Messages

16

Mapping Tips/Guides / Re: Save images of SimCity (SNES) cities (SimCityMapper)

« on: May 12, 2022, 09:22:58 am »

Very cool idea. I've wanted a tool like this for some of my Civ empires in the past, like let me see a big poster. Makes me wonder what other games could have a pattern of generating a large map based on a save file. Animal Crossing comes to mind...

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Maps In Progress / Re: VGCartography - getting to work on PS1 maps!

« on: May 12, 2022, 09:21:36 am »

Just submitted a complete* set of maps for Spyro 1. Gonna do 2 and 3 eventually, but taking a little break from placing gems and chests for a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s07jI0FeQhU
Made another video, this one about Tomb Raider 2. The game was complex enough that I didn't make labeled maps, although never say never - they are layered and difficult to clearly unravel in 2D, but the video was my attempt at a "living" version. Started on TR3 as a follow up as well.

Other stuff floating around is continuing isometric maps of Vagrant Story, Xenogears, and finishing MGS2. Not sure after that... maybe a little break.

*High Caves is missing due to data error

18

VGMaps Social Board / Re: Video Game Maps: NES & Famicom - an atlas book by Brian Riggsbee

« on: May 08, 2022, 08:22:20 am »

I got a copy of this one as well. It's a fun flip, the majority of the maps are "official" maps from manuals, old magazines or strategy guides, although there are a few fanmade maps for mostly prominent games (Zelda, Castlevania, etc) that are generally good. I've seen the Solstice one here actually. So it functions also as a kind of time capsule for an era where RPGs came with foldout maps and the like. Some of the artwork rendering older games in interesting ways for magazines is quite impressive. Only con is that I wish it was bigger - lots of detail is sacrificed as a tradeoff for a ton of content and a small form factor. Overall a solid book for sure, and a lot of fun obscure (i.e. Japanese-only title) maps to enjoy.

All that is to say, a screenshot map would not tread on this one too much because the only screenshot maps are in the form of scans of Nintendo Power Mario 3 and the like.

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VGMaps Social Board / Re: VGMaps.com's 20th Anniversary - PROMO VIDEO CHALLENGE!

« on: May 06, 2022, 08:00:20 am »

That's very generous, Jon! All the entries were really great, I watched them with a couple friends and we each liked a different one the best! I had already seen the excellent video from NESAtlas, but Sam your editing skills are crazy impressive too. Those Kirby transitions are super cool, would love to know a bit more about your process.

Here's to 20 more years!

20

VGMaps Social Board / Re: VGMaps.com's 20th Anniversary - PROMO VIDEO CHALLENGE!

« on: April 30, 2022, 05:02:15 am »

Here is my entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gq6x8hrQws

I'm a novice video editor so it's nothing flashy but I had a good time looking for beautiful or interesting maps to use, hopefully it's at least a fun little commercial even if it isn't the best entry! Tried to represent a variety of consoles and creators. The song is one I made on the KORG, I was thinking of old-school racing games like RC Pro-Am when I made it so I made sure to include that game in the collage.

Looking forward to seeing the others!

21

Gaming / Re: It's MAR10 today. So what Mario game are you playing or replaying?

« on: March 11, 2022, 12:29:29 pm »

Bowser's Fury is definitely awesome. Kind of an Odyssey area (or larger) but with different mechanics.

I captured some Galaxy planet pics for a collage recently: https://www.deviantart.com/vgcartography/art/Super-Mario-Galaxy-Planetoid-Catalog-908412054

I know they're probably all hands on for BotW2 and such, but I do hope we get an Odyssey 2 or another Mario platformer before the next console. Never getting a Mario 64-2 is an all-time screwup in my book still.

22

Maps In Progress / Re: Electromax - getting to work on PS1 maps!

« on: February 12, 2022, 06:49:45 pm »

Made an animated runthrough of a bunch of the Castlevania maps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFCkC9RUTxY

Pretty niche audience for this kind of video but it's fun to make as a flip-book through the map basically. Started on Tomb Raider II today.

23

Maps In Progress / Re: Electromax - getting to work on PS1 maps!

« on: January 29, 2022, 01:54:20 pm »

Question about the Elw Dimension map... I've wondered for *years* if those two side islands were actually present on the map, and I'm curious as to whether what's shown in your map is all that's actually there, or if that's just all you were able to get without any sort of tools. If it's the latter, I guess some sort of "overworld walk through walls" code would be in order...

Still, nice to finally see "actual game graphics" maps for Filgaia. I'm genuinely surprised none existed until now. Good job! Heck, all of your PS1 maps are pretty dang amazing! Looking forward to seeing more of them in the future!

Thanks! It is indeed the latter - I couldn't find any code for walk through walls/enable plane or other tools on Elw map/etc. so I can't see those bits either! But you can open the map in-game with select and they are shown, I suspect they are there... I've never tried to hack out PS1 codes before, although I did a bit on NES/SNES back in the day. Would be a fun project, I would definitely like to improve the missing areas in the current one.

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Maps In Progress / Re: Electromax - getting to work on PS1 maps!

