラ陽光:.｡.

theAcecelgor

Novice

TechSkylander1518

Wiki Dweeb

xThatOneGuy

Rookie

Deo

Ex-Staff

Deo

Ex-Staff

Iron Mapper IRON MAPPER: Trial III

Ex-Staff

Deleted member 561

Guest

Edge Lord

The beetle is waking up

does anyone read this?

doing his best

Trainer

A wild Minun appeared!

.｡.:*バニラ陽光*:.｡.

Novice

Wiki Dweeb

Rookie

Ex-Staff

Ex-Staff

.｡.:バニラ陽光:.｡.