Map Rating/Review Thread

[Tyrantrum]

I haven't posted a map here in a long time:

Map of: Fire Red
Map for: Tensai's Secret
Credit: iPro, Kyledove, Saurav, Alistair

Spoiler:

Of course, I was skipped yet again. :<

 

[Alistair]

Here's to 3,000 posts in the Map Rating Thread!

Spoiler:

Oh geez. Well, let's start, shall we?

Section 1: Aesthetics​

Well, I am going to start with the trees. Some of them are placed wonderfully. Others are not. The row of trees at the top is belongs in the "not" section. Seriously, a map of that size should not have a straight row of trees that size. Now, about the scattered trees throughout the playing part of the map. A good amount of them are a good thing, but too much of them are a bad thing. You, unfortunately, used too many. Though it might look good if you had different tree tiles, using the same one hundreds of times throughout a map can be an eyesore. So, it would be a good idea if you either cut back on using those ones, or tried using different ones (But it would be a good idea to remove a good amount anyway, more details later). The placement of those, on the other hand, is excellent. nice job on that.

Trees: 5/10

Now, here comes the part on grass and flowers. Your deployment of trees seriously hinders this one. the gras placement is decent. The grass, though, has the same problems as the trees: it is too abundant. Besides that, it is okay to make the occasional large area of grass. Another problem, though, is that there are no breaks in the grass. For the flowers, they are too scattered. Flowers will usually grow in closer clumps than in very spread out locations.

Grass & Flowers: 6/10

Now onto mountains, paths, and ledges. First off, the mountains are done beautifully. All continuity is correct, they have an excellent shape, and are good in size. Ledges, on the other hand, can use a bit of work. For one, there are not that many. For a very mountainous map, there should really be more. Second, the ones you do have are straight (mostly) and small. For the paths, there are none. Seriously, there need to be some. It really adds to the map.

Mountains, Ledges, and Paths 7/10

Let's now talk about the water, shall we? First off, the use of the dark and regular ocean tiles is excellent. It is not one straight line, nor is it too close to the shore. Now, the water rocks are a different story. For one, there are way too many, as with the trees and the grass. I will give you, though, that used the variety of them excellently.

Water: 7/10

Next comes additional details, like fences and things. Well, there really isn't much to rate here. The fences are good the way they are. The signs, though, are blocking the walking area, though.

Additional Details: 8/10

Section 2: Playability​

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

Well, the first thing to judge on is walking area, I suppose. Becasue of the amount of trees, you do not really give the player enough room to walk at all. They are way too conjested, and some movement errors could occur if moving NPCs were placed in the map.

Moving Area: 0/10

The next thing to talk about is the difficulty. Now, having a difficult map is not a bad thing, but too difficult a map is. This map is too difficult. Because of the very restricted walking in this map, traversing it is already difficult enough, and having to navigate through this maze would not show any good design at all, though it does show thought.

Difficulty: 2/10

Another thing to judge on is the placement of NPCs. I see almost no areas where could put one. there are maybe three places to put an item, and absolutely no place to put trainers. If an NPC was placed in this map, it would either block a path that you would need to use to get through, or it would be completely unavoidable (though a few unavoidable NPCs are okay).

Possible NPC Arrangement: 0/10

The last one in this section is the factor of running into wild Pokémon. I am going to say that you can run into Pokémon way too easily. There is way too much grass in this map. It is okay to have a couple of barren (or bald, as I like to call it) patches in the map. That way, you get a small break from running into Pokémon. I will give you one thing, though: you do force people to run into wild Pokémon.

Wild Pokémon Factor: 5/10

Section 3: Sprite Usage​

First I am going to talk about tile errors. I noticed one puny error, as shown below.

I understand this is unavoidable, so I am not taking any score off for it. That, and the error is so miniscule.

Tile Errors: 5/5

Finally, the end comes to tile usage. Well, as I have explained throughout the review, you use way too much of things, or in some cases, you do not use anything. You could have used the FR/LG tileset quite well, but you did not.

Tile/Palette Usage: 0/5

Final Judgement​

Trees: 5/10
Grass & Flowers: 6/10
Mountains, Ledges, and Paths 7/10
Water: 7/10
Additional Details: 8/10
Moving Area: 0/10
Difficulty: 2/10
Possible NPC Arrangement: 0/10
Wild Pokémon Factor: 5/10
Tile Errors: 5/5
Tile/Palette Usage: 0/5

Total: 50/100 F

 

[colcolstyles]

Wow. Thank you. I really do appreciate ratings with such close inspection to detail. Good job spotting that tile error! Although it actually is fixable. I'm gonna do that as soon as I get home!
You were completely fair and just in your analysis. Everything you pointed out I remember thinking about when making that map but I never got around to fixing them. I will go back and redo this map, taking all of your comments into consideration. And for future maps, I'll be sure to remember those tips.
Once again, I thank you. If I ever post another map, I'd love it for you to rate it!

