Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) Fellow Wurmians. If you have not already seen it, watch the introducing the subject. We are currently focusing on the first 5 hours of Gameplay since we have a very high percentage of players that quit early for various reasons. We need to do a lot more in order to make it easier to get into the game and we have decided that this is a good time to do that. Features for New and Old players alike which are currently planned or being worked on:A Visual Interface for Crafting / CreatingIn game Village Recruitment systemGeneral World and Local MapRevisiting and improvements on the Starter Areas for all the IslandsTutorial Videos for core gameplayMore accessible Information / Help in-gameAn optional Contextual Help System, giving you hints instead of popups.The option of "Requesting a Quest" for new players to get basic tasks.New zone based tutorial, with option to skip straight to the Portal and Game World/ Island selection.Tons of new Icons for Items, Buffs and User Interface elements Even more is being discussed. We will announce this in due time as we get near to finishing up what we have started.Like and subscribe to our YouTube Channel and Facebook Page to be sure not to miss anything, as some features are going to be added as we finish them. edit: Link to Wip Map http://forum.wurmonline.com/index.php?/topic/87249-maps1/ Sincerely,/The WurmOnline Team Edited September 6, 2013 by Wox Added map link 18 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 Maps? Really? I know I'm not alone when I say a map will destroy the survival aspect of the game, getting lost in the woods makes things fun for alot of people. 28 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 if the maps are simply like the community maps then getting lost in the woods will still be very possible. lol. a minimap with a "you are here" marker would be bad I think, but having an ingame map with the landmass shown so you can use landmarks like mountains, roads etc to figure out where you are on the map could be a large help to new players. 12 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 I don't agree maps will be great Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 I don't agree maps will be great you may not, but many others share the same opinion as me (not often that happens) but maps will simplify wurm (even more) We have the community maps, why do we need anything else? :S 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) How will knowing where you are at change the survival rate? Knowing where i am is not going to stop that spider from attacking me it will just help them find their stuff better. If everyone is worried about the map maybe using a beacon light like what Santa has for all the starting towns might help them? Edited September 5, 2013 by Kegan 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 Running from a spider, get lost in the woods. Look at the map and bam you know where you are. Would prefer a beacon type thing you mentioned or just an in-game version of the community map. None of the "you are here" kinda things or it would be ruining what alot of people fine fun. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 General World and Local Map No thank you. No maps, HUDs, radars. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) that depends alot on how they introduce it i wouldnt like a gps system or simply interface maps...but handcrafted maps, varying in ql and amount of usability could be very nice without destroying the "wildlife survival aspect" seriously...if you were out in the wilderness and could craft a pen and paper, why wouldnt you start drawing maps? Edited September 5, 2013 by Miretta 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 that depends alot on how they introduce it shads Well the way to make it easier for the noobs is to just put a YOU ARE HERE with a big red arrow on the map. If it's a map that shows you all the deeds, buildings etc around you. It's gonna suck. If it just shows the roads and rough terrain then I'd be less against it, not like my say will have any effect on the devs anyways but an opinion and suggestion never hurt 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) , Edited September 5, 2013 by BlGpapa Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 We're still going to discuss how far "implementing maps" will go to add them into the game. Expect to have a chance to have your say about this At the very least, community maps will be accessible from within the game but won't show your position. To add a way for noobs to not get lost however, the noob compass could point towards the starter town too. Lots is being discussed! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 In game map will be fine and help the new players a lot. Just have an option to turn it off so players like Shads who like the idea being lost can remain not having a damn clue where they are. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) In game map will be fine and help the new players a lot. Just have an option to turn it off so players like Shads who like the idea being lost can remain not having a damn clue where they are. Hehe nothing wrong with getting lost. Being told your exact location would suck. Just an in-game version of a map like the current community maps would be okay. Also, the idea about noob compasses is good, just needs a seperate needle to point at the starter towns so the compass still functions normally too Edited September 5, 2013 by Shads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 glad to see this! hopefully it wont effect the time put into bug fixing but its a great idea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 -1 for maps with hud etc Better non movable maps with you are here. So players will occasionally spot then and know where they are if they're lost. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 Maps? Really? I know I'm not alone when I say a map will destroy the survival aspect of the game, getting lost in the woods makes things fun for alot of people. Just don't use the map, then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 Hey, I think that working on increasing retention among new players is a very good idea and I consider most of the planned actions as brilliant. Yet, there are two of them which seem questionable to me: maps and quests. Like many others, I think that in-game maps will kill some of the immersion. But on the other hand, even now, we have community maps which everyone uses (well, except the new players who don't know about them, but whom would need them most), so anything like that would definitely not be a game breaker. So I think that yeah, in-game maps may be good, but as long as they are working just as hints, not as exact maps / radars. Maybe something like a simple static map with only the landscape (mountains, ocean, lake, etc) not also deeds, and which marks your location only vague (something like having the map split in 5x5 quadrants and have your current quadrant flashing - it will let you know where you are, but at the same time it won't give you exact details). Also, alternatively, maybe have a more detailed map, but only with the region at a certain distance (200-300-400 tiles) of the spawn point. On the other side I'm totally against quests. We already have traders, merchants, bartenders, templars, tower guards - already too many NPCs for a sandbox game. Adding quest givers and quests will only turn the game towards the theme park style and soon enough people may require more and more quests. Eventually, if you really want them, add them in the tutorial, not in the real game. On the other hand what I really think will increase retention among new players would be a possibility for them to easily interact with others (like being able to add friends without being next to them, being able to be invited [and suicide to ] a village without being next to an officer, being able to join/create private chat channels, etc). I mean I saw lots of new players coming by, asking a few (smart) questions on freedom, finding a village willing to recruit them or someone willing to help them settle around, just that the helper was on another side of the map and there was almost no way for the newbie to reach the helper's place (and really, not many helpers would be willing to travel back and forth to the starting city to pick up new players ). Just my two cents... Cheers! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 Like everything but the map idea. One of the unique things is the lack of a map...Im against its addition personally as it is part of what makes wurm different. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 I don't see the need for maps. Maybe a skill to chart your own, and skill level determines accuracy and size... but not an outright map. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 I really like most of this update, but I really worry about raiders on the epic server finding our building locations easier with minimaps. As long as they just show rough terrain im happy. Can't wait! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) No thank you. No maps, HUDs, radars. This :-( No Maps !!! Edited September 5, 2013 by vill 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 Maps aren't needed. Look around you at the landmarks. See that mountain over there? That's where your house is near. Get lost? Look up, find the mountain, walk to it.A very basic landmass map, like the map dump is all that is necessary to traverse the world. If you can't navigate without a radar system, you probably wont stick around to play wurm more than a few days anyway. As for quests, I feel that a revamp of the personal goals section would suffice. Just put a basic checklist, along with optional instructions of how to do each task there. Pretty much a continuation of what is on the tutorial, with a "Make a Mallet" type goal. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 I use the Community Map heavily, i would love to see it implemented in the game as an overlay that fades when you move. But exactly the community map. No "you are here" red dots with an arrow pointing in the direction you face. No local map, Just in game access to a heavily used resource without having to Tab out of the game for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted September 5, 2013 The maps won't include any player owned villages, no need to worry about that. It might be possible to add marks to your own personal map however. 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites