Creating a Parallax Map with RPG Maker VX: Tips and Tricks

In this tutorial, we'll be exploring how to create a beautiful parallax map using RPG Maker VX. As someone who has recently taught themselves the art of parallax mapping, I'm excited to share my process and offer some helpful tips along the way.

To start, let's duplicate the upper tree group and make it easier to work with multiple layers at once. This will also allow us to combine all the tree layers once we're happy with their placements. Next, we'll create a copy of the tree layer/layers and highlight exactly what I've done for the top layer (Overlay) in a screen shot later on.

For the reeds layer, we want to erase the parts that will be underwater. One effective way to do this is to delete most of the bottom of the layer and then use the blur tool to slightly blur the bottoms so they blend in with the water. This will give us the funny-looking objects you see in the picture.

Next, I'll explain what I've done for the reeds that are poking out of the water. By creating a copy of the weeds on a separate layer, we can get the effect of them sticking out of the water. In the screenshot above, I've circled some odd-looking objects – these are simply reeds placed in the water, with a copy saved on a separate layer.

So, let's take a look at an in-game screen of the map I'm using for this tutorial. If people find this tutorial useful and want to learn more about implementing maps into a project using scripts, I'd be happy to do a follow-up tutorial on that topic as well.

About the Tutorial

This tutorial assumes a basic knowledge of RPG Maker VX Ace and focuses specifically on the process of creating a parallax map. It will not cover how to implement a parallax map in your project – that's for another time! I've used CELIANNA tiles for this example, so you can see what they look like in action.

As this is my first tutorial ever, bear with me and let me know what you think. I'm excited to share my process with you and hope you find it helpful in creating your own parallax maps using RPG Maker VX.

Rpg maker vx parallax mapping