Every once in a while, we all have to step back and look at the big picture; to see what lies beyond us, where we truly belong, what we really are….and, sometimes, we just need to know where to slap down a city. Today’s update is going to look at how we do one of those things, and it’s not the first three. That’s right, today, Mars is talking about map-making.

Before getting started on anything even resembling a map, I talk with the rest of the team to get an idea of what the area is going to look like. How is the spacing between the buildings? The elevation? Road structure? Architectural style? Even music alone can be an excellent indicator of an area’s style. The more that we decide on at this early stage, the less that needs to be figured out when working on the final product. I like to make a rough sketch of the place so I can make sure that I fully understand the general idea of the area, as well as sort out any potentially troublesome perspective issues. If there’s something I wasn’t quite sure of, now’s the best time to clear it up.

Once we know where we’re going, our writer (or another lead of the area) tells me exactly what they need in the layout. This can be anything from a list of all the buildings and set-pieces in town to a fully labeled diagram suggesting size and space relation of each individual element. Don’t let the simplicity fool you- these little masterpieces are an incredible help in speeding up the final layout’s creation.

With all of my reference laid out before me, I work on a large final map in layers of color pencil and ink. I block out the shape of the land, buildings, trees and water in various hues before diving in with a pen, carving out the details as I go along. After finally filling the map from one end to the other with line work, I take a picture of it into photoshop and get rid of the color. The result is the crisp renditioning of the entire land you see below, which will be passed on to the sprite artists to be brought to life in full-color pixelated glory.

You’re right, that IS a small map. I can hardly see anything in it myself. Well, that’s why we’re giving you an extra present today- right here.

Print it, frame it, give it a little shrine, but FIRST, make sure you check out today’s screenshot!