Maps with a twist!

[ctstannard]

Hi all,

I know the idea of maps has been discussed multiple times and I think it is something that could be fun but also needs to be carefully considered since part of the thrill of this game is wandering into a blizzard and getting completely lost. So my ideas for maps would be this:

Some have mentioned the idea of being able to craft your own maps but I think this would be too easy unless it was balanced by making it time consuming, inaccurate and/or dangerous. Plus I had fun drawing my own map as I went along since I didn't want to just use one from the internet.

Instead I suggest the idea of being able to find maps located throughout the game world. These could range from perhaps some simple tourist maps found in cabins that are lacking a lot of detail and scaling. I am thinking of like the kinds of maps you get at amusement parks-- very high level and mostly just landmarks.

However, perhaps rarely in the camp office or the radio tower you could actually find a very detailed, perhaps too detailed and difficult to interpret, topographical map. I am picturing a large black and white elevation map. Perhaps there could also be an old roadmap which would have the roads and a few major landmarks but no details on the natural landmarks. Then part of it can be comparing the different maps you find.

Personally I don't think the map should ever show the character's position. Just like in reality you need to figure that out for yourself based on your surroundings. At most I would say if you find a low quality tourist map in the camp office it could help out by putting a "you are here" dot.

Also a compass would be handy but again I would prefer that it not show your location or anything special just straight up be a compass. Although I am given to believe this may not work given the geomagnetic disaster so I would accept that as rationale if that is the case.

I know for the most part these maps have unique landmarks that you can use to learn your way around but I think it would just be fun to practice navigating by map. On the subject of navigation has anyone tried navigating by the stars? Does anyone have any thoughts on that? I admit I've not actually tried it yet.

[norup]

On the subject of navigation has anyone tried navigating by the stars?

The stars reveal that we are not in Canada, but in a very different place in the universe - there is hardly any resemblance to the sky as seen from earth. Navigation by stars may be possible, but you cannot use any real-world knowledge of the sky.

[saxel]

I see this idea as a :

Realism 0 (no change to realism)

Playability +1

The reason I ranked this idea as realism neutral is that it is perfectly realistic to walk into someone's house and not find any maps there, but it is also perfectly realistic to walk into the camp office and find a big map bolted to the wall showing the local area around mystery lake and the different camp locations there. Or perhaps a stack of folded paper brochures that contain a local map for the campers to take with them.

[EternityTide]

On the subject of navigation has anyone tried navigating by the stars?

The stars reveal that we are not in Canada, but in a very different place in the universe - there is hardly any resemblance to the sky as seen from earth. Navigation by stars may be possible, but you cannot use any real-world knowledge of the sky.

I can navigate using the stars fine, but I only use one - the sun. Rises in the East, sets in the west, and at midday, passes due south.

I've constructed some pretty accurate maps using this method, but since the advent of topographical maps online, I haven't bothered as much

[norup]

Went out stargazing again. Only the Sun and Moon moves. The stars are stationary in the sky! You could of course claim that this makes using the stars even easier for navigation, but it also means that a realistic experience is further away.