Maps

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Vladamir Begemot, Jan 14, 2017.

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  1. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

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    I know they've been discussed, here's my version, put into an argument for why the current method is immersion breaking.

    You're trying to get the feeling of being in a land without the fancy interface of modern MMO's, no exclamation points, no easy to use map, no minimap. A time of adventure and discovery without artificial help.

    I respect the idea and was into it at first, although it's always a dangerous proposition to "make players play the way we want."

    Looking back at the map of Ardoris.

    1) I can't "roll out" my map! It's in a tiny window that can't be resized. Allow me to resize it and I might actually use them. When I discovered I couldn't enlarge the map window they were pretty much done to me, and I went to our hero and saviour, SotAmap.

    2) Ruinic all over them. Ok, we're in a pretend market based economy. The maps of the day are totally unreadable to 99% of the new people in the world, the Outlanders. Some enterprising map maker in New Brittania would have gone through and translated it by this point in our history.

    3) Low rez. Again, someone would have done a new, competing map, and put the old map making company out of business.

    4) No writing on the map. I could totally write on the map if this were a real paper item.
     
  2. Presto

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    /agree
     
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  3. Barugon

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    Yeah, maps in SotA are a big disappointment.
     
  4. Magnus Zarwaddim

    Magnus Zarwaddim Avatar

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    All your suggestions are valid, and handled by one simple skill: cartography.

    It's just that, with the size of the team and the size of the budget, this is likely not a priority. Although, to be sure, it'd be great if maps are in the Q1 2017 roadmap under "UI Improvements". Fingers crossed.
     
  5. Innascual Inch

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    Argument very well laid out @Vladamir Begemot. In-game maps have been a core feature of RPG's for so long now that to not have one at all will just give new/potential customers another reason to stop playing what is already a complex game.

    The other reason a map is important in game is many people have a bad sense of direction, and are always lost without one.

    I think a more usable in-game map really needs to be on the R1 roadmap.

    Perhaps use a "fog of war" mechanic for it? That would keep the sense of adventure.

    @Berek should see this thread.
     
  6. Vladamir Begemot

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  7. Rennik

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    I agree with this... the maps are almost completely useless as they currently are. And not being able to zoom in or scale the map doesn't help either. I end up swapping over to my browser and looking up how to get somewhere.... talk about a break in immersion! And I can read the runic stuff pretty well ( I did a lot of that back in my Ultima Online days), but the place I'm often trying to find isn't what's labeled on the map. In that respect, it would be very nice to be able to "write" on our maps; perhaps even shop owners could label their shop on a town map, and give them out like sales flyers! ;)
     
  8. Raistlyn

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    +1
    Agreed!
     
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  9. Vladamir Begemot

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    Hey I've got a shop near your death ship now, @Raistlyn !
     
  10. Raistlyn

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    Nice! Ill check it out Ive been saving gold up :)
     
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  11. Belladonna Rose

    Belladonna Rose Bug Hunter

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    i quite agree that the ingame maps we have in our packs should be more usable. Being able to label and track things on the map ourselves would make them more useful than just a deco item or item space used in inventory and in chests. With the so called changes coming to backpack inventory i wont have much space for carrying maps. Would be nice if a map could be opened and displayed on the wall or table....i would like to see a cartographer tool....sextant and such. Would look nicely on my desk. LOL. But making use of certain things in game would make more sense
     
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