How to make a Forest Level: RPG Maker MV/MZ Tutorial

In this video tutorial for RPG Maker, I go over how to design a forest level for RPG Maker. Starting the research for this video I realized that I had to talk about more than just making a forest level look good. I also had to go into the depths of what exactly makes a level. I'll probably have to elaborate more on this in an RPG Dojo Episode or something.
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If this is your first time on the channel seeing one of my videos then a huge 'Welcome to Level Up Design.' On this channel, I share tips and tricks, tutorials, and overall RPG related content. If you want even more knowlege on the general topic of game design then here are some of the books I read when studying games design in university.
The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Third Edition - amzn.to/3zkOh5H
Good game design happens when you view your game from as many perspectives as possible, and award-winning author Jesse Schell presents over 100 sets of questions to ask yourself as you build, play and change your game until you finalise your design.
Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals - amzn.to/3OFeRw8
A unified model for looking at all kinds of games, from board games and sports to computer and video games. As active participants in game culture, the authors have written Rules of Play as a catalyst for innovation, filled with new concepts, strategies, and methodologies for creating and understanding games.
Any Amazon links in this description are affiliate links, meaning that if you decide to purchase something, LvL Up Design will earn a commission.

[@LvLUpDesign]

You know what would be really cool? If you scrolled back up and hit that like button! It really helps youtube get my videos out to more people. And if you really love what I do then consider subscribing as well!

[@holdthetruthhostage]

My big question is is there a plugin for making an action RPG with MZ

[@dietrichdietrich7763]

Forest Levels are Definitely going to be an themed element good thing I watch these tutorials like yours online, studying.

[@AdrianoRodrigues]

What i found the most interesting about your videos, is how you ellaborate the whole design process and explain it in such a condensed but informative way. Nicely done

[@刘月-p8k]

This is the best RPG Maker tutorial I've ever found!

[@atriom]

I totally agree with you about the "rule" of "If you don't need a level, don't have a level"... But I would add a personal point of view me. In some games levels are there to create the feeling of vastiness, hidding some itens or new places without anything really special in it. We can see it in Skyrim for instance... In my RPG game "Waldenses: In Search of Truth" I did it... There is a lot of places created to give this feeling of vastness, the feeling of being lost in a big world where you can find things anywhere. Tks for your video!

[@rpgmakerfan1263]

Wow. Great tutorial. It's so deep. I hope you will do more of tutorials like this, it really helps!

[@LvLUpDesign]

Definately the plan. I also plan to do Level Design Case Studies as well. But when it comes to level design, "My favourite subject before and at college" there is a lot of psychology involved. This was only scratching the surface.

[@xycozone]

Started to watch this to see you work you magic on forest design, and got an added bonus of how to properly lay out a level, thank you so much for this, it's gonna be a big help for me. BTW, since i have neither the time nor the funds to go to school for this kind of stuff, I have my own class watching your tutorials.. thanks again man,

[@kuddlycritiques]

Woo! You’re almost at 1,000 subs! Congrats my man! I’ve been on youtube for 7 years and I’m still only at 200 subs.

[@LvLUpDesign]

Thanks! Almost there. I watch a lot of Nick Nimmin and Think Media to increase my skills regarding KZbin. Most important thing is Good Titles and Thumbnails, followed by having good SEO.

[@kuddlycritiques]

@@LvLUpDesign Yeah. As a video editor and thumbnail maker I agree.

[@Levi_The_One_The_Only]

Y'all really gonna scroll by without saying hello to Scotch

[@LvLUpDesign]

This is my favourite comment that I have ever received.

[@leplusgrandsoin8656]

That s awesome ! Quick question : how do you make your tree overlap ? Thanks a lot.

[@lastsonoftennessee9895]

"If you don't need a level, don't have a level." Me: Well, it wouldn't be much of a game, without levels.

[@LvLUpDesign]

If you need a level, have a level. But if you don't NEED a level, don't have a level.

[@slimmy478-6]

Good but i dont like those trees the RTP trees are very small and cant make my own as well Got any suggestions?

[@Fissan_Poulsen]

You can find tons of free assets on forums.rpgmakerweb

[@Fissan_Poulsen]

. come without e.

[@slimmy478-6]

@@Fissan_Poulsen but if i wanna go commercial then its gonna get complicated no?

[@Fissan_Poulsen]

​@@slimmy478-6 I don't think so, most of the free assets are free for commercial aswell, but most people expect you to credit them in your game. You can read the terms of use in the threads where you find the assets. To me the most complicated thing is, when you have alot of stuff, to store it and organize on your computer having in mind you need to know who made all the specific assets. BTW. Another way to find alot of stuff is by searching ''Grannys list rpg maker'' on google.

[@slimmy478-6]

@@Fissan_Poulsen nice And btw you know how i can make a night time map and a dark one inside? Do i need photoshop or can i do it in the engine?

[@natetoopi567]

Is that an Aussie accent?

[@LvLUpDesign]

Maybe

[@natetoopi567]

Cool...

