The Compass Options

[Pushtrak]

Newbiezilla asked me to post this here...

I personally go with Nautical points.

Take this thread as a "What should Oblivion have been" or "What can TES V be." The outcome is probably the exact same anyway

Anyway, we can assess numbers of people who are in favour of the compass with this thread. We can find out what people want done with it, or wish was done with it.

I'll deal with my attitudes to each of the poll options - I don't require anyone else to do this, so don't feel obligated.

I liked it. it should stay
I disagree with this one, as I felt it was added to fit into a larger audience, so people would have the incentive to play on if they weren't hardcore gamers.

People who had friends with this game would play it for maybe half an hour, and if they knew what they were doing, and not getting frustrated like they might have done if they were playing Morrowind in same friends house, and decided against buying it.

I personally played Morrowind over in a friends house before buying the game, and I bought it for exactly the opposite reason - I felt I could explore anywhere and have fun.

I hated it, it should go
I'd like the game without the compass for sure. Though I know they felt that it was obligatory because the fact that NPCs went on their schedules.

To me, it was unrealistic having the ability to have a compass detect people like that. I say no to compass detecting people, anyway, personally. Locations I can deal with, not people.

Nautical points
You have a map, in game and in real life, so I felt that Nautical points compass would be ok as a just when you get directions to have an on screen representation to confirm you are going the right way.

Limited range
This could work quite well, for instance at Cheydinhal you will not see something at Anvil being pointed out to you... I think a set paramater could work quite well here.

Sliders
My problem with sliders is I feel we shouldn't have to adjust sliders to accomodate us. I don't like messing with the difficulty slider, as I should feel i'm going into a world, not tweaking the world. Though i'm open to counter points on that.

A slider for on or off, thats fine, i'd end up switching it off assuming nautical wasn't an option.

Summary
I guess you could say i'm mixed in my opinions. I guess you could say at the moment i'd go with Nautical (or compass points)

This post has been edited by Pushtrak: Jul 31 2006, 11:18 AM

[Ibis]

I voted that I like the compass the way it is. I think it is easier to use than some other games. Can't think of any names right off but in some games the compass seems to be directly opposite to the way it looks like you are going on the land.

I think it's Shadowbane. I don't know why a game would be set up that way, but when you are pointing West on the compass - ingame you are actually heading to the right, which traditionally would be the direction of East. But as long as you follow the compass it works out ok.

[Rane]

I have nothing against the compass itself. What I don't like about it is what its existence's consequences seem to be. No written directions whatsoever. The game practically forces you to rely on the compass, meaning you'll never really have to find anything on your own. Sure, you can choose not to use the compass at all, but that'd mean you'll have absolutely no idea where you're supposed to go.

So, in a perfect world, the compass would be completely optional, customizable and it wouldn't be essential for advancing in the game. Being able to choose what is shown on the compass, how far its range would be (different ranges for different targets even) and an on/off switch would make it much better. That, along with a direction given in text/speech would make it ideal.

[DoomedOne]

I don't even think the compass should be an option. Fast travel is an option but I find myself using it and it made the game feel less involving, even though I realized this I continued to use it. The compass is the same way. They assured us both features would not dumb down the game, but they did.

[hunter14]

i said the compass should stay because it would be impossible 4 light gamers, like me, to get any where in the game. it would just take to long.

[Abu the Cat]

I like it. It shows me all the quest targets and if I'm near them or not.

[ThePerson98]

I would like it if it didnt show targets, but if you turn it off it can make some quests impossible, since they dont have directions. So I am forced to leave it on unfortunately

[Powerslide]

The compass? It seems to me that people unnecissarily whine about it.

I remember milling around in Morrowind for hours trying to find the tomb containing the bow of (mental blank) and that thoroughly annoyed me, therefore I am all for the compass.

BUT;

It does seem to me to be a little too much like hand holding at times, it needs to be fine tuned - a specific area perhaps? But I have to admit, I'd miss a great deal of locations that way.

I do like the nautical points idea, very trendy!

[Ibis]

I like it and I like teleporting by map, although it was fun to just trek all over the place aimlessly in Morrowind and see what trouble you could stir up.

Omg Rane - you're 60 days short? Congrats!

[Abu the Cat]

Omg Rane - you're 60 days short? Congrats!

Huh? Anyways, no one has to look at it at all during quests. I do only if I can't get where I'm supposed to be going.

[I_am_elf_hear_me_roar]

I use it all the time it very helpful howbout a map with a compass

[Ibis]

I use the compass all the time too. Except with the cities I really know the way between.

This post has been edited by Ibis: Aug 13 2006, 10:36 AM

[Abu the Cat]

Omg Rane - you're 60 days short? Congrats!

Huh? Anyways, no one has to look at it at all during quests. I do only if I can't get where I'm supposed to be going.

Yer siggy says you have 58 days left now. I thought you meant in the armed services...we used to call that going short. As in short tour of duty.

I use the compass all the time too. Except with the cities I really know the way between.

I'm not Rane. I just didn't get what that was supposed to mean. Ummm... oh boy, a moderator's going to get pissed at me now!

[Ibis]

What do you think are the two hardest cities to travel between. And I wonder if we are missing little important or not important things out in the wilderness by using the teleporting instead of walking or riding. Or maybe they didn't bother to put much between cities in Oblivion.

This post has been edited by Ibis: Aug 13 2006, 10:39 AM

[Abu the Cat]

No no, if they'll be pissed with anyone it'll be me for not reading the post slow enough to see who it was from. I used to be in the USAF and was just happy for Rane noticing his Siggy. Sorry about that but if you stick around long enough you'll find out that I am famous for mixing people up and Rane is one of the primary ones I do that with. OHH NOO, he is gonna be pissed at me now.

(Pssst-Perhaps we could both delete and pretend it never happened hehehe)

How? Oh, boy, another person they'll be pissed at! I have hijacked this thread with that one post, you see. Kind of... oh boy, anyway!

[Ibis]

Just edit, swipe and rewrite. Very easy although a delete button is simpler.

Too late. I saw it.
-Rane

I really like Cheydinhal so much that I need to go other places. My game runs with so much lag that I just kinda travel/wander around seeing what's what. But I did that somewhat ever since Arena. I'll do the MQ when I get my new video card.

[TormentedSoul]

I liked the fact that I have a compass but not a big fan of the way it can track NPC's. Kinda took some of the fun from the game for me as in Morrowind actually finding the NPC was sometimes the best part of a quest.

[1234king]

I would like it if it only showed N,W,S,E. I don't like how it shows where the target is as soon as you get the quest added to your journal. or when it shows you where the people that you need to ask for dierctions are. I think that it only shows you where the target is after you ask someone for directions.

[TheImperialDragon]

I would have liked the compass a lot better if it only showed where NPC's are, but when the game is constantly telling you where to go, or what to do, then it got a wee bit annoying, same with the journal pop-ups. Beth should have included an option in the options menu (obviously ) to switch it on or off at the player's discretion.

[Pushtrak]

Compass showing where NPCs are? What? Like a motion tracker? Something about that rubs me the wrong way...