Because the designers have chosen to not have those features, as part of the challenging nature of Pantheon.
It is planned that we will get a general map, fog of war style, that slowly reveals as we explore. It won't have any 'you are here' features and is not expected to have a high degree of small details.
There will be no mini-map.
There is currently offline maps , those can be found via google.
Has there been any time frame given for when we can expect the general map feature to be added? I checked the Pantheon Production Tracker.
I thought there was plans for an overview larger map. That had fog of war. That would fill in as your explored. They for sure said no mini-map. I did think there was a more general purpose area type map planned. Maybe that isn't the case. Either way I guess if you really wanted maps there will be offline ones you can use.
I appreciate all the input, not looking for spoilers or anything like that, just as long as I have been playing (since the 90's) I have always been used to having some kind of map and now days at my age I am a bit lost without them but I'll get by .. Was just curious is all
I don't think that's a fair assumption at all. Many players have expressed the opinion that they don't want maps or minimaps. Some don't even want a compass. EQ just had "Sense Heading". You had to train the skill and spam a key to figure out what direction you were heading.
Really it enhanced the game. You had to learn the zones. Somewhere over there I saw something, let's go see. Where was that thing we saw last week? Let's try to find it again.
Pantheon's pace of development has more to do with having a small team and constantly communicating and taking feedback from the community. It certainly isn't a reflection on the quality of the programmers.
Welcome F0RK!
I’m an EQ fan. A lot of the core EQ design served the EQ community well. Little in life is perfect, but overall EQ did a great job for its community during the time, 2000s. Back then there were limited online resources, limited official documentation, and much of the game design and mechanics made you want to group with others.
For better or for worse, we are in the 2020s. There is an oversaturation of information available. You need a game map? Check out shalazam, game-maps, etc. You don’t like to read *hehe*? Go on YouTube and find a million walkthroughs and guides.
The point is, there is so much information online that I believe having an in-game map would do a better job of limiting information. It gives you enough information that you will feel less likely to go to an outside source that is likely to give you way more information.
I think some sort of in-game map would serve the community well.
That is an interesting take on the Maps NegativeNRG. It could be a valid point. Having them in game can get just enough info you won't go elsewhere and get more than you want or need. I think it's a good point and maybe something to think about.
I also don't really understand the whole map debate. If people don't want an in game map just make it an option to turn it off. If people want to use it they can. If people don't they can turn it off. I never understood how having a map takes anything away from people that don't want one. More options are better. Make it so it defaults to being off.
I understand it goes against VR game designs ideas. People are just going to have a second window open with the maps anyways. Just add it as an option in game. I played EQ at launch. I remember having a 3 ring binder filled with maps or making my own. Still I will say I was a little disappointed when I found out this game wouldn't have one. I guess I'm now used to it in other games.
Once I tried the game and played for awhile I really didn't miss the maps. It worked out fine and it wasn't a problem. I still think the overview fog of war general map would be useful. I think it's planned and is a good addition.
In EQ, part of the levelling process was learning the zones. After a while you knew the zone line was 2/3 of the way down that ridge of mountains, behind those two big trees. For the exploring purist, the problem with mini-maps isn't that it shows where you've been, they also show a preview of where you are doing. The same is true with fog-of-war models. If it's going to exist, I hope it updates based on a cone or semi-circle that trails behind where you have travelled. Alternatively, put a delay between when you cover an area for the first time and when the fog of war updates. As long as the option exists to not see any kind of map on the main screen, I'll be happy.
The real world has been mapped down to the point where you can see if your neighbour's cat was in your garden on Google satellite day. Everywhere we go, our phones show us every feature. To venture into an area without GPS and maps in the modern world would be labelled as foolhardy. Gone are the days of the great explorers.
I like having a compass though, because spamming a Sense Heading ability was EQ. Having even a crude compass is realistic. We may not have maps of an unexplored area, but any would-be adventurer is going to have a compass in their kit.
I guess it depends on how you view geography. Is it something to simply traverse in order to get to Point B to slay a monster? Or, is the terrain part of the adventure?
~Cel~
I think having a consumable map would be a good compromise. As you explore you unlock map locations via various landmark nodes in impotant places, and then you scibe that information back in town with the help of a cartographer. It could be a full flege profession. Players could trade landmark node locations for consumable maps, or the cartographer could sell single use maps for profit. Maps would be very basic, but useful. Not a one time purcahse.
or
You could have a player journal in the shape of a map. It has the general locations, and it's up to us to fill in the blanks. Honestly a journal would be nice so you could orgainize other things.
I don't subscribe to the point of view that a map equates to lack of adventure. You can have a map with major points of interest with say major cities and settlements and areas such as mountain ranges, lakes, and the like without impacting on learning where specific things are like mobs, nodes, hidden areas, etc.
I think VRs intentions are spot on, namely, no mini map, a general map with fog (as long as you don't have a player marker on it) and some zone maps that you have to find and piece together. I also like the idea of a bonus of some kind that is only active when the map is complete and you are in that area.
It's a nice balance. It doesn't detract from the adventure and in my mind, adds to it. Nice one Joppa.
One addition I would love to see on the general map would be a simple edit feature to add player specific points of interest.
I think in game maps need to be optional , have the functionality as a default with either a "fog" of war style map or the ability to do a Brewall style player made map folder.
The reality is the game , mobs and items have already been databased and most zones have already been /loc and created.