I agree with this post except the last sentence. While I don't mind cramped screens, I generally prefer if screens give breathing space and I can freely move about. I wouldn't say that's boring. If you feel like you're making boring open screens, then make them less boring. That said, I don't think Demonlink's screen is cramped, but not entirely open either. It's in between, and that's fine. 
When I said, "That would be boring.", I imagined a bunch of screens following the, "Leave it open!" mentality, and pretty much all of them designed in very similar fashions, with the same boarders in the corners, and the same open space in the center. I suppose those screens don't have to be like that, and you can make wide open screens, and still have them look unique and different from any other screen, if you're creative with your tile sticking, but I think their are exceptions to the rule. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be constantly bumping into crap while I'm playing, but I think certain areas kind of warrant a cramped feel to them, like an underground dungeon, (dungeon, in this case, meaning a prison deep underneath a castle), or an overgrown forest or garden. I think as long as you don't put a crap-ton of enemies on these screens, and you give just enough room for the player to move around, these kinds of screens can be acceptable.
Just my views, though. I haven't used Zquest in awhile, so I don't know if my thoughts are valuable...
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