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quite simply, how do you make your maps?
i would make mine tileset first, then objects and i would'nt change my tileset much at all and i don't change enemies after i've playtested them, i just know what enemy goes best were

so how do make yours

Like this.

With a keyboard.

With a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, and a hard drive.
Oh, and with N.

First I make a tile pattern and repeat it. Then I add objects.

It changes. I like to keep my maps diverse, and making them in different ways is a good way to do that. Sometimes I'll make the whole tileset and then add objects, sometimes I'll just make a rough outline and polish it step-by-step, and other times I'll make one section of the map (tiles and objects) before making the next section, and so on. I don't really have a routine.

Currently i'm experimenting with some generators to randomize some interesting layouts and shapes. At the moment it's just tiles, I plan to add some object generation too eventually. I haven't yet submitted any map made this way, though.

I build a little bit, tweak it, build another bit, tweak it... ad nauseum.

Oh, and I use my calculatronic hawk, which lets me imprint images from my mind directly onto my tilesets.

Tileset, objects, tileset, objects. Then I'm done.

Making your maps good is HARD. Making maps is easy. However, good maps are needed, so it's a bit hard.

1. First know what your tiles are gonna be.
2. After you're done, put the objects.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you get it right.
4. Then, make sure there's space, intensifying enemies, flow (for races and flowy maps), lotsa jumping (for jumpers), and so on.

Here's examples of good and bad maps:

Minejumper (good):


Lock-ness concept (slightly bad):


Just look for maps in NUMA!

Nowadays I listen to a song over and over again while I map, and try and reflect what it sounds like with the tiles and gameplay. I do make my tiles first though, and edit them as I decide what type of aesthetic patterns will suit the type of gameplay I'm aiming for, which depends entirely on the feel of the song. Kind of a cyclical process.

E tiles. It all starts with E tiles. I make the general outline of the map in E tiles, then add accessories (usually using 2, 3 and Shift). I then add gold and mines, then other junk like bounce blocks and doors, etc. Only then do I add the enemies. I know everyone always says to add the enemies first (especially with DDAs), but this is truthfully how I do it.

I do the tiles and objects at the same time for action maps. I will decide a theme first, then map around that theme. For races, i'm a little more complex.

I start of with a theme/atmosphere that i want my race to include. I create a small (like, miniscule) section of flow, then place some tiles around it to create the theme i had thought of. Using tiles of a similar style to those, i create the rest of my flow and tileset simultaneously. This often includes objects for aesthetic and flow purposes. When i'm done i add the exit, and then add the enemy that best suits my theme. Then i add the gold finally. I then revamp the map over and over till i think it's perfect.

I decide a theme. I think of what enemie(s) I will focus on. Make a simple tileset with E tiles. Make tileset more interesting. Place the door, exit switch, and the ninja. Place objects. Make it aesthetically more pleasing. Delete/Add objects. Playtest. Done.