Big fan of the game, but not the overview map...

Is it just me or does the current travel map seem to suck the immersion out of the game? I understand its likely due to funding and trying to stop the never-ending villages like we had in UO. But are there plans for the future episodes for a rebuild of the travel system?

 

The current travel map is essential to the design of SotA so that every player is on one server, unlike multiple shards for UO.

SotA has one world and everyone is on it, so you can play with any friend you may ever want to without having to worry about them being on different shards.

However, there can be multiple instances of Owl's Head if 500 players show up there at once. The housing and economy persists across all instances, so everyone sees the same houses. But you may not see all 500 players in Owl's Head at the same time. The people you see in your instance is populated dynamically as you enter the map based upon several criteria, including people you've recently been in a party with, PvP flags, friends lists, etc.

The overland map will improve but it isn't going away.

 

It does indeed suck the immersion out of the game for me. But that is how the game is... so i can live with it.

 

Think of the experience as if you are flying on an invisible winged mount across the continent to your next objective. Or my preference, put on Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult and let your imagination run.

 

The world map is one of the prettiest in any game, and will be, if the devs are to be believed, possibly the best world map ever designed for a video game.

WHAT IS WITH PEOPLE AND HATING WORLD MAPS?

 

I don't get it....the world map sucks out immersion but commands like /home /summon etc are ok?

I have begun to see that immersion is relative

 

the sting of world map will dull once the scene load times are optimized.

haven't heard for sure, but it is rumored that these commands will be phased out in later releases

 

I am OK with the map, but I agree it is different than I am used to. The main immersion issue I am experiencing with with the zone loading times. I am sure that will get a lot better before the release.

 

I was making that statement because there are those arguing for them to be kept in game.

 

personally I hope not. The map is looking huge. It would be cool to leave for an epic journey not seeing home for days on end.

 

I am of two thoughts on the map. Lazy me loves it. Immersion me hates it.

 

What?! /home and /summon are most certainly not ok? Instant travel is per default not ok, instances in generel is per default not ok. Getting loading screens is just flat out annoying. This aint 1999 anymore.

 

Alright forgive me but i'm gonna be off topic.

Grayfox that is some taste in music, have you ever heard the cover of that song by Fu Manchu? Oh My...

Ok back to the topic, yeah it's not 1999 anymore and i'm so sad for that.

I personally loved games with this kind of map (storm of zehir is the most recent one), you have to consider that the map is dead and static now but developers said it will be full of exciting encounters/npcs and stuff in the future.

Wait and see is the wisest thing to do. This could be a cool feature of this game and not a flaw.

Go-Go-Godzilla!

 

I haven't played the game yet for many hours, but i did like the overview map. It took me back to Ultima V and the random encounters is nice too. I don't know how it will blend in with mmo-ish. But with some polish i'd love it.

 

How does any of that matter^..?

I've been gaming since the CP/M tandy days..
"Your friends" have phones, e-mail and vocal chords... and you can chose what server you guys want to play on. Uber simple. One server is not a selling feature, it is a burden.

Secondly, if there can bee 500 instanced of Owl's head.. then it defeats the purpose of One Server. (Such an illogical concept/retort).

Thirdly, Lord British can make extra money, by offering a server transfer (naked) for $50 bucks.


But to have a game, that pulls you out of character, out of immersion every 5 minutes makes it a video game, not a game world. I won't pay to play a video game. But I will pay the cost for entry into a real game world.

There are easy solutions, such as a hybrid of something like Mortal Online (or Darkfall), where instead of 100% non-instanced, Richard could choose to keep instanced basements & dungeon entrances, etc.. to handle specific server loads in areas. But the game world itself needs to be living & breathing. Then.. augmenting it with instances when needed/required.


Richard will re-access his fans and this project, but I suspect with some earnest dialogue He will eventually give up the idea of "One Server" and simply go with an Open World design, & several shards. Open worlds can handle 15k players now. I doubt SotA will fill the first shard upon release.

I will not play a map..

 

It reminds me of final fanstasy games and actually makes me feel like i am playing an RPG even more so

 

When SWTOR came out, all my friends were very into Star Wars so we all signed up for the game. I tried to coordinate everyone so we'd all sign up for one guild and one server. But they also knew other people who wanted to play with other people.

We all ended up on different servers and couldn't play together.

Not being able to play with your friends because of different servers is the burden.


You've posted repeatedly about how you don't like the design of this game and how you refuse to play. I hope you realize that the design on this particular issue can't change. If it is a sticking point for you, then I hope you find a game you enjoy. Screaming and ranting repeatedly here doesn't magically make anything better.

 

Honestly, I'm at a loss how you keep saying these things yet backed knowing full well there was a full map....you have stated you didn't know in the past but how you couldn't is beyond reasonable explanations.

You honestly think that at this point they will just sit down and have an "earnest" conversation the whole layout of the game will change?

 

My friend, I am not screaming, or ranting.... quite the opposite.

But, I am laughing at your comments/posts., because you and your friends 12 years ago couldn't all plan and end up on a single server, that means for countless eons, other can't or won't..? Your retort is outright ludicrous. Honestly, with a single e-mail, I can get 200 of my guildmates to join the same server.

Your reasoning to defend a single server is lacking. Not to mention, I already solved your own mishap, by suggesting the Portal allows character transfers for a nominal cost.. (if by some chance a person happened to choose the wrong server, and level up for 3 months strait without any guildees and realizes he was on the wrong server..?)

Again, a single server serves no purpose.. to the players. (It is a back end management decision, based on economics.)

Yes.

At this level of design and development, Richard could easily move this into an Open World game. That was my closing point & something he should openly consider. Please point me to a thread discussing his reasons for heavily instanced game worlds (that plays out on a map), instead of an actual game world..? The overland will kill sales... because it kills immersion.

Oddly, why are you even defending an overland map..? Won't you have a cloth map in your hand to navigate from, or are you afraid of being lost in a game world and like the idea of safety & direction..? There are no pros to a heavily instanced game world, other than cost to the developer.

You have already said your peace, so why the double retort and character assassination..? What valid points that you are willing to address..? Or do you just want me to go away..? So as not to agitate (or bend) Richard into considering his business plan and expanding this game out to be an Open world.

I want a game where playing for the next 4~7 is possible. SOTA is already stunted, because the game world is stunted from the beginning. If you can't see this, it is because of your lack of understanding of possible game designed and character abilities, in how they can't be played on in Overland heavily instanced piecemeal game world...


Understand...
I've looked, haven't found a thread with the Devs explaining the overland map and their decision to go heavily instanced game world. Because from my perspective, it kills sales, kills immersion and makes SOTA out to be an internet web-based meta game...

Rebuttal my comments, not me...

 

Drastic changes to some of the fundamental features of the game are problematic at best. Backers backed the game that was promised during the Kickstarter campaign and if something is changed this could get ugly - take a look at what happened when the offline mode of Elite Dangerous was cancelled.
Some might not like the overland map, others do like it and removing it would most likely result in a shitstorm like the internet has never seen before.