Please don't use the following pictures in any hacks. I'll be really angry, and you won't like me when I'm angry.
Also, this is Part 1, which covers mainly the Layer 2 creation of the Overworld. Part 2, focusing on Layer 1, will be out later.
-Overall-
Hm... What's there really to say that isn't too complicated?
Overworlds end up setting the tone for the rest of the world. If you do a damp and rusty job, then people are going to expect less and less of your levels.
People also generally do some of the same themes over and over again. It's one thing to have your first world be a grass world, but just going up and down hills is not going to be that exciting, now is it? Just like levels, worlds also sometimes need gimmicks.
A lot of people also place value on how your submaps are handled. The forest of Illusion usually stays as a forest, or it becomes a jungle. The Valley of Bowser and the Vanilla Dome are the levels that usually always stay as caves (The Valley, however, gets turned into lava in some hacks).
Palletes don't always needs to be changed, and for a colorblind person (such as myself) it can be a pain to do so. Changed palletes aren't necessary, but they are nice.
Glitches in the Overworld aren't always easy to fix, but keep trying to fix them if you encounter any!
-Building it up-
I've put together three different ideas as to how to start your overworld.
-Basing-
A quick way to say, "Ask someone if you can base your Overworld on their Overworld. This option is not highly recommened, as you're not the one putting the pillars onto your monument of an Overworld.
-Random patches of grass-
This method is tricky, yet rewarding. to start out, take a 5 by 5 tile patch of grass (from the 8x8 editor). Then, copy it, and paste it randomly all over the area where you want that piece of land. (This works great on island-themed areas). After you have defined the shape of what you want, start to build around it (ie; make shores, cliffs, sides). The Pros of this method are quick and simple maps (that you can add detail to later). However, some people don't like this method (for whatever reason).
-Specific design-
A lei the title of this Method, Specific design usually entails a) thinking of what you want, b) planning out where things will go, and c) following the ideas you have previously set down.
From what I know, this method isn't very popular, becuase if a glitch or problem appears, it will usually take a while to move around the problem.
Bantoleon and Sbladei (other Team Five Star members) forced me to had me make the submaps of our hack with this method, which turned out nicely. This Method isn't really recommened for the Overworld.
-Trailing method-
AKA, "go with the flow". This is the Method I like to use the most for main-map overworld creation. As its name might infer, the trailing Method has you build one world/area at a time, and work around the other worlds in a hope to create a nice looking Overworld. Building one area at a tim has the added bonus of giving you time to come up with new ideas, as opposed to just rushing things through.
-Randomness (mark 2)
RaNdOmNeSs MVRK II
Randomness (Mark 2) is a step up from regular randomness. Bantoleon prefers this way of creating his main-map. Randomness Mark 2 (as its name implies) is simply throwing random 8x8 Map pieces around ( and I mean anything and everything from there,) until on creates a semi-definable shape. After one rounds out the rough areas, (this is probally one of the most time consuming parts,) they find a descerible shape, and make that area that shape.
That's all for now. If anyone uses this, then awesome! If not, then oh-well.
-Yanamanka (and some of Bantoleon)
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