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How to make a video game map. Basic Mapping Methodology.

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AereVoS:
Greetings to all the members of this wonderful community.

Although that I have been browsing this site for more than 2 years, I had never made a post in this forum.

My name is Yiorgos and I am from Greece. I am an academic researcher and my main research field is related to video game's landscape and digital representations.

My first degree was in geology and I can imagine some of the techniques that you use for mapping in videogames, but although that I searched the forums about videogame mapping and I couldnt find a complete guide for it.

I guess that you use print screen a lot, hardware emulators, some image/screenshot extractor programs, some image editing software like photoshop for the final editing of the map and some other programs that help you tile the images or classify them.

So...I was wondering if there is some other basic tools or a special methodology that you follow in order to create these beautiful pieces of digital "art".

I would love to learn more about your techniques and also help your cause by making some maps myself.

Thanks for your time.

Yiorgos

Trop:
Well I lost the old guide I made for screenshot mapping so I'll make you a new one.

Websites with mapping tools:
http://www.zophar.net/
http://www.romhacking.net/
http://gamehacking.org/
http://tcrf.net/
http://pikensoft.com/
http://asmodean.reverse.net/
http://cheatengine.org/
http://pec.duttke.de/
http://www.irfanview.com/
http://www.color-hex.com/
http://www.dlldump.com/

TerraEsperZ:
This question always stumps me. Not because I don't want to answer it, but because it feels like I could write an entire book just covering my own methods and techniques. And I'm far from the most talented or skilled mapper here.

So I'll try to give a short (and very unsatisfactory) answer for now. See, how you map a game depends entirely on the game in question (2D or 3D, tile or vector-based graphics, etc) and on what system it's running. The more simple the game's graphics and the older the system, the easier in general it is to map well.

...I'll have to get back to you with a more detailed answer because it feels like there are so many different things I'd like to talk about on the subject but don't have the time to right this moment :P...

Trop:
*phew* Terra's right.  I tried making a guide and there was just too much to write.  So I have an idea.  Yiorgos, let's make a map together.  I'll show you where to get the parts you'll need and you can follow along as I go through it.

If you're interested pick up these things:
http://zsnes.com/
http://www.romnation.net/srv/roms/53696/snes204/Donkey-Kong-Country-3-Dixie-Kongs-Double-Trouble.html

You may also need Photoshop or at least something that can do the things Photoshop can do.

Revned:
I took a stab at this by creating a timelapse video of mapping Super Mario Bros 1-1. The video description includes additional details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUWwYe9N33o

Hope this helps!

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