[Other Tutorial] Splitting one map into several maps in RMXP/Essentials

Someone had a recent problem with lag that had come up due to the fact that there were 3 100x70 maps connected together. As far as I know, this has helped solve that by breaking down the maps into smaller pieces:

Okay, so first we need the main map we are going to be breaking into smaller pieces. Here is my recreation of Route 29 from Pokémon Gold:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90024320@N05/8872468413/
Note the red box, this tells you the map ID, the name you've given it and the size of it in X,Y format.

Here, the layers are boxed as well as the select tool. It must be on one of the three layers (not events) inorder for you to be able to select.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90024320@N05/8873149352/

Here you will see I have selected half of the map. I will be breaking it into two smaller ones.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90024320@N05/8873186650/

Copy it with CTRL+C, create a new map, the size of your selection. You can figure out how large your selection is by switching the Event Layer, and clicking on the bottom right hand corner of where your selection was. It will tell you the X,Y of that square. Make your new map that large.
Once you have the new map, switch to one of the 3 layers, click on the gray map, and paste it with CTRL+V.Mine looks like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90024320@N05/8873249258/
NOTE: The 2 red boxes (bottom left) outline the new MAP and the old. The one on the bottom right indicates the dimensions of the new map.

Now, you can switch to the Event Layer and copy and paste all of the events from the original map to the new one. If any variables, switches, sprites etc need to be adjusted, do so now. You may need to depending on any auto-run events or for example, a Rival entering the screen from the original (other half) of the map. Does that make sense? My new smaller section looks like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90024320@N05/8872682027/

Now that you have done this, you can either just delete what you copied from the original map, select what you didn't copy, drag it over to the most top left corner, and edit the properties of the map so that it fits the newly edited (original) map. It will always delete bottom to top and right to left if you shrink the X,Y in the map properties. There is this way, or you can repeat what you did for the new map, so that you can just delete the original. Either way will work.

Now save the project!

Once you have done that and are satisfied with the smaller maps, open the Editor.exe. You will need to edit the connections via the Visual Editor option. Once you have done this, open the Encounters.PBS in the PBS folder. Only do this if there is water, grass etc on any of the smaller maps. You will need to delete the prior information from the original map. Edit accordingly. Now if you go into the Set MetaData section in the Editor.exe, you can change the meta data accordingly to the new smaller maps. Change the Show Area option to "nil" or "FALSE". This way, it will not show anything when moving through the smaller maps. This gives the player the illusion that he/she is on one giant map but really they are moving back and forth through however many. Don't forget to set the weather effects the same on each one because it could be weird if the rain stops randomly and starts back up again.

This is really helpful, thank you

I wouldn't suggest breaking up maps that small. I try to keep my maps to a maximum of four 30x30 blocks each, including connected maps. This is where it becomes handy to employ the gatehouses seen prominently in the DS games, as you can give the appearance of connected maps without actually connecting them in the editor. Of course, I suppose it depends on the severity of the lag you experience, which its worth noting varies from person to person.

jim42 said:

I wouldn't suggest breaking up maps that small. I try to keep my maps to a maximum of four 30x30 blocks each, including connected maps. This is where it becomes handy to employ the gatehouses seen prominently in the DS games, as you can give the appearance of connected maps without actually connecting them in the editor. Of course, I suppose it depends on the severity of the lag you experience, which its worth noting varies from person to person.

Click to expand...

Gatehouses were even more prominent in GSC, they were needed to keep the game in check so there would be no issues between map transitions.

jim42 said:

I wouldn't suggest breaking up maps that small. I try to keep my maps to a maximum of four 30x30 blocks each, including connected maps. This is where it becomes handy to employ the gatehouses seen prominently in the DS games, as you can give the appearance of connected maps without actually connecting them in the editor. Of course, I suppose it depends on the severity of the lag you experience, which its worth noting varies from person to person.

Click to expand...

The problem that I see with that when you have a connected beach across several maps, because when you have surf you have to cross over to that map at some point.

^I'm sure you can come up with a creative way of solving that problem.