I would like a game to have a map that behaves like one. A map that, for instance, doesn't tell you where you are. I mean, it's a map, not a SatNav!

In a real map, you have to try and decipher where you are and where you need to be heading by observing landmarks drawn in your map and comparing them to what you are seeing. The maps should also be purchasable, maybe have a map of the whole region with little detail and then more detailed maps of smaller regions or cities that you can buy.

It's such a simple and alluring concept, that to me it's a wonder it hasn't been done in a game before. At least not in any game I know of.

I understand that this would only fit into an eventual hardcoe gaming mode, but if Beth makes it happen, they will earn a lot of respect from me.

The Morrowind map was infinitely superior to the Oblivion map, so I agree with this.

Even though logically your character would have a real map and would know where the big towns are...

as the person playing the game, the gameplay suffers cos it puts a handicap on discovering things.

and its all about the gameplay at the end.

I would love complex game world where its an actual challenge to learn the terrain. And it has the same feel of learning the terrain as Strider in Lord Of The Rings

As far as the map being one big valley, i think that's already partly solved, considering the tallest mountain in Tamriel, Snow throat or "the throat of the world", is right in the middle of skyrim.
as for the map being drwan as you travel, yeah, I LOVE that idea.

Actually, I think this is even more preferable! Being a veteran Myst fan I relate to this idea. A map should be a physical object within the game, like in reality. I really like the idea of purchasing one. Maybe there could be different maps for different locations - some more elaborate and some more sketchy. In the Myst series, the player had to frequently rely on maps he/she found in the environment in order to better navigate the game world. The realism was what was great about that series.

That's kind of like me "discovering" Paris because I've never been there. It doesn't really subtract from gameplay as there is still the details that make the up place to discover, that there is a major population center in certain places is just a slight hint and cities on the map make good hubs for further exploration. If there is not any cities on there and there is some sort of transportation I'm just going to spend my meager starting gold that I can scraqe up on traveling to these cities to put them on my map. I'd rather have some cities on the map and keep my measly amount of gold in my pocket.

Unexplored parts no!

An unexplored map.

Should be handled like in Morrowind in that case. I liked being able to get added texture detail to the map as I explored. However you should have the basic knowledge about the world you're living in, by knowing where the big settlements are etc. Shouldn't be a black space. I've never been to France, but I could point to where Paris is on the map. POIs shouldn't be placed until you've discovered them though, just like in OB.

If you've seen this before, disregard.

What they should do is an overhaul that addresses many facets of the travel system, and the maps in general. Maps like http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/6812/208206-black_marsh_map_oblivion_large.jpg look good in the game, and they aren't terribly time consuming to put out. Considering that, I say they make a ton of the maps and integrate them into the game world.

I'd firstly suggest that you'd have to buy all the maps you were going to use, as well as the compass. They had a wet compass in Redguard, so we know they can be items. Next, you'd need to buy the map or get the guide to the town if you wanted anything zoomed in. Buildings wouldn't have mini-maps or anything, they weren't tourist friendly. For more detailed maps of places outside the city, you'd have to talk up scouts and local mapmakers to get a map of the smaller piece of terrain, and to put landmarks and locations on there. As always, you can either pay for information about the area, or you can work for it with exploration.

Using the maps this way, you can also use them to fast travel. The map interface should be http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/fcry2mapbig.jpg so you don't have to be in a menu to operate. The animation to bring those out looked alright too.

To fast travel with them, you'll need to be able to navagate the paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. The more you know, the better you'll be able to fast travel. The Outdoorsman skill will let you be better at dead reckoning and fast travel off the roads, while better Equestrianism skill will let you evade fast travel traps along the way.

When you get a quest from someone, they'll point to where it is on your most relevant map and you'll mark it. None of that quest marker business, so you can't mark people with it. Only locations.

As a standard, many maps need to be wrong, or just flat out lies. In this time, the boundaries are only somewhat agreed upon. Disputes over borders are still a common thing, and maps are one of the best ways to lay claim to something. Each noble would likely have his own type of map for his or her interests, and make their subjects see it their way. There shouldn't really be an official map of what is what in the world, and the overall map needs to look quite a bit http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/457/26326036.jpg. It shows the major cities, a couple major roads, and the basic outlines of topography, but it's a pretty sparse map.

Then, maps by membership. Chances are that they aren't going to map every wayshrine of Arkay on a merchant's travel map, so you'd have to talk to the right people. Find someone in the town who worships Arkay, and don't forget that the society is henotheistic. Believing in Mara doesn't mean you give a crap about Kynareth. Getting maps as rewards again will be a great thing.

Lastly, you can sell locations to people. If you find an unmarked trade route, you can sell that info to some bandits. If you find out where the Baron's summer getaway house is, you can tell his enemies, or for a lesser price the Thieves guild. The guild might resell the info to the Baron's enemies, and clean house once they're through with the place. You guys might remember in Daggerfall being able to choose how you finish quests by taking evidence to someone related to the quest for a different outcome. There was a time Helseth was having you deliver a message for him, but you could take it to Barenziah for her approval and reward. You'll also remember revealing the mine to the elf in Vivic city in Morrowind, and that he gave you a daedric weapon for it. That's the kind of deals you should be able to work out. It's up to you to find and sell what they might be interested in.

Yes, definitely, that was a great feature.

Fog of war FTW!

No, I'd like a real map. It makes the most sense. Just stick major points of interest on it. And for everyone saying it should be a "hardcoe mode" thing, no, because hardcoe is supposed to make the game more realistic to life. Having a sheet of paper that you fill out into a map as you walk is not realistic.

I can promise you that Skyrim will not be 'one big valley'.

I agree on clouding unexplored areas. Especially if your PC is an adventurer/explorer.

I'd quite like the clouded maps with the options to buy maps from the shops which would uncloud the certain areas.

I have you played far cry 2? I never ever want to go through that awful map thing ever again. I don't care how realistic it is.

I crashed into more trees in that game than all previous game before that combined.

I would prefer Morrowinds attempt at the map.

The view distance in OB was a little too far, just because of the scale. But I wouldn't want a big wall of mist 20 feet away like in MW...unless it was actually misty. Seeing stuff appear out of the mist is awesome...but so is watching a giant monument grow from a speck in the distance into a colossal structure.

This.

No, I never played far cry 2. I was using the screenshot as an example of how your character should hold the map, so it wouldn't be a menu.

You will notice that it is a map as other people have explained. Npc's talk about marking things on the map for Christ sake!
However the player character does not have a map of every dungeon/city layout etc. Cause if you notice when you go to the local map it is all un-filled except for places you've been. This is how it should stay. The overall world map is a actual map that the character has. And the local maps are already how you guys are asking for them to be.
:shurg:

Namely you had to, while under fire usually, bring up the map (sometimes zoom out) for every junction. The game didn't pause.

I now hate cliffs because of that game.

I like this idea. They sort of did it with Fallout 3, just showing where the DC ruins are.

I'm not really a fan of this idea - it makes sense to me that the big aspects of the landscape would already be on the map, whether you've been there or not (so major cities, big rivers or mountains etc.). Wouldn't bother me if they went down the foggy map route either though. :shrug:

that's bang on