Using map to navigate in survival

[Stinky socks]

Usually I google me a map of the region I'd like to explore, study it and go into an expedition! I know this idea may give some survivors a sour tooth, but I think of it like getting a map at a theme park and go exploring! Even then, I get lost!

How do you do your exploration? Please share! (And vote, poll is private, names are not shown)

[Sherlock Holmes 18]

If you mean an in-game map in survival, no, I'm not using it. But before I log into an area, I look up a map of that place online. (new and for areas I've never been to). But now I know where the net is on most maps. And I think I'm going to be a map school myself. It's just boredom. 

[Stinky socks]

5 hours ago, Sherlock Holmes 18 said:

If you mean an in-game map in survival,

No, the one from internet.

[Sherlock Holmes 18]

Yalnızca bilmediğim yeni yerler için haritalara bakarım. Ve kaybolduğumda. (Online) 

[ManicManiac]

I'll use the charcoal maps occasionally, but by and large I'm familiar enough with most landmarks/terrain features on Great Bear Island that I don't get disoriented very often.  On those occasions when I do need them, I'm certainly glad I have them.

Edited February 17, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Gracia_WolfSlayer]

3 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

I'll use the charcoal maps occasionally, but by and large I'm familiar enough with most landmarks/terrain features on Great Bear Island that I don't get disoriented very often.  On those occasions when I do need them, I'm certainly glad I have them.

Same. In some of the regions I don't play in as often I'll whip out the in game map and survey a bit to get my bearings. But I know these areas so well now, it's not often needed.

[Stinky socks]

Well I'm a lost cause then because I had TWM map on my tablet and still couldn't for the love of me find the way to the summit. Green is how I planned my route, but I got so disoriented after deer clearing (top right) it was a miracle I arrived to secluded shelf! At that point it didn't matter if it was my planned route or not. I was glad to finally figure out where I was.

[Old Hermit]

I tried to use the charcoal maps in the beginning, but i found them too useless for the purpose. I only use them now for fun, as i'm registering the locations i've been pass.

Currently i almost don't use any map, except on areas where i'm really curious about it's possibilities, and it's when i use google.

[Bean]

I think the most I ever used the charcoal map was in the newest release of Ash Canyon.  That place was freaking confusing to figure out!  So I meticulously mapped it to help me know where everything is.  Now it’s mapped to my cranium so I no longer need the map. Same with every other zone. 

[Bean]

1 hour ago, Stinky socks said:

Green is how I planned my route, but I got so disoriented after deer clearing (top right) it was a miracle I arrived to secluded shelf! At that point it didn't matter if it was my planned route or not.

The fastest route to the summit I know of is a straight shot across the lake, right along the cliff face with the rope climb, and then goat down into the canyon chasm there by the engine.  From there you go up the left hand canyon to the open air cave, go left again, and you can climb a rope to deer clearing level and continue up to secluded shelf, cave system and the final rope climb.  You can do all that in a few hours provided you have a stim for the last rope climb to the summit. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Bean
Clarification

[odium]

depends on the region but i definitely have all the whiteberry maps handy if I need them.  its maybe considered cheap by some players, but in my opinion, there would be maps laying around in any situation like this, or our player would have some knowledge of the area

[Cranky]

I’ve explored and charcoal mapped Forlorn Musk, Myst Lake, Mountain Town, Winding River, Pleasant Valley, Coast Hwy, and DP on voyager enough to know them without ever getting lost. I’ve probably spent well over 300 in game days in those regions (in total, not in a single game) and at this point never use/need mapping for them. 
 

All other regions I'm either still exploring or have yet to. After I’ve mapped out an entire region I will go online and pull up that regions map to see if I’ve missed anything (about a third of the time I find that I have). 
 

HRV I am finding very difficult to get familiar with due to all the different elevation and terrain. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Cranky
Grammar

[Stinky socks]

Agreed, different elevation makes things challenging. Well, and lack of roads..

[Grossbouff]

I personally think that the charcoal mapping of the game character doesn't reflect what one would do in a survival situation. They are too esthetic and not enough informative. One can barely recognize rocky terrain!

I am still in my second walkthrough in voyageur (the first one didn't last 1 day because I was completely lost in the cold!) and mapping everything possible with charcoal and trying to imprint the map in my brain but for ash canyon, the map is completely crazy, I would need 2 years of my life to know the map completely!

 

[Stinky socks]

I agree. What would probably make more sense is to have a map already, like from a travel center or lookout center or from convenience store and just use that. [Edit: gas stations should have maps and hike trails handy!] For navigation, probably marking trees or rocks makes more sense than using ingame map to navigate. But hinterland already allows that with spray cans. I mapped my paths through caves that way in TWM and cinder mine PV->CH.

But at the end of the day, I'm not sure which implementation to suggest or what would work best in the game. 

