That "Epic quest feel" - Hex map issue

Ever run through a dungeon and/or a series of environments while on the same quest, rarely pausing to fend for your characters life? You may have traveled down the road between Brit and Vesper, being ambushed the whole way.

It can't happen in the hexmap system as-is.

1. I can escape danger or abort my journey at any time by going to the overhead map. Thats mostly OK because thats what recall and gate would have done <EDIT> if you are being attacked by an NPC or Player, all gateways out of your hex will simply lead to the next hex, giving the enemies a chance to pursue</edit>​

​

2. User is forced to exit a scene and pepper their journey with the overhead map, distracting from that "in the moment" feel of a long, epic quest​

Please post: your suggestions to resolve this, tell me why this isn't an issue, or explain why the user should adapt to a different questing/gaming style and why they will ultimately like it.

My suggestion:

1. Some hex-maps will have gateways that load the adjacent hex-map, rather than the overhead map. Enemies that were chasing you, will be spawned into the next hex at an appropriate distance/and time based on when you exited the previous hex.​

​

2. Quest-writers from the SOTA team can build quest lines that follow multiple-hex "epic quest" paths. Some PVP areas will also incorporate multiple hex synchronization as described in #1​

Long-long term

* hex maps should become more seamless so we only notice the large forest and mountain walls. Gateways will give the user the ability to see on the "other side" of the hex and peer into the next hex

 

Here's what I think will happen, I will respond to each of your points:

1.) I don't think in the end you will be able to escape that easy....if you are in combat mode it shouldn't allow you to exit...will have to see what the devs think.

2.) I don't agree with this, as when I was leaving the forrest and walking to owl's head I got that epic feeling just today...and that is with nothing going on in the map yet!

I think they need to keep adding things to the map to make it not only look better but function more like a game mode.

For instance....you see camp sites set by other players, wandering creatures and people on the map, also....a gypsy caravan setup that you can see on the map as well as go into a scene which is not in one static position.

There are many things they can still do with the map(ie weather and dynamic events) to make it more immersive.

 

We already have these to some degree but they will be expanded on. There will be some scenes that you must pass through and can't bypass using the Overworld, such as Control Points. And as the story or quest requires of it, some scenes will be chained and can only be access linearly and not at will via the Overworld. For example, you can't access The Clink from the Overworld. You must enter through Owl's Head. Also, the entire underground catacombs is exclusively scene-to-scene travel. There is no Underworld map that you travel on.