Cartography - Skill for telling directions.

[Cerelum]

So after playing a while, and falling down lots of holes, dying to beasts etc, you will eventually learn the "safe" routes to places.

Now, the one thing that's always been a little jarring is the fact that you either have to hand wave it as "My character knows the way from doing it before he was a character." or "Someone told him one night in a tavern how to do X and Y."

If we had an ability to make actual maps, like with a skill in cartography, we could create maps that others could follow, like travel map Luirs, this would test the skill of the map maker and possibly the reader to read the map and know, from this gate of Allanak, I need to this way.  Perhaps have it echo, "After studying the map a moment you realize your path lies East."

This would allow people to actually blaze paths to various locations in the game, sell maps and avoid the whole hand wave of ooc knowledge of knowing how to get from point A to point B on your few hour old pc.

It could further be improved by say the Cartographer having the ability to label a room on the map as Water for instance a pond or drinkable source.  This way someone could type:

Travel map
You could journey to...
   1) A source of water near the Salt Flats.
   2) The Luirs outpost south gate.

Make it work off the existing crafting type interface and just object orient the programming to either automove or tell you where to go every room or use?

I think it would be a kickass addition to the game.  What do you lot think?

[Vex]

Not sure about automove, but otherwise its fine.

Coding it, however, would be a real pain.

Atm, you can use drawing and wordplay, to do rough maps.

Someone has drawn a squarish block center page, with a stick-like dragon inside. Extending to the east is a hastily drawn line, leading towards a crude depiction, of a slanted pillar. A small arrow indicates northwards at this point. At the end of a northward line, is another simplistic pillar. Here, an arrow points eastward, directing down yet another line, to yet another, smudged marker, a large jut of stone, perhaps.

It requires a bit of imagination, but works well enough. I'd bet, most people could follow those directions, anyway.

You can be really elaborate, or really simple, and ease of comprehension would be the difference between a good map, and a bad one. It also lets you, and your follows, leave maps to here or there, in a sort of pictograph code, that would be mostly useless to anyone else.

A squat, dull-eyed lizard is in center, smoking spice. Its clawed hand jerks an erect penis lies to it's right, spurting northward. An bloody-fleched arrow pierces the right eye, of a greyish old hag.

Same directions, but in an ic context, probably not going to get puzzled out. They'd just assume it the delusions of a spice-addled pervert. Half the time, they'd be right, too.

It's technically, even a coded skill, though depends a lot on the honor system. Not sure if the color code can be used in conjunction with drawing, but, if it can, it would let you use color cues to assist, as well.

[Cerelum]

Unfortunately can't use drawing for this, plus it apparently has some skill that I've never seen, drawing skill.

Illustration                                                          (Items)

   Illustrations are drawn pictures on any media set up to hold an illustration.  These would typically include books, scrolls and papers. When drawing an illustration the character must have access to a writing implement and something to draw upon.  The book, scroll or paper will need to be in the character's inventory and the writing implement equipped in their secondary hand, similar to writing.
   The text input in the in-game editor should be a written description of the drawing and should take into account the skill level of the character when drawing.  There will be a drawing skill listed on the skills list indicating general ability to draw.
   Under normal circumstances characters will not be able to achieve mastery of drawing without some specific in-character learning.
   It is at the player's discretion regarding the general abilities of the character as an artist but should keep in line with their skill level with drawing as well.
  Acceptable Use:
   -ASCII art is NOT permitted for these drawings.
   -ASCII art is pictures made out of text and are not to be used.
   -Please do not use this for cartography.
   -In line with the theme of Armageddon these are to be descriptions of the drawn illustrations using normal grammar and spelling.
   -In no way should there be any written words on these descriptions even if your character has the skills to read and write.
   -If unacceptable use is found the player may lose the ability to do illustrations which persists across all characters.

   Please use good judgement in what would be possible to sketch/draw keeping in mind what normal denizens of Zalanthas would have had exposure to.

Syntax:
   > draw <book> 1

> draw <book> page_1



[MORE]

> look <book> 1

> look <book> page_2

See also:
   draw, look

[Jihelu]

Great, now we have to have our maps be literally so well hidden in function staff can't tell they are maps.

[Vex]

Unfortunately can't use drawing for this, plus it apparently has some skill that I've never seen, drawing skill.

Drawing is a skill anyone can learn, like ride, afaik.

Also, I didn't realize it could not be used for maps... which is exactly what a map is, a drawing. Who's responsible for THAT arbitrary, and completely unnecessary rule? Do you guys just make up rules, for the sake of making up rules? I'd love to hear the logic, behind this one.

Also, also, I've seen maps on paper in game, so, the enforcement of it must be loose, or selective...

[only_plays_tribals]

Once on a previous character I was trying to help some nobels and junk make maps and it was explained to me that it was a serious skill and time consuming. To account for accurate distance over long ranges and shifting terrain requires tools and methods to survey the land. Some of the oldest maps required something like .. rope and geometry calculations or something to that effect. So not just any random guy is going to be making them and it's going to take a long time. It's why way back in the ancient days peasants were not just shitting out maps of the area I suppose. They were valuable scholarly items.

Just googled it real fast and found stuff like "stick maps" which are super rudimentary looking maps of ocean swells made out of fucking sticks tied together with rope and shells.. but the "secret knowledge" of how to make them was kept by a select few rulers and passed father to son. The More You Know™

This is just related to wilderness maps. I don't know what the stance might be on say like a street map or something very small scale. But large wilderness maps this is how it was explained to me before.

[Riev]

I'm all for it, but there is a certain group/clan/etc in game who is known for being able to draw mostly-accurate maps and engage in cartography. As it requires the use of symbols and touches nearly on writing, it would be rare to see something more than that elf hawking "treasure maps" that are basically just a line and an X.