A better tactical map

[LaughingJack]

@Guan_Yu007: (from my POV) actually it's nearly impossible to tell an elevation using the current map type. all you have is shaded terrain - no actual elevation data. I think what you really mean is that you can see that there are bumps and dips on the map, which helps with locating yourself spatially, but you cannot possibly discern specific elevations, or differences between them - if you can i'd like to know how. also, having contour lines actually shows the true terrain form in a more accurate way that is not at all difficult to learn and requires no estimation or guesswork - if i could learn how to read topo (topographic) maps in Scouts when i was a kid, then it can't be too hard, ay?

PS: topo maps can also have 'shaded' terrain, for those who struggle with standard topo.

 

Topo maps would be my preference as well - with a "satellite" view for those that can't/don't read topo.

 

 

[Kiwik]

Agreed. 
You might be able to tell that there is a slope using the shadows and the colors of the map, but do you know if that hilltop is higher than the one next to it?Or is that overall area above or beneath the point you're attacking? Again, there's a reason most military in the world use topographic maps.

[DesertTigerTR]

Yes current maps do not have geograpic information and many things seems like each other. We need maps like in PR, wheter you zoom in or not you can decide what is there.

[Quadro]

 Topographic maps are so easy to read and they give you an almost 3D perspective thanks to the contour lines. Very useful when driving. How many times have any of you missed your turn because the current map poorly displays key features, especially on desert maps. Infrastructures are also poorly displayed. Topographic maps display all the important stuff as clear as a whistle. It is hardly complicated to read and never scared of DayZ players which was a hugely popular game. They really ought to be done perfectly though, subtle on the eyes so not to obscure map icons/markers.

 

+1

Edited July 31 by Quadro

[RUSO]

On 24/07/2018 at 3:15 PM, Kiwik said:

My suggestion here is quite simple: what if we had a better, clearer, more readable map...

Hundred thousand YES!!!

[Llamageddon]

This issue is actually starting to cause me some grief. I don't have an amazing memory but I am great at spatial visualisation. I've been getting criticised for not knowing all areas of the maps by heart and it does hinder my ability to SL as best I can. I also think it is a shame that the game requires remembering every inch of every map to get an edge.

 

If I just had a topographical map for a new map/level, I would instantly be able to run circles around all the people who expect players to do this. It would be equivalent of instantly remembering every inch of the map for me.

 

What is more realistic to a military scenario? A soldier being able to read a map, or a soldier walking around every square inch of an AO before the AO has even been decided? Why should players be penalised for knowing a practical skill that would always be used in the scenario's presented in the game but is not available to them in the game. In terms of effort put in to make the game more realistic, this has to be one of the lowest hanging fruit.

 

I accept that we do not have dynamic maps so people who have superior memories/time on their hands will always eventually have an advantage over others but it would be nice to see players penalised for not knowing a practical real-world skill rather than being given an advantage on 'gaming' the game through memorising something by wrote. Topographical maps would just balance out the two types of players a lot.

[Kiwik]

Agreed, it's just a matter of allowing people who do not necessarily know the terrain beforehand to still be able to have a grasp of what the AO is like.

[Tacticus Maximus]

The maps need some work imo. Gaining a good situational awareness is not easy without a map that let's you easily identify key features in the terrain, such as hills, woods, open spaces, buildings, roads and rivers. Improving them may not need a complete overhaul either, it's just a matter of improving the visibility of key features. 

 

Edited September 14 by Tacticus Maximus

[Gatzby]

On 9/14/2018 at 12:06 PM, Tacticus Maximus said:

The maps need some work imo. Gaining a good situational awareness is not easy without a map that let's you easily identify key features in the terrain, such as hills, woods, open spaces, buildings, roads and rivers. Improving them may not need a complete overhaul either, it's just a matter of improving the visibility of key features. 

 

Believe some changes to the maps are coming in alpha 12, but even if they don't, we have some in the pipe that should make things a little more useful. =) More interface updates dropping too. (e.g. fireteams!)