Despite I have experience with map making since Warcraft 3, embarrassingly this is the first time I am serious at making a beautiful terrain for my RPG map. (My previous maps are all mini games with ugly terrains. :P)
I had already read most of the terrain tutorials but still think I did terribly at the terrain. Therefore, I upload some screenshots and hope some more experienced with terrain can give me some comment and tell me what I did wrong.
Map data:
Type: RPG
Location: Aiur
Forces:
- player: Protoss
- enemies: Zerg, Terran, Protoss
Texture used: Aiur dust, grass, rock, large brick, small brick, grunge; Vanhalla (?spelling) plateform; (the editor was buggy and did not let me to use the 8th texture I replaced)
Cliff used: Aiur organic and manmade; Vanhalla manmade
Player base
Quest area
Zerg area 1
Zerg area 2
Zerg base
Terran area 1
Terran area 2
Terran base
Enemy protoss area
Enemy protoss base
1) Please tell me what do you think about the terrain and how I can improve it!
Also, some specific questions:
2) I used Aiur rock for the mountains but it looks strange. How to improve it?
3) Terran base is not completely finished. I will add more Terran buildings. Yet the current look is a bit boring. Any suggestion?
4) Terran area 1 is quite empty. Any suggestion to improve it?
5) How to fix that bug I mentioned that did not let me to use the last texture I replaced?
Great start, but a lot of the actual terrain seems pretty bare, as far as doodads and variety. Since you are doing an outdoor map I think it's even more vital to go over some of the ground textures with another texture or two, using the airbrush, noise, and fractal tools. It allows you to add a little color and variation to the ground like subtle paths in somewhat well tread areas (which I noticed a little bit)
Looks pretty smooth, but also pretty grey. I would try to add some brighter color to it (the trees and crystals are a good start). Maybe some denser grass around some of the foliage, and some other doodads here and there. Something that would really stand out against the grey, like perhaps Char Crystals. The more little details, the better imo. I guess it all depends what you're going for. The Zerg area I think is fine for the context.
I'm going to try and respond per screenshot, as you've posted a massive amount of them. Lets see;
Player Base: I like how you've seperated the economic part from the base part, it works rather well and is pretty unique. The base itself is a bit bland. Perhaps you could get ramps up to those 'walls' and add some detail. Plantlife, lose bricks, gates near the entrances, anything.
Quest Area: Looks pretty good, but the mountains need work. Get... something up there. Rocks, shrub, whatever. Also, the ramp in the lower left corner looks a bit boring as well.
Zerg Area 1: CREEEEEP! Also, the mountains again.
Zerg Area 2: Errr... this area needs doodads. Or really, just about anything. Creep could work, but most of all it needs to be filled up.
Zerg Base: Yet again, mountains. Also, you could probably throw some rubble in the water, or some plants. Maybe add a large rock or two standing ín the water, and clad them with Bel'shir vines.
Terran Area 1: Mountains. You could add some rubble near the cliff sides as well.
Terran Area 2: Once again MORE DOODADS! More anything! No disrespect, but most of your terrain looks like what I'd consider "a good starting point to actually start terraining from". It's bland, it's empty, it's dull!
Terran Base: Same thing, needs a proper base and then more detail. Also, you need to 'close up' the cliff where that door is, currently you can walk past it.
Enemy Protoss Area: Doodad thing again, though use the smooth tool a little bit - there's too much noise in the terrain.
Enemy Protoss Base: A lot better, though the areas next to the 'wall' can use some doodads. Also, the area on the wall.
No offense but your map is really bland and boring looking. Get trees/foliage, i can see why you wouldnt want these as your tileset is volcanic looking. In that case add doodads that represent the vibe you want your map to give off. Adding no doodads to your map doesn't make it look burnt and good, it makes it look bland.
Actually I had tried my best to add doodad. I even went through the doodad list one by one. Yet I am just not used to do terrain and not sure what I should put at each location. I will try again!
Should I use another texture for the mountains? Or just add more doodad to them will be good enough?
Is there other ways to add creep in the map editor or do I need to put down a creep tumor for it?
I would add some other textures to the mountains to spice it up a bit. The base of the mountain should be a tad different from the sections higher up. Possibly throw in a little bit of a rocky terrain, rather than the cracked ground it is now.
<<quote 157823>>
Thanks a lot! The feedbacks are useful!
Actually I had tried my best to add doodad. I even went through the doodad list one by one. Yet I am just not used to do terrain and not sure what I should put at each location. I will try again!<</quote>>
No one knows what works best where just by looking at a doodad's name. You need to put some stuff down and see if it works. At least for the basic outline. Once you've got that, a lot of things should come naturally as you're going (though there are still ideas you'll have to try out that might end up simply not working).
As for the mountains, mixing up textures is what I've found to be working best. Spray different ones over the place, but leave a big tone of the primary 'mountain' texture (which is generally named something along the line of 'rocky', regardless of tileset).
As for creep, I'm actually not sure. There should be a simple creep function, but I haven't seen one yet. You can control it with anti-creep points and tumors as needed, though.
Edit: $#!@#@!$! MARKUP TYPES! Why does quoting NEVER work well if you've ever switched between Wikicreole and BBCode?!
