World Maps (and viewing area related stuff)

[Mongo]

A great aspect about RPGWO is your map was never 100% accurate due to the ever-changing world. I think this should be kept exactly the same in that your map only updates to the current version of the world if you actually see it.

Besides that, it might be neat if players could construct a 'watchtower' of some sort that would allow them to see (and update their map) in a larger radius than normal.

It would be neat if there was a 'Scry' spell that would allow you to 'throw' your vision to various distances away, allowing you to see far away. A less-powerful version of this could be a spyglass - craft-able, usable by all.

[Novibear]

Thats sounds nice I know I normally ended up running so far and scanning every so often

[Greatest]

what about trading maps?  most recent update to the map gets placed on each map, but each person's map now shows what the other has seen whether they've seen it or not...

[Mickey Kudlo]

what about trading maps?  most recent update to the map gets placed on each map, but each person's map now shows what the other has seen whether they've seen it or not...

Making and selling maps sounds good. I had that idea for another game but it can be applied here as well. Maybe add a Writing skill that covers any type of quill to parchment activity including then putting spells onto scrolls idea from a different post.

[Mongo]

what about trading maps?  most recent update to the map gets placed on each map, but each person's map now shows what the other has seen whether they've seen it or not...

Making and selling maps sounds good. I had that idea for another game but it can be applied here as well. Maybe add a Writing skill that covers any type of quill to parchment activity including then putting spells onto scrolls idea from a different post.

You could add to the value of maps by making it more easy to lose them.. maybe when a player dies, their map is wiped... hmm.. might be a little too harsh, but something on those lines.

[Greatest]

what about trading maps?  most recent update to the map gets placed on each map, but each person's map now shows what the other has seen whether they've seen it or not...

Making and selling maps sounds good. I had that idea for another game but it can be applied here as well. Maybe add a Writing skill that covers any type of quill to parchment activity including then putting spells onto scrolls idea from a different post.

You could add to the value of maps by making it more easy to lose them.. maybe when a player dies, their map is wiped... hmm.. might be a little too harsh, but something on those lines.

lol at first I was thinking that would be awesome...then I remembered some server I was playing when I switched computers and it took me half an hour to find the town...

and should that skill really be named writing?  how about caligraphy?

[Mongo]

I was thinking "Scribble"

[Tokoshoran]

Scribble sounds neat. You can use it to both write and to draw.


The scan button never really works properly for me, it always pastes the Dot bit over all the Arrow bits, so if I'm on a road it looks like there's randomly road all around me. Scrying and spyglasses would definitely help.
Rather than making the spyglass have less range or anything, it should have a predefined range greater than the scry spell, but not let you view anything behind stuff blocking your view. The scry spell, on the other hand, lets you view past anything.

[Mongo]

So I had another thought on this, but I don't know if this is "creative" or "tedious".

Instead of automatically drawing maps, the player needs to draw them. The player will have an MS-Paint style interface to draw on their map. Also, a little selection of icons is available.

Let's say the player starts in a town. They open the map, place a little 'town' icon where they are.

The player explores for a while, follows a winding road then finds a cave. Outside the cave, they open their map. They can see their red dot is way outside the town icon they placed earlier. They place a cave icon at their current location and draw in a road between the two locations (obviously wont be 100% accurate but close enough to get the idea).

There could also be objects throughout the world - landmarks that will automatically populate the player's map when inspected.

Finally, and I think this should be added regardless of if the above is, the player will be able to place 'markers' on their map. The player can click a spot on their map and add a little blue dot that can contain a short string of text (displayed when clicked/hovered over). This way, the player can label different areas of the world.


I kinda like the concept but I feel like it might be too tedious if done this way. Any thoughts on a compromise or should the idea just be scrapped?

[Greatest]

I like the marking points on the map idea...the rest is a little weird.  I've never seen a game that forces the player to do somthing(besides explore) to have their minimap updated. 

[Mongo]

I've never seen a game that forces the player to do somthing(besides explore) to have their minimap updated. 

Doesn't mean it couldn't work!

I'm a big fan of exploration. I'd like to see a game that encouraged players to take their time when traveling across the world. Go to the bottom of a valley, look for tracks, update a map, avoid a nearby roaming pack of goblins.

More than likely, every group would designate a cartographer to update the map as it would be silly to have 2+ people updating it in the same way. After, the cartographer could share the map with others.

[Greatest]

More than likely, every group would designate a cartographer

who explores in groups?

