Compass is needed
KwisatzHaderach
Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143872Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143872Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
<div class="IPBDescription">and in-game maps need to be overhauled</div>Hi lads and lasses,
after haveing put 50h into NS2 since the late beta, I still have some problems with orientation on maps. This is due to two reasons:
1. Maps (I mean the in game map sketch, not the actual architecure).
I still haven't figured out what they actually show, but I can say, they don't show you the way. It sometimes seems they tell you line of sight instead of ways you can tread on. It happened all to often to me that I wanted to haste from one room to the other only to find the corridor which is shown on the map is a big window.
Also for some reason there sometimes is a line between rooms on the map where ther is actually a passage in game. Vents are not always marked in the orange colour I understand they should be indicated with. It is really confusing and just feels like a not updated version of an older map layout that is not valid anymore.
Since noone brought this up before, I was a little reluctant to post this; maybe I just haven't figured it out yet? In this case, feel free to give me some hints.
2. Lack of a compass.
This is not so much an issue when playing marines, as they already have a map in the upper corner of their HUD. But as an alien, especially as a celerity-going-with-the-speed-of-light-creature it is really tiresome to bring up the map every second to know which direction you have to go.
Now, I oppose the idea of giving aliens a map too, as it doesn't fit the lore. Instead I propose giving them a compass!
This would enable me to know the general direction I'm heading and can be easily explained as receptors for magnetic fields are also found in rl animal and bacterial kingdom. migrant birds for example can sense the earths magnetic field through tiny magnetite crystals in their eyes.
I feel that fixing the above mentioned points would lead to a much more fluent and comfortable game and I don't see a reason not to include a compass for aliens (you could also make it optional, so vets can deactivate it for a tidier interface).
after haveing put 50h into NS2 since the late beta, I still have some problems with orientation on maps. This is due to two reasons:
1. Maps (I mean the in game map sketch, not the actual architecure).
I still haven't figured out what they actually show, but I can say, they don't show you the way. It sometimes seems they tell you line of sight instead of ways you can tread on. It happened all to often to me that I wanted to haste from one room to the other only to find the corridor which is shown on the map is a big window.
Also for some reason there sometimes is a line between rooms on the map where ther is actually a passage in game. Vents are not always marked in the orange colour I understand they should be indicated with. It is really confusing and just feels like a not updated version of an older map layout that is not valid anymore.
Since noone brought this up before, I was a little reluctant to post this; maybe I just haven't figured it out yet? In this case, feel free to give me some hints.
2. Lack of a compass.
This is not so much an issue when playing marines, as they already have a map in the upper corner of their HUD. But as an alien, especially as a celerity-going-with-the-speed-of-light-creature it is really tiresome to bring up the map every second to know which direction you have to go.
Now, I oppose the idea of giving aliens a map too, as it doesn't fit the lore. Instead I propose giving them a compass!
This would enable me to know the general direction I'm heading and can be easily explained as receptors for magnetic fields are also found in rl animal and bacterial kingdom. migrant birds for example can sense the earths magnetic field through tiny magnetite crystals in their eyes.
I feel that fixing the above mentioned points would lead to a much more fluent and comfortable game and I don't see a reason not to include a compass for aliens (you could also make it optional, so vets can deactivate it for a tidier interface).
Comments
Another note, as alien, get used to both normal vision / alien vision -- as it makes the map look entirely different if you get used to just one or the other.
I don't really see the point to the compass either. You can press C to see which direction you're going no need for another (imo redundant) HUD element. and once again, it doesn't take long to get the general feel of a level and no which way is north just by looking around.
And I also play with alien vision off most of the time, as I can better estimate who well marines can see me.
Also, maps just give wrong directions. If you ask me, this is something that really should be fixed.
However, having the minimap open a LOT is a necessity of the game. Unless your commander is excellent (which is what I prefer), you're going to be holding your minimap open a lot on both alien and marine side to see where you are needed / where the enemy is pushing / where you should be going / to get a feel of the overall situation... so, get used to it.
try it!
tipp: alien commander isnt hard as marine commander ;)
other games have maps that are more easy to learn, but this is one of the things that makes NS2 stand out from the rest. it's not symmetrical, it does have confusing corridors and vents - especially with alien vision or rich infestation. this is a good thing because it raises the skill ceiling that little bit more.
After learning the map running into dead ends won't happen
It also doesn't fix the problem.
learn the physical entity map, not the 'cavern A-Z' map.
/minifacepalm
Even fairly new players learn the map quickly. . .
Games are long and good commander will call out the name of a room they want you to go to and give you a waypoint so even if you didn't know what to do you will now
Too easy. Before even joining a server, build a 1:1 replica of the map,,,
^
in progress... wife is not to happy about the hole im digging in the backyard (maybe i shouldn't have started with crevice)
seriously, it's not that hard to learn the maps, it's also not hard to press C.
If I am truly lost (which is very rare, probably only happens in mineshaft), i open the map and spin around a bit while doing it so my characater icon is easily spotted.
What is this, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013?
Come to think of it, a hunting simulator with NS2 creatures might be awesome.
<a href="http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=106432270&searchtext=" target="_blank">http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/file...amp;searchtext=</a>
But onto your problem. I agree a compass would be appropriate.
seriously, it's not that hard to learn the maps, it's also not hard to press C.
If I am truly lost (which is very rare, probably only happens in mineshaft), i open the map and spin around a bit while doing it so my characater icon is easily spotted.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1. Having the map open all the time isn't an option as it is sort of distracting from combat.
2. It is hard to learn the maps. Maybe not for someone who plays 24/7, but for the average jack who gets to play maybe 1h/d on average and thus spents 15 mins on one map/d it is. Map layoout is complex and it is not open like BF3 or something where you see a spot and can just take any route there. It is closed and got alot of dead ends (typically with a door texture on it) and also hasn't got a large amount of obvious landmarks either.
3. No need to spin around: when you open your map, the arrow actually zooms in on your position.
4. and foremost: your points don't change anything about the bloody map being broken. This is really not a kind of attitude that will help the new crowd (and lets just hope they will keep coming). Sorry, not everyone has been playing since the alpha and knows every map like the back of their hands. It's not hard to scrape up enough empathy to understand that it is frustrating if you want to help your team as a newb, but instead of going to the dying hive you keep running against walls.
I'm also not asking UWE to rebuild the maps but just simply make a new sketch of the actual maps.
Why is it everyone needs their hands held these days or they start freaking out. Start your own server and run around like a nut. I haven't played refinery once in a real game, but i can tell you where everything is because i spent 10 minutes running around on it.
Why is it everyone needs their hands held these days or they start freaking out. Start your own server and run around like a nut. I haven't played refinery once in a real game, but i can tell you where everything is because i spent 10 minutes running around on it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I know right? Because Dune II and Warcraft II didn't have a map either. Ppl were really tough back in the olden days!
i will probably still need to consult a map for basic navigation purposes after 20 hours on it. something about repetitive corridors just makes them hard to learn