Navigation tools for all stages of the game.

[Native Copper Bits]

The problem:

Playing the game, without the minimap and coordinates enabled, dissuades players from venturing too far from their home. Using/making landmarks and using signposts are the only options, that players use, to avoid getting lost.

The solution:

Tools that help with telling the player where they are. Compasses, sextants and other tool could be added. Sextant has to actually be used to get results. Low stages of the game can offer compasses and other tools that give rough gauging, while late-game tools can provide the sextant and can provide exact estimations. Sextant results can also vary depending on the player's use of it; using it incorrectly can give inaccurate outcomes, while using it correctly can give minuscule margins of error.

Notable issues with this suggestion:

• Having minimap and coordinates enabled makes these tools completely obsolete, the tools are meant for immersion and assistance for people who have them disabled.
• Implementing mechanics for the sextant is quite complicated and requires some streamlining. Sextants should also be added once oceans are added, as they are the perfect place to locate the horizon.

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Native Copper Bits

[FergusonInTheWilds]

This would be so wonderful. I love playing on Wilderness Survival, but I frequently find that my only choices for building locations are places on or near a landmark or series of landmarks I can use to find my way home when I pick a direction to wander off into. Having tools even just to approximate my location would make navigation so much easier.

[Rudometkin]

Something like this is needed. Many of us play without the minimap feature.

Aside from the aforementioned tools, a cartography feature would be good. Cartography is the art of making maps. Imagine a system that allows you to create your own maps, whether drawn by freehand or some other similar way. If you inaccurately draw your maps, you will have innacurate maps. Most people would likely draw basic maps that give general ideas of their surrounding locations, and have to update them as things change. Someone who is skilled could make highly accurate maps. Also to have a marker system to add to the maps would be wonderful.

Imagine a charcoal drawn map, drawn entirely by the player. Vintage Story was built for this kind of idea, and it makes the automatic minimap system appear out of place in comparison. Eventually having some electronic gps map tool that acts similar to the current minimap could be possible as a late game tool.

[LadyWYT]

13 hours ago, FergusonInTheWilds said:

This would be so wonderful. I love playing on Wilderness Survival, but I frequently find that my only choices for building locations are places on or near a landmark or series of landmarks I can use to find my way home when I pick a direction to wander off into. Having tools even just to approximate my location would make navigation so much easier.

Welcome to the forums!

4 hours ago, Rudometkin said:

Something like this is needed. Many of us play without the minimap feature.

Aside from the aforementioned tools, a cartography feature would be good. Cartography is the art of making maps. Imagine a system that allows you to create your own maps, whether drawn by freehand or some other similar way. If you inaccurately draw your maps, you will have innacurate maps. Most people would likely draw basic maps that give general ideas of their surrounding locations, and have to update them as things change. Someone who is skilled could make highly accurate maps. Also to have a marker system to add to the maps would be wonderful.

Imagine a charcoal drawn map, drawn entirely by the player. Vintage Story was built for this kind of idea, and it makes the automatic minimap system appear out of place in comparison. Eventually having some electronic gps map tool that acts similar to the current minimap could be possible as a late game tool.

You guys might consider checking out this mod: https://mods.vintagestory.at/craftablecartography

I don't know that it works in the latest stable version, but you might keep an eye on it.