Map Rating/Review Thread

Disturbed · Jan 28, 2009

Neti said:
Fixed my map and edited the palettes... i didnt like them very much
Map Name: Route 24
Hack: Legend of Fenju - Gaoya
Game: Firered
Comments: Corrected the things that were critisized
Hope it pleases Disturbed now :p
the "different tall grass patches" that you were talking about are no tall grass patches, theyre just highlights like rocks, bushes and flowers...

Spoiler:

lol im kinda happy not otm pa with snow or desert tiles anymore xD
if make a whole region with one tileset its really getting on your nerves after a while^^

Well, I'll give you a bit less of a full on rating like last time, since you know most of the details, and I just have to critique iPro's map.

I can definitely see that you tried a bit harder to improve it, and it looks 10x better! Little fixups can really raise a map drastically. I suggest only one or two trees in the player's main path be removed. Also, above the entrance to the cave, give the mountain the shading that it needs, unless you don't have it in this tileset xD
One more small path wouldn't hurt too :)
Rating: 8/10

iPro. said:
Map Name: Engorged Path
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: ~~Crashink~~ Punk Rocker - ROMBase; KD - Tiles
Mapping Time: About 4 hours, on and off
Mapshot:

Spoiler:

Comments: OSNAPZ! IZZAT EMPTAH SPAEC? Yep. I did it for YOU, yes you. Well I did it for you if you are one of those people that like empty space. I kinda like the results, myself. >;D

Ready?

Natural Feeling
This map seems fairly natural at first glance, but there are many flaws to this map. First of all, three different paths are used. Now, I consider the green path (or whatever you call that path) a freebie, that can be used with any other path. But sand and dirt do not go together like that. ~~I would have much rather you stick with just sand, instead of adding the dirt feeling to it, or vise versa.~~ Strike that, I'd rather you just stick with dirt. I say this because, I really never saw a mountain with sand around it in real life. I may be wrong, but I never saw it. :\. I would replace half the sand patches with dirt, and the other half with the faded grass crap, or whatever. Flower placement is not so good, either. Flowers are placed TOGETHER, not miles apart. What are the chances of seeing flowers miles apart. Yes, I'm speaking in reality sense, but it's true. Flowers are usually clumped up together. Now, what I do, is maybe smack another one, most likely diagonally from the original flower. Horizontal looks weird most of the time to me, unless I add a third flower on. Now, to those underground filter thinges... (the blue, short things that kinda look like a streetlight or something? I dunno how to explain it.) Nintendo used them in pairs, never apart like that. They also usually existed ontop of mountainy areas, if I recall correctly. Bushes... yikes. Same deal with the flowers, except in larger bunches. The wild (or tall) grass seems a bit stringy at parts. Like, I mean it's in a straight line, with few patches branching off of it. I suggest removing some of the patches, and adding additions to others, that just look odd to you.

Playability
oh man, this is your weak spot, dude. Although I must admit, this map has more playability than most of your others. I absolutely hate tight squeezes through maps, unless they are rarely used in a hack. The player needs space to enjoy the map, and to get a feel of how the creator made it good for them, and not him/herself. I'm saying like, the player going through the map needs space to fully enjoy the map, and that it was built for the player's eyes, and not the creator's eyes. There are probably alot of things you can remove to make this seem like it has a better playability. I understand you absolutely hate empty maps, but that can easily be avoided by adding obstacles that the player doesn't need to swerve around, like flowers or pathways. I suggest removing atleast 20 trees, adding 6 more flowers, maybe throw in 3 more small trees, and 2 more slightly large pathways.

Rating: 6.3/10

Neti · Jan 28, 2009

Disturbed said:
Well, I'll give you a bit less of a full on rating like last time, since you know most of the details, and I just have to critique iPro's map.

I can definitely see that you tried a bit harder to improve it, and it looks 10x better! Little fixups can really raise a map drastically. I suggest only one or two trees in the player's main path be removed. Also, above the entrance to the cave, give the mountain the shading that it needs, unless you don't have it in this tileset xD
One more small path wouldn't hurt too :)
Rating: 8/10

Ok, Im satisfied now :p
Three thigns:
1: I dont feel like removing more trees, thats a matter of taste. Maybe ill add some more vertical conenctions, but i wont post the map again to show them^^
2: No, I dont have those blocks espacially for mountains in my block palette cause they would look exactly the same :p the 4 tiles used for that block are exactly 16x16 pixel, so they cover the whole block
3: Adding another path? Ill try what it looks like and then decide, but I wont post the map again

Thx for the good critics so i could make the map better^^

Alistair · Jan 28, 2009

iPro. said:
Okay, I decided to try my hand at a fairly large map, and this is what turned out.

