Thoughts on RPG Maker games and map design

Before I started working on Invasion D, I played a couple of other Hentai RPGs based on different RPG Maker Versions.

The first one was Harem, which sadly is on Hiatus atm.
Harem was the game that inspired me to make my own game.
A simple to use Game Engine? With TDCG Graphics? I should try that!
And so I did.

And obviously I was not the only one with that thought, since a lot of RGG Maker games
appeared over the last 2 years or so.

I enjoyed Overwhored quite a lot and once the port to VXA is finished, I'm curious to see,
what's new.
This one does not have TDCG Graphics, but beautiful (and hot ^^) hand drawn images. I wish I could draw better than passable...

One issue that I encountered a lot in other games is bad map design.

So here are some tips on improving your maps:

- Often I see huge maps, without much detail. Which makes the rather boring to explore and
   difficult to orientate.

RPG Maker gives you a lot of resources to make your maps pretty. So you should use them. Plant a bush here and there, a tree, rocks etc. Think Landmarks.

- Don't make huge houses without windows and just a table and a chair in the middle.
   Keep them small and neat.
   Carpets are a nice touch. Hang pictures on those walls, curtains, shelves...

- Cracks in walls can point to a poor neighbourhood.

- Use cracks a lot in ruins.

- Make caves look like caves. They usually have stalactites and rubble lying around.

- Avoid squares! How often do you walk outside in the woods or on a grassy field and see
  tree groves growing in squares? There are no squares in nature, try to make it look as organic
  as you can.


Another thing:

- Make the edges of outside maps clear and do not just lay grass up to the last cell.
  Running into an invisible wall with no visible obstacle is annoying.
  Also, make the exits clear.
  Avoid to cover the edge of the map in green and then place a transport event somewhere in the
  middle. Nobody remembers where that one spot is.

  Mark the edges with trees, fences, water, mountains, rocks... Whatever fits.
  There a many possibilities.

Generally it is a good idea to know beforehand what kind of map you want to make and to have an idea, how it should look like.
Draw a rough sketch of your map before you start building.
You can still improvise and don't shy away from changing things around even if it deviates from your original ideas. You'd be surprised how many new ideas can come from that.
Like you made an island somwhere and next to it another one, just for decoration.

And then you'd think: Hey, why not hide treasures around the main landmass on smaller islands?
Oh and on that one island could be a boss, who drops that awsome weapon! This weapon should give you a special skill! But I already used all the standard skills... Let's make a new one! 
But I don't want it to have a stock animation, why not play around with the animation editor?
Whoa! I made a new animation! And suddenly you learned something that you can use later to improve your game.

So that's my 2 cents on map design.

Happy world building. ^^