P.S. I love your tiles!

 

[FoggyDoggy]

Ok, My map.

Tile Errors Have Been Fixed
Map Name : Route A
Tiles Used : Fire Red Default

Spoiler:

 

[Surf]

Ok, My map.
I know I included my NPC's, but that is to show where they are.

Map Name : Route A
Tiles Used : Fire Red Default

Spoiler:

Hmm nice map Omega very simple
I guess i'm a sucker for the craters.
But i spoted a tile error that was unavodable but could have been made with a different tile
however i'll give 8.5\10

I haven't posted a map here in a long time:

Map of: Fire Red
Map for: Tensai's Secret
Credit: iPro, Kyledove, Saurav, Alistair

Why'd you credit Alistar you didn't use his tiles in this map?
Anyway being a simple map I reall don't know what to say.
It's kinda plan but it good that you used two different tree tiles.
It looks like you tred too cram all the detail into the middle.
And those bushes on the path don't look right.
And lastly that tree up the top there is pointless and makes it look worse than what I allready pointed out.
6.5\10

 

[FoggyDoggy]

Hmm nice map Omega very simple
I guess i'm a sucker for the craters.
But i spoted a tile error that was unavodable but could have been made with a different tile
however i'll give 8.5\10

TILE ERROR!?!? WHERE!!!!!!]

Please tell me where these things are so I can fix them...

I see the flower there in the middle, I'll fix it later, lol.
Is there anything else?
If there is please tell me, this is going in a hack so I gotta get it right!.

 

[Tropical Sunlight]

Map name: Granite Cave
Base ROM: Firered English (BPRE)
Hack: Pokemon Turquoise
Mapshot:

Comments: The small cave with an entrance leads you to the entrance in the center of the map. Of course, there is something in between. The part with the hole has a Strenght boulder in front of it, so you can't enter so soon.
Credits: no credits

 

[Neti]

Hi everybody
Since my old Map Rating System produced too good ratings in my eyes I remade it.
So here it is:

Netis Map Rating System V1.1

As you can see, there are 50 points maximum now (the old one had 25 max).
Also, it is harder to reach the ratings Good and Stunning!

Feel free to use and refer to it!
You can download an excel file here that lets you create ratings with it easily. It also contains the guideline.
You can download it here: Netis Map Rating System V1.1.1
You need Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc to open this! (I didn't test OpenOffice Calc, but there shouldn't be differences)
There are no differences in the guideline in V1.1 and V1.1.1, but in V1.1.1 you can add the Map Name, the Author and your name so others know who rated the map if the image is posted somewhere else.

I will introduce it with a rating as soon as somebody else posts. I dont want to put the rating into this post, cause it will be linked in my signature so everybody can look it up.

 

[Coral]

Map name: Granite Cave
Base ROM: Firered English (BPRE)
Hack: Pokemon Turquoise
Mapshot:

Comments: The small cave with an entrance leads you to the entrance in the center of the map. Of course, there is something in between. The part with the hole has a Strenght boulder in front of it, so you can't enter so soon.
Credits: no credits

i like map, is very good :rambo:
i like brown rocks i didn't see in firered
please make more map s
i like you map s

10 from 10

 

[Neti]

Rating of NeoNemesis' Map

Spoiler:

Text from the pm he sent to me:

This is Old Bark Town, a revamp of New Bark Town... It's supposed to look like 30 years later.
Although it may not look like it but.. I had to do over 10 block edits :S
Tell me what I should change.

Spoiler:

Comments:
I like the style, simplicity and quiteness of this map.
By the way: You can't shock me with the words "I had to do over 10 Block Edits". I made 4 RomBases so far (2 published) and I made over 200 Blocks completely new for each of them^^
Let's get into detail on the points where you didnt get 100%.

Idea: Well, a Remake doesn't have a lot to do with a great idea... that's why you didnt get 100%.

Variety of tiles: The Tiles you used look brillinat in my opinion, but you should have placed some rocks on the land as well to make it look better.
Also, the old Pokecenter tiles don't fit very well with the new tiles.

Natural Sense: Two things here: The 3 Rocks in the water that form a line and the trees that stand in rows.
You could have spread the rocks around the water a bit more, that would look much better.
For the trees, you could have done 4 more block edits to get diagonal tree tiles. If you combine both types of "tree-behind-tree" tiles it would ook way better.

