Map creativity tips?

[specklewolf123]

Hey everyone, I just have a question to ask all you floofs out there.
How can you create a good map?
Like, I'm trying to create a savanna map right now, but it just looks really tacky and stupid. All it is is a few hills that don;t make sense, a river and a lake. I want my map to look like a real savannah, and I'm also planning on creating other maps like a jungle, rainforest, tundra, e.t.c
So...how can I make my maps look realistic and fun to explore?
Any tips would be much appreciated.
 

[LordSuragaha]

My advice would be to take your time with it. Have fun with it. Imagine yourself actually role-playing as a character or role-playing a story as you build the map. Don't think of the map as one whole area but as various interesting smaller areas connected to one big world. Focus on building areas for various uses in a story, example: make areas that would serve as character dens, hide aways, meeting areas, or just strange and interesting areas that capture interest because they have one or a few odd features. Every mesh and region of a map should tie into some sort of imaginary story you've created in your head. The more the map builds to enhance a plot of a story the better the map becomes.

Some other things that help is to explore other maps in other games. Get inspiration from the map work of other worlds. Listen to inspirational/thematic music as you build your own world. It pays to lose yourself in your own imagination while map building. You can also look up pictures of various in real life environments and draw inspiration from those.

Don't just focus on filling up a map to get it done. Really sit there and focus on each section of the map. Add depth and detail by adding little rocks and things like grass patches in certain spots. It also helps to use variation in the size and shape of a mesh even if you use repeated meshes. <3

[specklewolf123]

Wow, that's actually really good advice. Thank you so much, and I'll try and make my savanna really fun to run around in.

[LordSuragaha]

I’m happy you think so and I hope it helps <3 Whenever you get done with your map(s) I’d sure love to see them. Hope you post them around here :3 Happy map making!

[specklewolf123]

I don't really know how to post maps for the public...but I will learn eventually! I'm already getting inspiration and taking notes on the things I 100% WANT in my map. It'll be called Kifer, in case you want to know.
Thanks for the help!

[Ame88]

I'm going to give you a little tip as well, if you don't mind!

Always make sure you take a step back and look at your work. This is something I've noticed in art as well. If you focus so much on one area without looking at it, the piece can look very different from the other areas you've already made. Adding to that, make sure you use items that mesh and flow well with each other. This will help the map become pleasing to the eye, fun to look at and explore.

But on top of everything, don't forget to save often! Good luck on your map, Speckle~ =)

[TouchOfMadness]

I'm a bit late to this topic, but whatever. I find that playing with the scale of objects really adds variety to a landscape. If you have a grove of similar trees, adjust their individual heights and widths to give the grove a feeling of depth and level. Also don't forget to play with the yaws of the trees so that they're not all facing the same direction.

I find this especially fun to do with rocks and shapes. By making a tall rock shorter and wider, or making a rock slab taller and thicker, you suddenly have completely different rocks to work with. It's almost like working with clay!

[epithelia]

My advice would be to take your time with it. Have fun with it. Imagine yourself actually role-playing as a character or role-playing a story as you build the map. Don't think of the map as one whole area but as various interesting smaller areas connected to one big world. Focus on building areas for various uses in a story, example: make areas that would serve as character dens, hide aways, meeting areas, or just strange and interesting areas that capture interest because they have one or a few odd features. Every mesh and region of a map should tie into some sort of imaginary story you've created in your head. The more the map builds to enhance a plot of a story the better the map becomes.

Some other things that help is to explore other maps in other games. Get inspiration from the map work of other worlds. Listen to inspirational/thematic music as you build your own world. It pays to lose yourself in your own imagination while map building. You can also look up pictures of various in real life environments and draw inspiration from those.

Don't just focus on filling up a map to get it done. Really sit there and focus on each section of the map. Add depth and detail by adding little rocks and things like grass patches in certain spots. It also helps to use variation in the size and shape of a mesh even if you use repeated meshes. <3

danke my lord c: