Sensuki's Suggestions #004: Area Map Functions (with video)

[Sensuki]

Pillars of Eternity Area Map Functions

 

 

Infinity Engine Area Map Functions

 

 

Previous Suggestions:

 

Main UI / Tooltip Stuff

Selection Circles, Targeting Indicators

Disable Vertical Sync

 

Previous Discussions:

 

Combat Feels: Activness, Speed and Pace

Edited August 19, 2014 by Sensuki

[mrmonocle]

Watching the obvious things you point out makes me wonder how many of the obsidian crew younger generation actually played BG, IWD and Torment.

[shrubber]

Good points, I prefer the map functionality from BG2 too.

[Aramintai]

Why is there a fog of war on the map itself? I don't think there is a point in that for a map.

[AdaMusic]

Why is there a fog of war on the map itself? I don't think there is a point in that for a map.

The fog of war is really important. It gives a much much better feeling of exploration. Why explore if you know where everything is located?

Edited August 19, 2014 by AdaMusic

[Sensuki]

Fog of war is important for dungeons and wilderness areas.

[Aramintai]

I'm not against the fog in the game, I'm against it on the map, the one you open with M button. You go and explore a location in the game, you map it out - it should be fully revealed when you've walked everywhere in the location. In BG maps were all clear once revealed.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Aramintai

[Namutree]

Neat video. Also, you should work for Obsidian.

[SunBroSolaire]

I hope they don't remove this. Replaying BG recently I found myself expecting moving the box in the area map to also move the screen and getting annoyed a few times when I remembered that it does literally nothing. Being able to scroll around the map and the actual area at the same time seems way better.

 

Agreed that you should be able to close out the map in other ways (ESC, double clicking outside the map or on a particular area).

Edited August 19, 2014 by SunBroSolaire

[wickermoon]

If I might add just a minor thing: Things not belonging to the (static) background, like rivers, aren't shown on the map. The Dyrwood village map, for example, shows a dried-out river bed, instead of the actual river, probably because the map only utilizes the background graphic without the added animations.

[wickermoon]

I hope they don't remove this. Replaying BG recently I found myself expecting moving the box in the area map to also move the screen and getting annoyed a few times when I remembered that it does literally nothing. Being able to scroll around the map and the actual area at the same time seems way better.

 

Agreed that you should be able to close out the map in other ways (ESC, double clicking outside the map or on a particular area).

 

 

Just click outside the map and it'll close.

[Cabamacadaf]

I really miss double clicking on the map and the game screen moving to that location and closing the map.

[Answermancer]

I disagree on this one, I think the current scrolling functionality is better and I would be really annoyed if scrolling that square did nothing on the main map. The current functionality is consistent with clicking-and-scrolling on maps and minimaps in many games so I think it's a pretty standard and good way to do it.

 

Adding a double-click to close and center on that location sounds like a good idea though for people who are into that.

 

Personally I am used to closing every screen with the same shortcut that I used to open it (so open map with M, scroll or click to where I want, close the map with M) so the double-click thing doesn't matter to me, and neither does how you close the screen, but it'd be nice for those who prefer that.

[Sensuki]

I think that because the map menu is not full screen, it would be weird if the game screen didn't move when you moved around in the map. The scrolling when you do it needs to be smoother though, and yeah I've always used double click in the IE games.

 

The reason it isn't full screen at 1080p is because it's designed for 720p and up (which is annoying).

Edited August 19, 2014 by Sensuki

[Answermancer]

I think that because the map menu is not full screen, it would be weird if the game screen didn't move when you moved around in the map. The scrolling when you do it needs to be smoother though, and yeah I've always used double click in the IE games.

 

Ah, then yes, I agree. I just think the click-and-drag scroll needs to stay, it would be nice if it was smoother though.

[EvilVik]

In the Enchanced Edition games of Baldur's Gate the background actually follows the map.

I actually like that part, even though the other suggestions were good.

[frogdown]

I think that the fog of war on the map for explored areas is too dark.

The main view fog of war is fine, I am talking about the single screen map (M)

 

I also think that the excellent water in the main map highlights the static grass/trees - it would be nice if there was a bit more movement, which would also help some creatures blend in a little better - perhaps an area where perception could come into play more.

[Roby Atadero]

Scrolling should be smoother, double click to close set and close, lighter explored fog of war, and dynamic elements/time of day should all be in for the area map in the next update.

[Sensuki]

Awesome (Y)

[swordofthesith]

Scrolling should be smoother, double click to close set and close, lighter explored fog of war, and dynamic elements/time of day should all be in for the area map in the next update.

 

Thank you Team PoE!