Center/rotate map option

sumguy720

<div class="IPBDescription">it takes a long time for me to orient myself!</div>I play NS2 from time to time, it's a game I really enjoy just picking up and playing. The thing is, I don't know the maps very well, so I keep having to open my map to figure out where I am in relation to everything else.

Problem is: I can't find myself on the map! I don't know where I am, so I have to scan the whole map for my icon first, and then I have to scan the map for where I want to go. I have to figure out what direction I'm facing so I know where I need to go etc. It takes, really, a long time to do this, and it isn't fun when I have to do it a lot.

Solution: Give players an option to center the map where they are, and rotate the map in the direction that they are facing. That way, to find yourself you can just look at the middle, and to figure out where to go you don't have to worry about your direction facing because the map is already rotated to compensate.

Downsides: If you're on the edge of the map you won't be able to see the other side if the map is centered at your location.

Upsides: Easier navigation-- allows new players and casual players to figure out where to go more easily!

This is a shooter/rts, not an exercise in map reading! (in my humble opinion)

TinCan

I'm having trouble learning the maps too and end up staring at that map scanning up and down trying to figure out where I am on the map, and then how to get somewhere. I'm guessing we will see a bunch more community maps too so I hope more work is being done on this.

Its not so much a need for map rotation but how to locate 'me' on the map. I noticed they changed the color of my icon for Marines (Not Alien?) and that helps ,but I would like to see a scanner sweep circle thing zoom in on me every 5 secs or so.

DarkOmen

This might be a good idea for newer players to make use of the map. As time goes on, I would expect that players would become more familiar with the default orientation and use that as it relates to the commander mode interface.

However, I would request that cardinal directions be marked on the map as it rotates, as I often like to give players instructions using absolute directions... "Go north!", etc.

Typhon

I too often succumb to "ok, I opened the map.....now where the hell am I on it?"

I think an easy solution to this would be that when you open the map you get a couple of circles shrinking down around your position for a second so you can really easily find yourself on the map.

Terr

Bump for great justice.

Kouji_San

Map should be open in any case most of the time you're not in combat to see where the action is for tactical information. And maps will only be learned through playing the game, at some time you will know every nook and cranny of the maps

The zoom effect on your player's arrow is imho not visible enough, that should indeed be fixed. And maybe the option to center the map would be a good on as well, options are always good!