Map Notes

ArchivedUser

I'm really hoping that AoC will give us the ability to add notes (with a good variety of different pin icons) to our map.

If I stumble onto a Freehold that has a wide selection (or good prices) for, say, food/drink buffs, I'd like to be able to pin that Freehold on my map and add a notation of what they provide, good/bad prices, etc. 

Same thing for areas out in "the wild", where I may find an animal/monster/creature that provides resources I need.  I'd be able to pin that area and add a notation of the resource, the time of year (season) it was when I found it, and even the time of day (day/night).

Also, pinning/notating areas that are obstructed at certain times of the year, like a snowed-in mountain pass or a fishing lake/stream that's iced-over during the winter.  Or even a fishing area that is not affected by the winter season (like a hot spring).

On a related note (:P) I'm wondering if Freeholds will actually show up (as a building or some other type of icon) on the world map as they're built, and disappear when they're destroyed?  The info on the Wiki says that "Points of Interest" will be marked on the map as you discover them, but the example given is for a natural POI (a cave), and doesn't indicate anything about player-built structures (outside of the village, town, city, etc.).

I'm also wondering if a village, town, city, etc. will have it's own "zoomed-in" map view, that's constantly updating to reflect the changes within that space, as new areas/buildings are built?  Map notes would be extremely useful here as well, allowing you to pin/notate player-vendors (and any other buildings/areas that may not be automatically marked by the default map).

I haven't had a chance to really go in-depth into the Wiki yet, so please forgive me if some of these questions have already been answered.

ArchivedUser

Maps are still a bit unclear in the game. There may even be a cartography skill that lets players make maps. I think pins are a safe bet. I just hope that maps operate more like traditional paper maps than GPS (I don't want a blinking dot showing where I am, I'd rather the game have me try and figure it out if I got lost). That way, putting pins will also not be super accurate and more meaningful.

Also, given the dynamic nature of the world where for example dungeons may come and go, I am curious how the maps will respond/be updated. It may be silly, but the map system is actually something I'm very excited about hearing more about .

(Also, this thread has some convos that may be interesting on maps: https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/40985/no-fast-travel-weight-limits-and-blank-maps/p1)

ArchivedUser

@NeuroGuy - Not silly at all (IMO)!  I'm also really interested to see what they have planned for maps/mapping (a Cartography skill would be very cool!). 

I wasn't sure if I'd missed some important info about maps, or if it just hadn't been fully revealed yet...  But in the meantime, it'll be interesting to see what people are expecting, hoping for, or don't want to see, etc.

I really enjoyed the Map Notes add-on for WoW, and feel like this type of tool would be even more fun and useful in AoC's ever-changing world!

Thanks for the link.  I'll check it out!

ArchivedUser

We are pretty sure that the map will only update with POI when you find them.  Along with that, you wouldn't know if something changed until you went back.

I do love the idea of cartography so that you could be an explorer and sell your maps to other characters.  And maybe at a higher skill level, you could mark the maps you sell with the POI you have found.

And having node maps would probably be a good idea when you look at a Metropolis.  That thing is huge!  I wonder if they will have the fog of war as well.  You don't know the layout of the city until you wander around and see everything.

And just watch out for disinformation that could get you ambushed.