When can we expect the new maps?

[Titigabe]

I'm just thinking about EQ2 and the map system.Now, maps are just plain awful, a mix between grey shapes and .... grey shapes.The "new" zoom system was a cool addition, but didn't make the map render nicer.So, when do you guys think we'll get new maps? And apart from the "pre alpha beta zeta gamma" screen shown during Fan Fair last year, how do they look now as a work in progress?Keep us informed <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[urgatorbait]

I am VERY much interested in this as well and have posted on it several times quite awhile ago.  What are the plans for this, what exact functionality will be included with it (i.e. being able to place out own POIs on the map along with notes, etc.) and is there an ETA on when this may go live.  Any info from reliable sources is greatly appreciated.

[Naubeta]

What's wrong with the maps?

[urgatorbait]

<p>In my opinion the current in-game maps are poor and do a sub-par job of showing the terrain of a paricular zone.  They often make some areas seem as though you can pass through it when in fact there is a barrier there.  The converse can be said of other areas.</p><p>Second, many users, like myself, would like a way to place our own unique points of interest on the maps as well as a note about what can be found there.  EQ2maps is nice but I cannot fully control what I want to see and have no way to delete the specific things I do not care about.</p><p>Quite awhile ago SOE unveiled some screenshots at a live event somewhere that showed a sample map that they had done that was to be the new style for the game maps and were to be released at some point.  Since that time, no new information has come out about it and that is what the OP is refering to. </p>

[-Arctura-]

(( All i want is an NPC that SELLS MAPS for DUNGEONS.It makes PERFECT sense for NPCs to be just as interested in the layouts of dungeons as we players are. Its realistic, its prevalent and it's logical.It makes NO SENSE that there are NO NPCS in game selling scrolls with maps on them.  Id buy em all, even if they were several gold each!!!We buy language primers, why no Maps too?  Why must we resort to online fan-sites and Custom UI's to download our own maps for dungeons, when we could just as easily go to the nearest Town Cartographer (tm) and buy some map scrolls for the newest explored dungeons?? huh?----<img src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/Arctura000/Skree-sig2008a.jpg" alt="" border="0" />

[urgatorbait]

I would be perfectly fine with having to acquire the maps in various ways including buying them or questing for them so long as they are all relatively easy to acquire (i.e. I wouldn't want to see the map for a normal outdoor zone to drop off some raid mob in VP).  This could act as a minor time and money sink if SOE was so inclined.  My main desire, however is that the maps are more readable and functional.

[Miladi]

<cite>-Arctura- wrote:</cite><blockquote>(( All i want is an NPC that SELLS MAPS for DUNGEONS.It makes PERFECT sense for NPCs to be just as interested in the layouts of dungeons as we players are. Its realistic, its prevalent and it's logical.It makes NO SENSE that there are NO NPCS in game selling scrolls with maps on them.  Id buy em all, even if they were several gold each!!!We buy language primers, why no Maps too?  Why must we resort to online fan-sites and Custom UI's to download our own maps for dungeons, when we could just as easily go to the nearest Town Cartographer (tm) and buy some map scrolls for the newest explored dungeons?? huh?----</blockquote>I seem to remember that Anarchy Online had this. You didn't get maps of zones as you visited them, you had to buy crystals with the maps first, otherwise it showed up blank. It was interesting and would fit the roleplaying of this game. After all, how did you get a map of an area you've never been to before? AAA?

[Daysy]

Most of the maps are dreadful, with the newest ones being the worst. Knee-high rocks in Faydark are shown on the map, but trees with bases the size of a football pitch aren't. The Kunark maps look like clouds, just patches of various shades of grey. Not even the roads are shown, let alone sokokar posts. The maps should at the very least be of the standard of the old ones like Antonica and Nektulos.

[Miladi]

<cite>Daysy wrote:</cite><blockquote>Most of the maps are dreadful, with the newest ones being the worst. Knee-high rocks in Faydark are shown on the map, but trees with bases the size of a football pitch aren't. The Kunark maps look like clouds, just patches of various shades of grey. Not even the roads are shown, let alone sokokar posts. The maps should at the very least be of the standard of the old ones like Antonica and Nektulos.</blockquote><p>I agree, nothing more annoying than trying to plan a route to somewhere to find out there's a mountain or other obstruction in your way that should be on the map and isn't. Also when they do show obstructions on the map they're so vague you'd have no idea what it is until you bump into it. Why can't mountains show up as mountains and not fuzzy black balls of something? If there's a canyon/valley that you have to go around to get somewhere, show it as a canyon or valley on the map. Its not that hard.</p><p>The level of detail on the maps are pretty poor and look like an afterthought. Full color maps with terrain features shouldn't be too hard to make.</p>

[Razlath]

<cite>-Arctura- wrote:</cite><blockquote>(( All i want is an NPC that SELLS MAPS for DUNGEONS.It makes PERFECT sense for NPCs to be just as interested in the layouts of dungeons as we players are. Its realistic, its prevalent and it's logical.It makes NO SENSE that there are NO NPCS in game selling scrolls with maps on them.  Id buy em all, even if they were several gold each!!!We buy language primers, why no Maps too?  Why must we resort to online fan-sites and Custom UI's to download our own maps for dungeons, when we could just as easily go to the nearest Town Cartographer (tm) and buy some map scrolls for the newest explored dungeons?? huh?</blockquote>I have wished for this forever!  You are exactly correct in all of your points.  Well said Arctura!