For now I use Fandom maps. Thank you whoever surveyed the Great Bear! Those maps are a lifesaver for enjoying the game.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Stinky socks
Addendum

[Pillock]

I've never looked at maps from the internet. If someone posts one in a discussion in this forum, I skip the post so that I don't see the map!

There are still bits of Pleasant Valley, Timberwolf Mountain and Hushed River where I can get lost (even Mystery Lake if the visibility is bad!). I like it like that.

 I haven't been to Ash Canyon yet, and I've barely started with Bleak Inlet, but I like to explore new maps by myself. I do use the charcoal mapping thing a bit, but mostly that's just for fun/distraction (not always though - sometimes it helps me figure out which general direction to head in when I'm somewhere unfamiliar).

One of the big appeals of when a new map is released is the first exploration. You rely on your instincts and in-game survival knowledge to improvise and survive on the fly, rather than knowing what's going to be where and which route to take. I like that feeling.

[Grossbouff]

5 hours ago, Pillock said:

I've never looked at maps from the internet. If someone posts one in a discussion in this forum, I skip the post so that I don't see the map!

There are still bits of Pleasant Valley, Timberwolf Mountain and Hushed River where I can get lost (even Mystery Lake if the visibility is bad!). I like it like that.

 I haven't been to Ash Canyon yet, and I've barely started with Bleak Inlet, but I like to explore new maps by myself. I do use the charcoal mapping thing a bit, but mostly that's just for fun/distraction (not always though - sometimes it helps me figure out which general direction to head in when I'm somewhere unfamiliar).

One of the big appeals of when a new map is released is the first exploration. You rely on your instincts and in-game survival knowledge to improvise and survive on the fly, rather than knowing what's going to be where and which route to take. I like that feeling.

That's the way I like it too and I can only agree with your last sentence. Mapping is a nice activity but it so unrewarding because of its poor quality. I would like to map in order to increase my knowledge of the location but it is barely the case...

[peteloud]

The game is meant to be the survival challenge of an unequipped crashed pilot in unknown hostile territory.  He has no maps, no warm clothes, no food or equipment.  If you go to fandom to get copies of, or just look at, the maps of the regions you change the nature of the game's challenge.

It is the same if you use fandom or other spoiler webpages/forums to get information about playing the game and the resources.  Similarly if you edit your save file to give yourself warm clothes, good tools & weapons and some food then you are not playing a game about the survival challenge of an unequipped crashed pilot.

Edited February 25, 2021 by peteloud

[Stinky socks]

And I'm not a bush pilot, so I get to use maps I 'found' at gas stations and convenience shops.

[Sherlock Holmes 18]

3 hours ago, Stinky socks said:

Ve ben bir orman pilotu değilim, bu yüzden benzin istasyonlarında ve marketlerde 'bulduğum' haritaları kullanıyorum.

What the matter? There are maps there? 

[Old Hermit]

7 hours ago, peteloud said:

The game is meant to be the survival challenge of an unequipped crashed pilot in unknown hostile territory.  He has no maps, no warm clothes, no food or equipment.  If you go to fandom to get copies of, or just look at, the maps of the regions you change the nature of the game's challenge.

It is the same if you use fandom or other spoiler webpages/forums to get information about playing the game and the resources.  Similarly if you edit your save file to give yourself warm clothes, good tools & weapons and some food then you are not playing a game about the survival challenge of an unequipped crashed pilot.

I partially agree.

If the game system forces the player to use an unaccurate map, while the player could be able to make a sketch more useful himself (and i did it in paper sometimes), i don't see any problem in adding some outside information. But of course, using these informations too much could be equivalent to cheating.

Furthermore, as i see, Mackenzie is an averaged experienced pilot, so i wonder if he shouldn't be able to make a better map.

On 2/24/2021 at 10:47 AM, Grossbouff said:

I personally think that the charcoal mapping of the game character doesn't reflect what one would do in a survival situation. They are too esthetic and not enough informative. One can barely recognize rocky terrain!

That's it.

[Stinky socks]

1 hour ago, Sherlock Holmes 18 said:

What the matter? There are maps there? 

Yeah, gas stations and convenience stores have these

[Sherlock Holmes 18]

2 saat önce, Kokmuş çoraplar dedi ki:

Evet, benzin istasyonları ve marketler bunlara sahip

Oyunda demek istedim. 😢

I mean, there was half a map in a tower. 

Edited February 25, 2021 by Sherlock Holmes 18

[mfuegemann]

I mostly use the map while exploring a new region or to find spots, that I have not visited yet.
Sometimes, if lost, I use charcoal or the spray can on already mapped areas as the map is centering on my actual location, giving me a hint of where I am.

[peteloud]

I often read of complaints about the detail and accuracy of the charcoal maps.  I think that people are underestimating the difficulty in making maps.  For walking around in the freezing regions without any technical equipment for measuring distances and the heights of the mountains then I think that the charcoal maps are realistic.

Incidentally, I spent a few years making computer maps, http://www.peterloud.co.uk/bahamas/index.html