What makes a good map and a bad map?

[StaleCupcake]

As the title says.. what makes a maps layout good or bad?

I'm curious to hear your suggestions as I've seen it discussed that some maps are better or worse than others.

 

[moonchu]

a 'good' or 'bad' map are all subject to interpretation. how do you like traveling around your town, are you able to work around rocks / lakes or would you rather just have less? does shape of grass matter to you or type of fruit, or would you rather have great starting villagers instead.

'good' or 'bad' are always preferences. there is no real 'better' or 'worse' map.

 

[savanna]

Spoiler: good map

• mostly symmetrical
• not too many ponds that obstruct things
• native fruit: oranges/apples
• tons of space for PWPs

Spoiler: bad map

• native fruit: pears
• small strips of land
• not a lot of space

 

[jlee102083]

i like looking for open space and a river that isn't really curvy. i try to find straight rivers and open space for me to do things with villagers and PWPs. it's also nice having retail close to the train station so that it's close to main street and train station if you plan to do trades/sell villagers/turnips. the lake placement is important too bc you don't want it blocking your paths. it's really all preference though.

 

[lazuli]

people seem to like maps that have 1 pond (the one thats near retail) and as few rocks as possible. small strips of land are bad and everybody hates on pears. plazas in the middle and no private beaches are favored.

 

[Debra]

(..) no private beaches are favored.

Really?! I thought private beaches were a big ++

 

[lazuli]

Really?! I thought private beaches were a big ++

well at least i dont think they are. youd have to put on your wetsuit and swim around to it and blegh. mine is small so its not worth the effort.

 

[gumdrop]

I have one long beach and then a tiny little part of it cut off, I like it since I can just bury the pitfall seed there and no one can fall into it haha

 

[Apollyna]

I like mine because it has few ponds (1-3, I can't remember) and you can connect Main St. to the Plaza to the Dock in a straight line. Re-Tail is very close to the train station and town hall is up out of the way, as well. Basically everything I was looking for as I reset. :3

I did really want a vertical river end, to get a waterfall that faces the camera, but this layout is good enough without that. I also got apples as my main fruit, which is pretty nice!

 

[StaleCupcake]

Really loving your map's layout, gumdrop!

 

[molas]

A good map is what you make of it. I don't like plazas that are immediately off the train station though usually. My first town had one and it bothered me.

 

[StaleCupcake]

everybody hates on pears.

I noticed looking around the forums that pears aren't very liked. What gives?

 

[gumdrop]

maybe because to most people they probably don't look as good/"pretty" as the other fruits idk

 

[Stitched]

I just hate how the perfect pears look really no different or prettier. They're just yellow instead of green.

I don't like private beaches. I work around rocks, but I like ponds.

 

[oranje]

What makes a good or bad map is pretty subjective so it just depends on your personal tastes. For me, I like having a lot of secret places so that means little strips of land for PWPs and little islands. I'm not picky though so I just chose the first map I got and I'm happy with it.

 

[mono]

It's up to you!

Personally, I like having a large lake in the river that's centered, and I hate when the the river deposits into a waterfall if there's a little sliver of beach. Also I like long beaches so I don't have to check 2 different beaches.

 

[Trickilicky]

The only things I personally look for in a map is an interesting river shape (I got one that's like a little staircase, I think it's so cool) and no more than two ponds as they do take up quite a bit of space (although I have 3 in mine lol). I don't mind what fruit I have (although I do hate pears irl), what grass I have, or whether my waterfall is facing south, north or upside down and inside out. Like previous posters have said, a town is what you make of it. You could find the 'perfect' map with all the apples and blue roof-train stations you like, but unless you're willing to put in the time and effort and be creative, you'll always be unsatisfied with your town. No you personally, though, I mean the 'royal' you

 

[12345]

Totally stealing savanna's formatting here.

What makes a good map (in my dumb opinion):

• Apples as native fruit (the perfect apples are gorgeous srsly)
• Circle grass (for starry snow :3 )
• Short river
• No more than 2 ponds, preferably just 1 as they're a waste of space
• No private beach
• South-facing waterfall
• Town plaza in the centre (this is so vitally important to me)
• Little nook for your house near the waterfall and beach (so you can hear the sea)
• Everything really spread out
• Retail near the docks
• Small but relatively decently sized strip of land at the top for the campsite so it's out of the way as it's ugly when no one is camping in it

What makes a bad map (again just in my opinion):

• Pears, peaches or oranges as native fruit
• Triangle grass
• Long windy river that takes up most of the town
• Small strips of land where you can't place anything
• And basically just the opposite of the stuff I mentioned above i.e. town plaza to the side, North-facing waterfall etc

I'm sure there are plenty of people with rad towns whose maps are what I'd consider to be 'bad' but are still hella awesome to them.

 

[badcrumbs]

I don't like the little strips of land that only give you one way in and out of the area. My only complaint!

 

[Beauchamp]

What makes a good map (in my dumb opinion):
[*]Circle grass (for starry snow :3 )

http://accf.wikispaces.com/Grass

The Triangle grass makes starry snow! Circle grass makes pentagons, I think.