Ever been limited in mapping by not having proper sprites?

[Anevis]

Hello guys!
I'm a pixel/sprite artist.
I made this thread to have a discussion on:

*How were you limited by lack of proper sprites in mapping.
*Or how your vision wasn't possible due to lack of assets (not suitable walls, objects, borders, textures or animations).
*What would you add to map sprites, if you could?

*You don't need to be a mapper to take part in this discussion. Have you ever seen and said to yourself something could be made differently, better?
Maybe Tibia's grass is too candy? Couldn't achieve horror atmosphere on your location?

Feel free to provide some screenshot examples or pictures to help describe your problem/idea.

Why I'm making this thread?
I'm doing in-depth research in this topic. I want to figure out new possibilities and alternative solutions.

 

[2Rec]

Heres some of things i came up:
*more big/multi-floor trees;
*more north/west direction stairs;
*universal water borders;
*more ruin-themed sprites;
*not-flat roofs;
*lack of corner archways (bottom-right)

From smaller things it's:
*windmill sprite;
*cool smoke animation;
*more varied trees/bushes;
*that buttress lamp that always comes with a buttress :v

Most of the times it's a small variation of details i can choose from that bothers me, but usually i somehow manage to come up with desired effect by using what i've got. So it's not that bad i guess. :v
But, yeah, there's surely space for something better.

 

[Cadyan]

I wanna see a new ghost house design. That would be epic

 

[Anevis]

Borders could have more variations. This should help with designing unique shapes, get more natural look.
I agree with @2Rec
I have never seen an epic forest with huge trees

What also could bring more life to game areas?
*Custom Animations/Effects
A fish swimming in water
Warriors practicing at their guilds (NPCs shooting at targets etc)

*Natural Cave entrances
(something more like Witcher3 or Skyrim)

 

[macedoon]

Man, that would take a whole new level of (I don't have the patience for this shit anymore after 12 years of tibia) patience to mapping. Would be really cool tho.

 

[Flatlander]

I definitely have. A lot of mappers find ways to combine sprites and layer them to make what they want.

For me, another problem is not having the sprite I want for a function. (Which kind of goes along with a map)
For example:
I recently had an artist make a Lever that can be in 3 positions. (Left,Center,Right) and (Up,Center,Down).
I also had him make Levers that go on walls. (Like a light-switch) for certain situations.

 

[Keal Atis]

I like trees like on Blodstone:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EriDrpOD2BM/maxresdefault.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X7JZJHpDvvI/maxresdefault.jpg
Floor level 7 is trunk and on level 6 u got leaves.

 

[Thin Small Fist]

Incline, large area floor sprites
e.g. dunes, hills, mud pool, rock formations

 

[Kuzyn]

I agree with 2Rec about stairs and roofs. Trees shouldnt be too big, but bigger variation would be cool (more types and shapes of trees). So:

• more stairs and directions for actual stairs
• more not-flat roofs
• more variety in trees/brushes
• more variety in small stones on dirt roads
• more grass tufts
• more mountain "walls" (completely new style, but in grey colour)
• more flowers on ground
• more wooden/stone archs
• more furniture
• more grounds (wooden floors, stone floors)

 

[Animera]

- diagonal bridges.
- diagonal everything
- sprites that really adds up value to the scenery (e.g. fog or other things to define the area piece).

 

[messenoire]

Better scaling my dudes. How are fir trees 2 meters high? That's a christmas tree. Has the dude sitting at CipSoft ever seen a fir tree? They're fucking huge, man. Some windows? The little pixel dude could barely stick his arm through it.

Other than that, shadows, better lights effects. Plus everything that's been said until now.

 

[Animera]

Better scaling my dudes. How are fir trees 2 meters high? That's a christmas tree. Has the dude sitting at CipSoft ever seen a fir tree? They're fucking huge, man. Some windows? The little pixel dude could barely stick his arm through it.

Other than that, shadows, better lights effects. Plus everything that's been said until now.

shadow for realll

anyone saw the 32th pit story or something ? those shadow were awesome

 

[2Rec]

Other than that, shadows, better lights effects. Plus everything that's been said until now.

shadow for realll

anyone saw the 32th pit story or something ? those shadow were awesome

Yeah, but they were photoshoped. Good shadows as part of the sprites are impossible i guess.

I would add half-floors sprites to the list, something like a halfway of a 1 floor/mountain height. (like when youre standing on a parcel or two)
And maybe some slight but smooth wind animations to the nature.
I was also thinking about more sprites hanging from a 'ceiling', like hanging signs, chains or vines/roots.

 

[Fenrisus]

Hello Anevis & everyone, i am not a greatest mapper or spriter, but on my vision (technical things) there alot of major problems and issues within outdated Tibia Map structure itself. For me this topic is interesting also, cuz i can make a my Unity3D client better There isnt a only sprite-based limitations if we look on this at deep.

Well let's go explain few limitations that i'm see here:

*Diagonal movement & Diagonal sprites. Are good idea, but there is Pre-walk and overhaul Tibia stuppid movement system. For CipSoft client, movement will works (and seems) not good.

*Implement a new types of objects (like ships in ultima online) Require Dat & Spr. Editing, some drawcode too. Generally idea is 1 object not always == 1 tile. In cause of ships for example, it can have 4(or 8) directions as outfit, and those object, contains Tile[] (Array) for char walking inside those object. Those "ship" or ground vechnicle uses map as "background" (not a tile-to-tile movement) but also calculates Trees, Mountains and other tiles as obstacles where he cant move.
All of that will allow you to make a something like that:

Spoiler

Also, it will helps with other issue, see below :

*Mixed object sizes (32x32 & 128x128 & 64x64) i.e. Extended sprite-possibilities. That would be nice to have a various sprites, with various sizes, not like those damn puzzle only from 32x32 pieces. Palletes help alot also, but, technically it's anyways 32x32.

*Objects with a few light sources. Just imagine a tree, that have a glowing fruits, and those fruits/flowers/laterns spread the some lights at night. Large tree.
Concept art. Just imagine this, but in 2D

Spoiler

Possible to make them from various parts, via using pallete. But anyways, there will be nice to see a some swap+forest tileset, that looks as those concept-art above.

And one more thing:

* Heaven biome. That's sad, but due to tilesize i cant make a nicely looking a Heaven "biome", with clouds, that moving around area. That is animated tiles, like lava or water, but here we have a blue sky as "background" and clouds moving here. Mainly problem, that "cloud" thing, should pass a few tiles and should moves. Hmm, for example, as on my old video, fog shader:

Spoiler

But this should not to be a Shader, clouds should moves same, and it's should not to be a over9000 32x32 tiles, maded from animated background for clouds. But currently, i dont see an any other alternative how to make them on the good way. (Oh no, no moving tiles or something like that, that is a definitely not a good way!)

PS.

Yeah, but they were photoshoped. Good shadows as part of the sprites are impossible i guess.

Spoiler

That is already implemented as optional feature in Tibia client on Unity3D.
Client can generate shadowmaps for objects at realtime ("first-launch").

Best regards.