Sew The Scenes Together

SOTA has a tremendous number of scenes.

But the game can create a perception that its world is small because the overland map not just allows, but in a way encourages, the bypassing of scenes. The overland map is helpful, but can other travel options be strengthened to improve the exploration game?

SOTA may offer what feels to be a larger game world and a stronger exploration game if the various scenes in the game were further sown together like puzzle pieces, allowing travel between adventure scenes without overland map (or sewer) use.

The technology for this already exists. We zone from POT scene to POT scene, without overland map use, via boats and wagons. We can access scenes via sewers. And starter scenes now use this tech too.

Yet, for example, we can't walk from Ardoris into Perennial Swamps into Solanis on foot, without the overland map or sewers? Why not? Are we missing a simple exploration feature?

Don't get me wrong. I do not advocate for loss of the overland map whatsoever. And the sewer underworld is cool. And teleporting is fine. They all have their purposes. I'm talking about a different purpose.

Could the exploration game could be improved if existing tech was used to create 'wildness discovery points' that allowed us to pass from one adventure zone to another without using the overland map or sewers all the time?

Running across a mysterious passage in the rocks, or stepping in an old wardrobe and pushing past the coats and then trees to find I am in a new scene, might cause me to explore something I am otherwise bypassing on the overland map.

The beauty of SOTA's scene system is that it can create these exploration opportunities to access other scenes ANYWHERE. And the game should take more advantage of that.

 

I didn't actually like the overland map in the beginning but it grew on me and I do like it now.

However..... In all honesty.

I am split between the different styles of travel.

Overland is ok and serves a purpose

Simply teleporting from one instance to another gets the job done but terribly lacks the feeling of exploration and finding something new.

Expanded lands eventually tire me out. Running back and forth takes its toll.

I think the best option for me is Expanded lands with a teleport system option to a coordinate on a map and a quest style system to gently nudge us to explore.


If SOTA ever did go expanded lands I would keep the overland map for the single player offline mode.

Just my two cents.