Making a Custom Overworld

[javs]

Hello,

Recently I got this idea of making a world map wallpaper using videogame graphics, so I googled a lot and found this: http://dzasv7x7a867v.cloudfront.net/product_photos/297059/plumbersempire_original.jpg.

Im thinking on making something similar to that but Golden Sun style. So I found this great forum, read about Atrius hacking history and checked a lot of resources. I've been studying the TLA_WorldMap.gif set on a 16 and 32 pixels grid but Im having trouble on replicating some graphics in order to create a custom world map shape.

My question is, how is the overworld generated?

Inside the sprites package, I didnt see the overworld elements, such as mountains, grass, sand, trees. Is there any way to get those? or how to reproduce them on a custom shape?

Thanks so much for any help.

[Daddy Poi's Oily Gorillas]

Mountains/grass/etc are part of the Tileset, so you won't find them in the Sprites section. The place to look for them would be in the Data Viewer, I can't remember for sure if Atrius added compatibility to display those tilesets in his editor, but I do know he never got to displaying the map itself. (It seems.)

In VisualBoyAdvance, go to Tools>Tile Viewer, Pick the 256 colors option, and Charbase 06008000 to see the tileset loaded in VRAM. Different tilesets are loaded in tis spot depending on where you are on the map. (The original is the Field one you see in most places, but there's also Snow, Wateralls, and there might be a fourth one.)

If you check VBA's Map Viewer, you will see it shows the map in its unturned state... the rotation/turning, I believe, might be done in the I/O section.

Tip:
-Debug mode: For GS2, 03001238:01, and holding the L shoulder button will allow you to walk through walls.
-Since you are working with making Wallpaper, I might as well suggest the Printscreen can copy your screen to clipboard allowing you to paste to a paint document. (Alt+Printscreen will copy the active window instead of the whole screen.)


Edit: Forgot to say that in Tools>Memory viewer, the map data is probably loaded to 02020000 for World Map, and 02010000 for other maps. (Atleast, I think?) Most data from 02010000 to 02030000 seems to be Map based regardless.

[Luna_blade]

Recently I got this idea of making a world map wallpaper using videogame graphics, so I googled a lot and found this: http://dzasv7x7a867v.cloudfront.net/product_photos/297059/plumbersempire_original.jpg.

Okay. First off, that map has been made using custom tiles or is just drawn
Big parts may show similarity with the original tileset, but some pieces can't be made using the tileset.
What I like to point out, is that you will have to make custom tiles for the GS world map OR increase the size. You might already know that but just to be sure.

Mountains/grass/etc are part of the Tileset, so you won't find them in the Sprites section. The place to look for them would be in the Data Viewer, I can't remember for sure if Atrius added compatibility to display those tilesets in his editor, but I do know he never got to displaying the map itself. (It seems.)

I agree on the tileset, but something bothers me: In the northern reaches there are single trees that eventually overlap Felix' sprite as you walk past them. Also the forests in the overworld have some kind of layer system. So is that done differently or is there really a different layer?

I was once planning to rip Northern reaches with the correct tile, but I did something else because it was to much work: I took the Northern reaches map and changed colours until it looked like the real thing.

As you can see, some things are still not right because of the tiles.

[Daddy Poi's Oily Gorillas]

When you are in the forests, check the OAM Viewer and look at the sprite, the feet are not showing. That effect makes it look like the forest is overlapping your feet, when in fact, you don't have any feet, heheh. (I assume the same sprite could be used for other things like walking in water, but dunno?)

And the World Map is two layers (As seen by VBA's Map Viewer), so it's possible that it could be both. (The sprite clipping and layering system.) ;

However, when I checked the OAM Viewer and Map viewer for myself, it seems they all have priorty 2... (Priority determines what's in front or behind.)

Edit: Forgot to mention I only tested this with Jenna.

[javs]

Thanks so much for replying, Im trying to underestand everything you said, so far I was able to get the tiles from tile viewer and map viewer and only this is so useful. Now I will be able to at least recreate the worlds continents and start adding mountains, rivers, etc.

[Luna_blade]

When you are in the forests, check the OAM Viewer and look at the sprite, the feet are not showing. That effect makes it look like the forest is overlapping your feet, when in fact, you don't have any feet, heheh. (I assume the same sprite could be used for other things like walking in water, but dunno?)

And the World Map is two layers (As seen by VBA's Map Viewer), so it's possible that it could be both. (The sprite clipping and layering system.) ;

However, when I checked the OAM Viewer and Map viewer for myself, it seems they all have priorty 2... (Priority determines what's in front or behind.)

Wow, seriously? I didn't know that before.

[Salanewt]

All I know is that there are four unique tilesets: normal, world's edge, tundra, and Prox. The latter two have weird palettes in the data viewer, but I can't say whether that is because the editor reads them incorrectly or if those areas of the world map use different palettes for those regions.

Tip:
-Debug mode: For GS2, 03001238:01, and holding the L shoulder button will allow you to walk through walls.

This reminds me of something; I'm pretty sure the area where Kolima Bridge was in GS1 was used as a testing area for the Prox tileset in GS2. Might be cool to check out if you have a little time!

[Luna_blade]

All I know is that there are four unique tilesets: normal, world's edge, tundra, and Prox. The latter two have weird palettes in the data viewer, but I can't say whether that is because the editor reads them incorrectly or if those areas of the world map use different palettes for those regions.

Hmm... at least I can finally see why the purple shocks look like beaches in Atrius full map.