[@RedMageGaming]

I'd like to add, that you should be adding more tint events on that bridge to also remove the tint should the player backtrack towards the entrance again. Otherwise its more of a "did it become night time?" kind of situation and not a oh its darker under the forest canopy. This as well as you come to the forests exit area should have events to tint and untint the screen. It's important to mention this, as a lot of people watching these tutorials may forget to actually do so, because they spend more time in the editor and not running the game to test things until far later and may not understand why its behaving the way it does.

[@LvLUpDesign]

Good points! Everything that was said here ^^

[@ahmedtaraque]

I was a very in depth tutorial. I really liked it. Hope to see more tutorials like that.

[@LvLUpDesign]

Glad you liked it! As I was doing the research for this video, I realised that It had to be so in-depth, otherwise it would just teach bad habits. I almost split this video into 2 parts.

[@stuf159]

You were a very in depth tutorial?

[@johncolon4461]

Get this man more subs!

[@LvLUpDesign]

My name is Lvl Up Design and I endorse this statement!

[@jdring]

Interesting thoughts, but some thing that puts me always of is stuff like a log blocking my way until I find an axe. I know, it's just an example, but it's typical. And seriously, how plausible is it for some by adventurers to be blocked off by ... a log? Which can be overcome by ... an axe, dangling somehwere in the forest? What I want to say: don't be lazy about the theming of liittle things. Some swampy, sticky floor would be a more credible obstacle, and an old fellow in a hut knowing his way around in this forest, who gives you some planks to put under your shoes is more believable.

[@dmas7749]

would that be any better if instead of finding a white mage, you found a berserker who used an axe and they cut down the log, and if the log was used to cross water instead?

[@jdring]

@@dmas7749 Yeah, probably. That said, it's difficult to imagine that some battle-hardened characters aren't capable of bringing down a tree. But finding an axe would sound way more useful here than in the initial scenario from the tutorial, even without a berserker! Additionally, one would have explain then why there wasn't bridge in the first place - I mean, you were following a path through the woods, right? In that case, the it's probably better to say: the bridge is just broken, maybe even due to some events/characters relevant for the plot (to allow some foreshadowing). Anyway, I just wanted to appeal to game designers/level designers not to be lazy about these details. There are probably many better solutions out there than those I came up with. ;)

[@callmecrazy8677]

Damn man. I've been rolling through your tutorials as a bit of a refresher and getting myself up to speed, (coming back from years ago during the XP era lol) and I never stopped to notice your subscriber base. Your tutorials are phenomenal and I honestly just assumed you had a great deal more. You deserve more. Given some time I'm sure you'll get a little exposure and really blow up. This is great content man, keep at it yeah?

[@benjaminrackley6117]

Well, I wrote a story and it starts with a forest. So...I guess it should work. Cutscenes, story development, new character, practice mechanics...yup.

[@studioarentain3960]

Please do more level tutorials!! Like prison dungeons, deserts, castles, volcanoes, and more!! Ur tips are the best!

[@brittanyg7700]

Excellent tutorial 👌 And I loved watching the mapping of the forests. On a random note, what was the song you played during the speed mapping? I really enjoyed it

[@LvLUpDesign]

Thanks :) As for the song, I got it from the youtube audio library but it's this one here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoCVdperobBqY7s&ab_channel=NoCopyrightMusic

[@brittanyg7700]

@@LvLUpDesign Thank you so much! I've listened to some of those, but never heard this one before.

[@Olan09]

Don't forget your fantasy world is likely not to be high tech or overly advanced. It will be like Middle Earth or like our Earth one or two thousand years ago. It will have forests where there land had not been cleared. There are,or were, forest regions like this in modern times, in countries such as Hungary. What I'm saying is I understand don't put something there for the fun of it. I am also saying don't forget what I've said. Your characters may have to travel through forests to reach a destination. On the journey they are likely to encounter forest denizens. Some of these denizens may not be friendly. In the end, why can't you wander through the forest, and enjoy the scenery? All the time fending off Orcs or some snotty mage? Half the fun of RPGs.

[@Olan09]

Good tutorial, but please don't speed up the quest start. Some of us would like to follow this and place it in our games. I know you can "muck around"with RPG Maker MZ or what have you. I t is still enjoyable to see how to do this. I'm still learning.

[@drunicks8347]

Not sure if you're keepin' up on comments from this video anymore... but you look a lot like Jack Harkness from doctor who!

[@rabbidninja79]

Hey, is there a way to do a day/night cycle? Also, im having an issue making a keyed door open from the top, any tips?

[@fordusfiresoul]

great tutorial! Request: in a future video could you talk about the hit and dodge chance? I notice you kept the monsters at the default 95% hit and 5% evade. A lot of designers recommend changing it to 100% and 0%, because they feel that giving the occasional miss doesn't add much but a feeling of frustration for the player when the RNG doesn't go their way.

[@LvLUpDesign]

I'll have to make that video. In regards to that though, having an evasion rate is something that I think is important. Making sure that players know that their super powerful spell has a change to miss. I prefer they use buff spells to increase their chance to hit.

[@volourn9764]

@@LvLUpDesign I actually prefer seeing characters miss O tend to have chance to hit range from 60-80%. Maybe because I'm a D&D player and missing is part of that combat system more than it is in the RPGmaker/FFish style.

