In traditional RPG Maker series, making maps usually involves the use of “tiles” such as grass meadows, buildings, map objects, etc., and placing them one by one in the editor manually. This gives the user a lot of freedom to create anything they want, but it becomes quite difficult when a larger map is desired.

In RPG Maker Unite, users will have access to the option to load pre-made images as the base of maps, as a default feature! This feature is known as “Parallax Mapping” in the RPG Maker community.

By using Parallax Mapping, the map-making process becomes much quicker and easier, because all the user needs to do is to place extra parts (e.g. buildings) and tiles to decorate a little bit and voila, a new map is born!

—Parallax Mapping allows using images as a map’s base. After that, simply decorate it with other parts and tiles where necessary!

—Compared to just using tiles, Parallax Mapping is easier to make complex shapes and curves, giving users far more creative freedom!

■ Using “Large Parts” to Quickly Add Map Elements—Almost Like a Sandbox Game

Parallax Mapping is not the only addition to make map-making a more enjoyable experience! Now there is also a new category of assets called “Large Parts”.

Like its name suggests, Large Parts like houses, trees, and castles can be placed quickly onto maps with just a few mouse clicks! Map-making now feels more like a game as opposed to a full-time job than it was before!

Even better, because Large Parts are their own PNG files, users can share their custom Large Parts with others too!

—Editor user interface for selecting Large Parts.

■ Master and Combine All Three for Maximum Creative Freedom

While in this article we put our focus on introducing Parallax Mapping and Large Objects, it is important to remember that Tiles are still a great way to make maps in RPG Maker Unite, as they traditionally always were!

Once the users learn the pros and cons of each type of map building tool, they can then mix and match what best suits what they want to create depending on the situation, allowing for much greater creative freedom than in the past!

We, the Dev Team, are also very excited about what the talented RPG Maker community can make in their future games, given how much more empowerment RPG Maker Unite‘s new map editor brings!

—Default asset samples of Parallax Mapping and Large Parts.

—Upon finishing, users can then start defining collision settings for the map, making it game-ready for characters to walk around on!

In our Dev Log #5 scheduled for the end of this month, we will be making a deeper dive on Parallax Mapping and Large Parts, such as how they are actually used. For those who are interested in learning more, please stay tuned to our Dev Log #5 on Steam!