Shared Map

[merlinpatt]

As multiple people explore the world, their findings should be shared with other players via the map.

 

This makes sense because if you're trying to survive with someone on an island, you would share your knowledge with each other. If one person finds bananas on the east half, and another finds pineapples on the west half, they tell each other.

 

To keep things realistic, findings should only be shared once the players are within some range of each other.

[Enbo]

This is the reason there is a global chat, y'know?

[rezecib]

@Enbo, While yes, you can emulate this to some extent with global chat, there are many people who are also taking screenshots of their map and sending them to each other to share the map. So sharing the map directly is something you can already do, it's just very annoying. I think there's definitely room in the game for a few options for sharing the map:

1. Total map sharing-- everyone has the same map. This might be best suited to a mod, for people who really just want a closely cooperative experience (that is, not joining random servers, but just keeping one world going with one or two other people as if it were a single-player world).

2. Sharing on contact with each other (as the OP suggested). This also seems suited for vanilla, maybe as part of Endless mode, which is supposed to be easier.

3. Map-sharing action-- some people have thrown out ideas for it, map table, charcoal + papyrus, etc, that causes you to dump your map data and be able to share it with the person who uses the item. I think this is suited to the vanilla game-- it would be interesting to have it as part of welcome packages, for example. I think this makes sense for Survival mode. It might be cool in Wilderness mode, too.

 

But I think the real reason this hasn't be done yet is that the way the map is implemented is embedded in the C++ code, which is difficult to work with. Getting map-sharing systems in place is a decent amount of work. I do hope something related to it is on the list, though, because it's not really possible to mod in right now, either.

[merlinpatt]

@Enbo, my friend and I are using voice chat, and it's still difficult to understand each other's directions.

 

@rezecib, thank you for adding further details to my original post. Also, thank you for explaining why implementing a sharable map is difficult.

[matageli]

I kinda enjoy the fact that we don't share the same map. It makes more sense that we wouldn't see parts of the map our characters haven't explored. Maybe a notebook to write notes in would be cool for sharing like you said.

I kinda enjoy the fact that we don't share the same map. It makes more sense that we wouldn't see parts of the map our characters haven't explored. Maybe a notebook to write notes in would be cool for sharing like you said.

[Primexes]

@Enbo, my friend and I are using voice chat, and it's still difficult to understand each other's directions.

 

When I play with my girlfriend (dual battle-stations) we usually use orientation lingo to give each other directions. we use our camp layout to keep orientation on the map... so for example. 

 

The fire is the middle of the camp... the science machine is true north and built directly above the fire, a little far away so it's easier to distinguish them on the map... so you can always rotate the map back to it's original orientation. 

 

In terms of commands, we use north, north west, west... or even when we are being horrible to each other, north 30 degrees west. But usually using orientation remarks and map features, you can easily work out where you both are... like "if you go west, you'll find a road, head north on it, when you get to the grass, i am west of that." 

it usually works out.