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Late comming but Overland Map - Slow and nights are WAY too Dark, also a simple scale map??

Discussion in 'Release 18 Feedback' started by Weins201, Jun 20, 2015.

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  1. Weins201

    Weins201 Avatar

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    I am out working on my WitWiW for R18 / R19 and when it becomes night on the overland I CANNOT see ANYTHING, even when I pull out a torch distance visibility is completely useless.

    I have to just stop wandering around until there is NORMAL light so I can get a reference in the distance.

    HOW IS THIS AT ALL IMMERSIVE - I have seen and heard MANY complaints about this? Please tell me they are not falling on Def ears.

    Also the Travel speed is pathetic - why is it so slow - again completely immersion BREAKING - it makes it so I have NO desire to travel.

    Lastly can we please get a small outline map (I hate doing this - but like Diablo) one that shows nothing until you explore the are but once explored a simple outline of area would help GREATLY with travel AND immersion, as I would no which direction I want to go in?
     
  2. aikainnet

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    You can buy ingame maps that show the area you are in and the location of your character is shown on the map as well.
     
  3. Lord_Darkmoon

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    The lighting on the overland map is a real issue that was introduced with this release. The lighting in previous releases was so much better and I hope that the devs will improve it significantly. I would prefer the lighting how it was in releases before R18.
     
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  4. FrostII

    FrostII Bug Hunter

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    I agree completely with Weins201. From another thread on the subject, have a look at these two images of the same place at night:

    The first one is from the March 28th release

    [​IMG]

    The next one below, is the same spot on the overworld map - this release:

    [​IMG]


    I think Heradite may have summed it up in another thread on the subject, when he said:
    Sadly, DS made it fairly clear in the last hangout - that further work on maps is far down on their list of "things to do"......

    I hope that these 3 conditions get some love in the near future. Playing SotA currently (finding bugs) is mostly just painful.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2015
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  5. Alexander

    Alexander Avatar

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    I also noticed, at least on the QA server that movement on the over-world map is painfully slow off the roads. More so than in previous releases.
     
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  6. Jordizzle

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    Personally In my own opinion this looks better than the other one. I don't see a lightspell or torch being used so there is no light source so It should be this dark. The other one doesn't even look like night in my opinion.
     
  7. Sold and gone

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    I agree. Nights should be dark. I would not have a problem with just a few lamps occasionally along the trail.
     
  8. Bowen Bloodgood

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    I suppose we each have our own definition of what immersive means. I fail to see how a dark night isn't immersive. Nights are supposed to be dark. If we could always see everywhere we go we wouldn't need torches or light spells. Oddly enough.. I have no trouble at all finding my way at night without a light source.

    As for travel speed.. just how fast do you expect to cover 100+ miles? I'm not saying everything is perfectly balanced as is.. but immersion breaking isn't an argument I would make in this case. Doesn't break mine in the slightest.

    Though in all fairness.. immersive does not always mean realistic but my point is immersion isn't a set value for all people.. That said, maybe off road travel could be a little faster.. but I wouldn't want it to be fast. We already walk like 100 miles per second on the road as it is just about. (according to calculations based on the 'cloth' map).
     
  9. Lord-Galiwyn

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    When did NIghttime start being not dark? its the absence of the Sun, so therefore NIGHT IS DARK!!Carry a Torch, or a light spell.
     
  10. Arkah EMPstrike

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    Night time doenst prevent me from travelling routes im familiar with, but makes me get lost in the wilderness if i try to go off the trail, until daylight. I like it that way
     
  11. Bowen Bloodgood

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    I would eventually like the light/darkness to vary by weather. I would agree that on the road at night IF it's a clear sky it could stand to be a bit brighter.. but on a cloudy night I would expect it to be at least as dark as it is. If you walk off the road into the forest it should be very dark.

    I've actually done a lot of walking at night both in the open and through wooded areas without using a light and as it is right now reminds me a lot of that. If anything it's too bright between midnight and dawn. Also I would not wish to devalue light sources. Rather than making night time brighter.. light sources should be made more effective.
     
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  12. Lord_Darkmoon

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    I may be wrong but do you really think that most of the gamers will find it fun to see abolutely nothing during nights or in the morning?
    I know we all want realism and retro-elements but as of late I am not so sure anymore if SotA will be successful with this. I think Portalarium wants to reach as big an audience as possible who should play this game. But I doubt that many gamers will bother giving a game a chance that has some elements that could be considered frustrating.
    I myself wanted to have a game that is as realistic as possible. But as of late I find myself frustrated as I do not have that much time playing and then I have to navigate blindly across the overland map or wait until it is bright enough to see, but then I don't have time to play anymore. As I said I might be wrong but I fear that such things could be the downfall of the game.
    Sure many UO and Ultima fans are eager to play this but how can those gamers be "persuaded" to play the game that just want to have some 15 or 30 minutes of fun? Or who are excited by games like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim? Is SotA not a game for those people, too?
     
  13. Bowen Bloodgood

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    Now here's a problem I have with that line of thinking. I can see plenty. I have very little problem traveling from Pax to Ardoris in the middle of the night without a light source. Before anyone wonders.. no I haven't adjusted my monitor's brightness, the gamma levels or anything else to help me see better. Now I can only imagine with improvement of actual light sources that this could be made a non-issue.
     
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  14. Bowen Bloodgood

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    To clarify: I'm not saying not being able to see isn't a legitimate concern. I just think it's a little misplaced so say the problem is the ambient lighting when there are so many other possibilities with light sources.
     
  15. FrostII

    FrostII Bug Hunter

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    I really wish that this these two issues - Overworld Map darkness and Travel Speed - were being discussed by everyone in a single thread, but it hasn't worked out that way...

    So, I put together some of posts I've seen on those two subjects - from quite a few people over the course of the past release - in the form of the WALL OF QUOTES below....

    While I freely admit that they all pretty much mirror my perspective on the subjects - you will certainly concede that there is considerable disdain for the current condition of nights on the Overworld Map and travel speed - by a wide variety of voices....

    So, here's what some others had to say:

    From what I've seen - these people are the not so silent majority.........
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2015
  16. Bowen Bloodgood

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    All you can claim is that they're no so silent. :) We here on the forums hardly can be said to represent a majority and as anyone ought to know.. happy people don't complain about things they're happy about. Perception in regards to which side is the majority is often skewed and a vocal minority always screams loudest. (Which is so often the case in any situation you can usually safely assume whomever is making the most noise is in fact the minority.. by I disgress)

    Now that's not making a claim at being in a majority. Just pointing out that just because people are talking doesn't make them a majority. All you can really say here is that quite a few here on the forum share similar concerns.
     
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  17. Tazar

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    For me - immersion means being drawn into the game and having that "OMG it's 3am and I have to be up for work in 3 hours" feeling and wondering where the time went. Currently - the dark nights and movement speed combined mean that systems and realism are being given priority over fun. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am here for fun.

    *Logs in to SotA* "Yep - I am still in the middle of no-where and it's still so dark I can't see anything." *Logs out and logs into another game* Time for some fun!

    That's my current reality with SotA and it's sad cause I'd rather be testing, learning, and planning some player events... or gathering information for our SotA website ode-guild.com.
     
  18. Lord_Darkmoon

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    Realism should never stand in the way of fun.
     
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  19. Satan Himself

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    If that's not a majority, it's a damn vocal, unified minority.
     
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  20. Sold and gone

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    Thats like saying not going to work because I need to play is acceptable. :p
     
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