One of my favorite aspects to this game is that the map is a blank slate and as a person begins to explore they can pin new personalized points of interest on the map. You actually have to go and look for stuff in the game. Furthermore the map pinning feature is well thought and is an essential feature for mining/geology/treasure hunting, or anywhere you might need to make a reference pin. I have somehow unlocked an additional colored pin in my map which also has many good advantages. I know that this game is in alpha so many of the dungeon maps have not been implemented yet which I actually feel has some advantages, an un-mapped dungeon leads me to do more exploring and in awe whenever I find an area I have passed many times and have never seen before. My suggestion for maps wouldn't change a ton about how maps are handled now but still would encourage exploration and I feel would improve some of the overall function of the map.
Map Making:
So one skill or ability to consider which could be opened through the use of several skills (IE: geology, mining, calligraphy, foraging) would allow a player to make their own map of a cave/dungeon or zone as they were exploring. In order for them to make a map the player might need a certain type of parchment and ink. As the player explores they could use the skill to make a map of the explored areas either automatically or manually with tools in the players pack (like an autopsy kit, or butcher knife). When revisiting the cave or dungeon, such as Yeti cave, only areas that a player has already explored and mapped out would be view-able, thus leaving the unexplored areas blank for later exploration. A player might then be able to place a pin on their created map at the mouth of a unexplored branch or area for later exploration. As a person leveled the skill more mapping options could be made available to them such as specific icons for marking a map and opening up a sort of map legend for them. Several types of icons to consider might be ones marking certain NPC's, cave/dungeon icons, storage icons, mining/geology icons, portal icons, unknown treasure icons, all of these would help to create a more complete and unique map as players could pick and chose what is of interest to them. One way of encouraging exploration using this method would be to make player have to be in range or have the object selected when attempting to pin it. Different types of ink could be used to mark different things. This skill could apply for both outside maps and cave/dungeons maps.
In addition to marking certain points on a map the skill might open different options for viewing other players on the map. A player could see other members of their group and have the option to see the leader in a different color or icon to help highlight the group leader. A party leader with the mapping ability might be able to temporarily pin the map of everyone in a group to help with party navigation. These abilities could also be made available to players using certain runes or something. Maybe each group member might need the rune in order to be seen?
Another consideration to the mapping skill is making area maps for purchase, with the exception of the newbie areas. A player could still explore and make a map of areas they have explored and then when a player bought the map it would just open up the entire basic area map. Certain dungeon maps might also be discover-able through purchase, reward, or as loot, maybe some showing new areas of a dungeon or pinpointing objects, NPCs, or treasures somewhere out in an unexplored darkened area of a map. In the future maybe certain areas of a map might only discover-able by finding extra map areas and could be used with the treasure hunting skill or something. NPCs could also reward player with certain locations that a player could also choose to pin point on their map. This a skill that kind of makes me think of the orientation skill unlocked through foraging. I like that as you level more pin locations are enabled which could still apply to this skill whether it allowed more max pins of specific pins or overall.
Another skill/tool/ability that might stand alone or go along with this skill could be the ability to determine coordinates. This skill could be made available to player at certain levels which would help them to find locations faster such as in Kur for example. Additionally as a person leveled the skill at some point maybe a compass could become available, perhaps crafted with tool-making, that might help a player navigate the world much more readily.
There are many other directions that a skill like this could go, but I think that something like this would continue to encourage exploration and maybe even increase it. Furthermore I feel that it would help to improve the map functions overall.
Thank you!
-LaRaj
