Hard to find own icon on map
-WildCat-
Cape Town, South Africa Join Date: 2008-07-19 Member: 64664Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Cape Town, South Africa Join Date: 2008-07-19 Member: 64664Members, Reinforced - Shadow
<div class="IPBDescription">Add a blip as the player opens the map</div>NS2 levels are complicated and the map is important to me while I try to find my bearings in the world. Unfortunately, it takes a relatively long time to find the icon that represents me on the map. It doesn't stand out well enough.
For example, at the beginning of a few of the games where I was playing alien, I have found where the marines have spawned and I want to tell this to my team mates. So I open the map to see what room I am looking into but I can't find my own icon. Then the marines start shooting at me and I have to flee. By the time I've escaped and found a spot to have a more lengthy search on the map, I no longer know where I previously was when I saw the marine spawn.
I suggest adding a "blip" that focuses on the player's icon at the moment when you open the map. I think the blip should only be displayed once, as you open the map. Here's Flash SWF that I made to demonstrate effect that I'm thinking about:
<a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65099424/NS2_Map_Blip.swf" target="_blank">http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65099424/NS2_Map_Blip.swf</a>
Staring at the map for ages while trying to find my own icon is annoying and makes it hard to learn the maps. I want to be able to pop open the map for just a moment at any time and immediately see where I am because this will help me learn the map faster.
For example, at the beginning of a few of the games where I was playing alien, I have found where the marines have spawned and I want to tell this to my team mates. So I open the map to see what room I am looking into but I can't find my own icon. Then the marines start shooting at me and I have to flee. By the time I've escaped and found a spot to have a more lengthy search on the map, I no longer know where I previously was when I saw the marine spawn.
I suggest adding a "blip" that focuses on the player's icon at the moment when you open the map. I think the blip should only be displayed once, as you open the map. Here's Flash SWF that I made to demonstrate effect that I'm thinking about:
<a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65099424/NS2_Map_Blip.swf" target="_blank">http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65099424/NS2_Map_Blip.swf</a>
Staring at the map for ages while trying to find my own icon is annoying and makes it hard to learn the maps. I want to be able to pop open the map for just a moment at any time and immediately see where I am because this will help me learn the map faster.
Comments
+1, i actually made a thread about this somewhere. however, there is a small line drawn on the floor indicating which path you should take, but it is easily overlooked as it does not stand out that much and you won't see it at all if you are already facing a different direction... in any case, it wouldn't hurt to have a map icon for this.
as for op, i have the same issue ever since they increased the mapsize so much. the cone helps a lot, yes. but every second you spend on the map is a second during which an enemy might be attacking you... so +1 for blip.
LOL, I wouldn't describe that cone of vision as giant. More like minute. If you know the map then I'm sure it would be easy to find your icon but if your concept of the map's layout is very vague, then it takes a while. Even one second is too long. It should be instantaneously visible.
Also, I don't think it would be distracting if it was only displayed once upon opening the map. The Flash SWF I made loops so it blips every three seconds but, if it was put in the game, I think it should only blip once when you open the map.
I realize this but it just a point a to b line, which could lead you through a mob of aliens when you could be going into a floor vent or taking another corridor.
Tho you only have the minimap while playing as marine - and that minimap tends to not update the names sometimes.