Free Roaming

[Solfius]

I don't see how a grid lets characters know where they are too much.

As I envisage it the options for travel would correspond to compass directions relative to the current location.

There would be a location pic as now, not showing the grid of course.

IMO it would be harder to navigate, and get lost, because there would be no linking roads showing where you are going to like now. Characters could go south, even though there is nothing South to look at (in the way of buildgins, resources, and other people) and unless you keep an accurate record of the dircts you have gone it is far harder to backtrack than now

[rklenseth]

I actually disagree. I think a grid system could make you more lost than the path system. It would also make mapmaking harder but more interesting.

I also like the grid system because it would allow your character stop somewhere along his travels and rest awhile (thus inns and taverns could become more common). Cities could be more spread out and cities are no longer restricted to locations but you could build one between Quillanoi and Lake Village for example. Also people could build their own paths to places thus more developed places would most likely have better roads and more of them leading to different places (with more paths the more chance you might get lost or maybe you take an unfinished path that does lead to a dead end). Plus it would make it more fun if areas appeared to as a grassland with a few buildings (like man in his twenties) than characters would have to ask someone or read a note or a map to figure out where they are. Once someone thinks they have a name for an area they could just replace grassland with a few buildings to Quillanoi for example. I think a grid system has a lot more benefits and will make the game more interesting than the current system but that is just my opinion.

[g1asswa1ker]

I'm not say useing grids with coord. like lat. and long. I'm saying like maybe compass directions n,ne,e,se,s,sw,w,nw and yes thing would get confusing with roads and things but thats what signs are for and you could still pave roads along these routes just like now maybe even name them ie route 99 w to krif, but you would have to make each segment all the way to krif.

[Solfius]

so the difference between your idea and the grid one is what exactly? The lack of a grid?

Wouldn't that make finding places a lot harder? in terms of getting the right direction and distance, a bit like people find sailing now.

A grid would be less specific, and easier to navigate, but not too easy so that you know exactly where you are, but knowledge of trignometry and other suff I think people use when sailing wouldn't be needed

[g1asswa1ker]

I like that anmeing the locations for your self that way a name could be anything that and it would slow people who like to group together there characters could you imagine where am I some one would have to tell you and if you've never been there before you would be lost to find another place and you might not even know if you were on a continent for years. I also noticed that someone had post in a another post somewhere that there are not enough places for sertan lang. areas why not allow them to be able to spawn in other place as well language barriers are a know thing throu out history maybe inspire some players to learn another language Myself I'd love to learn german but I know so little of it I would need help to learn it. But the exposure would be great in that learning proccess

[Solfius]

if there were no location limits, in effect no grid, how do you know where one location ends and another begins to name them?

[rklenseth]

I think navigating with going in direction like north and south would be the best. When you go in a certain direction it would tell you what kind of road there is depending on if there is one and you should see what is near the next grid location such as if there is a grassland with buildings it will tell you that but. Perhaps for things you can see faraway (like mountains) it will tell you that if you are three or two grid locations away. I think that sounds like a good idea.

[g1asswa1ker]

my spelling is terrible today Anyway yes you are right but make a sign 99w to krif , next area 99s to krif, next area 99 w to krif, Welcome to krif, but of course you would have to make a sign permanent

[rklenseth]

But even signs can be destroyed or changed or should be if brigands or other people want to make it confusing and such.

I do like your idea of having different languages spawned on the English continents if one of these things were introduced. I think the only reason different languages weren't spawned on the English continents was because it was thought that it would make it unfair for them because the English societies would be too far advanced.

There is still always the chance that your boat might end up on one of their continents someday. I wonder when one of the English societies will discover these continents of different langauges. That will be a interesting day.

[g1asswa1ker]

yes to to both of those ideas and also add the ablity to take down buildings and so forth....

[g1asswa1ker]

Make be even allow the abilty to resmelt items. Turn those sabers into other less dangers things....

[Meh]

Well if a grid is made there should still be obvious paths to follow even if they are unmarked.

There should be a movement penatly for going off path. Going in a straigt line means scaling a few cliffs or cutting though more jungle.

[g1asswa1ker]

Well yes that is what I have been saying 8 clear pathes from each area. With some of those direction impassable. maybe have an area have effects on your speeds like rough mountain terran would take a while to walk, so would swamps.

[Meh]

Isn't that what we have now just with more impassible paths. So we just want more locations and paths?

existing
A > B

after
A > B
A > C
B > C
A > D {a deadend near A?}

Sort of like the existing long paths would be bypasses and the short ones to new areas?

[g1asswa1ker]

Kinda I think what I'm getting at is rather then have a single path that gos from point A to point B that takes 4 days to walk maybe 4 areas to walk through A to C to D to E to B That way some one could stop at D and set up shop or camp or hunt or if I'm being followed I can turn of at D to another direction and try to lose them. There is more but I'm gettting called to work. So I finish my statement and thoughts later...