Okay, slight exagerration, but in games where you are navigating your little avatar through the game world, a game world map is a negative to the experience. The reason is that you end up looking at your little arrow on the map instead of looking at the game world. This is especially jarring in medieval fantasy settings since GPS definitely does not exist within the fantasy universe. Dragon Age 2, I'm looking at you. And worse, you can't disable it in the game settings.
No game should have a game world map readily visible
- Thread starter taiwwa
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I disagree.
So there's that one little side quest, you forgot who offered it. Oh wait, no compass/map now you have to either A) Talk to everyone in the whole world, or B) Look it up online. Waste of time and breaks the immersion.
So there's that one little side quest, you forgot who offered it. Oh wait, no compass/map now you have to either A) Talk to everyone in the whole world, or B) Look it up online. Waste of time and breaks the immersion.
Immersion wise, if you are travelling in a land and you are not yet familiar with the geography, it is very conceivable that you would have a map in your hands. It is also probable that you would miss certain things while looking up and down on your map. I don't really see a problem with it.
I think generally it helps the experience I dont want to be wondering around lost for hours in a video game because there is no map and as another poster has stated it helps a lot if you are trying to find specific quest related persons as well.
Slavishly adhering to the games setting and leaving stuff out because they wouldnt have the technology is absolutely stupid if it makes playing the game needlessly tedious and difficult, at the end of the day I want to play the game not try and figure out where I have to go to play it.
Slavishly adhering to the games setting and leaving stuff out because they wouldnt have the technology is absolutely stupid if it makes playing the game needlessly tedious and difficult, at the end of the day I want to play the game not try and figure out where I have to go to play it.
Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing earlier. Normally I don't pay that much mind but I found my eyes constantly drawn to the minimap in KoAR today and could not find any option to remove it entirely. Disabling map locking (so it now rotates with the camera instead of being fixed) worked almost as well though.taiwwa said:
I agree about the arrow bit - I don't want being led to my objective. I liked how Morrowind/Dagerfall did it - you would talk to people and they would mark the location on your map, but no flashing arrow would lead you to where you need to be.
Also, just a map is fine, too but not for huge world games. Thief 1 was amazing in that regard. I loved how immersive it felt. You are given a map that looks hand drawn with some areas missing or unclear and a list of rumours (I heard the treasury is in the living room). The first time I started the game it felt a bit confusing having to figure out in which room of the mansion you were every time you opened the map but half an hour in I was reading that map like a boss. And it was awesome.
But it could have just been me, I don't know.
And some games, even go as far as to only give you a map with no arrow on it to show where you are and no compass.
Also, just a map is fine, too but not for huge world games. Thief 1 was amazing in that regard. I loved how immersive it felt. You are given a map that looks hand drawn with some areas missing or unclear and a list of rumours (I heard the treasury is in the living room). The first time I started the game it felt a bit confusing having to figure out in which room of the mansion you were every time you opened the map but half an hour in I was reading that map like a boss. And it was awesome.
But it could have just been me, I don't know.
And some games, even go as far as to only give you a map with no arrow on it to show where you are and no compass.
o.o? why wouldn't you have a map of the area? what adventurer worth a damn would go anywhere with out a map?
I think it's the GPS navigation/HUD that's the issue for most, not a plain paper-style map.Kitsuna10060 said:
The biggest problem for me today was finding myself basically playing the game from a tiny corner of the screen - my avatar is now a cone with dots and arrows as places to get to - except whilst in combat.
I think it should be optional which is one thing I loved about Star Ocean: Til The End of Time. As it let you the gamer decided if you wanted dialogue only, voice acting and dialogue or just voice acting. This is how all games should be done so the player can make the game fit their preferences. You know the whole point of an options menu and options system in general.
I wish it was optional. Somedays I like to map it out for myself and other days I already know what the map looks like and where everything is just show me it.
captcha: good evening
.... its afternoon, you insensitive sob
captcha: good evening
.... its afternoon, you insensitive sob
I think they should keep huge maps but get rid of HUD radars, all they do is make you observe a 16th of the screen instead of the world around you. Also they should keep compasses and direction finding tools but you shouldn't have a universal you are here map you can bring up, that way you have to use skills and landmarks and the like to find your way instead of checking the map every five seconds to make sure your on the right track.
i guess i can see that. my issue with mini maps is i can never zoom out far enough to make them useful, usually need to use the big map more then the little one in the cornerGoaThief said:
A game likeElPatron said:
The map in Dragon Age 2 is actually better than any GPS system I've ever used.Swyftstar said:
And yes, you would have a map in hand, but it wouldn't have a little dot that was you moving along with it.
The architecture in Dragon Age is nice, but still it isn't near as impressive as World of Warcraft anyways...so wasn't missing that much.
Heck, I think that DA2 should not have had that quick travel system in place. Quick travel makes the world seem too small. I come away feeling like I really don't know the city that well since I can just quick travel and then follow the arrow.
Lastly...I wonder how hard would it have been for them to implement some sort of faux MMO system where you see other players running around in the city. The game is awfully desolate. It isn't the thriving joy that was World of Warcraft cities.
Games focused on immersion (arguably Skyrim, for instance) might do well to eliminate the map.
Games focused on achievement or gameplay (arguably Skyrim, for instance) should definitely keep it.
And here we see our chief problem. Do you play Skyrim, or experience it? And how do you do either without upsetting your neighbor (who, for the sake of discussion, is your polar opposite)'s game?
Also, what the flying heck is a spam ad doing in my captcha box? I will not buy a bloody toyota, you bloody horrible people! Rrrr....
Games focused on achievement or gameplay (arguably Skyrim, for instance) should definitely keep it.
And here we see our chief problem. Do you play Skyrim, or experience it? And how do you do either without upsetting your neighbor (who, for the sake of discussion, is your polar opposite)'s game?
Also, what the flying heck is a spam ad doing in my captcha box? I will not buy a bloody toyota, you bloody horrible people! Rrrr....
Battlefield 2, or any other shooter, really. The HUD map helped a lot because you could see the position of teammates, supplies, flags and enemies in the UAV. In the Modern Warfare games it also shows gunshots.taiwwa said:
Strategy games. The minimap readily available gives you a fast paced game where you can micro and macro manage.
ok, some one needs to explain this guy, i've seriously not heard of this dood till this meme popped upKeyMaster45 said:Kitsuna10060 said:And he survives on only his own piss and boiled orc feces.
My favourite version of this is when you've a very rough 'world map' that gives a general idea of the landscape and area, but which is filled in with details as you actually travel to the various locations.
Unfortunately not many games use that system. I also greatly dislike games that point me where I need to go every second all the time. There's no sense of exploration or adventure in that, you're not searching or learning, you're just filling out a list of objectives one by one. It's boring.
Again my favourite system is when via quests or dialogue you're given a rough idea where to go, but have to fill in the exact details yourself. I like that; gives you enough of an idea to know where to go but also demands the player pay attention and explore for themselves.
Unfortunately not many games use that system. I also greatly dislike games that point me where I need to go every second all the time. There's no sense of exploration or adventure in that, you're not searching or learning, you're just filling out a list of objectives one by one. It's boring.
Again my favourite system is when via quests or dialogue you're given a rough idea where to go, but have to fill in the exact details yourself. I like that; gives you enough of an idea to know where to go but also demands the player pay attention and explore for themselves.