re: CF: World Maps

[Michael Keuchen <rz9a003@rrz.uni-hamburg.de>]

I see a fundamental conflict in discussions about the future of
crossfire: Some want to have more flexibility, others (including me)
want to have good stories, good adventures.
The first want to have more possibilities in the game: digging through 
(normal) walls, picking locks you otherwise need a special key for,
changing dungeons etc. But this can destroy a good quest. If you can,
for instance, pick the lock of the door of the lighthouse in Navar,
you would miss nearly half of the smugglers quest (and all of the
story around it). Most of the good quests include a story and often
you need to complete map A and some information from B to enter
dungeon C. This would be much more difficult for map makers if there
are many other possibilities to enter dungeon C. I don't have a
problem with more roleplaying and interesting charcters creative using 
of skills, but we should find a compromise.
I mention this conflict here as it appears in the question of ship
navigation (this seems to be my theme): If you can't take a ship and
sail to all the islands and continents, this would allow more quests
in which you must try to reach some distant place. For me, this is
exploration; more than just sailing around the world and reaching all
places easily. Think of the pirate treasure's quest in Port Joseph: It 
would be obsolete if you can just take a ship and search the treasure
island for yourself.
This is the reason for my proposal months ago: There should be no
"free ships" (to sail to all places as you like) available for normal
characters. Only very rich or high level characters can get a ship of
their own (this as a compromise and a goal high level characters can
try to reach).

John Cater writes:
 > To all,
 > 
 > Well, as far as I can see, map development has really slowed
down. I for one am waiting for the 0.96 release to take advantage of
the 
 > new object structure etc. e.g. the DICE object or whatever it is.
 > BTW has there been some consensus on scripting for NPC's?
 > 
 > In light of the current situtation, I've got a proposal:
 > 
 > Mapmakers should wait the next release out I think, and once things
have begun to settle down, we get together and design a decent, 
 > semi-consistant starting world for crossfire, since most of the
maps will need at least some touching up anyway..
 > 
 > 
 > The kinds of features I imagine this mapset having are:
 > 
 > 1. A fully navigable (wrap-around?) world map of single scale that
can be travelled by boat or dragon etc. 

First, as above: Normal characters shouldn't get a boat (or dragon) to travel 
to all places all over the world.
Second: Even if we decide not to use world scale maps in the game,
there should be some overview maps, if only for the mapmakers.
Third: If we have a consistent world map, should it be in the official 
distribution so every player can see it and knows what he is missing?
Or is it better (more mysterious, of course) not to have the world map 
in the official distribution?
Fourth: Here is my proposal for the world map:


+-------------------------+
|       5?                |
|       5                 |
|                         |
|                         |
|        3  1111          |
|           1111          |
|        .  1111  2?      |
|       ... 1111  2?      |
|      ..4.               | 
|      ....               |
+-------------------------+


1 Main continent
2 dtabb continent, expandable to the east
3 Dragonisland
4 Wolfsburg
5 Pupland
. some small islands
? expansions of existing continents
(The map is expandable in all directions.)

Port Joseph: can be located near Wolfsburg.
Lake Country: Nearly only high level maps, so they can be located far
away from the main continent. What about inserting it in the east part 
of Dtabb?


 > 2. A number of starting cities/maps, at least one for each RACE of character

Er, just the same conflict. If there are different starting places,
there is a problem with restricted areas. Some characters needs to
fulfill a quest to reach an area where another character has started.
So this mid-level hero (after some quests) enters an area where he
finds only low level quests (for the other first-level character).
I would like to have both: different starting places and restricted
areas.
So here is my proposal:
- Let us have different starting places, but all on the main
continent.
- Put all low level dungeons on the starting continent.
- Don't have any restricted areas on the starting continent.

This won't require many changes at first:
The starting maps for the different races can be completed gradually,
and there is only one restricted area on the starting continent:
Scorn.
You need a pass or password to enter or leave the city. This has to be 
removed then.

 
 > 3. Areas of each type of terrain with a controlling
god/race/etc. Eg, A dwarven city in the mountains, an elfish town in
the forest etc. 
 
 > 4. A semi-consistant "creation myth" and an a "political"
atmosphere .ie. This part of the world is at war with this part. 

Some ideas:
- To make Brest a "monster city" with beholders and the like as the
normal population (and humans only as servants?). Could be a starting
point for some non-human characters. Needs low-level maps.
- An "island kingdom" southwest of the main continent. This kingdom
(with Wolfsburg as its capital and Port Joseph as one of its villages) 
has been overrun by pirates (with the help of different monsters). So
it has become a ruined city with some pirate houses and many
(hack&slash) dungeons. The twin towers must move to another city
(Navar?).

BTW, isn't someone working on a creation myth?


 > 5. A few good beginners quests that everyone can do

To serve multiple purposes:
- introduction to the playing system
- to get some usefull prayers/spells
- introduction to the world
- to introduce guilds/religions/alchemy etc.

All characters should be able to reach these quests (no restricted
areas on the starting continent, as above).


 > 
 > 6. The map would be divided into a regular grid of small sections
(16 x 16?) that auto-tile. Somebody or some group is responsible for a 
 > set of these.

I agree. We need a list of the different regions and the people that 
are responsible for it.
I would prefer 25*25 maps, this is easier to calculate.


 > 7. A nice, consistant naming scheme for things. eg. city maps named
by the name of the city instead of just 'city'.  Things could live 
 > in directory that referenced where they are in the world


Yes, I also prefer a directory and map naming factor that references
the place in the world. The mapinfo text (the msg attribute of the map 
object) can be used to stress the membership to a quest.
 

 > 8. Inclusion (after balancing) of the exising maps.
 > 
 > Other maps could be added at the edges of the world or as
'alternate realities' etc... 

Yes.


 > 
 > I guess a lot of play balance issues and race progressions need to
be sorted out first. With the addition of a god of cold I think our
 > current Pantheon is workable though (if large avatars worked properly).
 > 
 > My suggested timetable would be to have a working draft going for
0.97, a small, but complete set for 0.98 and then fixes etc into the
 > future...


Michael Keuchen

-
[you can put yourself on the announcement list only or unsubscribe altogether
by sending an email stating your wishes to crossfire-request@ifi.uio.no]