What is the real purpose of *Maps*?

[spadevsky]

Hello,

Okay, so as I understand the game's objective is to collect the *Map* items in order to be able to solve certain puzzles. These will often be found in non-fixed spots since some other traveling NPCs could be faster and grab the *Map* before you.

But what about the *Maps* themselves? Should I collect every each of them? Is having the physical *Map* item in your possession necessary? Should I have them all in my inventory, or can I stash it somewhere (i.e. leave them on the floor in a safe place should there be any)?
Or can I write down the content of a *Map* after it has been Read and trade it off for another *Map*? Or simply sell it?

The Sorcerer's Place and its walkthrough has the following info: "The other maps provide vague info and hints, but the Legend Map actually acts as a physical key during the last parts of the game." (https://sorcerers.net/Games/Wizardry/Wizardry-7-Walkthrough/areas/new-city.php)

Thank you in advance,

[nidhoeggr42]

In my playthrough i collected the maps and kept them all on my characters because of their potential use in game. I rather put other used quest items in "safe" places. Selling one of the maps would be silly in my eyes, since soon you have so much gold that the 10.000 for each map is irrelevant. I even paid NPCs for the 2 or so maps, where i came too late to catch them first. You definitely need the Legend Map physically and the texts on some others gives you vague hints what you are expected to do.
In the kind of last dungeon i used most of the maps, but i'm not sure if it was necessary to have them physically with me.

[spadevsky]

Thank you for the quick reply,

I think it answers my question thoroughly!

I have also found the following info in some other thread here on Steam:

Originally posted by Sigmarsson:

It might have been a little bit unclear what I meant. If you're using a walkthrou you can solve all puzzles without ever having the maps. But that is not the case with Crystal map. You must have read it to trigger a flag in the game that let's you finish that puzzle. Tried to solve it just using a guide and nothing happened, not even the result for getting it wrong.

So ppl beware don't be like me and sell the map before you read it. Might not be so easy to get it back :-)

[DVX]

Yes, like nidhoeggr42 said, only the Legend map is a required item to complete the game. There seems to be a bug concerning the Crystal map in some versions of Wiz 7. I've only played the original version and I've never encountered this issue, but it seems like Gold and the Mac versions sometimes make it impossible to complete the crystal puzzle without either first looking at the Crystal map or possibly doing some other things. Again, as far as I know this is a bug and the Crystal map is not strictly required to beat the game.

[spadevsky]

DVX,

Thank you for clarifying these things out.

I am playing the original DOS version as well.

So...you could basically finish the game without even bothering to find any of the *Maps* if you knew their contents (save the *Legend* that is used as a key) but that would kill most of the fun if you're in your first playthrough.

Finding and collecting them all sounds like a rewarding challenge and that's what I'm going to do.

Thank you guys!

[DVX]

Originally posted by spadevsky:

So...you could basically finish the game without even bothering to find any of the *Maps* if you knew their contents (save the *Legend* that is used as a key) but that would kill most of the fun if you're in your first playthrough.

Not to mention that you'd be severely underleveled for the endgame. Those Mega-Bots hit hard!