parallax maps

[Zattersmox 4]

I tried my hand at this a week or so ago. The blue hallway/blood image is the oldest, and as such it's not very good. Suggestions or  tips?

[SnowOwl 23]

I'd say the weakest one is the inside of the house, with not much going on at all at the bottom of the house. I'm almost inclined to say that the blue hallway is the best one, or at least the most interesting one.

[dipping dots 68]

I suggest you make it more dynamic/atmospheric. Try adding more shadows and lighting. And since its parallax, you can do anything to it, no need to stick to the grid.

[Dainiri.Art 155]

I totally agree with the above replies. Its a bit lacking in details maybe you can add more objects to kill the grid problems.
And about the last image(the house exterior) you should stick in a single style per map, the trees and other objects there kinda clash and don't match each other so I suggest if you use XP tiles use XP tiles only in the same map, unless you can match them properly. 

Edited July 20, 2015 by Dainiri

[Zattersmox 4]

Yeah, I'm really used to using the grid as a guidline xD

I'm more just dorking with these to see if I like the process of parallax mapping more than tile mapping.

[Capt_Elfimis 55]

I'm on board with the rest of the suggestion train here. I aslo think the hallway with blood is by far the most interesting simply because of it's attention to detail. 

I will say that when it comes to parallax mapping, definitely feel free to break away from the grid but just remember to keep passability in mind when it comes time to control player navigation.

[xoferew 261]

I like how the trees and bushes fit around the house in the last one.  And... is that a tea party with beer? 

[+ CVincent 234]

Staying on grid with parallax mapping isn't a bad thing to do. It keeps things neat, avoids clutter and helps with path blocking. If you have the player walking behind objects it will make it easier for the player to predict where they can and can't walk. Depending on whether you have a movement adjustment script or not should influence how you make your maps.

 

It's a good start but I'd suggest attempting to work with smaller spaces. The interior of your house has a lot of unused space that in a smaller map would look much more lively. The same goes for outdoor maps -- you can fit more detail in a smaller map  It's almost unnecessary to have a whole hallway dedicated to just the staircase.

 

Take real life examples into account when parallax mapping and it should help to make things look a little nicer.

[Capt_Elfimis 55]

 And... is that a tea party with beer? 

 

HOW DID I MISS THAT! I need to be at THAT Tea Party