Map Ideas

[SOE-Rothgar]

I had some ideas for our map system that I'd love to get some feedback on.

First, I'd love to create a new POI that contains multiple points. Maybe we could call it an ROI (Region of Interest). Basically it would draw on the map as shape. We'd probably code it to round off the edges so it would look nicer than a hard-edged polygon. This could be used for discovery areas or defining a region where a certain mob spawns when there isn't a specific coordinate.

I would also like to add a new property to the POI where you can specify a quest name that is associated with the POI. This would allow us to put the map in a mode where only POI's were displayed if they were linked to a quest in your active journal.

Let me know what you think.

[gm9]

oh no, more work. j/k.

Originally Posted by SOE-Rothgar

First, I'd love to create a new POI that contains multiple points. Maybe we could call it an ROI (Region of Interest). Basically it would draw on the map as shape. We'd probably code it to round off the edges so it would look nicer than a hard-edged polygon. This could be used for discovery areas or defining a region where a certain mob spawns when there isn't a specific coordinate.

I'm having a hard time imagining it but my first impression from an EQ2MAP perspective is that the maps are busy and colorful enough as they are, putting even larger POIs on them won't help. At least not before we don't have robust POI filtering capabilities in place.

If you implement it I agree on the rounded edges though, otherwise it will look too artifical.

Originally Posted by SOE-Rothgar

I would also like to add a new property to the POI where you can specify a quest name that is associated with the POI. This would allow us to put the map in a mode where only POI's were displayed if they were linked to a quest in your active journal.

This sounds really great.

On the implementation side in order to make it work on localized servers also it would be really helpful if the quest name tag could be english only, i.e. without translation tags (since users won't be able to submit the tags).

One further thought on this: We have over 16.000 POIs in EQ2MAP an noone will ever update them all to add the questname tag or even just the correct poitype. Therefore could the filtering possibly just make the respective POIs more visible instead of filtering all others out? I'm thinking of making them a glow (in a different color than the current search result selection glow), enlarging them or something like that. At least optionally?

[dragowulf]

The RoI sounds better IMO than the PoIs we currently have. I mean RoI would open up so much with a certain mob/mob type in an area, discovery, quest updates, etc etc. Instead of having so many PoIs we can have a few RoIs.

This would work much better if there is PoI filtering. You also should allow us to change the color of the PoIs easily.

While we're on the map subject, are there any ways of allowing us to make a circular map instead of having the dull square one?

[The-Order]

This sounds like a great idea, however, if added might crowd up the map a bit with icons and areas. I request a legend that you can open up in the map and toggle certain POIs and/or ROIs on or off to keep the maps from getting over crowded with icons.

[lordebon]

Originally Posted by SOE-Rothgar

I had some ideas for our map system that I'd love to get some feedback on.

First, I'd love to create a new POI that contains multiple points. Maybe we could call it an ROI (Region of Interest). Basically it would draw on the map as shape. We'd probably code it to round off the edges so it would look nicer than a hard-edged polygon. This could be used for discovery areas or defining a region where a certain mob spawns when there isn't a specific coordinate.

I would also like to add a new property to the POI where you can specify a quest name that is associated with the POI. This would allow us to put the map in a mode where only POI's were displayed if they were linked to a quest in your active journal.

Let me know what you think.

For your first thing -- I would LOVE that! That's something I've wanted to see on maps for years, but provided that by *default* it can be turned off, and then individual ones turned on/off with say a checkbox in a side window that expands out. It would be best of all if the game remembered which ones you had checked and saved it between sessions. But I love the idea, and it would be even better if we could associate multiple polygons to be shown/hidden simultaneously. That way for normal mobs (or another idea I've had -- harvests in separated zones) you could see all of the locations for a mob type at the same time. Even without rounded edges it would be great.

The second thing also sounds great. Especially since you said it would be a separate mode. It'd also be great if the normal mode could be set to *not* show POIs that are linked to quests that you do not currently have, again via a checkbox or context menu.


I have a few other suggestions:

The ability to zoom in on a map even further than we currently can. I know that the maps look rather pixelated at high zoom, but even at the current maximum zoom it's still hard to separate tightly-packed POIs in very large zones (/cough Moors).

Not sure how easy this one would be (Because of what I know of zonerects, seems like it might be tricky): For zones with *no* map, instead of having just the basic world map shown, it would show a large, totally blank map.

Or, if that is not possible another idea would be a "group compass" that would be a N-S-E-W compass centered on the player that would show all the others in relation to them. The angular coordinate would respond to the relative angle (NSEW) that the groupmember is from the user, and the distance from the center could correspond to direct distance (the further a player was away in the zone, the further from the center). Even just a pure NSEW relation would be great, without the distance coordinate.

