Maps to "square"

[Wbino]

If I had one complaint against this great game and it probably an engine limitation, is the "squareness" of the maps.

 

I know I can only go so far up/down left/right before I get to the "end".

 

A truly free roam map where I could get lost would have been awesome.

[dirigible]

I actually feel the opposite. I'm a completionist, so I always make sure I uncover the entire map before leaving an area. If every map were a maze or a seemingly endless plain, it would just be frustrating to me.

[physicalist]

Well, it's exactly like the old Infinity Engine games, which is the main selling point of this game. It's not supposed to be Skyrim in 2D.

[Gallenger]

Arcanum tried having a large open world, outside of the "square" main maps, to a degree.  Most people never used it. 

 

I have gone for a few arcanum walks, but I've never really found anything of note hidden out there - just more and more dirt lol. 

Edited April 5, 2015 by Gallenger

[Emptiness]

The boundaries of the maps are square, but the maps themselves are not all square.  There are some oval maps, for example, where there is nothing in the corners.

[FalloutBoy]

I agree. I didn't like it in the IE games either, but I recognize the limitations of the engine, and it doesn't really detract from the great story, combat, characters, etc.

[Volourn]

"I actually feel the opposite. I'm a completionist, so I always make sure I uncover the entire map before leaving an area. If every map were a maze or a seemingly endless plain, it would just be frustrating to me."

 

L0L

[Varana]

I'm usually not that OCD, but if there are corners that are inaccessible and leave some of that evil black fog, that bugs me, as well. :D Well, for a few moments.

Also in BG - the way to treat a new map was to systematically go from right to left and back again to uncover every bit of it. :D

 

Anyway, a free-roaming world just isn't technically possible. Every map is built and pre-rendered and then used as a 2D background. That the party is going "up" or "down" or that there is an obstacle or a tree or something is basically a very elaborate illusion. It isn't; it's a static 2D picture.

And you can't pre-render a seamless world. (Well, you can, but not with PoE's budget and time frame, not even close.)

[Landerian]

Also in BG - the way to treat a new map was to systematically go from right to left and back again to uncover every bit of it. :D

 

 

We called that method a "Xeen-Sweep" from Might and Magic IV, the first game I played with those square maps. Left to right, top to bottom, but sometimes mixing it up for the sake of variety.