Make maps/charts! (not cartography)

[Altich]

Hey, I was thinking, since there is talk about removing hearth secrets and modifying/ reducing teleports, maybe there should be a way for people to keep track of their travels. Specifically:

While traveling and having ink and paper, the traveler will be able to track his journey by creating a map/chart:

When a created map is used: A line will be shown on the minimap, showing the journey of the person who created the map. The person can follow this line to reach the destination (which could be another village, or an important location). There is no need to include all the terrains like in cartography (which occupies lots of server space). The idea is to be able to quickly and simply link considerably long distances, without the need of modified clients/ programs.

Examples: An explorer wants to track his way so that he can later safely return to his village and not get lost (if the returning teleport is removed), or mark a good location for foraging etc.
A merchant/raider wants to remember where a village is located (relatively to his home/village) so that he can visit it without getting lost (also useful if crossroads are removed).

Some notes: Maybe the lines shouldn't follow the path 100% accurately, to avoid excessive zigzags. Also, there should be an option to suspend mapping (and resuming later from the same place) useful if the explorer needs to make some brief stops/ exploring that doesn't need to be included in the map.

It will be tough at first, but later there could be many maps of village-> village so that even random people might be able to find the village they want (with some luck and lots of searching). Useful if hearth secrets will no longer exist.

A final thought: Is there any use of the minimap (except being exploited to create world maps and finding locations of villages by external programs)? I think it should be removed completely, though I haven't given much thought about this yet. In case of minimaps being removed, using maps/charts would just show your location relative to the "line" without showing the actual terrain in the minimap.

What do you think?

[mvgulik]

Also see viewtopic.php?p=121558#p121558 (And other post in that topic.)

[Altich]

Why no comments on my idea?

[LadyV]

Why no comments on my idea?

We have maps. They are buggy and lose info when server crashes or goes down. The topic has also be discussed before. We have to see what Jorb and Loftar do with it in the new version.

[Altich]

They are buggy and lose info when server crashes or goes down.

Exactly. That's why I suggested something much simpler that won't cause such problems. It's surely much easier for the server to store a simple line rather than a complete map with trees, water etc.

Plus that, I was referring to long distances, longer than it's possible with current maps. That would be useful, especially with the reduction of teleportations in new haven.

The topic has also be discussed before.

I don't see my idea being discussed anywhere else.

[hathaway]

I hope sextant, quadrant and compass in hafen, but I know jorbtar won't implement them surely.

[Altich]

I hope sextant, quadrant and compass in hafen, but I know jorbtar won't implement them surely.

And how will these be used?

At first, before making my suggestion, I was thinking the ability to just mark places on the map that can be followed with an arrow. But that's too convenient and shouldn't be implemented. That's why I thought forcing the player to follow the line of the path he took before would be better. And again, without severely weighting the server.

[LadyV]

I don't see my idea being discussed anywhere else.

mvgulik was kind enough to provide you with a link.

[Altich]

I don't see my idea being discussed anywhere else.

mvgulik was kind enough to provide you with a link.

I believe that you haven't read my topic. mvgulik provided a link to a relative, but different suggestion. (Or I missed something?)

[hathaway]

And how will these be used?

To find latitude and longitude with stars, of course.
I'm sure Jorbtar won't implemented this because they want to remove every possibility of 2 pre-known(RL friends) players meet. Simple hafen logic.