Map Name: Engorged Path
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: ~~Crashink~~ Punk Rocker - ROMBase; KD - Tiles
Mapping Time: About 4 hours, on and off
Mapshot:

Spoiler:

Comments: OSNAPZ! IZZAT EMPTAH SPAEC? Yep. I did it for YOU, yes you. Well I did it for you if you are one of those people that like empty space. I kinda like the results, myself. >;D

Well, here we go.

Section 1: Aesthetics

•I am going to start with the trees here. First off, they do look natural, I will give you that. The price for looking like nature in this map, though, is that there are too many trees. This can make the map look a bit cluttered. It also does not allow you to add much of anything else, such as grass. It also restricts playability, which will be discussed later.
Trees: 4/10

•Up next on the agenda are grass and flowers. First off, there is not enough grass. This results in lowered playability, which will be discussed later. The way you used the trees helps add to this problem, too. Large clumps of grass can be okay if done correctly. For the flowers, they are a bit too scattered. As I have said before, flowers grow within a close proximity of eachother. Now, you have included a good amount of flowers, though. They just need to be arranged so they are a bit closer to eachother.
Grass & Flowers: 4/10

•Now onto mountains, paths, and ledges. I am going to first say the mountains are done well. Not anything too over-the-top, but still effective enough to portray the geography of the area. Well done. Now, for the rocks: as with the trees, you added to many (granted, not to the extreme that you did with the trees). All you should do is just remove a couple from each area, or replace some areas that contain rocks with mountain. Here is where this rating really falls: the paths. You should really only use two paths or less on a route, not four. Once again, they just make the map look cluttered. If I were you, I would remove the sand-colored path (it is sand, anyway) and the dark brown dirt path. That way, all you have are the mountain path, as well as the light green path. On another path-related note, this next comment has to do with the mountain path. When transitioning from the cliff, do not make it one solid transition. Instead, create small areas of uncovered mountin path. It looks much more natural (I should know, I made the original tile that served that function).
Mountains, Ledges, and Paths 6/10

•Well, since there is no water, how can I comment on it?
Water: NA

•Well, you have scarce additional details. The ones you do have, though, could use a bit of work. The air vents from the underground should not be scattered the way they are. Instead, try clumping two or three together in select areas of the map.
Additional Details: 6/10

Section 2: Playability

Yes, I also judge on playability, even though the map is not likely to go into a hack.

•The first thing to talk about here is walking area. Some areas are fine, but other areas provide very little for the player to walk. Some areas have only one tile, which is really bad. Of course, the trees have a lot to do with this. The best walking areas I noticed were on top of the mountains. These are nicely balanced. The paths in between them, however, are a little restricting, or in some cases, so restricting that you only get one tile to walk on.
Moving Area: 6/10

•The difficulty of this map is quite balanced. I am not going to say it is perfect, mainly because of those restricted walking areas at some points, but is good, nonetheless.
Difficulty: 8/10

•The next section comes possible NPC arrangement. There are plenty of areas where NPCs could go. Other areas, though, could potentially cause problems. Overall, fairly decent in this category.
Possible NPC Arrangement: 8/10

•Now comes the Wild Pokémon Factor. I can see you tried by making players run into wild Pokémon, but its execution was not so stellar. You could easily go throughout this map and only run into four wild Pokémon. With a map this size, you should at least run into ten, if not more. This is obviously due to your lack of grass. As I have explained, grass clumps are okay if they are done right.
Wild Pokémon Factor: 5/10

Section 3: Sprite Usage

•Well, I noticed no tile errors here.
Tile Errors: 10/10

•I have given you my thoughts on how you used Kyledove's tiles throughout the rating. As I have stated, some areas could use some work. Overall, practive makes perfect.
Tile/Palette Usage: 3/10

Final Judgement

•Trees: 4/10
•Grass & Flowers: 4/10
•Mountains, Ledges, and Paths 6/10
•Water: NA
•Additional Details: 6/10
•Moving Area: 6/10
•Difficulty: 8/10
•Possible NPC Arrangement: 8/10
•Wild Pokémon Factor: 5/10
•Tile Errors: 10/10
•Tile/Palette Usage: 3/10

•Total: 60/100 D

TB Pro · Jan 28, 2009

Hey guys, thanks a lot for all your critique. I see what you mean, so I decided to TRY and alter my mapping style to fit playability more. I spent about 20 minutes fixing it up, hope it looks better.

