Overland Map Poll [UNOFFICIAL]

I actually kind of like this new map. It's very bare-bones at the moment but I think if spruced up it would look nice. Get some better 3D imaging like how they did the maps in the LOTR movies, add in a bunch of waves and things like they mentioned and it would look good.

Frankly the original map video reminded me more of one of those Game Boy games when the transition to 3d worlds was being made. Kind of clunky and faking an exploration style. But I get that a lot of people really liked it.

I like the banner if you can change your own coat of arms like they said, but maybe it would be better if it was your character holding the banner? Best of both worlds.

Maybe it's just the difference between Final Fantasy I vs Final Fantasy VII maps.

 

http://i2.wp.com/forever.ultimacodex.com/files/2012/10/u4e1.jpg

I just tried it again and it gets worse and worse...
I get the impression of a cheap mobile game because of this map view. No, it's even worse, as EAs abomination Ultima Forever even has a world you can explore in an overland view - and this is a mobile game!

 

I'd like to summarise what I believe we can conclude from this thread. For a significant proportion of the people who were enthusiastic enough about the prospect of SOTA to risk their resources on the hope of seeing it become a reality, the idea of a map of ANY KIND OR QUALITY replacing a 3D, living and interractive overhead world is undesirable. It is also evident that, of this group of people, there are a number who find the prospect so undesirable that it threatens their desire to play the game at all. Presuming that these sentiments are a reasonably accurate reflection of the views of the backers at large, it seems like madness for Portalarium to continue down such an unpopular road.

I'd like to implore LB et al to reconsider their decision with regard to this game mechanic. I genuinely believe that it will leave SOTA unable to compete in the multiplayer RPG market and that it will break the immersion experience of playing the game for many people.

I could go on but I'll leave it at this. Let's stay positive and hope that the devs listen.

 

The over head map we have now is not acceptable at all, it looks **** and plays like **** and totally takes away the freedom of movement from the game. Why cant we just be able to traverse through the world from one hex to another adjacent to it without having to go onto the map, and still have a world map better than the one we have now for more long distance travel. Hell we cant even see party members on the map.

 

That is simply not implemented yet, but is expected to be eventually. It is not really related to the art style being used.

 

The above-ground hex to hex travel question was answered last year, many many months ago. They've never planned on having that for EP1 launch. The only thing they said would be in was in-hex transitions, not edge-to-edge hex transitions, as the default.

It's possible the Underworld will be like that, but no details yet.

Everything up to and including the six month demo, I believe, showed the overland map, where hex to hex travel was demonstrated.

 

Ok, I've read through the highlights here and I'm not sure why everyone is getting knocked so far out of whack. We KNEW they were going to have an overview map. We've been told this is NOT final. Personally I think that a marriage of the two styles- the prototype and the proposed GoT paper cutouts- could be made nicely. The largest feature would be the animation of the environment. A combination of the two styles of the avatar could be done easily. Darkstar said they want to show our crests on the banner, so have the figure carrying a banner with the crest on it.

Sorry you haven't been paying attention Davelington, they've been saying for many many moons that the travel would be hex-to-hex.

They could get rid of the LARGE gaps between the hexes as well, they don't need to be that pronounced.

 

Map? What map? I don't even get to see a map as I am constantly crashing when leaving the area. So I'm stuck in Owl's Head - which is also getting uglier and more useless with each release...

 

Make sure you post a bug report so the devs can work on fixing the problem.

 

I didn't criticise the principle of hex to hex travel, I criticised the map on which this has been implemented. The original RT demo featured hex to hex travel and I personally thought it looked really promising. However, the idea of travel represented on a paper map, polished and animated though it may be, does not appeal to me at all, and I'm clearly not alone in feeling this way.

 

Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by this?
To date, there's never been a video released so far, that featured hex-to-hex travel, that didn't either talk about including, included outright, or mention in some way the overland map.

 

Personally I like the map! It needs to be given more content such as more color rather than tan for the hexes. But it does show clearly where you are and can go to. Also as you move through
different terrain your marker moves at different speeds just like the old Ultimas did, a nice touch.
It would be nice if we can zoom the map in and out.

