What can we do to help expand magic map?

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Tarax the Terrible
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What can we do to help expand magic map?

Post by Tarax the Terrible » 11 Jun 2011 00:59

The magic map is awesome for beginners.
It has a consistent style and works flawlessly.

You can see the amount of work that has gone into it...
*praise*

Who do we have to thank for the work thus far?
What is the eventual goal for it?
Where is the bulk of the work creating the ASCI map drawings, or the code to have it follow you?

I am wondering how that is done..
Like does the map catch the direction you move in and update that way (seems like that would be less robust) or is there a token being added to every mapped room which it checks?

And finally what can we the community do to help.

I have seen guild applicants create herb maps of entire areas or map large areas of the realms just as a task to help them join. I am sure there are a lot of people out there who can help.
http://genesisquests.pbworks.com/
Join up and help each other with Quests :)

Booger
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Re: What can we do to help expand magic map?

Post by Booger » 11 Jun 2011 01:52

Just had to say, somewhere...
Great to have you back, Tarax! Even if I've never met you before.
You have lots of great ideas and a very positive attitude!
Booger/Cindy/Enigma

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Iliana
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Re: What can we do to help expand magic map?

Post by Iliana » 11 Jun 2011 16:49

When you exa map in a place that doesn't have one, it tells you how to access the help and that tells you how to submit a map for consideration. The maps have to be accurate, show all the places of interest (shops, banks etc) then you could also work on zoomed out maps, these show surrounding areas. I have submitted a couple maps myself, one was of Argos.

Makfly
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Re: What can we do to help expand magic map?

Post by Makfly » 11 Jun 2011 19:03

The next Event should revolve around making maps for "The Magic Map", so we can get it to work all across the game.
Events seem to motivate people, so it would be a good way to give the development a boost.
Mortimor Makfly - Gnomish Xeno-Anthropologist

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gorboth
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Re: What can we do to help expand magic map?

Post by gorboth » 12 Jun 2011 13:39

What Iliana said! :-)

Anyone can submit magic maps to me that they think will be a good addition to the game and help flesh out an area. Thus far, the vast majority of magic maps in the game are ones that I have created. I made the code for it, too, aside from the part that draws thicker lines around borders you are inside, which only happens in certain areas, in which I needed to get a bit of help. A few other wizards have done some maps, too. Petros drew the original map for Gelan, which I have recently expanded. Finwe has done quite a lot quite recently, creating maps for all of Faerun, Faerie, and recently working on maps for the Shire.

In terms of the process of the map functionality, it deals with x,y coordinates mapped to the "file name" of a given room you are standing in. As such, the most players can really do is help draw the maps, and then submit them to me so I can plug in the "back-end" stuff.

Iliana's maps are really nice, and I plan to work them in as soon as I get some time freed up to work on those sorts of things. In general, when creating a map, try to adhere to the standard's we have set for visual style in and around Sparkle. Feel free to outright steal the ascii style you have seen in those maps and copy it into your own, as that will actually help to create a standard look and feel to maps throughout the game. There are lots of great sites online that display ascii art that I have used either as inspiration for various things or simply lifted a small piece of this or that from to use in the maps.

Here are a couple:

http://www.chris.com/ascii/
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7373/design.htm

So if you feel so-inspired, please do submit submit submit! :)

G.
Mmmmmm ... pie ...

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gorboth
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Re: What can we do to help expand magic map?

Post by gorboth » 20 Jul 2011 11:44

Some results from efforts here are worth reporting.

In that Calia has really geared itself to being part of the newbie-arc of progression, I feel it is worth trying to support it as much as possible with magic map use. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Iliana, many areas of Calia are being brought on-line with the magic map. These areas now include:

Gelan City
Academics guild
Cadets Guild
Roundabout and piers (sorta new!)
Moorlands (new!)
Thalassian Sea and fishing village (new!)

Thanks, and do submit maps if you have the time to make ones that can be used! You just might see your work become a permanent part of the game. :-)

G.
Mmmmmm ... pie ...

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