If done correctly I think this could be a incredible feature. I just hope the parts you haven't explored are "fogged" out. Because you would have no recollection of them. Your character remembering these places in his minds eye is the only way I can explain this:
"You can explore it at your leisure, passing the towering [...] peaks, forests, cities, and tundra."

So, that's all they have to do. Just fog out where you haven't been and bam. Exploration not ruined, my explanation for how my character can do this is still intact and we get a awesome new way to explore the map.

I'm sure what they did is fantastic. But I really hope it works like Far Cry 2's map, that was amazingly intuitive and easy to use.

I would rather have a beautifully painted paper map full of detail and with "MONSTERS BE HERE" sorts of things to go with the times.

O bethesda collectors edition=high quality paper map...of not just skyrim but all of tamriel.

I'd prefer something more along the lines of Far Cry 2, where you physically get the map out in front of you in real time.

SO the series is dead because we havent seen how the map is/does really look? :facepalm:

Yeah, I also would like the map to be fogged out in places you haven't been. I liked that a lot about morrowind.

-Luis

It says that you will see skyrim from an unimaginable height, I highly doubt you will be able to make out individual ruins and caves.

The way they worded it reminded me of thehttp://imperial-library.info/sites/default/files/gallery_files/mapmorrenormous.jpg. That showed the topological features as well as the location of Velothi Towers, Dunmer Strongholds, Daedric Shrines, Dwemer Ruins, and even caves.

If it is similar to this I will have no problem though I would actually prefer a real paper map rather than the half done map from oblivion.

If anything is going to kill the series, it's THIS KIND OF COMMENT!
now get back on topic or gtfo


As for the map, I think it'll be 3D and all, just that maybe the unexplored regions won't show. no need to fog it. say, you see a cave while you're walking, then it appears on your map.

Isn't the in game map supposed to be a simulation of your character stopping, going into his backpack or map case, pulling out his map, and getting his bearings? That's why I like the "worn paper looking map" better. It's abstractly roleplaying the process. It's showing you a representation of the map your character is holding in his/her hands. Where just panning up and out to a graphically beautiful world view just misses the whole point.

I don't think it will ruin exploration though. It's Bethesda's bread and butter. It may show you the whole map, and be high quality graphically, but it will probably still have all those locations that you have to find before they will show up on your map, and I doubt it will have much useful information in the beginning of the game.

Add: Thought about it more, and Morrowinds map doesn't look like a worn paper map, and though I've noticed that before, It's never really bothered me. I still like my second paragraph though. :blush:

I loved Morrowind's approach, you got placed into a alien world with alien customs and culture while at the same time not knowing the placement of cities and hot spots. I remember some of my greatest adventures came from the days when i didn't know anything about Morrowind. It literally took me a day and a half (real time) to reach Aldi-Ruin from Grensis on foot while relaying on signs and the roads to guide me to my destination. Even before that it took me a long time to find Greniss as i wanted to join the Imperial Legion- but that was one of the highlights about Morrowind. It wasn't arcade-like gameplay for the most part like Oblivion was.

Sorry about the names..i have no idea how to spell those cities xD

The map of Morrowind is awesome. I want to play Morrowind now (now only if it had better combat, or even something par with Oblivion)

I hope it's got the detail and color of Morrowind's paper map, BUT only when you have visited each region.

Like the maps in the Zelda games, I hope unexplored regions will be covered by clouds until you have visited that region.

I interpreted the GI article as saying it would be a fully 3d birds eye view. But obviously the LoD will come into play and you wont be able to see everything at once. I also assume they will use the new fog/clouds system to create a "fog of war" much like Morrowind had, so it only shows places you have been.


That is how I read it anyway. All will be revealed soon.

It did not say anything about being 3D. I don't know why so many people seem to think otherwise... I think most of you are misinterpreting the GI comments, which is very understandable as the person who wrote that did not do a very good job of describing it.

I liked paper maps...
Honestly, if there is something I can say I liked about Oblivion it was the paper map...

I doubt it will be too spoiling, but I may or may not like or dislike it having color...
Maybe someone will mod it to be paper again...

I don't think any kind of map detracts from exploration. Before I visit any new place i study a map of it, and that doesn't detract from the thrill of putting feet on the ground and actually seeing it.

One of the things i liked (and still do) in the Oblivion world was all those Un-mapped back country tracks and paths - you never knew where they would lead or join up to a familiar road. Sometimes they were easy to follow dirty tracks and sometimes they got narrow and hard to follow - just like real life exploring, i loved that. Hope they keep a bunch of these 'secret' out-back trails in Skyrim.

One day i plan to walk all the tracks and trails and mark them out on the paper map.

One cool thing they could do for us would be to make user definable waypoints/labels that you can add to the game map as you go. So, if you find, for example, a nice view point, you could add a small label box to the map and type in 'view point - nice sunrise 0700hrs' or something like that. That would make track marking easy too..........

They did that in Morrowind, so I'm sure they could do it again. I'd love to have that.

I'd prefer paper maps, they're way more realistic/immersive

I want a Morrowind style paper map, I loved scouring that thing for the little X's and other interesting things, made things much more fun than the compass pointing everything out for you.

Maybe they'll speed it up really fast so you can't see complete topography. Or maybe this gem: http://www.zeldacapital.com/HyruleMap/oot.jpeg

i agree. plus a paper map adds a lot to the role playing aspect.

It never states "3D" but it does imply that it will not be just a standard 2d map.



That to me is describing a 3D like camera view of Skyrim, rather than a "map".

The "Panning" back implies the camera zooms out and "improbable height" implies the camera rests high above you, showing the entirety of the map from a birds eye view. That to me seems the most logical interpretation of it. Especially when you consider the context of the article. Which is to describe how everything is now vastly different UI wise. Books are 3D and readable, Items all have 3d representations that are rotatable and zoom able, the skill page is now a 3d image of the stars above "as if the player is looking into the sky" . The map NOT being 3d would be out of place in the article.

That paper map was extremely well done, i have fond memories of using it to explore Vvardenfell.