eytanz
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2708
Registered: 02-05-2003
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One of the things that always annoys me a bit in DROD is that the map is so small in-game. It only shows you the room and its immediate neighbours. On larger levels, I often have to spend a lot of time wandering around looking for a room I didn't complete or a passageway I didn't explore. This is especially the case when I come back to a particular hold after a few days' break, which can easily happen when I'm busy.

Now, the restore screen offers a bigger map, but it's deceptive - it shows the state of the game when you first entered the room you're currently in, not the actual game state. And, in bigger levels, if a room is off-screen, there's no way to look at it without clicking on rooms in the way which changes the game-state depicted.

I think there should be an additional screen, which should be reachable by clicking on the map in the lower-left corner, which gives a full-screen map of the level, in its current state. This will make life a whole lot easier on everyone who isn't able to play through whole levels at a time - especially since now we can make new holds with immense levels.

Also, I think that both the restore and the editor maps should be modified such that it's possible to traverse them without clicking on rooms - either adding scroll bars or navigation arrows or making them pannable or something - but that's a second issue.

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BenStandeven
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 34
Registered: 10-06-2003
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I'd like to second this suggestion; I instinctively want to click on the map to activate this feature, even though it isn't there!

Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
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I can see absolutely no reason not to add this, and I would be surprised if it was hard. I third it - especially because it would help holds with cunningly fitting together rooms.

You know, like Clayton's picture on his fifth level.

Matt

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StuartK
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 564
Registered: 06-10-2003
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If you click & let go of the mouse button in the same position, select that room and change focus with that room at the centre of the map.

If you click, drag, then let go, move the map focus accordingly, but don't select a room.

If you click the right button on the map, zoom out to a 'whole level' scaled map or perhaps 6x8, 9x12 (whatever fits) view. From there, if you click on a room, it zooms in with that room as focus, but does not select it. If you right click again, zoom back to where you were before.

For any of the above, if you're playing, the next 'move' key would switch back to the current room at default zoom.

Finally, introduce higher screen resolutions (with accompanying higher resolution art ) Then you'll have extra space for the map in the first place.

I wouldn't personally like to see scroll bars. IMO, they would look messy, unless perhaps they can be hidden when not in use.

I'm not sure about switching away from the game entirely to view the full map. I've a personal preference for getting as much done as possible without switching screens (unless the interface becomes over-complicated) It might be nice to have a full map option though, through a hotkey or perhaps a left+right click on the map.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5145
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Newsflash: We've got map scrollbar support now but I've been racking my brain deciding whether it would be appropriate on the game screen, or just on the Editor and Restore screens (where they work great, by the way). Of course they can be hidden when not required, but I don't think they would look good as part of that tiny little map. You propose some interesting alternatives to this. Hmm...it doesn't hurt to try it out. I'll try adding scrollbars to the in-game mini-map and get back to you sometime...

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ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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mrimer wrote:
Hmm...it doesn't hurt to try it out. I'll try adding scrollbars to the in-game mini-map and get back to you sometime...

The in-game mini-map is in a tiny space that would be made smaller. Plus we've got border graphics around the map that try to make the mini-map look like a physical 3D thing. I just can't see it looking good. What if we brought up a dialog with a larger map and scroll bars if the player clicks on the map? It is less disorienting than going to a new screen.

-Erik

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Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
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I'd do something like replacing or overlaying the room with the map, and a click somewhere that isn't the map brings the room back.

I don't really see any reason to 'leave the game', as it were, by clicking on the map. A new screen, as Erik says, is distracting, but a dialog has a similar effect. Are people really going to want to look at the room, then the map, then the room again? Mostly they'd want to look at the map to work out how to get to a particular room, then back to the room they're on.

Matt

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