The path finding needs some work. Sometimes the marker goes all the way around a set of mountains to get to a dungeon.

I don't like that the icons that appear as a ruins or temple entrance takes you into caves. Where's the cave entrances.

 

Personally, I don't see it being appealing for anyone other than extreme early Ultima nostalgics (that even a word?) I loved Ultima as much as anyone, but truth is that only the old Ultima players will possibly enjoy the "old Ultima feel" of traveling. But this game won't be successful if it's targeting such a small market. While budgets are obviously different, you'll be competing with the likes of TES and others like that. Where you'll lack in graphics, you need to make up in innovation, gameplay and content. Honestly I thank god that I couldn't convince any of my friends to pledge yet, because I would have been ashamed to have them see this feature and I know for a fact that they wouldn't have touched the game again.

I know that when I pledged I had expectations of a modernized UO. Obviously, things aren't always as expected, especially with game development, and that's okay. It had Richard Garriott's name attached and my credit card practically fell out of my wallet. But from seeing this implementation, and the words from the devs that this is what they have in store for the future, I can't help but think they just gave up, and took the easy route to keep on schedule. And it worries me...

Don't get me wrong, I'm in this for the long run, and there are a lot of things I like. I just want it to be successful and I really think they will struggle to pick up any of the newer market of MMO/RPG gamers with such features...

 

For me, the 2 scale map is bordering on being a deal breaker. I don't see the point in it all except to cop-out on designing a full 3D world. Yes I knew when I pleged they were going to a do a 2 scale map, but I had my doubts when I heard it then and now I know for me at least it's not what I want in world travel. I find it to be nothing more than a short-cut for them. I had such high hopes for this game and was really hoping it was a uo reincarnate. So much in fact that I was bragging to my friends and talking them into pledging, I'm glad they didn't. I know it's pre-Alpha and I know a lot of things aren't done but the world travel kills my whole experience with this game. Just give me a 3d world to really explore, no loading, no map just walking/riding to my destination I want more than to just move my chess piece around on a bored.

 

I haven't seen Ultima Forever before, but that map looked quite well implemented especially for a mobile game, and kind of cute'ish.
If it is an overhead map let it be a source of inspiration.

 

I don't know what Davelington was talking about, what he saw with hex-to-hex travel, but the video where RG specifically calls it an "overland map," is here at about 47 seconds into the video (this was at 3 months into development):



As you can see, this is radically different than what we now have.

 

I have a radical idea, why can't the devs shift away from a paper style map altogether in favor of of skyrim type open world. I for one enjoy the open exploring skyrim offers. I feel I'm actually traveling from location to location. Perhaps,it's a financial issue, even UO is an open world. Like I said, it's a radical idea.

 

Comparison
New:
http://free-4-play.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Shroud-of-the-Avatar-Overland-Map-672x359.jpg

Old:
http://i2.wp.com/ultimacodex.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sota-demo-HD-001.jpg?resize=654,654
http://www.keenandgraev.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Shroud-of-the-avatar-overworld-map.jpg
http://sota.ultimacodex.com/files/2013/03/SotA_screenshot_Overland_02.png

 

Nice overland map they show in that 3 month video Caliya, would have loved that one instead of the pile of crap we got now.

 

I was very impressed and excited by the three month demo map, plus I really liked the presentation, wandering gypsies, towns (was looking forward to seeing one under siege), dragons, and well everything really. I was dreaming of exploring, resource gathering near streams and looking for the special places that reagents grow easier (i.e. spider silk, ginseng, or what ever they now are, etc...)

The new map just doesn't get my excited in any way what so ever.
I can't see how wandering gypsies, towns or anything will look even 1/10th as good.
And the player just being a flag is terrible. What about friends or enemies, will they just be a different coloured flag ?
No more dreams of running around looking for streams or that great place in the forest. Just dull brown with some lumps.

I am overly happy with the rest of the game and still really looking forward to it.
But if it was up to me, I would delay release by 12 months (if necessary) just to implement the old map style !