What kind of maps would you like to see in Subnautica?
gamer1000k
Join Date: 2017-04-29 Member: 230121Members
Join Date: 2017-04-29 Member: 230121Members
On Trello, the devs have mentioned possibly adding some sort of mapping feature to Subnautica after 1.0. How would you like to see maps implemented in Subnautica?
In all cases, I'm assuming that the maps start out blank and need to be filled in by exploring or building a scanner room.
Please use the last option sparingly and try to choose one that most closely matches what you think, and use a post to describe any small differences.
Edit: Note that option 5 (upgradeable maps) is intended to allow the player to have both 2D and 3D maps and to switch between them at will. Same with full 3D maps all the time.
In all cases, I'm assuming that the maps start out blank and need to be filled in by exploring or building a scanner room.
Please use the last option sparingly and try to choose one that most closely matches what you think, and use a post to describe any small differences.
Edit: Note that option 5 (upgradeable maps) is intended to allow the player to have both 2D and 3D maps and to switch between them at will. Same with full 3D maps all the time.
Comments
3D maps would be an upgrade to assist with navigating through the cave systems. In terms of game progression, it should be available about the time the player is ready to tackle the Deep Grand Reef or Lost River. I would think that it should be craftable at the Scanner Room fabricator.
Either option would invalidate the compass upgrade, which is fine with me. The player should have a compass from the start anyways and not have it hogging an upgrade slot.
Additionally, I would like to see a waypoint system on the map. This would also largely invalidate beacons (which is fine, I end up building too many of those things anyways), however they could still be useful in caves and to mark the entrance to wrecks/precursor bases.
It'd be neat to see, "relatively" early on, a basic map that you can fill out as you travel through the world. A surface-level map that's rendered more accurately the closer to the seafloor you are - so simply skimming across the safe surface won't map out everything very clearly.
The next upgrade up would be a more detailed version of the above, being able to render out more detail and perhaps even things like wrecks, place 'pins' on the map to serve as Notes (Not actual beacons, just pins on the map itself), and maybe even being able to zoom in/out.
Level after that would be more Scanner-Room'ish, able to view it in full 3D and even map out cavern systems. This would be a fairly late-game version and you'd possibly need to bring a Sonar-equipped Seamoth or Cyclops to map out cavern systems for it.
Finally, each would be able to save image outputs into your PDA, so you can hang them on Picture Frames ^^
I forgot to mention it, but with taking screenshots of the scanner room maps, I found that I can view all of those images in my PDA on that save now. They're totally static images, but it's a crude workaround in the current version of the game that kind of gives you a simple map already.
Basicly option 5 (Upgradeable maps. Start with 2D, upgrade to 3D with a HUD upgrade.)
With no maps from the start and you have to craft one yourself and explore the map yourself.
And with a posibility to switch between 2D and 3D.
2D to navigate to the general biomes quickly and 3D for cave areas.
I suppose that's what I had in mind when I put that poll option up there. I'll see if I can edit the description to reflect this.
With how they've broken apart the exploration aspect of this game, giving access to a map would all but destroy this.
I'm fine with the Scanner Room, as it is limited, but can still be useful if used correctly.
Now, a map of a specific biome that could only be accessed after a considerable amount of exploration in that biome would be cool. It definitely could add a use to exploration besides finding resources and fragments.
Going 3D would be tricky as well. You would probably want to see details like cache caves and wrecks but to put that much detail in would make for a lot of work just to create a map. In addition, it might prove to take a heavy toll on the game's performance or jump up memory requirements. Even if you get past all of that it'd be tricky to synchronize the 3D map with any changes made to the terrain from an update.
Closest way I figure it could be done would to be to have a 3D map that builds itself by combining scanner room maps. Maybe access it through a new tab on the PDA or make a new base module that is the map room, although the latter would be a little redundant after the scanner room.
Regardless of map style chosen though you'd still have to decide what information the map should allow beyond basic geometry. Should it show the player's position/orientation? Wrecks (interiors)? Precursor Bases (interiors again)? Fauna (leviathans/reefbacks)? Flora (mushroom trees)? Loot/resources? There's good arguments for and against all of these. The more of them you have the more useful the map is but the less you have the less you have a chore/grocery list and potential spoilers.
Personally, I would love it if you had a 3D map that expands as you explore. If you head into a biome once or twice, you'll get some bits and pieces on the map, but only after you survey the biome in detail will it be available in full on the map.
The map would be on your PDA at first, but you can have it in the scanner room once it's built. Upgrades would allow players to view wreck locations, cave entrances and (possibly?) points of interest like the Floater Island, giant mushroom tree, or maybe even wildlife locations.
What do you think? Feel free to comment if you have any ideas
Based on my (limited) understanding of how in-game maps are done, it is entirely possible to have the game build the map automatically based on the raw terrain data rather than the devs having to devote any special effort to hand-drawing maps. A 2D map could simply be generated from a fixed-perspective camera high in the sky over the game world.
3D maps are already being generated by the scanner rooms, so in some ways the hard work looks like it has already been done.
something cool
After you progress further in the game, maybe better mapping features become available, especially after setting up Scanner Rooms, incorporating some of the Scanner Room data onto the map.
I'll take your word for it!
So there would be a switchable 3d and 2d map in the scanner room where you could see biomes and materials in them with upgrades. Also with upgrades it would show where to find fragments (cause there NEEDS to be a way to search for them in game) and then a 2d map in the cyclops that shows your current location in the world. BAM. Eric's Idea patented......dangit now they can't use it..... I need to call my lawyer be right back.
Allow scanner room maps to be viewed remotely on the PDA with a HUD upgrade.
Upgradeable maps. Start with 2D, upgrade to 3D with a HUD upgrade.
I have a suggestion. We all know everybody wants a map, and we kind of have one via the scanner room, however you can't bring that map with you, here is my solution: a navigation tab on the PDA
1. It should be completely blank at the start of the game, but once you build the scanner room it should sync to each scanner room you build allowing you to pick which map you want from an inventory, and just like how you can update the scanner map with drones, you should now be able to update the map by walking around with it.
2. The ping manager should be lumped into the new navigation tab
3. The navigation tab should be upgradable in the scanner room.
4. Do you remember how annoying it is picking between a compass, a thermometer, and signals? Those two slots you are familiar with in your inventory are no more now: The navigation Tab has four slots to start with
4A. One for the Compass upgrade
4B. One for the Thermometer upgrade
4C. One for a signal
4D. And one for a new upgrade which would show your coordinates on the HUD
4E. Additionally the Navigation Tab should be able to upgraded with two extra slots for signals
4F. with an upgrade Beacons should be able to have their names changed from the Navigation tab
As always upgrades must be found and scanned to be built and used.