Poll: Do we need an in-game map?

It's a simple Yes or No poll. Feel free to elaborate below such as the style of map (open, covered until explored, etc) what the map should reveal (no harvesting nodes or mobs shown, etc) below.

This poll was created to cut through the noise in this thread in the New Player Welcome forum. I highly recommend you review that post first, and @Berek's responses before answering this poll.

Edit to add: I think I should remind everyone that the person who wrote the thread I referenced in this called "Fix.The.Maps" is a new player that had posted in the New Player Forums. He's been a member since Sep 2, 2017.

 

YES and 1st

 

Yes. No mobs. Fog of war for everything else include harvesting nodes (only see it after harvesting).

 

Yes.
I don't understand Fog of War in this context... We as Avatars are entering a new world... The New Britannians live in their native land... They've mapped it... There is no reason I shouldn't have a map of the whole continent.
It's just an annoyance from my point of view.

 

I don't think its really a yes or no issue though.. the original plan by the devs was to have an inventory-item based map system, which is already in the game ; it just is half-developed and most maps aren't in the game. If it were fully developed, we might have a world map in our inventory we can open up and look at. You would get some maps for free, and buy or acquire some. And some might be made through cartography by other players somewhere down the line when those features were in the game.

There was never really anyone with a position against this. I don't think anyone in the other thread was arguing against it either.

The question was whether the game needed something different than this, a persistent map display that didn't depend on the inventory system.

 

Of course, Yes. But to the extent that it's ubiquitous/automatic per scene instead of the original intended design of having to gather the "hand drawn" maps per scene. I tend to like the latter. Let us gather/discover/purchase the maps per scene and draw on them as we like (start out easy with just labeled pins or something). Then let us trade/sell them if we like. If someone wants to use a 3rd party map system that has everything already explored and already defined, let them. But don't integrate it into the game please... it hasn't/doesn't work out well for all the reasons listed in the other thread.

 

You (avatar) are new here. Have you obtained the existing maps from residents or are you content to make your own? It could even be a gold sink or quest reward.

 

@Lord Ravnos

Showing POIs on them would be a good addition, then you could add custom POIs, and then they would all automatically appear on the compass display.

 

To clarify, this isn't about Sotamap, but a working IN-GAME map in general. Edit to add: this could also include the currently existing scroll maps that we carry in our inventory.

 

I get a complete set of maps.
It's just an annoyance from my point of view.

 

If it's just a simple question of do we need a map, then I feel it's a yes. Having said that I think it should be a toggle. Those who want to have a map up at all times can and those who don't want to for immersive reasons can turn it off.

As far as what map we have, I'll leave that up to the team to figure out. Currently my computer cannot run Sotomap within game. It takes up too much resources. So I run it separately in my browser for those times I need a map.

I think we have to keep in mind new players when making decisions like this and remember we are trying to reach out to a lot of different place styles to be successful.

 

YES
because of my post here:
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/fix-the-map.99988/page-2

 

I dunno. We did just fine without one for months and months before the sotamap integration. And having learned one's way around the old fashioned way I find I barely use the map unless I'm going somewhere I've never been.
I'd find an immediate surroundings minimap a lot more useful, myself.
That being said, the map is here, I don't think its hurting anything? But do I think we NEED it? No.

 

I don't think we need a map. But if we are going to have one, it needs to work correctly.

 

I think there should be some kind of maps, but I think it's too easy to just have everything available on demand. It makes sense for you to already know the overworld, since it's common knowledge, and to be able to buy maps from NPCs for towns and most outdoor areas. I think dungeon maps should be more difficult, either player mapped through exploration or found in the dungeon itself somewhere.

 

+1

I don't need a map but that's probably because I'm in Rift's End or The Rise Mage Library. There are other places?

 

@kaeshiva

Yea.... the only place I've ever used a map in game was in big NPC cities like Ardoris where a map was easily available from an NPC in game, and then only in the start of the game ... after a while I got used to the layout and did without the map. A map for the Overworld in game would also have been nice; I had to check a map on the web a few times before I got used to the layout of Novia.

Maps of dungeons and ruins and other adventure areas would have only been ever good for cheating / getting a headstart, since once you've been in them once, they're simple enough that you can find your way around easily the second time.

But as for the SotA Map integration... First off, even if the devs are to do a persistent map system like SotA Map, I don't think it works that well to have a web app in game built on web libraries, its slow and doesn't always function, and isn't built to display in game. A web map system doesn't work for the single-player offline game either.

But I think a persistent map system, whether web based or internal, also precludes an in-game map system involving player created maps and cartography that encourages exploration, because it makes it redundant. So like with a lot of hand-holding mechanics, the main part of my objection is what the mechanic is taking the place of; in this case, its a more well-developed RP oriented map system. Everyone agrees maps in the game are good... the real question is how you put them in the game.

 

Remove the nodes!