Mini-map or Compass?

[Wenceslaus]

Compass. The mini-map encourages to ignore the world and just consume the story as fast as possible without diving in. I found myself doing that while playing Witcher 3.

On the other hand, some in-game sights like shown above - like augmented reality would be cool as a cyberware.

 

[CyberBrett]

Contrary to TW3, this time we'll have on-screen signs of where we need to go, therefore I think we'll be able to play without neither minimap or screen, which is very good. So I'll probably disable whatever devs has put in the gme and leave that sign.

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But, if I need to choose, compass for me, but a compass done right. Minimap 99% is "follow those damn dots, CJ!" which I hate, since it distracts me and doesn't make me enjoy (and live!) the world built by devs. I played RDR2 with minimap off and it was great to open the map, check where I needed to go (IE go to that mountain, follow the river north and you'll get to that city) and get help from sign posts (written in english), but during missions it was almost mandatory. Sometimes NPCs gave you advices where to go, but it was not very efficient.

Regarding driving, I keep saying that we need something like this:

This would be very cool like the GPS we have now .

 

[Nikola_Nesic]

Even now people use maps and GPS, no one use compass in urban environment, even outdoor you use map and compass, also compass in games tend to lead you astray, you see point A and you start runing to it just to finde you are in dead end or on the wrong side of the mountine and so on.

Only problem with mini-map i have from demo is that look little too big.

 

[Johnysh]

I can't really decide but I liked how the HUD looked with compass. Bit more clearer. But I like GPS for it's practicality.

I think best thing would be to have them as in game upgrades.

 

[Draconifors]

this time we'll have on-screen signs of where we need to go

Which I find extremely distracting because they're just unnecessary clutter. The more the HUD shows up in the middle of the screen the worse it is, IMO.

Markers on a compass may not allow displaying distances but distances can be indicated in different ways. For example, in Skyrim the icons get bigger as you get closer, and vice versa. I think it's a great system; it provides sufficient information without cluttering the screen.

 

[Mybrokenenglish]

Which I find extremely distracting because they're just unnecessary clutter. The more the HUD shows up in the middle of the screen the worse it is, IMO.

Markers on a compass may not allow displaying distances but distances can be indicated in different ways. For example, in Skyrim the icons get bigger as you get closer, and vice versa. I think it's a great system; it provides sufficient information without cluttering the screen.

I'm not a huge fan of those either, but I still prefer them to compass (it doesn't help with height, so 3D environments are difficult to navigate and driving is a mess) and to minimaps (too much informations, they are a simple "follow the dots").

Ideally I wanted the world itself to provide enough info (signs on walls and alike), a nav system is good for driving, a map just in the menu.
P.S. I think I played a game where signs on the compass did not indicate the objectve's position but actually where you had to turn (like a navigator but dynamic), but I can't recall which one it was...

 

[Proxty]

Mini-maps, more than that, fixed mini-maps wi. Mini-maps in all games, even point-and-click escape room games. Let me see my options without having to open the maps.

 

[Bloodartist]

Compass is vastly inferior when map has more than one level. Since this is a city and presumably we can travel between floors, minimap is the only real option in my opinion. I don't mind if there are glowing objectives and markings on the screen either, since we have cybernetic eyes and enhanced vision/HUD.

I guess people have gotten used to fantasy settings where you are nearly always under open space..

ps. Id also like to at least have a setting for the minimap where the minimap always maintains north-south orientation (up is north, down is south), and its the characters icon that turns. Its easier to maintain sense of your surroundings that way. In the demo video it was the other way around.

 

[kirell]

I prefer the mini-map, however with a twist: It should always make sense in-game.

For public areas and streets, the mini-map is always available (equivalent to google maps). If you go into a non-public area, you need intel to get a minimap. E.g. by allying with Placide (Mall was on his gangs turf before the Animals arrived), or hacking the buildings security, or getting the construction blueprints. If no such option exists, you only reveal the minimap by exploring yourself or letting your spider bot spy out the next room (automapping software already exists today, e.g. for household robots, and your eyes are two cams). You might even get a misleading minimap from gathered intel: E.g. a gang might have broken down a wall to the appartement next door (passage isn't in the blueprints).