« on: January 28, 2022, 11:01:09 am »

Just submitted a map for WILD ARMS on PS1. Was quite surprised there wasn't one already, many 2D RPGs from that era were done long ago. Unfortunately I didn't figure out a good way to extract data from the disc, so I resorted to the ol' screenshot mapping technique.

https://twitter.com/vgcartography/status/1485790802106327042?s=20&t=LiFzQ7yjtm8LOvKWhE2UEQ Here is a short timelapse doing a small portion of it. Took probably 3-4 nights a couple hours each to finish? One of my favorite games from the era.

25

Maps In Progress / Re: FlyingArmor's Map Projects Present and Future

« on: January 16, 2022, 06:04:31 am »

Fun doing a new map of an old-style game!

I just submitted the first few maps for Xenogears to the site: https://www.deviantart.com/vgcartography/gallery/81393244/xenogears Trying to follow your footsteps on the FF7 masterwork with another RPG from the era.

26

Maps In Progress / Re: Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow (DS)

« on: January 16, 2022, 05:44:25 am »

Reviving this ancient thread to share a link I found:
https://www.vg-resource.com/thread-37086-post-660862.html#pid660862
Rufaswan has some download links there for all 3 DS games that have probably 80% of the background stuff represented. Things aren't tiled or stretched or whatever and some bits are missing, but overall it would represent a nice starting point for those - I referenced it for some Castlevania maps I worked on recently that I'll submit soon. I know this is probably long since past, but for anyone feeling like mapping some beautiful 2D pixel art, OoE doesn't have much out there already.

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VGMaps Social Board / Re: VGMaps.com's 20th Anniversary - PROMO VIDEO CHALLENGE!

« on: January 15, 2022, 04:21:56 pm »

Can you share with us a couple statistics that would be fun to feature if possible?
- number of maps
- number of contributors
- first map(s) you hosted (which one and when?)

Thanks!

28

VGMaps Social Board / Re: So... how is everybody doing? *slight trigger warning*

« on: November 12, 2021, 11:55:27 am »

I'm at 1.5 years working from home after what we thought would be a couple weeks quarantine turned into this. I actually quite like it, my wife works at home as well and it has given us a lot more opportunities with our toddler and less time commuting/preparing/running around. Many house projects completed. I work for a university and they are reluctant to force people back anytime soon.

It has also given me time to explore many hobbies, starting a journal, cataloging books and games and digital data and all of that. Near the end of 2020, after years of dabbling with little game-related infographic projects, I started a more focused effort to make some maps for Grand Theft Auto III because I just went for the PS4's platinum trophy and felt the materials out there didn't do a great job communicating visually, given we could now fly around the map in noclip.website and the like. I made some little images in powerpoint (didn't want to learn photoshop), updated the guide, ended up recording a short youtube video about it and had a good time. Started poking around what other similar resources might be available for games from my childhood. Eventually went so far as to rename my twitter account and sort of separate "me" personally and "VGCartography map account" that had become my standard relaxation activity once the rest of the family went to bed.

https://www.deviantart.com/vgcartography/gallery
I haven't done a good job keeping VGMaps updated with my output over 2021 (Jon, I will email you about some of these - just finished Mega Man Legends and Tomba maps were all remade) but I've spent more time on these graphic projects than I have playing video games this year probably. There isn't a ton of engagement though - twitter is only good for fleeting impersonal interactions, reddit is a little better but similar - not much conversation, can't ask for advice, etc. I've wished this forum was still more active as it seems like it once was, and to Terra's point about dying out I've wondered if Jon/I/someone started a discord server for game map people it might bring more engagement?

I don't love discord/slack because it's difficult to look back in time, but it would be fun to have a more active place for people to put heads together. I've had the most luck for old PS1 games trawling their discord communities for efforts to extract assets (how I mapped Mega Man Legends, Tomba, others) and I do think there is an audience for it - not long ago someone made a viral tweet about StarFighters76's GameFAQs maps and shortly afterwards they joined twitter and several hundred people followed them. Is that a blasphemous idea?

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Maps Of The Month / Re: 2021/09: Tomba! (PlayStation) - VGCartography

« on: September 01, 2021, 12:54:48 pm »

Thanks! Tomba is one of my favorites. In general most of my favorite games from the NES/SNES area are well-covered here but the PS1 era not as much, understandably because the areas are 3D and not easily extracted so your options are either drawing maps from scratch or trying to pull out the assets in some form like I've done here. Anyone interested in PS1 work, happy to answer questions here/twitter/etc. Every game is different but some are easier than others.

Tomba 2 will be along in the coming months, here is a preview map for the sequel: https://twitter.com/vgcartography/status/1429861130709708802

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Maps In Progress / Re: Electromax - getting to work on PS1 maps!

« on: August 04, 2021, 01:34:21 pm »

I shortened it on the Escape Route map so it wasn't needlessly big, just a sample of each part, but the full game map I think is what the intention was. In reality it can last for a while if you have bad aim, but the cliff you end on is meant to be the same coast you originally swim up to I think.