Map Structure: Your map is supposed to be simple and you reached that pretty well.
But the last two points of the Map Structure are for complex layouts like the ones colcolstyles routes always have :p

No Tile Errors: I've spotted one error, but maybe somebody *Disturbed* will find more, im not very good in spotting tile errors xD

Spoiler:

Rating of Tropical Sunlight's Map

Spoiler:

Comments:
Pretty well done, you're extremely close to a Stunning rating!
So let's just start with the things that took the 11% away.

Idea: Well... The idea is a cave, there is nothing very special about it...

No straight lines: You did pretty well, but at some parts you could have done it better, e.g. in the bottom right.

No Tile Error: It's nothing heavy, just minor stuff...

Spoiler:

 

[12345]

Here is a map in my hack:

Spoiler:

 

[[K]evin "The Last Eeveon"]

I made a little map while i was bored.
Here it is

Spoiler:

 

[~Teh Panda~]

Map Name: Endigo Canyon.
Why?: Its the second map of when you go back in time in my hack Underground.

Pic:

 

[Tropical Sunlight]

Map Name: Endigo Canyon.
Why?: Its the second map of when you go back in time in my hack Underground.

Pic:

Yay! You changed the grass!
I like the map, it's very good. However, it has some tile errors.
8-10

 

[.Seth]

Map:

Spoiler:

Purpose: None really.
Hack: Mine, but if you'd like to use it just ask.
Credits:
iPro.: Tiles

Info: It's a farm-type map. It's got a shed in the back, and the little mountain in the back is a dirt pile. Also, the pin in the back holds a miltank.

EDIT: I've changed up the map. Sorry for those who rated it. Please rerate. Thank you. '^^

 

[~Teh Panda~]

Map:

Spoiler:

Purpose: None really.
Hack: Mine, but if you'd like to use it just ask.
Credits:
iPro.: Tiles

Info: It's a farm-type map. It's got a shed in the back, and the little mountain in the back is a dirt pile. Also, the pin in the back holds a miltank.

First of all i really like this rom base :D iPro is masterful a graphical hacking and that makes me like your map even more. The only thing I don't like is the lack of a path to the buildings. Other wise it is very nice.

I will give it an 8/10

 

[Chimchar 9]

Map:

Spoiler:

Purpose: None really.
Hack: Mine, but if you'd like to use it just ask.
Credits:
iPro.: Tiles

Info: It's a farm-type map. It's got a shed in the back, and the little mountain in the back is a dirt pile. Also, the pin in the back holds a miltank.

i see a tile error near the sign post right next to the house,and grass shoudn't be in a town but the map shape is ok.
I give it a 5/10

 

[.Seth]

First of all i really like this rom base :D iPro is masterful a graphical hacking and that makes me like your map even more. The only thing I don't like is the lack of a path to the buildings. Other wise it is very nice.

I will give it an 8/10

i see a tile error near the sign post right next to the house,and grass shoudn't be in a town but the map shape is ok.
I give it a 5/10

Hey guys, you're rating the wrong map!
I've fixed the errors, and changed up the map a good bit.
Please rerate.
Sorry about that. '^^

 

[Chimchar 9]

Map:

Spoiler:

Purpose: None really.
Hack: Mine, but if you'd like to use it just ask.
Credits:
iPro.: Tiles

Info: It's a farm-type map. It's got a shed in the back, and the little mountain in the back is a dirt pile. Also, the pin in the back holds a miltank.

EDIT: I've changed up the map. Sorry for those who rated it. Please rerate. Thank you. '^^

Ok then im rerating the map, well scince you fixed the tile error i'll give you a 7/10 but i think you should take away the grass, do more block editing so you save some space, then do a nice path and add some flowers too.

 

[Tyrantrum]

Map:

Spoiler:

Purpose: None really.
Hack: Mine, but if you'd like to use it just ask.
Credits:
iPro.: Tiles

Info: It's a farm-type map. It's got a shed in the back, and the little mountain in the back is a dirt pile. Also, the pin in the back holds a miltank.

EDIT: I've changed up the map. Sorry for those who rated it. Please rerate. Thank you. '^^

Nice job Seth.

Spoiler:

Structure - 8.7/10
The shape of the map is good, it's not too square of symmetrical. I like that. Path shape is fine, but spotted two tile errors on it. Paths through the trees are much two thin. Try spreading things out more. House placement isn't very good. The two houses are too close together.
Vegetation - 7.3/10
Vegetation is okay. Though, there are not enough spread out trees. Too few flowers, rocks, and bushes. Get rid of the BIG trees, and put in more of everything else. Now, about the wild POKéMON grass, I did not take off points for it. Seeing as it's a farm, it seems perfectly fine to me.
Overall - 16/20 [D]
{Poor}
Comments - It does have some mistakes, but it's decent. :3