I just want to bring to your attention an opinion of mine, and then I will ask you what you all think.
In my last two quests, I have changed combo #0 to a completely blank, walkable combo. It's basically like you just make a new combo, and just leave it alone.
So with this combo, every time you start a new screen, (I.e. the first click on a new screen.) the REST of the screen will not be orange, or ugly, or whatever. It'll just be BLACK. Pure, Simple, completely unrestricting, BLACK.
What do you think? Is it worth sacrificing a space on your combo page for this convenience? Rest assured, as trivial as this sounds, this DOES pay off. I am so very, very happy that I've done this.
I have been using this method for a long time already, and it is great. But instead of a black screen, I have a brown, which is actually better than black IMO.
...😮dd:.. How? 😛 I mean, really. How is brown better than black? Brown is ugly. (According to some, I'm sure. Perhaps not to you.) Would someone rather see a screen full of black, or a screen full of brown?
neon-pink... o.O
um, yeah. I've created too many maps for this to really matter to me. if it's not black/brown/neon-pink, I could really care less. and besides, the first combo in my combo pages is a solid color, and you're going to have to change all those tiles anyway, so why bother? but whatever
Oh. What I usually use as the first 4 combos in Dungeon combo pages, is that the first combo, is a blank tile, (Sure, there's one as combo 0, but.. this is just easier and faster. 😉 ) Then there's an UNwalkable version of the same, (just in case. 😉 ) and then I have two combos representing the unwalkable parts of north / south doors. Those are more useful than you'de think. 😉
I am -very- happy with this configuration. If you can show me a better one, by all means, tell us about it! :kawaii:
I use the first tile I click on to change the room from blank to grey (Or whatever the undercombo is set at when I get to the room) and then I just draw. There's no need for a perfectly black room or brown or anything else.
I did that little thing with my latest tileset and It's worked out good because when I layer, I do not have to hunt down a clear walkable combo because it's already floodfilled with it. 😛
It doesn't matter to me, I just make the quest, I don't worry how 'pretty' the screen is. :lol: Make it, test it, change it, test it again, release it. :eyebrow:
Why DarkAvenger, it's not a question of 'prettiness,' but a question of moral efficiency. 😉 How nice is it to have a screen completely blank, practically opening itself up to you whenever you start a new screen.
I'm having so much fun with this even with this alone. 
Yea, I did it so I don't have to keep painting those layer screens, I also labeled (like mountains house etc.) the combos and spread them out and placed a clear walkable at each label, so you never have to go far to grab one.
saves tons of time and aggrivation.
Thats what I do, Black, Brown, Neon Pink... It only matters what color you use as your blank... Because its the blank that is set to that combo...
I've been using this technique ever since I started using ZQuest. It makes it much much easier to not screw up on layers.
I don't really do this very much, but a method that's probably better than black is black with a white box. That way, you'll have a grid, which is even better to work off of.
Good idea. I was working with ZC just now, and every screen starts off with funny-looking sand because of the first combo.
I myself can't see any benefit. I don't really care what color the screen starts out with, I'll fill it all eventually. Or, perhaps I just misunderstand. 😮dd:
Originally posted by StarFox
I don't really do this very much, but a method that's probably better than black is black with a white box. That way, you'll have a grid, which is even better to work off of.
That's a brilliant idea! I probably start using this method. It should make things a bit easier.
It's alright, WB. 😉 It's only a minor convenience, and you probably have to do a lot of moving combos in order to get it to work. :shrug:
I tried something new this morning. My first.. like.. 16 combos, consisted of cutscene helpers, like conveyor right, unwalkable conveyor rights, (For the linked combos quest rule. Very useful. Don't forget it. 😉 ) And I've also got each combo labelled below, since they're all black. So you can first place the label down, and then replace the labels with the actual combos, then paste the layer over it. It makes it so simple, so convenient, yet safe! :kawaii:
* Goes back to toy with his new invention in ZQuest.*
Originally posted by StarFox
I don't really do this very much, but a method that's probably better than black is black with a white box. That way, you'll have a grid, which is even better to work off of.
I second what Petoe said, that's a good idea. 😃
it would be better to re-reference the red/black square to a clear tile instead of tile 0. that would take care of this in a jiffy. (1/100th of a second)