[@dmas7749]

@@volourn9764 personally i don't like it that low, as i only use about 70 for skills that are supposed to be inaccurate. it depends on the game anyway.

[@PchipsPresents]

This video is in my favorites of yours along with the Grayboxing one, the Parallax lighting one, the Parallax Mapping of the item shop one, and the Airship one. Cheers

[@JohnnyYates-b5r]

Moore Shirley Allen Barbara White Kimberly

[@blazequakes]

Awww Hi Scotch! (Cute puppy) And i found you a few days ago your really helpful in everything rpg maker

[@LvLUpDesign]

I'm glad! Thanks for the support. "And Scotch says hello too."

[@lobocune]

Saw doggy, immediate like. Joke aside, just found this channel a few days ago and your content rocks! Keep working on it!

[@Zahuranecs]

Ocarina of time- Link grows up in a forest, Lost woods. Very prominent area

[@tissle7834]

(two years later) Hello Scotch.

[@maxarmstrong9798]

i feel like a game that had levels with no purpose would be omori. they were great levels, but had nothing to do with the story most of the tine

[@adexosdrako5076]

Me seeing Vast forest and Otherworld: Both of u are the only useful...

[@toddgilmore118]

Love your tutorials, I'm really stuck on my RPG Maker MV game!! Can anybody offer help with how to select any 1 of 5 different guns to add a MOD to upgrade them I custom made? Example would be,... Talk to merchant, he asks you which gun you wish to MOD and you select "Next Weapon.." from a choice box until you have the one you want to MOD. but also need all this to work using whoever is in the Party for members. I'm totally lost here! Any help really be appreciated, hopefully without the use of any custom scripts. Just want to use conditional branches within the question of "which weapon?" such as "MOD Pistol?", "MOD Rifle", "MOD Assault Rifle" etc...selectable by user!

[@3d-sbsbestx-tremehdvideos332]

Very good inspirational thanks, im doing an Scottish Forest in a Island so make all like is the same but dont make repetitive maps, very good mapping desing!

[@sotoro2154]

Cut sceen :D

[@TheOriginalKayo]

Last! Err... Uhm... Can I get points for being 2 years late? 😂

[@LvLUpDesign]

Congratulations. You win! But how long will you hold this title?

[@TheOriginalKayo]

@LvLUpDesign That's the true question! Also... Whaaaaut! You replied! I was giddy as a school girl meeting the face on that giant poster on her wall. 🤣🤣

[@LvLUpDesign]

@@TheOriginalKayo You don't. . . have . . A giant poster of my face on your wall. . . do you?

[@TheOriginalKayo]

@LvLUpDesign 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 No, no. The Wife might not appreciate it. Would probably clash with her decorating. 🤣🤣

[@Demonskunk]

This RTP is so hideous. Nice video though. Very thoughtful.

[@Cuprite1024]

I think it looks fine tbh. There are a couple of exceptions of course (The dungeon tree wall tiles aren't great specifically), but generally speaking, it does its job well and, at least to me, it ain't an assault on the eyes, so I don't mind it. :P

[@exraielvalcore8769]

Backstab, Thy waits in the shadows & reaps the best reward, 20,000 Souls Collected.

[@LvLUpDesign]

I understand.

[@jejejeje4698]

Hi LvL! Can you help me find some good looking sails that match Pandamarus MV ship. There are some good looking for XP and VX, but not for MV and MZ. Where do you get the latest free tileset? Mvh!

[@LvLUpDesign]

Free tilesets, pretty much Panda for that one. Most tilesets are paid.

[@jejejeje4698]

@@LvLUpDesign Is that so? Where do you buy tilesets that match the originals from MV? All these bundels and stuff from steam, hard for me to navigate trough all the trash... Mvh

[@mativaldez12]

28:15 "Cutscene" misspelled.. Great advice, like your videos..

[@LvLUpDesign]

:( Of course I never notice this when editing. Glad you like the video!

[@mativaldez12]

@@LvLUpDesign love the channel.. i'm watching them all... If you can, make one about creating an action rpg plugin to male Zelda style games on RPG maker mz..

[@nobihazagamelover3659]

First forever😁

[@LvLUpDesign]

You are good at this!

[@nobihazagamelover3659]

@@LvLUpDesign yeah 😁

[@Popsicleed]

I love you

[@PFGFrankly]

you got my sub

[@iLikeMyOwnPosts]

cut sceen

[@Rawrlz]

I wish you showed HOW to make characters join the party and leave as well.

[@HyperNova137]

He covered that more than 2 years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXqtgmV7d92Nrrs

[@abluntuser940]

It's very simple! All you have to do is go to your System settings in the maker, and find "Change party members" You can increase/decrease them. You can sync this sorta thing to an event quite easily. I think LvL Up Design's main purpose is to show us more about game designing, (why you should implement general things) rather than exactly how to do something specific.

[@LvLUpDesign]

Pretty much everything has already been said. But yes I have 2 videos on this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqm1mqarfcyDprM&t or kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXqtgmV7d92Nrrs