Gimme some ideas e.e

[kopat]

I dunno if this is in the right board or not, but whatever 
So I need some help with ideas for my maps.  I love making them but I always run out of ideas. Like all my heightmaps basically look the same and they all have the same feel........... any ideas for me to use?

[TurtlezSoup]

The smudge tool is your friend.

[LordSuragaha]

Well I can give you a few tips:
- Try getting inspiration for new map designs from other games that you might play. Example Cloudfish was inspired by the game Shadow of the Colossus for his map the Forbidden Kingdom.
- don't always use the meshes the way they were intended to be used. Example the simple default cave mesh can be pulled and squeezed into different shapes and lengths as well as rotated etc, if you want to make more interesting caves try squeezing them up against your on terrain against a hill etc. Don't just place the cave on the ground like a regular den since in real life most animals live in small crevices etc not wide open caves.
- think realistic
- use different textures because some textures can add a rich depth to the environment
- use custom meshes if you don't already
- add unexpected things to your map or even secret areas like dens or areas that can only be reached via some hard to reach or find entrance
- take a break from map making for a little while until you find interest in it again.

[Silvertide]

Looking at in real life landforms helps a lot, when I see something pretty I get inspired to make it in map maker. If you want the height map to be more original zoom in real close and put in as much detail as you can into each individual section.
Adding small but worth-while objects like ivy and bird nests can have a great effect on the map. Detail is the key! But detail also causes lag so you have to be careful.
When you are making a map or a height map make sure you know what kind of place you are making, then the actual terrain will come easily to you. Check on your height map from time to time in map maker to make sure everything is how you imagined it would look. Add in little crevices here and there to add some nice little hideouts. Having everything out in the open without any surprises can be boring.
Different types of tree meshes are really helpful to make forests look more realistic. Not every tree in the world is an oak or pine!

[WhiteLightHeart]

Ohyus~ The tips posted above by Tidey and Sura are fantastic, and all I have left to say (that I can think of at the moment), is to try to tell a story with your maps.

I know that some of my most favorite maps have been based around a central idea, or story, and the landscape and some of the formations (be it cliffsides, or a small, sunlit clearing in the middle of a dense forest) hold some kind of significance or history to me, or my characters.

For example, if you've got an RP or some story in mind that has a past where some battle was fought; see if you can build a map around it. Perhaps in the heightmap it could be in the middle of a ravaged valley with stark cliff faces, or fallen trees and a lonesome waterfall that tumbles into a pond, edged with black sand and stones, perhaps some of those stones representing those fallen.
I 'unno. Have the landscape tell a story to those who see it.
Detail is always key, and...

And and and. Look at what other map makers have created. See if you can take inspiration from their work. Look at real landscapes, or try to recreate even some pretty area around your house, or something like that.
Inspiration can come from anywhere; You've just gotta look around and see what comes to mind. c: I'm sure you come up with something great, floof~