World map travel/exploration mechanics

[Grotesque]

I hope Project Eternity would be like Baldurs Gate in regards of world map travel/exploration in which the world map was composed of homogeneous adjacent areas that you could explore.

 

That gives a great sense of continuity and scale and greatly enhances the exploration thrill within the game. Not all areas would be mandatory to be explored to complete the game and once a region is entered you then could fast travel to it (same as in BG1).

 

For those who dont want to lose time exploring by foot different areas that compose the world map, between the major/important areas within a game, a wagon system could be implemented. This way, the party would be instantly brought to the destination.

 

This is a great way to spread sidequests all over the worldmap, because sidequests should not be encountered only in towns.

Finding hidden abandoned dungeons and unexplored caves would be a great way to reward players that invested time and effort in thoroughly exploring the world map.

 

Reentering an area by foot that was in the wagon's path to a destination, the area map would be explored only along the road.

 

I was disappointed that Baldurs Gate 2 abandoned BG1's style but now that Project Eternity gathered more that 4 million dollars, this system would greatly enhance the overall feeling of the game.

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2012 by Grotesque

[hideo kuze]

Biased poll is biased.

 

Since you're late to the party, check this thread http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/60402-merged-what-kind-of-world-map-do-you-prefer/

 

IIRC Sawyer has said he will go with BG1 style of map... which is a shame since FO/Darklands/NwN2:SoZ type of world map is sooo much better.

[Rink]

I would have agreed with you when I was first playing BG2, because BG1 gave you a sandbox-feeling of "I can go everywhere" in a very big world and I could master my adventures while I am not in a dungeon (I thought that to be a small revolution back then). On most of those maps you would have died if you did though and you had to find out what maps are for you buy trial and error but that was part of the thrill and it was a freedom I liked a lot. But then most places were very empty and there were only between zero and 1 quest on a big map and you than had to find that one quest or just get lost in hordes of monsters. I didn't care, because the maps were so beautiful and I wanted to get every secret there is.

But today, so many years after, I think BG2 actually made it a bit better. I would have loved to have more maps on the main map where you can just explore, but the maps that were there were filled with content, the characters you could find filled with story and dialogue and there were still enough secrets and quests to discover, dungeons to find and artefacts to be looted. I think I would like both to have regions that are there to explore but even more places that get "unlocked" by the story. For me the bg1-style degree of freedom appered again in other games like Guild Wars 2, Skyrim or Fallout 3 and Fallout NV and I still like it but there are just so many games like that nowadays that I need more reason to still have fun exploring than just great graphics. I need more story bound to exploring.

I am very curious about what others think though.

[Monte Carlo]

Halfway house between BG1 and BG2 for me, please. OP would you be satisfied with interesting random encounters?

[nikolokolus]

Actually in reference Hideo's post above, Sawyer said they were probably going to go with something closer to BG2 ... which isn't a ton different than BG1, except for certain areas being part of an act and being closed off until you got past whatever choke point existed in the story.

 

When I think about it, I guess I don't really have a preference for either type of map. And it mostly comes down to how plot driven a game is.

[eimatshya]

In a recent interview, Adam Brennecke said that it would be sort of a middle ground between BG I and BG II style. Some exploration, but not to the extent seen in BG I.

 

Here's the quote:

 

 

 

From http://www.sorcerers...0329#post780329

 

"[Marceror] Are you going for a more open feel to the game (ala Baldur’s Gate 1) or will it be more like Baldur’s Gate 2, where you basically couldn't turn around without bumping into a quest of some sort?

 

[Adam] We were just talking about this on Wednesday. We definitely want to have wilderness areas like in Baldur’s Gate 1. We want to encourage exploration, but it’s definitely not going to be as aimless as it was in Baldur’s Gate 1, or as tedious. We want to make fewer areas, but have more content in them, and make them a bit more focused."

 

 

Edited October 22, 2012 by eimatshya

[Pwillig]

I just hope they enable cheat shortcuts that allow you to teleport like in IE games. I never enjoyed having to march across a series of maps to get back to a point after clearing it out. Hitting CTRL+J to get where I wanted after exploring it made the gameplay much more enjoyable.

[Darkpriest]

I'd rather have Fallout/NWN2:SoZ style of map, because that gives a larger world perspective, although BG has also its appeal

[SunBroSolaire]

I think what Adam Brennecke said sounds perfect. I'm okay with sacrificing some openness in favor of a more structured experience. As long as there's no fast travel. Town-to-town wagons are fine, though.