Mapshot:

Spoiler:

ANARCHit3cht · Jan 29, 2009

Map Name: Avalon Pass
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: Buizel 9's Ever Green Rom Base.
Mapping Time: 25+ Minutes.
Comments: This is just a map I made. Mostly just to see what I could do. It is in no hack, nor will it ever be. This is pretty much my first map. Er.. and I want harsh. Be as harsh as you can, I won't get good if you sugarcoat everything.
Mapshot:

Heart's Soul · Jan 29, 2009

ÄgàmêñÐmØÑ said:
Map Name: Avalon Pass
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: Buizel 9's Ever Green Rom Base.
Mapping Time: 25+ Minutes.
Comments: This is just a map I made. Mostly just to see what I could do. It is in no hack, nor will it ever be. This is pretty much my first map. Er.. and I want harsh. Be as harsh as you can, I won't get good if you sugarcoat everything.
Mapshot:

About a 72/100, because a bit of empty space, lack of great size, but it's a good tileset and the fact that you can try to get pokemon or just pass by. Not very fun, though.

TB Pro · Jan 29, 2009

ÄgàmêñÐmØÑ said:
Map Name: Avalon Pass
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: Buizel 9's Ever Green Rom Base.
Mapping Time: 25+ Minutes.
Comments: This is just a map I made. Mostly just to see what I could do. It is in no hack, nor will it ever be. This is pretty much my first map. Er.. and I want harsh. Be as harsh as you can, I won't get good if you sugarcoat everything.
Mapshot:

Gonna do a quick rating.
Rating: 1/10; F
Why the Heck? The map in general is very bad. There is about 65% too much wild grass. The tree placement is alright, but nothing stellar. The path is horrible. It is too wide in one area, and it tones down to two tiles, which is ugleh.

@RukarioX: How in the **** is there empty space? There is one damn tile of regular grass. It dosen't have near enough empty space.

ANARCHit3cht · Jan 29, 2009

Map Name: Avalon Pass
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: Buizel 9's Ever Green Rom Base.
Mapping Time: 30+ Minutes.
Comments: Well, I fixed it up a bit. Removed the path entirely, got rid of some grass, rearranged some trees, and well.. yeah thats it. Don't forget to tell me what should be fixed on this one too.
Mapshot:

TB Pro · Jan 29, 2009

ÄgàmêñÐmØÑ said:
Map Name: Avalon Pass
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: Buizel 9's Ever Green Rom Base.
Mapping Time: 30+ Minutes.
Comments: Well, I fixed it up a bit. Removed the path entirely, got rid of some grass, rearranged some trees, and well.. yeah thats it. Don't forget to tell me what should be fixed on this one too.
Mapshot:

Rating: 1.5/10; F
Why the Heck? There is still way too much grass, and it's really blocky, which is a turn off. Tree placement is alright, but it's still not that good. You're missing all extras, which are essential in a good map. You also need a path.

Thrace · Jan 30, 2009

ÄgàmêñÐmØÑ said:
Map Name: Avalon Pass
Game: N/A
Base ROM: Fire Red USA
Credits: Buizel 9's Ever Green Rom Base.
Mapping Time: 30+ Minutes.
Comments: Well, I fixed it up a bit. Removed the path entirely, got rid of some grass, rearranged some trees, and well.. yeah thats it. Don't forget to tell me what should be fixed on this one too.
Mapshot:

Spoiler:

Rating: 4/10
Comments: Those palettes are just... @_@
The places where the map connects are too big, they should be smaller. Theres a bit too much grass and its not placed very well. The trees shouldn't jut out like that. It should also have more shape. Don't make it too wind-y but force the player to move up and down at least a little bit.
Suggestions: Add tree shading. Use less grass. If you want to you could add some paths you'd probably have to make the grass grow in clumps then and not how you've got it now. Add some flowers. Create a path with the trees.

Fiore Town

Made in: FireRed
Credits: Fangking Omega's Complete Johto Tileset

Spoiler:

/Circa · Jan 30, 2009

Thrace said:
Fiore Town
Made in: FireRed
Credits: Fangking Omega's Complete Johto Tileset

Spoiler:

I had to rate this!
It's simply beautiful, everything goes well together, the tile placement, the mix between soft and bright palettes. It's amazing. There were just two things I found, one is that the green outline on the sand tiles doesn't match very well. Plus the connection at the bottom left took me too long to notice, I think you need to make it stand out a bit more. Maybe take out the top tree on the left. I think you should also add maybe two or three big rocks made out of the corners of the mountain. Just that little touch : ).

9/10.

