How do YOU build a screen?

Barriers, objects, decorations. Simple enough order to follow.

First, I lay down the basic ground tile and cover the entire screen with it. Then I add the mountains, tree, or whatever is going to be most prominent on the screen. Then I add all the other main tiles, and I add the little details (bushes, etc.) last.

I lay down grass, dirt, sand, etc. on the screen. Then, I make a rough outline of the screen (cliffs, water, etc.). Then, I add detail.

Sadly, these days, I do it less and less, but when I do build screens, I usually start with the edges that are adjacent to already-complete screens, so that I may bear continuity in mind. Once those are complete, I finish any "thoughts" I had going into it-- rock formations, waterways, etc., that began on another screen and continued into the current one, but all the while remaining mindful of the actual paths that the player may take, and where they will lead. After all that, I flesh out whatever's still undefined with random-ish scatterings of trees and boulders, sometimes an occasional Armos, and then I go through and add imperfections and irregularities, just to make sure things look "realistic". After all that is complete, I carefully place any caves, hidden or overt, and flags and the like, and then it's monster time. When it's all done, I save my work, quit ZQuest and play whatever console game that's had my attention lately.

I do it the same way you do, mountains, water, paths, trees, and then detail. I even do the same thing with paths and the trees are also my least favorite. The only thing I do differently is I do the mountains, water, and paths on a bunch a screens at once then finish them one by one. This gets the general structure of the map I'm working down and then I can work from there. It also makes it semi-playable if I want to test something on a screen I'm working on.

To start off, I usually do mountains or trees (whichever there are more of I do first). After that, I lay down the grass sand and dirt. Then, I do water, if there's any on the screen. After that, I do all the details, like bushes, rocks, and I overlay the weather tiles, usually wind. Then to finish up, I put in all the scripts the screen needs. I think that just about does it.

Pielord wrote:I do it the same way you do, mountains, water, paths, trees, and then detail. I even do the same thing with paths and the trees are also my least favorite. The only thing I do differently is I do the mountains, water, and paths on a bunch a screens at once then finish them one by one. This gets the general structure of the map I'm working down and then I can work from there. It also makes it semi-playable if I want to test something on a screen I'm working on.

I actually used to do this. But, I find that it makes me not want to go back. To me, it get's overwhelming. I usually have a map drawn out somewhere to use for structure. Or, I'll have an idea for an area, and go with it from there.

I literally just start with whatever. However, one thing I always do is cover the screen with one type of ground combo, then make changes as necessary.

Ground combo filling is actually a huge waste of time.

I make them like
1. Walls (Mountains in exterior)
2. Trees (in exterior)
3. Water
4. Ground
5. Detail.

I always start with the ground texture.

Dungeons:

I make one screen with the ground and wall combos I want, then I copy and paste this screen onto all screens that make up the dungeon. I'll then typically shape the walls, add any necessary decorations (torches, chests, blocks, etc.), and add the floor trim. If everything looks good, I'll determine and place the enemies.

Overworlds:

Similar to dungeons, I fill the grass, dirt, or sand combo on the full screen. Then I'll add any necessary side-of-screen barriers, like trees, mountains, or water. Then I'll add the functional or aesthetic trees, mountains, and water that aren't designed to prevent you leaving the screen on a particular side. I'll wrap the screen up by placing enemies and grass decorations (like flowers, tall grass, etc.).

Overworld
1. I fill the entire screen with ground tiles(the classic tan tile if I'm using the classic tileset) so as to give me a work area and so I can see misalignments right from the start.

2. I fill in the sides map to clear out the misalignments and to match the surrounding maps. Cliff tiles, trees, etc.

3. I expand on the sides and add decoration to the map. Trees, houses, caves, lakes, waterfalls, etc are added at this time.

4. I look over my work and fix anything that needs to be fix and do little touch ups here and there in an effort to make the map look as nice as possible and to fit the surroundings.

5. I add Flags and secret combos if needed and set up item rooms, dungeons and warps.

6. I double check everything on the map one more time and save the quest.

Dungeon
I do not use Freeform Dungeons and since I usually stick with the latest version of the Classic Tileset my dungeon creation process is quite simple

1. I create a single dungeon room in your basic Zelda 1 dungeon template. I copy it.

2. I paste the map on each screen in the shape I wish to have my dungeon.

3. I enter the Dmap menu and set up the map, compass and continue points.

4. I alter each of the dungeon maps to my desires. I set up doors, monsters, bosses(not custom. Too lazy to bother with Freeform combos and other such nonsense.), items and stairs

5. I double check each of the maps to make sure everything works as it should.

6. I add puzzles where appropriate and double check again.

7. I save the quest and test play.

Nothing complicated as I don't create quests for public release and only make them for my own personal amusement. Maybe one day I'll bother with the more advanced Zquest features but that would require time I simply don't have.

Here's the approach I usually take:

[LIST=1]
[*]Draw the combos on the screen borders to ensure continuity with other screens.
[*]Draw the cliffs and mountains.
[*]Decide I need a new custom tile.
[*]Spend 4 hours getting the tile to a usable state.
[*]Draw all the ground cover combos. Half of them are on layer 4 because I just drew a tree and forgot to switch back to layer 0.
[*]Add a few animated chickens for good measure. These will be on layer 4, of course.
[*]Decide that I really drew all this stuff 1 screen too far south, and that I need more room to add some buildings. Delete the screen.
[*]Restart 1 screen north. Everything is on layer 4.
[*]Quit drawing and try out a few random ZScript ideas.
[*]Forget about it all for 4 - 6 weeks.
[/LIST]

Overworld

1. Dump the main terrain tile on the whole screen. (Or if using DoR, I usually have a sand/grass template made. Then I just copy and paste.)
2. Figure out where the crap from the surrounding screens hangs off into this one and make it make sense.
3. Add new basic crap like mountains or forest brush.
4. Add trees
5. Add detail objects
6. Add a second terrain to make it look less boring
7. Detail that.
8. Go into ZC to make sure it works properly and save about 3 times. >.>

Dungeons

1. Make the walls coming from the surrounding screens look decent.
2. Make more walls.
3. Lay down the floor.
4. Set the combo for inside of the walls.
5. Add detail until it looks decent and fits the dungeons theme.
6. Realize that it doesn't fit my standards of a dungeon.
7. Delete it, repeat 5 times.

Daputti wrote:Ground combo filling is actually a huge waste of time.

"Right-click -> Replace". Fills the ground in two seconds.

[list=1][*]Don't fill in with a terrain tile, just leave it black
[*]Add screen borders
[*]Changes to the generic terrain (so if it's grass, add dirt or road, etc.)
[*]Fill in main part of terrain now
[*]Solid Objects (trees, rocks, etc.)
[*]Non-solid ground details (flat rocks, that little curly plant from LA, etc.)
[*]Layer 2 ground detailes (such as other rocks)
[*]Put off adding functionality (secrets or whatever) for as long as I can
[*]Add functionality
[*]Enemies[/list]
That's how I do it.
I usually end up editing at least 3 scripts by the time I've finished a screen or something ridiculous like that though �_