Despite I have experience with map making since Warcraft 3, embarrassingly this is the first time I am serious at making a beautiful terrain for my RPG map. (My previous maps are all mini games with ugly terrains. :P)
I had already read most of the terrain tutorials but still think I did terribly at the terrain. Therefore, I upload some screenshots and hope some more experienced with terrain can give me some comment and tell me what I did wrong.
Map data:
Type: RPG
Location: Aiur
Forces:
- player: Protoss
- enemies: Zerg, Terran, Protoss
Texture used: Aiur dust, grass, rock, large brick, small brick, grunge; Vanhalla (?spelling) plateform; (the editor was buggy and did not let me to use the 8th texture I replaced)
Cliff used: Aiur organic and manmade; Vanhalla manmade
Player base
Quest area
Zerg area 1
Zerg area 2
Zerg base
Terran area 1
Terran area 2
Terran base
Enemy protoss area
Enemy protoss base
1) Please tell me what do you think about the terrain and how I can improve it!
Also, some specific questions:
2) I used Aiur rock for the mountains but it looks strange. How to improve it?
3) Terran base is not completely finished. I will add more Terran buildings. Yet the current look is a bit boring. Any suggestion?
4) Terran area 1 is quite empty. Any suggestion to improve it?
5) How to fix that bug I mentioned that did not let me to use the last texture I replaced?
Thanks in advance!
@Wakeman:
Great start, but a lot of the actual terrain seems pretty bare, as far as doodads and variety. Since you are doing an outdoor map I think it's even more vital to go over some of the ground textures with another texture or two, using the airbrush, noise, and fractal tools. It allows you to add a little color and variation to the ground like subtle paths in somewhat well tread areas (which I noticed a little bit)
@Wakeman: Go
Looks pretty smooth, but also pretty grey. I would try to add some brighter color to it (the trees and crystals are a good start). Maybe some denser grass around some of the foliage, and some other doodads here and there. Something that would really stand out against the grey, like perhaps Char Crystals. The more little details, the better imo. I guess it all depends what you're going for. The Zerg area I think is fine for the context.
@Wakeman: Go
I'm going to try and respond per screenshot, as you've posted a massive amount of them. Lets see;
Player Base: I like how you've seperated the economic part from the base part, it works rather well and is pretty unique. The base itself is a bit bland. Perhaps you could get ramps up to those 'walls' and add some detail. Plantlife, lose bricks, gates near the entrances, anything.
Quest Area: Looks pretty good, but the mountains need work. Get... something up there. Rocks, shrub, whatever. Also, the ramp in the lower left corner looks a bit boring as well.
Zerg Area 1: CREEEEEP! Also, the mountains again.
Zerg Area 2: Errr... this area needs doodads. Or really, just about anything. Creep could work, but most of all it needs to be filled up.
Zerg Base: Yet again, mountains. Also, you could probably throw some rubble in the water, or some plants. Maybe add a large rock or two standing ín the water, and clad them with Bel'shir vines.
Terran Area 1: Mountains. You could add some rubble near the cliff sides as well.
Terran Area 2: Once again MORE DOODADS! More anything! No disrespect, but most of your terrain looks like what I'd consider "a good starting point to actually start terraining from". It's bland, it's empty, it's dull!
Terran Base: Same thing, needs a proper base and then more detail. Also, you need to 'close up' the cliff where that door is, currently you can walk past it.
Enemy Protoss Area: Doodad thing again, though use the smooth tool a little bit - there's too much noise in the terrain.
Enemy Protoss Base: A lot better, though the areas next to the 'wall' can use some doodads. Also, the area on the wall.
No offense but your map is really bland and boring looking. Get trees/foliage, i can see why you wouldnt want these as your tileset is volcanic looking. In that case add doodads that represent the vibe you want your map to give off. Adding no doodads to your map doesn't make it look burnt and good, it makes it look bland.
Cheers,
-CC
Thanks a lot! The feedbacks are useful!
Actually I had tried my best to add doodad. I even went through the doodad list one by one. Yet I am just not used to do terrain and not sure what I should put at each location. I will try again!
Should I use another texture for the mountains? Or just add more doodad to them will be good enough?
Is there other ways to add creep in the map editor or do I need to put down a creep tumor for it?
@Wakeman: Go
I would add some other textures to the mountains to spice it up a bit. The base of the mountain should be a tad different from the sections higher up. Possibly throw in a little bit of a rocky terrain, rather than the cracked ground it is now.
<<quote 157823>>
Thanks a lot! The feedbacks are useful!Actually I had tried my best to add doodad. I even went through the doodad list one by one. Yet I am just not used to do terrain and not sure what I should put at each location. I will try again!<</quote>> No one knows what works best where just by looking at a doodad's name. You need to put some stuff down and see if it works. At least for the basic outline. Once you've got that, a lot of things should come naturally as you're going (though there are still ideas you'll have to try out that might end up simply not working).
As for the mountains, mixing up textures is what I've found to be working best. Spray different ones over the place, but leave a big tone of the primary 'mountain' texture (which is generally named something along the line of 'rocky', regardless of tileset).
As for creep, I'm actually not sure. There should be a simple creep function, but I haven't seen one yet. You can control it with anti-creep points and tumors as needed, though.
Edit: $#!@#@!$! MARKUP TYPES! Why does quoting NEVER work well if you've ever switched between Wikicreole and BBCode?!