Grading: aesthetics category
The look and feel of a map is as subjective as it can get. But there are some things that you can objectively confirm:
- (1) Stratum textures should not look (obviously) tiled
- (2) Decals are to be used to accentuate the heightmap and stratum textures
- (3) Unpathable bits should be well-communicated
- (4) Terrain type is to be used - it matters more than you'd think
And a few personal suggestions:
- (5) No perlin noise ocean floors
- (6) No maps that are surrounded by mountains
A few examples of maps with little to none of these issues:
- Cadmium Green
- Perrote Glacier
- Zerg Canyon
- Adaptive Mars - Mangala Fossa
- Amoor
A few examples of maps with some to many of these issues:
- Rainmakers Survival (problems with 1, 2 and 3)
- Hardshield Oasis (problems with 1 and 2)
- Adaptive Islet (problems with 1, 2 and 5)
To immediately bust a possible miss conception: just because you use map-wide decals doesn't mean your map is going to look better. They are a great tool. But they are only one part of the machine and it happens to be notoriously difficult to get right.
There are many options to give you an edge in this section. You can experiment with the lighting and water settings. You can also look into subtle weather. Another useful tool is the use of color theory to find well-matching textures. And speaking of textures: you can always use custom textures found online.