[gm9]

Originally Posted by lordebon

It'd also be great if the normal mode could be set to *not* show POIs that are linked to quests that you do not currently have, again via a checkbox or context menu.

Good idea. For EQ2MAP we'd probably need to duplicate multipurpose POIs then though, e.g. quest update location and discovery XP location, so if you hide the quest POI at the same spot the disco POI is still visible. But that can be done.

Originally Posted by lordebon

Not sure how easy this one would be (Because of what I know of zonerects, seems like it might be tricky): For zones with *no* map, instead of having just the basic world map shown, it would show a large, totally blank map.

That's already the case, it is just not showing the empty "Current Zone" by default. But if you select it you get an empty map (and in the case of EQ2MAP with some more information on it).

[lordebon]

Originally Posted by gm9

Good idea. For EQ2MAP we'd probably need to duplicate multipurpose POIs then though, e.g. quest update location and discovery XP location, so if you hide the quest POI at the same spot the disco POI is still visible. But that can be done.

That's already the case, it is just not showing the empty "Current Zone" by default. But if you select it you get an empty map (and in the case of EQ2MAP with some more information on it).

Very true for the first point. But perhaps in the implementation those locations could be marked so that yes they update a quest, but they're not *just* for that quest. And thus the filter would only filter away those POIs that are *only* for a specific quest (which is quite a few when it comes to clickie-objects). That would allow the control without having to have duplicate POIs.

Second point: Interesting. I'd never realized that that is the case for zones that have no map in EQ2MAP. To clarify, thats what I was talking about -- zones like instances that do not currently have a map in EQ2MAP, not just ones that don't have a SOE map. I'll have to check next time I'm in an unmapped instance, don't remember seeing that before.

[Faerwynd]

Originally Posted by SOE-Rothgar

I had some ideas for our map system that I'd love to get some feedback on.

First, I'd love to create a new POI that contains multiple points. Maybe we could call it an ROI (Region of Interest). Basically it would draw on the map as shape. We'd probably code it to round off the edges so it would look nicer than a hard-edged polygon. This could be used for discovery areas or defining a region where a certain mob spawns when there isn't a specific coordinate.

I can't recall if this was in EQ2 or "that other game" but there was a map with was was called a "cluster" POI, and when highlighted would list the multiple NPC, quest, disco, etc. that were located within a certain small radius.

This sounds like a great idea, however, if added might crowd up the map a bit with icons and areas. I request a legend that you can open up in the map and toggle certain POIs and/or ROIs on or off to keep the maps from getting over crowded with icons.

Isn't this something available in the original EQ2MAP?

[lordebon]

Originally Posted by Faerwynd

I can't recall if this was in EQ2 or "that other game" but there was a map with was was called a "cluster" POI, and when highlighted would list the multiple NPC, quest, disco, etc. that were located within a certain small radius.




Isn't this something available in the original EQ2MAP?

A while ago, EQ2MAP did have purple clusters, yes. Those turned out to be quite a pain, so they were discontinued.

And yes, filtering was something available in the old EQ2MAP / map system, but is *not* something currently available in the new system.

[dragowulf]

Any way to allow us to edit our own POIs? And can we submit the ones we make?

[lecore]

Just a suggestion of a feature that I would love to see in game. To be able to show a waypoint to everyone in group/raid. My wife and I 5 box quite a bit. And one of us is usually looking up quest locations. When I have the loc I have to try and tell her where it is or tell her the waypoint so she can type it in and see the X on the map of where to go. If I could share a waypoint to the group this would be so helpful. Also another idea that I think would help quite a bit would be a waypoint route. Be able to select several waypoints. This would be helpful for solo/group/raid. So like I could have 4 X's on the map. Maybe have a little number over each of the X's starting with 1, 2, etc. And this shared to the group/raid as well.

Just a thought, but this would be so awesome to have in game.

Lecore

[gm9]

Originally Posted by dragowulf

Any way to allow us to edit our own POIs? And can we submit the ones we make?

On the first question I know that this didn't make it into GU50 for lack of time, but in principle SOE still wants to add later it if time allows. I don't know the current status.

The second question is something we initially considered but the answer is no. In view of the existing dupe and bad POI problem the disadvantages of a bulk POI submission outweigh the possible advantages.

[santory]

i'm on a local client, so if you add a filter from quest, it's would be great if in localized client we can have the choice to show localized name quest and english name quest, like that the filter can work for us too.