Mapping

[Ocotillo]

It's occured to me that mapping would be...rather useful in playing.

Now, I swear I'll reset my maps with different characters and respect all the proper boundaries. Anyone have a good mapper that interacts with zMud happily?

[mansa]

I suggest to use Excel and create it by hand.

When it's dark out, or if you're in a sandstorm, you'll totally mess up a mapper on your Mud Client.

Plus, when you create it in excel or on paper, you remember it better.

[Maybe42or54]

And you can build 3d maps in excel.

[Angela Christine]

I like graph paper and pencil crayons.  I use different colors for different kinds of landscape, and draw tiny pictures for landmarks.

[Mr.B]

I go oldschool and use something called memory. You'd be surprised how accurate it can get.

[Flying Erdlu]

I go oldschool and use something called memory. You'd be surprised how accurate it can get.

I agree, and its often quite fun when you have one of those, "I thought it was -right here-!" moments

Same reason I dont keep notes on other PCs I meet. Not saying that it's bad to do that. I just dont.

[Dakkon Black]

I've mapped out allanak before, since it really helped me conceptualize it in my head. Some people can put that kinda thing together as they play, other people need to see a picture to go, oooH! That's how it is!

After that, I've always got this little mental idea in my head, so I don't even look at the map anymore.

[Shara]

I've never used maps.  I've always wanted to make one because I'm a visual person but I've never had the patience to do so.

[Angela Christine]

I agree, and its often quite fun when you have one of those, "I thought it was -right here-!" moments.

You can still get those with a map.  The secret is to not see the "grid" when you look at a map, just see it as a whole map.  No counting "13 N, 6 E" because that is silly.  Use the map the way you would really use a map, to identify landmarks, "Ok, go north until you get to the big rock that looks like a raptor, then head east for a while.  Before too long you should see the gates a little ways off to the north, just head towards it."

[manonfire]

I got maps.

[Dynnage]

All your maps are belong to me, please.

But in all seriousness, I like having maps, but not making them. I refuse to make them on paper because I'm lame like that, so I use a mapping program to do it. It isn't manual, so I have to advance it room by room by hand, but it's pretty convenient. The trick with using maps is to not follow it grid point by grid point, but instead mark rooms that are unique, like ones with statues for example, and use them as a landmark to base your navigating on.

[Cutthroat]

I map out areas that are new to me just for sake of drilling it into my memory as early as possible. After a few days of playing in that area I usually never have to look back at the map again.

[Shiroi Tsuki]

A sheet of graph paper and a pen interact well with any mud client.

Then again, I'm biased.  I loooooove cartography.  I'll often remake the same map over and over again in differently colored inks.  It doesn't matter that I don't actually need ten maps of Nak and can navigate the city blind in the middle of the night in a sandstorm while OOCly wasted.  I just enjoy making them.

[Angela Christine]

Just think, once A2 obliterates A1, we may be able to share our maps of obsolete A1 areas.  Squeeee!  

[psionic fungus]

My GF has a quite large map of Zalanthas printed out, reassembled, and tacked to the wall in front of her computer desk.  People ask questions.

[Zalanthan]

OP,

zMUD includes an Automapper that, when properly configured and combined with triggers using the #OK, #NOMAP and #NODIR commands, can fully automate the process.  I separate cities from my world map with zones, and I color the squares based on the rooms' descriptions (i.e. white=North Road, purple=baobab groves, etc.).  In the mapper's options you can specify the text for the #LOOK command; I prefer changing the default "look" to "look room" so the mapper doesn't capture characters when it parses for room descriptions.

[Dynnage]

OP,

zMUD includes an Automapper that, when properly configured and combined with triggers using the #OK, #NOMAP and #NODIR commands, can fully automate the process.  I separate cities from my world map with zones, and I color the squares based on the rooms' descriptions (i.e. white=North Road, purple=baobab groves, etc.).  In the mapper's options you can specify the text for the #LOOK command; I prefer changing the default "look" to "look room" so the mapper doesn't capture characters when it parses for room descriptions.

But then you get in a sandstorm and navigate in a direction opposite of what you type, and screw the map up

[Zalanthan]

But then you get in a sandstorm and navigate in a direction opposite of what you type, and screw the map up

I suggest using the type of character who doesn't navigate in wrong directions when first building the map, but any character can use the automapper.  The #MOVE, #NODIR, #NOMAP, and #OK commands are amazingly powerful when combined with triggers, but I still recommend the first approach  :wink:

Code Select Expand

cMUD / zMUD Examples:

Pattern:^You flee, heading ($direction:%w)$
#MOVE $direction

Pattern:^You can't take a mount there.$
#NODIR

Pattern:^Sparse sands blow across your path.$
#NOMAP

Pattern:^You can't see a thing;sand swirls about you!$
#OK

[Angela Christine]

OP,

zMUD includes an Automapper that, when properly configured and combined with triggers using the #OK, #NOMAP and #NODIR commands, can fully automate the process.  I separate cities from my world map with zones, and I color the squares based on the rooms' descriptions (i.e. white=North Road, purple=baobab groves, etc.).  In the mapper's options you can specify the text for the #LOOK command; I prefer changing the default "look" to "look room" so the mapper doesn't capture characters when it parses for room descriptions.

But then you get in a sandstorm and navigate in a direction opposite of what you type, and screw the map up

I simply turned the automapper off during bad weather and at night, to avoid misdirection and other oddness.  It would still keep track of where it thought I was, but it didn't matter if it was a little bit wrong about that.  It only needs to be recording when I am visiting new locations for the first time, and it is best to visit new locations during the day time in clear weather anyway.