Same for targets on the minimap. If someone gave you the GPS coordinates, contact info or otherwise is able to track the targets location, it should be on your map. Otherwise, it shouldn't be marked. If you have a target and a complete minimap, you should also get a path or paths suggestion (basically google maps guidance system). If not, you need to find the way for yourself.

And of course, like google maps, you should be able to turn the map on and off at will (like all UI elements, since they are not player UI but also head up elements in Vs cybereyes).

 

[Sir_Parsifal]

Okay, so the real question is..

Why not add both, and let the players choose in the settings?
I feel like CDPR is adding too many false dilemmas to the game.

 

[Bloodartist]

Why not add both, and let the players choose in the settings?
I feel like CDPR is adding too many false dilemmas to the game

This wasnt CDPRs thread. What makes you think they didn't already add both?

 

[Hoplite_22]

Adding one or the other seems like a over sight, we know it's easy to have both from a single device that can fit in a pocket till we need it.

certainly don't want that stuff integrated, would make tracking you hilariously easy.

 

[kirell]

certainly don't want that stuff integrated, would make tracking you hilariously easy.

If you fear tracking in real life while using google maps, you can use the open alternative openstreetmap. Several apps using it allow you to download the map so you can use it on the go without using a website or data (and thus tracking). GPS by itself doesn't track you, you track the GPS satellites. Of course, if you are online with active GPS and someone hacks your phone, they can also lookup your current GPS coordinates (or cell tower/wlan based if GPS is off)

Pretty sure a merc / netrunner like V is aware and uses maps & communications responsively...

 

[BabalKabak]

Whenever possible, I use to set my own location markers and toggle routes manually. Because in many cases, you just don't know where to go, or you need them to avoid extra-time of wandering around (if you have a limited play time). But I believe that will be a thing, since you'll be easily overwhelmed with HUD information, so it would make sense to have hotkeys to sort out what information you wanna see or not on a given moment.

Post automatically merged: Sep 7, 2019

I prefer the mini-map, however with a twist: It should always make sense in-game.

For public areas and streets, the mini-map is always available (equivalent to google maps). If you go into a non-public area, you need intel to get a minimap. E.g. by allying with Placide (Mall was on his gangs turf before the Animals arrived), or hacking the buildings security, or getting the construction blueprints. If no such option exists, you only reveal the minimap by exploring yourself or letting your spider bot spy out the next room (automapping software already exists today, e.g. for household robots, and your eyes are two cams). You might even get a misleading minimap from gathered intel: E.g. a gang might have broken down a wall to the appartement next door (passage isn't in the blueprints).

Same for targets on the minimap. If someone gave you the GPS coordinates, contact info or otherwise is able to track the targets location, it should be on your map. Otherwise, it shouldn't be marked. If you have a target and a complete minimap, you should also get a path or paths suggestion (basically google maps guidance system). If not, you need to find the way for yourself.

And of course, like google maps, you should be able to turn the map on and off at will (like all UI elements, since they are not player UI but also head up elements in Vs cybereyes).

Yeah, definitely. When the day comes that one dev company applies all these ideas (not just mini map but many many things that are written down this forum), they will mark a milestone in the immersive genre. Many people don't get the purpose for paying attention to every details, but it really means a lot for building a strong background for the story/game (if doing well).

 

[atomowyturysta]

The poll should use the third "I don't care" option

 

[LordSerion]

Both, I can get hopelessly lost...

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

Minimap. Though provided it is creatively used with different mechanics.

Compasses just tend to pull the player from the nose.

 

[fr33kSh0w2012]

Deleted

 

[Stasito]

I wouldn't mind having a 3D mini map, which i could expand to locate myself in huge building. Closest i could think of, as example, would probably be Elite: Dangerous, but obviously with 3-dimensional plan scheme, not just blank empty space. I hope you get the idea.

 

[Seweromorsk]

Why not BOTH!

yes,
Compass is better for me