Super Mario Bros. X Forums

Mix tileset is a good thing. When I say this, I mean a desert level in which the author decides to put a ruin tileset to mix with your sand tileset, or a mountain level where the creator want to put a cloud tileset to mix with your mountain tileset. This obviously enhances the level and makes it more beautiful.
The problem is that some users exaggerate to make these mixtures, like in the case of the Kep's screen. Mix two beach tilesets was totally ugly and unnecessary, in the same way that some level have a lot of grass tilesets, or castles tilesets, this only worsens the level.
Of course, in some cases have 2 tilesets with the same theme is very good, as in the case of many castles I have ever seen in SMBX with two tilesets that have been made to join between. But many users make the absurdity of mixing a SMW tileset with a custom tileset, and also with different colors. As I said before, it is ugly and unnecessary. (Sorry Kep, but mix beach, green grass and that ship was a bad idea)

I don't really like the idea though of mixing two tilesets that's the exactly has the same theme (for example two desert tilesets) but doesn't look the same. I mean let's take Kep's screen as an example. Having two beach tilesets makes the level look messy in my opinion. Instead he could've used a sand tileset or something.

2 slightly different shades of the same color clash. For example, mixing different types of wood clashes.

No, they don't. This is what we call "color variety".

Yes, it can be done bad and clash, but anything else can, from simple tileset mixing or decorating levels to level designing in general.

From what I see, mixing tileset does a lot more good than harm and I think, if done right, mixing tilesets can make a level look very aesthetically pleasing.

If we're going to pick on Kep here, well, he's a pretty good example of what NOT to do when it comes to mixing tiles. His screens mix so many different tilesets of the same theme and none of them are edited to go well with each other and end up messy. If someone is intending to mix tilesets, chances are changing one or the other will be required.

I'm a-ok with mixing tilesets, but honestly, the screenshot in the OP is a mess. There's a a random ship with grass, flowers and a tree growing out of it for some reason. A random one tile block sticking out of the right landmass (which also for some reason has a tree growing out of it...). There's little sense of thematic consistency in the screenshot as it feels like scenery was placed for having scenery.

I'm not opposed to other people mixing tilesets, but I do think it's pretty unnecessary most of the time. I don't mix tilesets very often, because it's a time-consuming process for barely any benefit. Sometimes, it's necessary to the levels theme, like when you mix ruins with grass, for example. But I don't like the idea of just mixing tilesets for the sake of it. When you don't mix tilesets all the time, it makes the theme of the level far more special when you actually do mix them, and makes the theme of that level stand out. So what I'm trying to say is that you should mix tilesets only on occasion, and focus more on the gameplay of the level itself. But I guess it doesn't really matter; if other's want to mix tilesets, let them mix the tilesets.

Tileset mixing in itself is not a bad thing if the designer does the following things:

- Transition from one area to another.
- Is the environmental context of the level. (If you want to portray a crashed airship on a grassy plan do it as long as it is the defining environmental theme. Using different tilesets without regard to the environmental context is better off not being there at all.)
- If the art style is compatible with one another as long as the designer is taking either of the above points.

There may be more tips I'm missing (tell me what I'm currently missing to expand on this)but I'm currently convinced this is all that needs to be stated on when tileset mixing is okay.