[orchard54]

I like not using a map (as much as i can help it), like the old day's of EQ1 and use landmarks to determine where you are at. Maybe thats just me though. Half the fun for me personally is the exploration without knowing where i'm going (at first) but then you learn.I know I'm weird I guess.

[Valentina]

<cite>Jablambo@Nektulos wrote:</cite><blockquote>I like not using a map (as much as i can help it), like the old day's of EQ1 and use landmarks to determine where you are at. Maybe thats just me though. Half the fun for me personally is the exploration without knowing where i'm going (at first) but then you learn.I know I'm weird I guess.</blockquote>Luckily, they could improve the maps and you could still continue not to use them... making everyone happy. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[orchard54]

<cite>xsikal wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Jablambo@Nektulos wrote:</cite><blockquote>I like not using a map (as much as i can help it), like the old day's of EQ1 and use landmarks to determine where you are at. Maybe thats just me though. Half the fun for me personally is the exploration without knowing where i'm going (at first) but then you learn.I know I'm weird I guess.</blockquote>Luckily, they could improve the maps and you could still continue not to use them... making everyone happy. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" /></blockquote>Yes, I forgot to add in I do agree about the maps being washed out and not very detailed about where you can and can't go. Even a simple outline of the invisible walls would probably help a lot of people.

[Armawk]

<p>I might suggest that the bought or won maps would fill in the current black fog area with a simple 'drawn' map looking like something you might buy in genre.. and then as you reveal the map it is, as now the black is, overwritten with a more detailed real accurate map (both more detailed and accurate than the bought map and than the ones we get now!)</p><p>Shaun</p>

[Noaani]

<p>I am of two minds about the idea of purchased maps.</p><p>While I do like the idea, I am also a fan of SoE promoting their community. Adding in something like this will all but kill EQ2maps, and that is certianly a valuable part of the community.</p><p>If it were to go ahead, what I would like to see is each overland zones map being sold in appropriate cities, price being based on what teir the zone is (antonica and commonlands may be 50 - 75 silver, Kunzar Jungle may be 50 - 75 gold). Maps for dungeons and instances would be either quest rewards (for solo quests, maps for level appropriate zones are something everyone is entitled too, but a small timesink/moneysink is appropriate), or as common drops that are on a smartloot system, and work similar to quest drops, in that if you do not need it, you are not able to loot it.</p><p>I would like to see the purchased/quested/dropped maps being essentially the same as the maps we have in game now, but thet allow players the ability to improve the map as they explore the zones they have the base map for.</p><p>The other thing I would like to see is for us to be able to view any maps we may have, reguardless of where we happen to be at that point in time. If I am sitting in a bar in Qeynos, and I want to look at my map for Sebilis, why shouldn't I be able to do that?</p>

[Blakkmantis]

Well the reason we don't have better maps must be...<ol><li>It requires work, and they just don't have the manpower.</li><li>They don't really care!</li><li>They have better maps, but just don't wanna share them with us.</li></ol>I tend to rule out option 3, which leaves us with ...it requires some work for somebody, and they either don't have the manpower to do said job, or they just don't care.I normally am a defender of this game that I love, and very rarely complain.  But this I have to agree with, after 4 plus successful years of this game, we still shouldn't have to go to some mod website and download maps and map details made by a third party.  And have maps as horrible as the RoK ones in the most current expansion./shame on you SOE/shame shame

[Xada]

New maps will be out shortly after RoK, along with Guild Halls, and the skeletal revamp...Oh... wait...Nevermind...

[Miladi]

<cite>Noaani wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>While I do like the idea, I am also a fan of SoE promoting their community. Adding in something like this will all but kill EQ2maps, and that is certianly a valuable part of the community.</p><p>If it were to go ahead, what I would like to see is each overland zones map being sold in appropriate cities, price being based on what teir the zone is (antonica and commonlands may be 50 - 75 silver, Kunzar Jungle may be 50 - 75 gold). Maps for dungeons and instances would be either quest rewards (for solo quests, maps for level appropriate zones are something everyone is entitled too, but a small timesink/moneysink is appropriate), or as common drops that are on a smartloot system, and work similar to quest drops, in that if you do not need it, you are not able to loot it.</p><p>I would like to see the purchased/quested/dropped maps being essentially the same as the maps we have in game now, but thet allow players the ability to improve the map as they explore the zones they have the base map for.</p><p>The other thing I would like to see is for us to be able to view any maps we may have, reguardless of where we happen to be at that point in time. If I am sitting in a bar in Qeynos, and I want to look at my map for Sebilis, why shouldn't I be able to do that?</p></blockquote>EQ2Maps is only a value to the community because the maps from Sony are so bad and you can't put POI's on them. If Sony would incorporate the EQ2Map philosophy of better maps, and then allowed us to put POI's on them and to be able to share them (ala WoW's maps), give us more detailed maps (lets face it the EQ2Maps maps are just as bad as the stock maps),  and just gave us a generally better interface with the maps, then we wouldn't need EQ2Maps. I wouldn't miss it if EQ2 came with it natively.Being able to view any map from any zone would be a great idea, I wish it would happen. Not to mention the world map of eq2maps and travel points on it.