Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
I mean, you make memories in-game at certain spots of the map. I'd hate for those to change.
Now, i don't mind if there is a major world event happening once a year or so that may/may not affect how the map look TEMPORARILY. Ex: An area becomes completely destroyed, but it'll take NPC's X amount of months to rebuilt it, maybe even make it better.
EXACTLY THIS
For example, when a node upgrades to a city then that should automatically update on my map [since it's a global announcement], but maybe I need to visit that node's city hall in particular to find out which guilds are patrons, who the mayor is, what facilities have been added, and any information regarding NPCs, quests, and organizations.
An added layer to this could be if you visit a science node then it will provide information on the surrounding nodes without having to visit them individually. So, if you travelled across regions then you might visit that science node first as soon as you arrive in order to get the most up to date regional knowledge. The science node might charge a fee or tax for this information and players might fulfill quests in the science node to keep it well informed.
A system where you pay a small sum to an NPC for map updates- perhaps region based- would be a neat feature.
I'm not a fan of the map auto-updating. Its too easy and 'automated systems engaged'y.
In Asheron's Call you would give coins to Town Crier NPCs and they would give you news and local quest hints.
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Had a similar thought, however in order for the town NPC map to be sold, it must first have inventory that players that have scouted the landscape can sell partial maps of
Perhaps a static map for the nodal area one has chosen to reside and some dymanics to selective other areas
Thoughts, unresolved, I would like to see
a) a degree of fog that disappears when areas discovered are reflected in the maps which also fades away after several weeks to months of not returning to those areas.
b) regional / partial maps that scouts only can produce and sell back to the town for re-sale from NPC to players
c) treasure / regional resource maps - again that can be discovered by gatherers and sold back to the NPC in their node and then purchased by nodal citizens.
d) scientific - quests or costs to place fogs of war over areas to leave limited to no visibility to players outside a node citizenship
e) landscape changes in some areas - deformation over time, tree deforesting growing back slowly, islands rise from the depths. just some dynamic to the overall maps that might keep players exploring and finding new things
I'm horrendous at map reading. My sense of direction is terrible too. It's awful.
A friend of mine once said watching my character on a minimap was like a game in itself. They would try to work out what the heck was going on in my mind and bet if I would get to the end destination.
One of my favourite memories has been with a hero who can read maps coming to save me. I once got lost in a desert...for an embarrassingly long time. I was too ashamed to call for help but after going delirious from the heat... desperate to see water and green grass...I had to ask a friend who had worked tirelessly to unfog the map to this deadly desert to come save me. This hero came to find me - even though I could not describe where I was QQ - and guided me to safety at the nearest town. We cried and laughted a lot over this journey.
I think innovative maps can help create memorable adventures if done right ^^
Important is to make people not leave the game to look information about map, giving them something and allowing them to update.
The first point sounds like a pretty cool idea, when I read it I thought of an area of your map that you explored or unlocked recently being very clear to see. And then as time goes on and you move away from that area and don't revisit it gets darker and darker with fog (uncertainty). It never truly blacks out so you still know topography of the land and can see any indicators that where there when you last visited, but you may not know how the nodes have changed, what other structures are new in the area, or if a once open mountain pass is now blocked due to winter snow storms. You can gauge how accurate your map of an area is by the shade of the overlay, the darker it is the more uncertain you are that your map is accurate to the actual area.
If my map didn't at least show me basic topography and at least some information (full Fog of war) I would just be playing with a full map on my second monitor breaking immersion.
Without a map skill you are lost between "Down Yonder and Round the Bend a spell".
Who would you want to make your map, Da Vinci or Vespucci? Price would definitely matter.
If it was a Trade skill would each region, "Node" have different levels of detail in the maps of say the Apprentice VS The Master Craftsman?
Lets not forget the Sea Charts of Legend, without these most of us would still believe the Earth is Flat.
If Im going to Hunt for the best Ore in a region I'm seeking out the Miners, Best Leather or Skins Hunters, and Yada Yada Yada. If you already planned it just do it we are going to play anyway.. You've already got us hooked!!
The concept of being able to share/sell maps is very intriguing and tying it to a craft would be incredibly novel.
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It doesn't need to be a convoluted process.
Love the work you do intrepid, keep it up!
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I would like to see fog of war return after a node has changed level up or down. Perhaps after a major siege event even the whole ZOI goes dark.
Being a citizen of a node should have the benefit of seeing that nodes ZOI.
People being able to update others peoples maps should also be a thing wether for gold or because your just a nice guy.
But if the map changes because of player decisions then I would think that the opportunity to experience what others have and you missed could still be possible. Keeping this in mind should mitigate that feeling of missing out. After all, we are trying to build attachment to the game world, and this would add a very dynamic aspect to various game mechanics.
Would be super cool to have a building or city upgrade.....like some sort of weather/climate control effecting either just the city or possibly beyond. But that sounds OP
Oh and please copy one thing from WoW. When I open the map, my char should also open a map as an emote and look at it. I find something like that just always nice.
Maybe there could be a quest inside the node to report back on nodes that they haven't heard from in a while? The further the node, the better the reward? Maybe coming back to your own node from another, in the same session without dying, would update your node's map of the world, and once you're in the node, you can update your own from the current map? I dunno, I'm sure you can think of something more effective. There would have to be a datetime on your specific areas of the map, so that you weren't overwriting someone else's newer area from the opposite side of the world to where you'd been.
And yeah, until you've got/bought/updated your map, you should have a fog, as why would you know where everything in the world was if you've only just stepped through the portal from Sanctus?
If it was up to me, I wouldn't even implement a map. I've always liked memorizing the layout of a map. Or just a compass and map where you figure out yourself where you are (real explorer style).
P.S. maybe add a progressive style to it if you've killed an amount of creatures, the map updates to a more detailed.
It would be good to be able to mark/annotate/note the map. There's not usually enough interaction with the map, in most games.
Needless to say, updating/refreshing your map with the current state shouldn't remove your annotations.
This is pretty much spot on. I would not want any fog of war to reenter an area I have explored, let it stay the same until I reexplore it myself or if I get new updated information from a library or tavern from people that have shared their maps.
Could even have a tag system when you upload your maps to the library/tavern - Guildies, people in your alliance, friends, public or other tags and only those matching those tags can take part of your shared maps.
Perfect way to start a gaming session would be to enter your local tavern or city, talk to people, update your map and head out and use the information received or try to find new locations yourself.
This is how I thought it was going to be. I actually didn't even know that this was a mechanic that was still up in the air.
Cami Shami