It seems you really want to make travelling through the wilderness a challenge, with emphasis on the possibility of getting lost.
Yes. Could be optional, as not everyone likes this. I agree that since it is a
game, this shouldn't get tedious. I don't think it would if the world is interesting and alive.
Consider that we're talking about a medieval-ish fantasy setting here. We modern guys are all very much used to detailed maps, to the point that we take such information for granted. But in the old days most people would have a very different view of the world, based on known landmarks, and they would travel from landmark to landmark.
1) I can see your concerns. And I was conflating the RL player and the character: if you, the player, take a break from a game for three weeks and forget all about the geography, the character shouldn't, as no time has passed for him/her. In that sense, the automapping is the memory of the character. So, perhaps a better alternative to my first proposal is to have only long-unvisited parts of the map fade away.
2)
Yes... that's why strategy would become important: don't travel in mist, avoid dense forest, or if you have to (the temple is
in the forest) try to find a map or some directions beforehand, and bring a lot of food.
yeah you can see more from a high mountain, but can you realistically make out caves and such
I suppose not. Small landmarks would only pop into view if close enough. The telescope item would extend that range.
3)
seems like a bitch to code
Don't know... haven't tried. But the 'turning world' would be nothing more than a simple reordering of the elements in the geography matrix, not a big deal.
That would take a whole lot of time to adjust to...
It may sound scarier than it is:
Code:
"""
"""""
"""""""
"""@""" Player starts out in open plains.
"""""""
"""""
"""
""&
""""&
"""""""
"""@""" UP: Moves forward. Forest becomes visible.
"""""""
"""""
"""
""&
*""&
"""""&&
"""@""" UP: More forest visible, and a city.
""""""" Edge of the forest obscures what is behind.
"""""
"""
"&
"""&
"*""&
"""@"&& UP: Gets still closer to forest edge.
"""""""
"""""
"""
"""
"""*"
"""""""
"""@""& LEFT: Turns.
""""&&"
""&
"&
"""
"""""
""""*""
"""@""" UP: Moves forward away from the forest - at right
""""""& angles to the original forward movement.
"""&&
"&
4)
telescopes, all you can really do is see in more detail what you can already make out
You're right. So that could be their function. Reveal details that are too far otherwise, as well as point out random encounters, as spectre suggested.
Maps would be good, but I'd rather they didn't 'reveal' anything, that's what the scrools of magic mapping are for. For example, you buy a map to a crypt near some town. You 'r'ead it it and see an ASCII representation (can be black and white) of the area around the town with a big X that marks the spot.
Agreed!