NWN2: World Map

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:53 pm

I'm not sure it was Obsidian talking about that. I *think* we were the ones discussing that as a possible solution for a travel server. I may just be crossing threads though.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:12 pm

No, it was on the Bioware NWN2 boards. Someone asked if it was like the World Map in Fallout or ToEE and one of the developers (one of the Obsidian people anyway) said that it was pretty much the same.

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:43 pm

They've since stated that there is no "Indiana Jones red line" showing your progress, or anything similar.

HDB · Post by **HDB** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:10 pm

NickD wrote:........Can anyone use it anywhere anytime?
.......useable when you're in an inhabited area (i.e., village, town, city)?
.......useable at specific spots (e.g., like our current inter-server portals)?
.......useable when you speak to a caravan master/ship captain and pay to use it?

To find a given of which to ajudicate our ACR around....
-In WD there is a map carved into a table in a shop there I believe, for which perusal is free to the common man and Burt.

Find yourself two other givens in FR cartography canon and then formulate our very own ALFA preference of IG cartography by comparing examples of any fantasy world's cartogphy.
I'm sure we can postulate view points of upcoming new ACR, but for a second lets presume foresight and hindsight are not the same, and shoot for the best guess here

My Opinion

To many PCs play IC with potential meta-knowledge on maps. I'd like to have some addage to our gaming where, even if miniscule, we have to arrange IC disclosure of map information. For example; certain class skills....certain NPCs......certain places........certain items. This way we can have a small RP incentive/activator to help weave this IC gaming truth of cartography or ALFA canon if you will.
Be it, too cumbersome to RP, or eventually washed away by benign IG application is where the deciding will wander. That wouldn't be my area of helpfulness.

...................HDB.

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:40 pm

Aren't the Volo's guides canon? In other words, the (N)PC Marco Volo (yes, puns are rampant in canon D&D) has already provided maps and detailed descriptions of many areas, which most book stores in game would have available. Given the thrift industry of cartography and travel guides, I don't see it as meta for PC's to be using maps, unless it's of someplace like the Underdark.

I wish more servers had maps for sale that revealed the mini map, since it gets reset to dark with every server reset, and not all of us live on ALFA.

HDB · Post by **HDB** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:41 pm

I'm sure thats true Mulu... use that as one perspective on how far we could go.

I still think its too much, I'd like more ignorance in my FR. Less like Sigil, with technologies and high magical levels, and more country bumpkins and Middle Earth like.

............HDB.

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:01 am

Heh - frankly, the fact that everyone has a masters in the history and geography of the realms is less annoying to me than the base assumption (in a psuedo-medieval world) that damn near everybody can read.

Mulu · Post by **Mulu** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:41 pm

Literacy should probably be a feat for any classes other than cleric and wizard. Of course, most PC's already take at least one level in cleric for the healing, so I suppose it's a moot issue.

HDB · Post by **HDB** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:25 pm

Mayhem wrote:Heh - frankly, the fact that everyone has a masters in the history and geography of the realms is less annoying to me than the base assumption (in a psuedo-medieval world) that damn near everybody can read.

Yeah I've been wondering, is the Army of Pedantic Knights of CandleKeep on crusade.

............HDB.

Mikayla · Post by **Mikayla** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:39 pm

I believe if you crunch the numbers you will find that approximately 85-90% of the Faerun world is supposedly made up of "Commoners" and NPCs with the Commoner class are not automatically literate - thus, 85-90% of the Faerun world is not literate. Adventurers are mostly literate but they make up only a tiny percentage of the total population - it just happens to be the part of the population we are most familiar with because we all play adventurers more or less. Its our perspective that is 'broken', not the game-world.

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:34 pm

According to the PHB, the Barbarian class is the only class that is not literate by default. I think that's probably intended as a reflection of cultural or social norms. However, one could make the case that this ought to be associated with Intelligence as well.

But back to the World Map. Would this serve as a substitute for any travel system we develop? A caravan, ship, and portal system is on the drawing board for ALFA and these can still be developed, though their value might be diminished considerably by having an overland map. We may need to either reconsider the cost of such services as risk is the only prevailing factor in choosing the method -OR- tie in the world map to these systems so it's the only way to traverse the server.

I'm interested to know what people think.

Fionn · Post by **Fionn** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:31 pm

Mulu wrote:Literacy should probably be a feat for any classes other than cleric and wizard. Of course, most PC's already take at least one level in cleric for the healing, so I suppose it's a moot issue. :wink:

The Bards don't...

A Land Far Away

NWN2: World Map

Re: NWN2: World Map