I've had the same issue since I started playing this game. The map is quite busy, and the player icon isn't very distinct. I know some bitter vets will say you should learn to deal with it, but you could say that about any element of the UI and it would be just as wrong.
Well as a Marine, you instantly know your map location before you open due to your minimap.
Personally, I would not want this; it would be distracting, and for me, useless. It's easier to just know where in the map you are than to have a messy visual effect when you try to flip open the map for a glance.
this has been suggested before and i'm all for it. i just thought of an idea which is probably not as eye-candy but it will allow players to find their position instantly, without any animation etc.:
drawing a horizontal line with the y-coordinate of the player and a vertical line with the x-coordinate of the player (basically a huge cross with the player at the center, maybe drawing a small rect around him which connects to the lines). this could easily be scaled to any display-resolution as well. i guess the lines should not be cluttering the map, so using transparent or dotted lines or whatever might be more appropriate. it might also help to only draw at the edges of the screen instead of using full lines, so more like stretched triangles pointing to the player position.
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Personally, I would not want this; it would be distracting, and for me, useless. It's easier to just know where in the map you are than to have a messy visual effect when you try to flip open the map for a glance.
i just thought of an idea which is probably not as eye-candy but it will allow players to find their position instantly, without any animation etc.:
drawing a horizontal line with the y-coordinate of the player and a vertical line with the x-coordinate of the player (basically a huge cross with the player at the center, maybe drawing a small rect around him which connects to the lines). this could easily be scaled to any display-resolution as well. i guess the lines should not be cluttering the map, so using transparent or dotted lines or whatever might be more appropriate.
it might also help to only draw at the edges of the screen instead of using full lines, so more like stretched triangles pointing to the player position.