I wasn't saying it wouldn't work, just that its too much work...most players would probably just leave it all blank unless they found something really good, and even then it would be quicker to jot down the coordinates in note pad!

the only reason I'd like the option to add a point on the map(just a point not alot of fancy stuff) is because I get lost alot.  I'll walk back and forth across a sector looking for a friend's house when I know its there, just not exactly sure where.

[mechanical keyboard enthusiast]

I'm a big fan of exploration. I'd like to see a game that encouraged players to take their time when traveling across the world. Go to the bottom of a valley, look for tracks, update a map, avoid a nearby roaming pack of goblins.

I come from other mmo named wurm, there is no minimap there -- at all, and no automatic pathing

Players need to actually draw their own map , outside of game , it creates interesting mechanic .

Something possible is maybe have "rare" mobs , miniboss mob, that can be found via tracks or looking at ground

[Mongo]

who explores in groups?

Assuming a group is exploring, probably only one person would update the map.

I wasn't saying it wouldn't work, just that its too much work...most players would probably just leave it all blank unless they found something really good, and even then it would be quicker to jot down the coordinates in note pad!

Well.. if you don't have coordinates, it might be more useful to put it on the map.

The system can be streamlined a little bit.. maybe there's an "inspect" (or more likely a better name) ability that will, after ~5 seconds, will update your map with your current surroundings. One button, short delay, map is updated.

Can dumb it down a little more by having a toggle ability that will slow your movespeed by 20% but will constantly update your map.

Or .. take it one more step and just have the map automatically update with no cost (back where we started).

I come from other mmo named wurm, there is no minimap there -- at all, and no automatic pathing

Players need to actually draw their own map , outside of game , it creates interesting mechanic .

Something possible is maybe have "rare" mobs , miniboss mob, that can be found via tracks or looking at ground

I played wurm for a couple days. Seemed like it was, at one point, an interesting game. However we ended up just walking for 1.5 hrs to try to find some un-occupied land just to get killed by a bear that glitched towards us through the ground.

[Greatest]

Well.. if you don't have coordinates, it might be more useful to put it on the map.

getting rid of coordinates would suck all kinds of ass.  you want to explore in groups:

 "where are you guys?"
 "we don't know we don't have coordinates!"

no way to get a group together without meeting at a predefined point...

[Mongo]

Could just do what other games do.. don't need to be next to eachother to invite. Just /invite [name] command to get a group together, then a little indicator to tell what direction they're in.

Ex: Imagine this is a screen.

--------------------------------------------------------
|                                            /|\                            |
|                                             |                              |
|                                        Member #1                     |
|                                                                            |
|                                                                            |
|                                                                            |
|                                                                            |
|                               \                                          |
|                                \--/\                                      |
|                                   |\/                                      |
|                                  /\                                        |
|                                                                            |
|                                                                            |
| <--Member#2                                                        |
|                                                                            |
|                                                                            |
--------------------------------------------------------

The minimap could also put a little dot where they are.

You don't *need* coordinates ... and I don't think a /goto [coords] should be available.

[mechanical keyboard enthusiast]

Salem does the arrow thing albeit badly ( hidden by the UI , at bottommost z index )

It isn`t that bad but maybe annoying if you don`t even know how far away , maybe arrow line is longer or shoter depent on Distance ?

[Greatest]

Salem does the arrow thing albeit badly ( hidden by the UI , at bottommost z index )

It isn`t that bad but maybe annoying if you don`t even know how far away , maybe arrow line is longer or shoter depent on Distance ?

same in HnH...those arrows are always hiding behind something

and I remember travelling for 4 hours back in world 5 to meet up with a guy for a trade...coordinates work, and theres a reason we have them.

[Mongo]

Yeah, they work. I just don't like how absolute they are. Given two sets of coordinates, you can easily know exactly where you are in relation to something else. I like a certain ambiguity .. the ability to get lost and not know which direction you should go in. Forces you to think more rather than just look at your coordinates but .. whatever.

[Greatest]

Yeah, they work. I just don't like how absolute they are. Given two sets of coordinates, you can easily know exactly where you are in relation to something else. I like a certain ambiguity .. the ability to get lost and not know which direction you should go in. Forces you to think more rather than just look at your coordinates but .. whatever.

if you want to get lost you don't have to look at the map.  most people don't like getting lost, its the reason games with minimaps have minimaps...if everyone who starts playing gets losts how many players will stick around longer than a day?