First - I love Bethesda and have tremendous gratitude for their inexhaustible hard work on TES series. Best game developers in the world.

My thoughts:


The UI is a necessary tool to convey in-game information to the player - data such as health and stamina are things that are extremely difficult to convey without resorting to a HUD element or UI. This is perfectly acceptable.

However, tools such as the map and compass could be better utilized in real-time as items that can be equipped by the player. There is no need to pause the game, and there is no need for the compass to be constantly visible, especially while in battle.

I would love to see the map and compass equipped by the player, just like a shield, sword or staff. Left-trigger, right-trigger, etc... Hold the map and look around; Maybe I could carry a sword and compass while navigating the back-country, occasionally sheathing my sword to get my map out and make sure I'm facing the correct mountain or distant landmark.

This would greatly aid in the sense of outdoor exploration or adventuring.


Especially aiding the danger of battle - imagine being in the back-country at night and fighting off a pack of wolves. The danger of losing your orientation while in battle would add a tremendous element to the game-play. After fighting off the wolves, I'll need to get my compass out and re-orient to my destination - sometimes realizing that the battle has taken me way off-track and need to find my path again.


Far Cry 2 used this method incredibly well. (though believe me - it's the only element from FC2 I'd like to see in Skyrim.)


I don't imagine the devs actually incorporating this into the game - but I'm also wondering if this is something that could possibly be modded into the game? It would definitely change core systems, and I'm afraid it might be outside of what's possible.

While that would be very cool and id love it....i dont know if youd like to see your player look down at a futuristic GPS google maps style device to view your 3D map.../kneeslap

But i like this idea a lot sounds great to me

Ha - no, it'd probably have to be a paper drawn map.

I could imagine there being 2 or 3 different scale maps though.... When the map is "equipped" and "un-sheathed / visible" then using that hand's trigger button could turn the map over, or shuffle through the pages - giving you a different scale map. Local, regional, provincial, etc.


Retain the ability for POI's to show up on the map, as well as a droppable "player destination" - as well as quest markers (hopefully optional!! / fingers-crossed.)


I'd love it. "My quest-marker says I need to go northeast... alright, that mountain peak over there is the direction I need to head." Put away map and compass, and orient to a mountain peak.


This is the way I hike in real life when I'm in the back-country, and it's incredibly satisfying.



Also - just for curiosity's sake.... why do people enjoy the persistent compass? In real-life I'm grateful to have a fairly well-tuned sense of direction, so I kind of always know my cardinal directions - but I still don't have a visual compass in front of me at all times. What benefit (other than making the game easier) do people find with the persistent compass? (no criticism, just curious.)

i kinda wish they would do something like far cry 2 did. without the big circles and rectangles telling you where to go though. NO QUEST MARKERS.

First thing I'm modding out.

Frankly, I wouldn't want to see this only because I'd worry about its execution. Yeah, it's been done right before, and been awesome, but it could just as easily go horribly wrong.

Not that it matters, because their console-focus is what gave us the current UI, and I'm under the impression making a real-time UI work on consoles given what we've seen of Skyrim's set-up might be tricky. I'm sure someone can mod it in for PC, and if not, it would hardly be the end of the world.

I would like to see it as an option, but I do like the look of the 3d map though.

Still it would be the more realistic option.