Feeling hot? (User Poll)

[Retrograde 12,013]

Hi Everyone! 

There's been a LOT of discussion over the time of Wurm, about finding free land and the struggles of new players in exploring, I'm sure you all have your own tales of "the guards kindly inform you you cannot do this here" while trying to survive. 

We've been discussing this experience, and we would like to gather your thoughts on it! 

We'd like to implement a "heat map" overlay for the in-game maps, showing rough areas where deed density is high, and where it's low. 

It would look something like this:

 

red = hot 

 

But this is where you come in!

We want your opinions on whether you think it would have helped your explorations as a new player to find low populated areas (or dense areas if you wanted company)! 

Leave your vote up the top, and thoughts below if you have any! 

Please note, this is a general interest poll, nothing in it is binding! 

 

To clarify: This would be a toggleable visual option. Please do not vote no simply because you don't want to see it, we've already thought of that! 

[Votip 1,611]

please no they will find my hidden deed

[kgorski 166]

more than that we need more often done map dumps

[Retrograde 12,013]

Just now, kgorski said:

more than that we need more often done map dumps

They're in the works, but even they don't show active deeds! 

[Retrograde 12,013]

2 minutes ago, Votip said:

please no they will find my hidden deed

 

Fort Votip

[Votip 1,611]

Just now, Retrograde said:

They're in the works, but even they don't show active deeds! 

i didnt start working on map dumps yet, what are you talking about

[Retrograde 12,013]

Just now, Votip said:

i didnt start working on map dumps yet, what are you talking about

Draw me your finest map dump and I shall pay you the finest of birchwood shafts

[Votip 1,611]

2 minutes ago, Retrograde said:

Draw me your finest map dump and I shall pay you the finest of birchwood shafts

i can do it for summer hat

[denully 95]

i do see for new players how it would be nice, since they are not to fit for exploring a lot.  I know my first time took 3 days sailing around trying to find a spot hehe 

the map doesnt seem to show exactly where its free, but at least some idea of what area to look in

[HawkHawk 299]

I'm a new player to this game having started when Cadence launched.

 

When I started with very little idea of how the game works, the map feels massive without world shrinking items like Boats, Wagons etc, everything seems to take ages to do, and when you running past deed after deed trying to find a spot to setup I found it to be quite offputting.

 

Now I've got a bit more experience, I have Boats and Wagons, and everything still seems to take ages to do. I do enjoy the exploring element, but I'm very much aware of the fact I'd have probably not bothered to even setup if it wasn't for the fact I was with a group of people who wanted to keep going. I don't think adding a vague heatmap removes too much from the exploration, but it would make the game a lot more friendly towards new players.

 

I'd say not having the heatmap is gearing more towards established players who can travel the map easy, and having the heatmap more suits new players who cannot travel the map so easy (presumably these are the ones more likely to be looking for a deed spot)

 

Edit: Couldn't the heatmap be on a toggle? So people who want to use it can activate it, and people who would rather explore themselves can leave it toggled off?

 

I also agree about the map dumps coming out more often, the community maps are brilliant but only as accurate as the infomation supplied, I know a huge amount of the road network on Cadence for example has not been submitted to the map, so people simply wont know its there looking at the map.

Edited January 13, 2021 by HawkHawk

[Stinboi 363]

26 minutes ago, HawkHawk said:

I'm a new player to this game having started when Cadence launched.

 

When I started with very little idea of how the game works, the map feels massive without world shrinking items like Boats, Wagons etc, everything seems to take ages to do, and when you running past deed after deed trying to find a spot to setup I found it to be quite offputting.

 

Now I've got a bit more experience, I have Boats and Wagons, and everything still seems to take ages to do. I do enjoy the exploring element, but I'm very much aware of the fact I'd have probably not bothered to even setup if it wasn't for the fact I was with a group of people who wanted to keep going. I don't think adding a vague heatmap removes too much from the exploration, but it would make the game a lot more friendly towards new players.

 

I'd say not having the heatmap is gearing more towards established players who can travel the map easy, and having the heatmap more suits new players who cannot travel the map so easy (presumably these are the ones more likely to be looking for a deed spot)

 

Edit: Couldn't the heatmap be on a toggle? So people who want to use it can activate it, and people who would rather explore themselves can leave it toggled off?

