Release Date Trailer: Eternal Alpha, Aug. 21st 2015

[Potjeh]

Random spawns will suck at first, but when the global road network is developed it'll be a non-issue.

[HarryDresden]

This ought to be interesting. I have a feeling that strategically placed Runestones to identify areas are going to be a common thing, if the players don't find a way around it. Once the world is mapped, it will help, but the start of game... This is going to be an epic clusterfuck. Really this is only a temporary disadvantage to large groups, however, it will most certainly kill off lots of smaller ones. The learning curve will be steep, I wonder how many are going to stick it out.

[borka]

Maybe it helps when Larger experienced groups "piggypack" Noobs to help them to group

[Altich]

Once the world is mapped, it will help, but the start of game...

Or they can prevent that. DELETE THE MINIMAP!!!

[simimi]

Well, we haven't really decided on the exact mechanics; it's quite possible that hearth secrets per se will remain so that you can kin and possibly also form a party with people, but in the case of the latter, there will at least not be any long-distance party arrows.

What do you considere long distance ?
If I make a bot to spawn 100 toons and each try to party with each other, if there is not an arrow, leave party, repeat.
I end with 100 screen shot of place with relative place to each other.
Now If I have a toon "A" that want to go to the place of toon "B", just test the party with the 100 bot ones and test for arrow.
You could make a path from toon "A" to "B" by fallowing the arows from bot toon to bot toon.

IMO there is not any valid choice exept freedom, prohibition just lead bad guys to overpower honest guys.

[overtyped]

Once the world is mapped, it will help, but the start of game...

Or they can prevent that. DELETE THE MINIMAP!!!

i'm actually in favor of removing the minimap.

[jorb]

Why? Removing the minimap does in no way, shape, or form prevent mapping, as the client obviously already has -- and must have -- access to map data for purposes of rendering, well, the map.

[overtyped]

Why? Removing the minimap does in no way, shape, or form prevent mapping, as the client obviously already has -- and must have -- access to map data for purposes of rendering, well, the map.

well, if you can't prevent it then i guess there's no point in removing it.
It would of been interesting not to have a minimap though.

[rye130]

the way you are currently announcing things is only encouraging certain players to abuse your system somehow to let them play how they want, instead of encouraging them to try the new system

Well, I wouldn't really consider it "abuse" to use various ways and means to find one's way to a desired place. The intention of this mechanic is more simply to associate a certain cost with it.

What "cost" are you talking about? Is there going to be a built in game mechanic for locating and navigating to your friends?

[Altich]

Why? Removing the minimap does in no way, shape, or form prevent mapping, as the client obviously already has -- and must have -- access to map data for purposes of rendering, well, the map.

Ahh too bad. Well, there is another, extreme option: Every now and then make some slight changes in the landscape (maybe not close to villages and houses). Like slight changes at rivers, land, trees etc. It won't make much difference to casual people. But it might make it harder for alts to find their exact position (I'm not sure what way they are using to find their location, I guess the landscape has something to do about it.)

I'm not sure if that's an easy thing though...

And maybe reduce the size of map that is accessible to the client. (currently the Ender's client can zoom out considerably. Can this be prevented?) I don't know if that can be done either.

What "cost" are you talking about? Is there going to be a built in game mechanic for locating and navigating to your friends?

I guess that the only way will be searching well known villages and roads etc. No way at the beginning though.