It worked ok, but when my trial period ended I decided not to buy it.  I'm a rank coward, so I spend a lot of time running away from gith, scrabs, mekillots and tregils.  Having the automap pinpoint my location as I was running wildly in any direction trying to ditch the every increasing train of creatures that were pissed off at me seemed cheesy.  After running in random directions for miles and miles, I ought to be lost and casting around for a familiar landmark, not just knowing exactly where I am because my magick map tells me so.  Sure, I could RP being hopelessly lost, but when the adrenaline gets pumping it can be hard remember to be a good little roleplayer.


Besides, the automaps were . . . lacking.  They were so mechanical and impersonal, and they failed to convey the atmosphere.  I think getting theZmapper add on could help quite a bit with that, but I've never tried it.  At some point fiddling with automappers to make the resulting maps pretty is going to take longer than just writing the damn thing out by hand.

Zmud's ugly map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zmapper's slightly less ugly map of the same place
                       

[Ocotillo]

Well, I'm one of those spartan souls who actually finds a strange charm in that kind of map. Thanks, Zalanthan!

[Malken]

I use crayons and papyrus.

[Dynnage]

I use crayons and papyrus.

Way to mock the Egyptians

[Nile]

I just use my brain. Not hard to remember stuff.

[alger]

Sometimes I actually draw them out... I usually have good enough memory to know where I am and I get it down without having to map anything but at times I just like seeing a visual representation of what the entire landscape looks like.  I think it helps more on the immersion than anything else.

Here's an example of a map I did for Lusternia sometime back.  You'll need to full view to really see it.

[Tulana]

I've found Lulu's mud cartographer, very simple, reminiscent of Norton commander  And also the Argon online mud mapper. Both fall short of something, though. I'm considering buying Portal just for its mapper

[Ammut]

I tried making maps for a while... kept dying... gave up... tried again... finished one direction from a city... died again...

...it's really important to keep a live character in the zone you're mapping, or else they're pretty pointless.

[RogueGunslinger]

I "found" a map after I had been playing for about six months. All it did was help me to realize what the bazaar in 'nak actually looked like. Other than that I still use my head for everything. Haven't even opened it again.

[Gunnerblaster]

When I first started playing, I used to make square-connections (squares for the room and connections for which direction I could go in) for almost every room - Centering around the Gaj. Lol.

Now, everything is by memory. If I forget - Then it means my character forgets.

No one's perfect.

Even a ranger who's lived somewhere all his life is apt to forget something.

[Delstro]

I use Microsoft Excel, personally. I made a very extensive map including everything from the silt sea to the salt sea, to the gates of drove, and the hellpits of Suk-krath. However, I lost it when my computer crashed a few years ago and just havn't wanted to do another one. It was pretty big, it had 8 tabs of greatness.

[X-D]

I go oldschool and use something called memory. You'd be surprised how accurate it can get.

I've never mapped any mud ever.


Only problem I have is that I have to keep making my PCs older so that I can realisticly have them know the things I do.

I tried having one who was younger and did not know zalanthus within the last three years and failed horribly.

[Agent_137]

I've made a few wimpy maps in MS paint (horrible idea) and excel (better idea) but they're all a pain, I think I might have to go old school graph paper next.

[Agent_137]

how the fuck does this lulu shit work? yea, definitely going to graph paper.

[Gunnerblaster]

Did I forget to mention that all my beginning maps were on Post-its? Since their so small, I could only fit so few on one paper at a time. By the end of my mapping frenzy, my computer and the surrounding area was literally littered with post-its, either on the ground, on a nearby post board or surrounding the monitor of my computer.

I was a noob in every sense of the word.

[tortall]

Did I forget to mention that all my beginning maps were on Post-its? Since their so small, I could only fit so few on one paper at a time. By the end of my mapping frenzy, my computer and the surrounding area was literally littered with post-its, either on the ground, on a nearby post board or surrounding the monitor of my computer.

I was a noob in every sense of the word.

That is AMAZING!!!!!

[fourTwenty]

The only map I've ever had or used has been in my head.

Ha, map users are l00zer$!

[musashi]

I use the portal client's built in mapper. It rocks. Sure I could jump on the "if I can't remember then my character can't remember because that's hardcore" bandwagon, but eh ... my character spent their entire life in Zalanthas, I spend a few hours a day at most. And my character doesn't have the excess trouble of having to remember things like ... my social security number, my college class material, a few extra languages, guitar theory, what's going on with real life friends next weekend, ect ect.

Anyway, yeah, portal client's mapper is both easy to understand and very effective when it comes to mapping. Just watch out once you start mapping though, because things like elevation and Luir's ability to defy the laws of physics in terms of spacing will throw you for a small loop 

[Kiri]

I usually map when I'm building. Graph paper is awesome.

I have on occasion made maps of small areas, but mostly i don't map because I'm lazy. I mapped out 'Nak's bazaar and marked each vendor and tent because I was often sent to find things and I could never remember where stuff was!

[Gunnerblaster]

I have on occasion made maps of small areas, but mostly i don't map because I'm lazy. I mapped out 'Nak's bazaar and marked each vendor and tent because I was often sent to find things and I could never remember where stuff was!

Ironic you should mention this. Last night, a friend of mine new to Arm spent about 15 mapping out the Bazaar on graph paper.

[Shiroi Tsuki]

I agree.  Sometimes drawing a map really does help me realize the certain overall trends of an area better than trying to picture it in my head.

[Rhyden]

I've made maps in excel and drawn maps in game with a literate character.

Maps are awesome.

[AJM]

maps ftw. Like any other information you gain it has to be you have to keep IC if you have mapped the path to the fountain of youth, your new 'smart like stick' giant is not going to know how to get there. Plus it is a great way to prove how outrageously nerdy you really are.