 

I also agree about the map dumps coming out more often, the community maps are brilliant but only as accurate as the infomation supplied, I know a huge amount of the road network on Cadence for example has not been submitted to the map, so people simply wont know its there looking at the map.

Pretty mutch what he/she said. I would like to have it, but been able to turn it off/on

[Wurmhole 3,650]

I do not like this feature and would prefer you not show it for Harmony.  Could you do a mock up server or one of the old servers that already have map dumps?  However, I do like the map dumps, but not for a long time after server opening - maybe 1yr.  This lets the new server keep that new feeling and exploring more exciting.

[Finnn 3,303]

1st obnoxious blinking map.. where did good quality go.. 2 versions of it left&right.. normal and heatmapped.. will be so much better.

2. map dumps are already good enough for this but they are yearly printed so far.. and that leaves some questions in the time between the dumps, suggested feature will be 'in real time' showing where players have some deed activity, some like to split from the groups and have their own unpopulated corners.. let players explore and find that land.. 1 new settler in a while is 1 thing... having 30 rush and settle around you and creating deed network next to each other will just drive certain players wish to move out of there or the game.

[BoPeep 9]

No, thank you. Instead, I would rather have the ability to know where I am on a map and to track places I have been to more easily.
I would like to know more about where I am as I travel, rather than have knowledge of something I have never taken the time to visit.
So maybe a version of this concept that shows me where I am on the map and deeds in the vicinity or radius that I visit.
Exploration and mystery is lost if I can see where people are without traveling and there might as well be more towns to teleport to while alive instead of as a ghost.

[Syhl 215]

NO for many reasons already explained in previous posts

but

YES for map dumps more often than 1 per year

[Drogos 516]

If I did not already know that I would play Wurm when I first started, I would have quit. And the only reason was that where I started it seemed empty (few people in local), but still no place that I wanted to deed. A feature like this would probably have kept at list giving it more time to try out the game. I have zero statistics to check if this is a probable reason for others to leave, hey, I do not even know how many people try vs stay at all. So, if you believe this would help, I think it would be a good win for Wurm, and should be prioritized for sure. That said, I also do think it is important that a feature like this is implemented "correctly". It can also have the potential to break some of the game play for some people.

[Radircs 76]

More informatic maps (without a real time GPS on the player) are always great. I found this one on the other side quite vague. Its like only red and green, no yellow spots? Or is Harmony really so unevenly settled? Maybe a bit more gradient or harder contrast. I like the idea, but I find the visual execution a bit lacking.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Retrograde
Removed hidden post quote

[alantheman 4]

As a newer player i like this idea, it gives the sense of where the community of the server is and could be a potential life line to new players seeking help from other more established settlements.

[KaynsAble 0]

I think it's a great idea for PVE servers but probably not a good idea for PVP servers.

[Kukkakukko 0]

2 hours ago, denully said:

the map doesnt seem to show exactly where its free, but at least some idea of what area to look in

I'd fancy a feature that shows areas where people move. Active deeds and pathways show up bright, resent common hunting areas lesser so but still etc. But secret places with just secret alts will remain secret lol

Edited January 13, 2021 by Kukkakukko

[Maiya 490]

2 hours ago, Retrograde said:

We'd like to implement a "heat map" overlay for the in-game maps, showing rough areas where deed density is high, and where it's low. 

It would look something like this:

And how often would this be updated? 

 

[McGarnicle 1,463]

I really like this idea. My personal feelings is that it would actually encourage me to go exploring more since it gives more detail about what I might find in certain areas. 

 

I agree with previous comments that the resolution and the gradient of colours should be increased to give a bit more accurate information.

[Baenre 11]

You guys should provide APIs for tokens & Cateyes/Waystones (for Freedom Clusters).

The community creativity will figure out the rest

 

 

[Maldibren 7]

I like the idea and would use it when scouting new deed locations on Xanadu

[Arronicus 635]

I'd love this feature, though part of me questions if having it ingame is the right place for it. I mean that'd certainly help newer players, but for anyone concerned about immersion, it might be better off tucked somewhere similar to the MRTG files. 

 

My biggest concern, and this isn't really a reason not to do it, is that at least here on harmony, there are still a LOT of inactive deeds, so I'm not sure too well about on other servers, but at least here it wouldn't really be showing you too well about where others are playing, but perhaps, where there is more or less likely to be room to drop your deed.