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Do you want to get lost in an MMORPG?
Ihmotepp
Member Posts: 14,495
Do you want to be lost in an MMORPG? I'm talking about not knowing where you are and which way to go from there.
You can do this by making a big world, by making an area where the terrain doesn't have anything remarkable in it, like the same looking trees and bushes, you can do this on purpose by creating a maze. There's a couple in City of Heroes.
And of course, you dont' provide a map that shows you where you are, and where the next city is, or a compass etc.
You can do this for the entire game, or just in certain areas wehre the map or compass doesnt' work.
Or do you prefer NOT to get lost, and to know where you're going for the entire game? Like a map, arrow, or something that points you in the right direction?
Comments
Anything only defendable by the i-word is stupid.
I prefer a game mapping out an area I have already visited. I see no reason why I should sit with a pen and paper drawing maps when a game can do that for me. I'm not that clingy to old school mechanics.
I do however feel maps should be hidden from places you haven't visited yet.
As for getting lost. I get lost WITH maps so there really isn't any difference
Something like a maze is fun, in that situation you have good reason to withhold a map.
But getting lost because the world isn't distinct and gives you no map is just bad design.
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aye, maps are necessary, but getting lost with maps is just as easy for me as getting lost without them.
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I liked that original dark forest area of LOTRO but I am obviosuly in the minority as so many people complained about it or avoided it that they changed the map and other aspects to makeit more intuitive.
I also liked Asheron's Call because you could easily get lost in areas, but AC also had small vendors and lifestones (bind/ress points) all over the map, so you could get lost in an area and find at least something to use as a 'base' for your further exploration or even an extended stay.
I didn't vote, however because, IMO, 'I want immersion' isn't a reason - it's the gamer's way of saying "I don't know what I want but i want something different.."
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I think you need some kind of map. but a dot that shows exactly wheren you are at all times is not to fun. A compass and a map would be cool as you would need to learn how to use these, both in and out game.
If you cannot faciliate natural navigation (every tree is different and affected by surroundings, you have wide field of peripheral vision, motoric memory, animal paths, laying down stick and stone symbols etc), just make maps. People will not get lost because the world is mysterious place, they will get lost because your UI, art assets and game mechanics are lousy.
Love it!
Xsyon is great at that its fairly easy to get lost with no map etc.
I hope they do not add 'port to your tribe' feature but I bet they will eventually
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That's a tough one.
I don't mind getting lost but ultimately I would like maps, even if it was a sort of "fog of war" map to eventually get me home.
I loved getting lost in the original old forest in LOTRO. I loved getting lost and navigating back to my city in Lineage 2 after I died and dropped my map and had no idea where I was when I rezzed.
But no maps at all, after a while, will get old for me.
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Xsyon is does it brilliantly simple.
Getting lost is easy and actually fun and landmarks are helpful and its possible (and actually helpful) for clan mates to leave trails on the ground (baskets)..
its actually great fun
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If I can navigate using landmarks, or the motion of the sun in relation to time of day and use my brain to find my way back to where I came from then you can take all my maps away.
In the old days I used to get lost all the time, and I found it entertaining as hell. I always managed to get to places other people haven't seen, explore them and find neat little titdbits or fun. This is one of the things I miss in the new MMOs.
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I loved going into the wilderness of AC and being gone from anything remotely populated for weeks at a time. As another poster stated, there was always some place you could make a base in AC. You'd be surprised how many random vendors there were, and how easily you could actually resupply after you learned where various vendors were.
Although, I would run the Dereth Map from TwoCows in the background, so when I came across a new major landmark, I'd check that map to see if someone else already noted on it. I didn't use it for navigation, unless I wanted to get back to somewhere specifically and then would reference for the coordinates.
I really miss AC. I would love a graphics and engine upgrade for that game.
Missing option: I still manage to get lost even when the game provides full maps.
Of course I want to get lost, it's half of the fun of exploring a game world.
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Getting lost is great, and I am in favor or no map or very basic maps, because hey, even in the real world, with GPS and maps, people STILL get lost.
So..
I recently joined Xyson and the game doesn't have an in game map. I wasn't there more than a few hours and I was searching the internet for a map of the game world so I could get my bearings and figure out where the heck I was.
Currently the game provides your coordinates but rumor has it they intend to remove them for launch. If true, I won't be playing, since game environments don't provide the same mechanisms to find your direction as is available in the real world. (you'd be surprised how well I can navigate just by knowing which direction is north from the placement of the sun in the sky)
Also complicating this is that most game worlds are not all that unique, they reuse graphics over and over so as in the case of Xyson, you pass one waterfall it looks very much the same as 1/2 dozen others. (and there are far too many waterfalls IMO, I can't believe the real landscape in that area has this many).
Because of these limitations games need compasses, rough maps (don't have to lead me there by an arrow) and coordinates so a player can at least figure out where he is in relationship to the world, even if he has no idea where else anything is in game.
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Personally I think a mix of the two would be best. Give players a very generalized overworld map that lists the main POIs, such as the large cities and other civilized areas, but any other POIs would need to be discovered by the player's exploration of the wilderness before being marked on their map.
What he ^^^^ said
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Xsyon will have The number system untill they have put a other system in game, not a rumor,a simple fact.
Xsyon has many waterfalls but in your few hour you barely have time to learn your own area a little , the game takes place in a single area of the world ( nervada lake tahoe) thus yes it looks a bit the same, but not a single point in the game is a direct copy of a other point. Btw look int he sky sometimes,.. it has a exsact working day night season system, exsact to rl on the sec .
anyway on the tropic a game whitout any means tom navigate is a silly thing, it dint take us long to make very simple but effective tools to navigate in the old days. let player have a simple compas or a way to make a simple ingame map and everyone is happy. it realy does not remove immersion of anyting like that it just removes annoyence and promotes player to go out and explore instead of being afrait they get lost.
This is one of the things I like about Mortal Online - no mini-map, no map.
I understand other people's complaints - it's a preference. But in a game like Mortal Online, it's part of the experience the game is trying to give the player. If that type of virtual world feel is what you enjoy, then it's a valuable part of providing that experience.
Additionally, really learning your way around a game world gives a sense of accomplishment to those that value that type of experience. Obviously, not everyone will, but there are other games that cater better to their tastes.
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