Tyrantrum · Jan 30, 2009

Thrace said:
Fiore Town
Made in: FireRed
Credits: Fangking Omega's Complete Johto Tileset

Spoiler:

Oh wow, nice job, Malin. :3

Spoiler:

colcolstyles · Jan 30, 2009

Thrace said:
Fiore Town
Made in: FireRed
Credits: Fangking Omega's Complete Johto Tileset

Spoiler:

Hm, this is quite nice. The first thing I noticed were the block edits which are great in quantity and quality. I had to endeavor in order to spot any tile errors (there are a couple if you look hard enough). I can tell you where they are in case you haven't noticed them already (NOTE: The one behind the farthest east residential house is unavoidable). The tree shadows are done well, something that I always love to see, although it seems you rarely have trouble with that. I really enjoy the tiles and palettes, as well as the harmony achieved with the use of them together. The color of those houses blends incredibly well with the mountains. The concept behind this map is brilliant, as is the layout. However, the map is a little empty here and there although this is easily fixable with the use of small trees and bushes (both of which I didn't see any of).

So now I can include my deleted comment as this post, on the whole, is of adequate length (although you failed to give a reason for the deletion of my previous post):

ÄgàmêñÐmØÑ said:
Mapping Time: 30+ Minutes.

That's irrelevant.

Tropical Sunlight · Jan 30, 2009

Map name: Green Path
Hack: Pokemon Turquoise
Base ROM: FireRedEnglish (BPRE)
Mapshot:

Comments: There's a Rock-smash rock in front of the stairs that lead to the entrance to a forest.
Credits: tile makers

andyp159 · Jan 30, 2009

Map Name: SILICO CITY

Map Game: Fire Red

Comments: This is the starting city. You came out of the big mansion in the centre, already with a pokemon. There are training areas on the left. The north exit is blocked by a cut tree. The building on the bottom left is a massive shop.

Mapshot:

Honest comments are welcome!

sasquatchd00d · Jan 30, 2009

andyp159 said:
Map Name: SILICO CITY

Map Game: Fire Red

Comments: This is the starting city. You came out of the big mansion in the centre, already with a pokemon. There are training areas on the left. The north exit is blocked by a cut tree. The building on the bottom left is a massive shop.

Mapshot:

Spoiler:

Honest comments are welcome!

You didn't even bother to remap the entire map. I can still see parts of the original Saffron City. If you want to map well, you should map your own maps. Not use parts of the old map that's still there.

1/10

TB Pro · Jan 30, 2009

andyp159 said:
Map Name: SILICO CITY

Map Game: Fire Red

Comments: This is the starting city. You came out of the big mansion in the centre, already with a pokemon. There are training areas on the left. The north exit is blocked by a cut tree. The building on the bottom left is a massive shop.

Mapshot:

Spoiler:

Honest comments are welcome!

Rating: .5/10; F-
Why the Heck? This map dosen't really deserve my attention, but it's so inexcusably bad, I felt it was my duty to rate it. This map fails in almost every way possible. first and foremost, it's just an edit. You didn't even bother to change the shadows. The effing Silph Building is in the same effing place. The edited part is also bad, it follows no basic mapping rules. To sum up, this map is made of pure fail.

ANARCHit3cht · Jan 30, 2009

Avalon Pass

Base Rom: Firered
Credits: Buizel9's Ever Green Rom Base

Ninja Caterpie · Jan 31, 2009

andyp159 said:
Map Name: SILICO CITY

Map Game: Fire Red

Comments: This is the starting city. You came out of the big mansion in the centre, already with a pokemon. There are training areas on the left. The north exit is blocked by a cut tree. The building on the bottom left is a massive shop.

Mapshot:

Spoiler:

Honest comments are welcome!

Lol, I just had to rate this.

Mapping - 2/10 - Terrible: It's very square and plain. What's with the shading, btw? There's also too much empty space.
Playability - 2/5 - Bad: It's boring and even a little hard to get around.
Creativity - 0/5 - Zero/Nada/Zilch: This map is just an edited middle of Saffron City. When you map, don't edit, create. Fill the map in plain grass and map it completely. You didn't even move the main building!

Total - 4/20 - Abysmal
Suggestions: For one, put the map in spoilers. It stretches my screen. Fill the map in plain grass before mapping it. The largest problem is that it uses Saffron City as a base. If you completely remapped it, I bet your score would be over ten.

sasquatchd00d · Jan 31, 2009

nu map? wut?

Map Name: Garnet Cave
ROM: Fire Red BPRE
Hack: Pokémon Enigma
Credits: Nintendo - tiles

Mapshot:

Spoiler:

This is the first time I've tried to map a cave. I'd like some constructive criticism on how to improve.

Map Rating/Review Thread

Inactive

Old-timer

Call me Archie!

Hey, look, I was gone.

Old-timer

Call me Archie!

Old-timer

@tion

Fiore Town

a face in the clouds.

Fiore Town

Fiore Town

Yours truly

Fiore Town

The Faltine

Master of Fire!

welcoming a clean head.

Old-timer

Call me Archie!

Avalon Pass

AAAAAAAAAAAAA

welcoming a clean head.