Overland Map Poll [UNOFFICIAL]

Have to say, big disappointment for me. My first actually. When I logged on, I expected the lush looking overland map we saw in the demo. When I didn't see it, the only solace I took was that this map was surely a placeholder. Now that I know it is for keeps, I do not know what to think. Big change that I guess I will have to get used to. I was really looking forward to the idea that was put forth in the demo. If they can really dress up the current map a lot and give it a better feel, I may grow used to it. I will try, as I am hooked on the overall vision of the game. But can I please beg you to go back to the original map idea? Pretty please?

 

I like the STYLE of the overland map.

That being said, there are obviously additions to be made such as zooming, rotating, and panning in terms of looking over the map, and a better marker for the player, roaming entities (monsters, caravans, gypsies, etc) and so on.

With the map being patterned after the cloth/paper maps of the Ultimas, I wonder if we can get optional settings for a cloth or paper texture that would add the appropriate texturing to the map based on our preference.

 

Salutations,

I thought the overland map looked like it was drawn with crayons. Disappointing, but I trust this is not the final version.

 

Not feeling the new map style. Much preferred the older style. Either way, inside the hexes is where the real action is.

 

I personally feel like any paper map style will take away from the immersion and cohesiveness of the game. I want to be able to roam and explore a world, not a map of a world.

 

This cloth map + player marker business better be gone in the real game. It looks cheesy.

If I want to play a board game, I'll play a board game.

I expect to see what was shown in the original concepts. Real models/animations/etc. We already know it's doable, given the last like 2 decades of video games.

This is supposed to be the new, all original/innovative Lord British masterpiece. I don't want to see hokey nods to Game of Thrones.

I'm tired of Game of Thrones. I was tired of it when it was still just a book and a crappy card game.

 

Really disappointed with the direction of the overland map. I just think that it dumbed down the most important part of the world and the game, which is what takes place between the towns and the dungeons: the travel, the exploration with your companions/group/guild, and maybe that's why there has been so much focus on housing. This style works for the beginning of game of thrones because...well, its just the beginning of a TV show. If this was the cutaway scene every time a character travelled between towns, lets see how popular the show would be. It feels more like a strategy game (and not even real time strategy game) like ROME than a RPG and kills the immersive quality of the game. Hell, even the older Ultima's pulled off better overland travel with stick figures. Yeah mouth dropping was a good way to describe my initial impression. Needs lots of work.

 

I was really in favor of a map similar to the Age of Wonders III video that was posted in the other thread where the map had a realistic feel and you have a character that moves around normal but when you zoom out it has the awesome paper map. I think there could be a compromise to have both ideas in the game! I honestly really dislike the little pawn and would rather have an actual smaller version of my character. Also it bothers me I can't zoom or move the camera around 360 in all directions I feel like this is a must. I completely understand that both maps were a work in progress. I really enjoy that you can click to a hex and move to it and also that the hexes are clearly displayed although the lines between them could be better defined.

 

I think it looks great. I really like the direction it's going, and I hope that it stays, at least as an option.

 

Yeah I agree it is pretty awful right now. And I realize this is just a prealpha and the map will improve some. But there really isn't that much time to release unless this game gets delayed big time. Not to mention I think they just said that the current style of the map we see now is what they are keeping. From the beginning I was uncertain about the whole dual scale map thing but figured maybe it would not be so bad. So far this is just confirming my worse fears. Still though I will cross my fingers and hope for the best. But after seeing that map it just killed any desire to play the rest of the release for me.

 

I realize this is pre-alpha and we should not have any real expectations, but I'm not sure if this is even the equivalent of a place holder map, until a better one is developed.

What I can say is, I like that you can double click where you're standing on the map and essentially transport there.

It's also surprising just how tiny this island is.

 

I can't take the game very seriously if the travel-map looks akin to what I scribble out on a vinyl hex mat every saturday when we play Rifts/D&D.

This is supposed to be some cutting edge/innovating/back to the roots game.

The D&D Goldbox game's travel maps were more believable.

 

It was innovative in the 1990s. That is getting back to the roots of Ultima.

 

The travel maps in 90s CRPGs were much more than a cloth map on screen, though.

Ever play Knights of Legend?

The dual scale maps in that still blow me away.

Why can't this game be that, done better.

 

I was being sarcastic.

Agreed, there are lots of maps that are better. This one is essentially a paper cutout style. I could put little paper dolls on it and they would look at home.

 

It looks like a Campaign Cartographer 3 demonstration.

 

I don't like this map travel double click to enter thing at all...it doesn't give the feeling that I'm traveling the world...just feels empty and shallow...I love it on other games that I can ran map from one end to another in the game not on some map that has tiles you need to click to move...other then that I love the style of the game...but this dual/double map thing ain't for my liking

 

You can say that again... Wait, I did it for you.


_

 

Reference, for anyone who doesn't know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xQYQu6bKtgk#t=2034

Watch the change when the player leaves town.

That was done in 1989, by Origin.

So, there's no excuse that I will ever accept for this crayola map we're being subjected to.

 

The transition to a map is a big immersion breaker and I thought that one of the big things the game will feature would be great immersion.
You are totally torn out of the game by changing to a map. And I have to disagree that the old version didn't look much like Ultima. Even the overworld travel in the first Ultimas gave the impression of wandering through a world because the style of the overworld map and the "indoor" maps were the same - it was just the scale that was different. Not to mention Ultimas 6 to 9 which had a coherent style and scale.
With changing from third person to a vastly different map the style of the game completely breaks. The whole atmosphere changes, the whole gameplay changes.

I really, really hope that you change it back to the overworld travel in the RTX-demo or the way Age of Wonders 3 looks. Two totally different styles don't work - at least for me and it is such a huge difference, breaks immersion and gives the game a sense of playing a board game instead of traveling around in a virtual world you are living in.

I could imagine such a map style in the game when you open your map to look where you are or when you fast travel but not for traveling around in the world.