Compass

[Brudaks]

As the title says - look at the device, see a direction, try to make it useful. Would help orienting yourself in long trips after waking up, and in low visibility conditions e.g. fog.

It's reasonable for it to be rare, but be available in certain cases.

It doesn't need to be accurate (as cheap compasses often are) or even consistent (given the "game starting" anomaly, it might as well point in different directions in different maps or even different parts of the same map) - but as long as it shows something generally useful, it would thematically fit the game.

[Patrick Carlson]

1 hour ago, Brudaks said:

As the title says - look at the device, see a direction, try to make it useful. Would help orienting yourself in long trips after waking up, and in low visibility conditions e.g. fog.

It's reasonable for it to be rare, but be available in certain cases.

It doesn't need to be accurate (as cheap compasses often are) or even consistent (given the "game starting" anomaly, it might as well point in different directions in different maps or even different parts of the same map) - but as long as it shows something generally useful, it would thematically fit the game.

Interesting idea about "accuracy." So you would be comfortable with a compass that *could* lead you in an unintended direction?

[Dirmagnos]

Compass price has nothing to do with its accuracy, its fairly simple tool, that either works or not. Only thing that could affect it is em anomaly that may or may not be present in the game after Event. But even then compass would be usable - it may not be rock-steady, but generally it would point in the right direction. We are not exactly seafaring for thousand kilometers where even 1 degree difference may mean missing by hundreds of kilometers upon arrival to destination.

Under normal conditions something like large iron ore deposits in the ground can affect compass accuracy, but during em event it would also lessen the effect of em disturbance, actually helping compass to work better by "cleaning up" emf lines.

[Cog]

Just some ideas:

It could be a hiking watch with sensors such as temperature, barometer and compass?

Just showing a screen with a watch and values. The temperature information can be explained in this way.

The accuracy of compass could be inaccurate as you mentioned above. Sometime better, sometime worst depending on ... e.g. part of the day?

Barometer could predict the incoming storm? 

[tha_vampyr]

one problem with a compass. if there has been a geo-magnetic event that was able to bring down the plane you are a sole survivor from, and to have killed power everywhere, then im guessing a compass wouldnt work. ive wished for a compass many times, but yeah, im thinking that this would be an issue.

[Dirmagnos]

@Cog Im not really sure about whole watch idea. All of what ive seen that combine all those are digital and most likely will be fried after Event. And i havent found mechanical watch that would have those features. Id go with conventional mechanical watch paired with something like this one.

Compass could work most of the time, sometimes better, sometimes worse, and sometimes going completely highwire. With no way of predicting when what would happen or how long it would last. Script that would mostly work with rng parameter. Barometer could be problematic for new players, as they dont know how to read it properly, but after a while it would become invaluable tool. Once player figures out what means what, then he could predict, with rather good accuracy, most weather changes.

@tha_vampyr Your guess is actually based on some facts or is it just random guessing without any basis ?

[sarudak]

A compass would be a really helpful and thematic item for navigating.