EQ player at launch, stopped after PoP...

[Nivek Ogre]

I like this game, I really do. But I have one....itsy bitsy bit of feedback.
Even at launch, I was able to find my way around in Norrath by navigating landmarks. This particular tree, that rock outcropping, the fork in the path that looks like this, that hill over there with the ruins on it....etc.

So far, I am having massive issues with this in Pantheon, because everywhere looks the same; same grass, same trees, same rock formations, same roads, all the houses/buildings look the same, no landmarks to catch the eye. In fact I just logged off for the night with my lvl 5 corpse out there and everything on it...because I had nooooo idea where I died. I mean...sure....on green grass, near a bush with some trees nearby. Couldn't be bothered with the corpse run under those conditions lol.

[MugHug]

Played both EQ 1 and AC 1 at original launches and plenty of featureless terrain in both. Had same problem you are describing. Pantheon is not that much different for me.

[Nivek Ogre]

Originally posted by MugHug:

Played both EQ 1 and AC 1 at original launches and plenty of featureless terrain in both. Had same problem you are describing. Pantheon is not that much different for me.

See I sorta get that...sorta. But starting in Qeynos, for example, you quickly learned where the front gate was...and as long as you knew that, you knew where the walls and path were in relation to the gate, and etc. Not so much here. I only played 6 hours, granted, but that's 6 hours REALLY not knowing where I am at all times.

EDIT: Created another character, started fresh, and was hopelessly lost within 15 minutes...again, grass and trees and rocks and homes all looking exactly the same. Not a distinguishing feature or landmark or building to be found anywhere. I believe I too will wait for a map of some sort, as this is just too frustrating to be fun...but the game looks very promising otherwise!!

[Rebel]

Project 1999 EQ private server(s) have survived and thrived for years without maps. Do what they do... explore, note landmarks... and make hand drawn maps you keep beside your keyboard as you play. Joppa from Pantheon said he was planning on implementing a rough map with fog of war until you discover landmarks to be implemented later, so maplessness is not a permanent thing.

[tathen]

/loc when u die before releasing

[Xorpion]

The game is still in development, we're essentially testing the game. Most studios dont test their games before full release and then release a game that barely works if it works at all. Testing isnt for everyone, but you should have read the pinned topics before committing to a purchase.

[MugHug]

Originally posted by Nivek Ogre:

Originally posted by MugHug:

Played both EQ 1 and AC 1 at original launches and plenty of featureless terrain in both. Had same problem you are describing. Pantheon is not that much different for me.

See I sorta get that...sorta. But starting in Qeynos, for example, you quickly learned where the front gate was...and as long as you knew that, you knew where the walls and path were in relation to the gate, and etc. Not so much here. I only played 6 hours, granted, but that's 6 hours REALLY not knowing where I am at all times.

EDIT: Created another character, started fresh, and was hopelessly lost within 15 minutes...again, grass and trees and rocks and homes all looking exactly the same. Not a distinguishing feature or landmark or building to be found anywhere. I believe I too will wait for a map of some sort, as this is just too frustrating to be fun...but the game looks very promising otherwise!!

Weird as I found Qeynos confusing initially. And some of the other starting cities were pretty much as featureless as this game.

Not saying you do not have a point, but I find out that learning the map is possible but slow. Just takes patience it seems.

There are so many aspects of the game that still need to be finished. This is not even your classic definition of a 'beta'.

I even curse about them, but then have to remind myself that this game, regardless of titles like 'Early Release' or whatever people want to call it, is still in early development and like everyone else I accepted that when I made my purchase.

The developers have warned us, if we took the time to read-up on the game's status before we handed our money over. Something I even have to actively remind myself about when I get frustrated over issues, etc.

[returning143]

One of the biggest factors in this area is the pronounced reduction in the amount of zoning. You may or may not get lost in any given zone 25+ years ago, but most of them were small enough that you could hug a wall/go in one direction for long enough to find a zone line to reorient yourself. The largest zones often were the most devoid of features, so you could see long distances and know where to go; not so in the zones I have seen so far in Pantheon (admittedly only two so far, as I have only gotten to level 13 solo after about 120ish hours).

In this game, the zones are so large (accompanied by the aforementioned lack of landmarks/signposts/stone markers, etc.) that it becomes much more difficult/time-consuming to get oriented again.

I certainly appreciate the reduced zoning, but that is largely because of the amount of time I spent staring at loading screens in the eighties and nineties moreso than actually caring that the zone lines existed.

All in all, I prefer the current state to the days of yore, but I think the expansive nature of the zones is a big factor in getting lost and can exacerbate frustration when it comes to getting lost.

[JP]

Curious as to which starting area you were in?

I started in Wilds End and felt hopelessly lost a lot of the time too but Thronefast was very different, plenty of locations to get your bearings from.

[Nivek Ogre]

Originally posted by Rebel:

Project 1999 EQ private server(s) have survived and thrived for years without maps. Do what they do... explore, note landmarks... and make hand drawn maps you keep beside your keyboard as you play. Joppa from Pantheon said he was planning on implementing a rough map with fog of war until you discover landmarks to be implemented later, so maplessness is not a permanent thing.

I never used maps in EQ though, that's the thing. I was able to run all over the place by memorising boulder formations, a sand dune, two palm trees with a smaller one growing in between them, a ruined bit of wall...that sorta thing. I cannot do that here so far....the terrain is very reminiscent of the recent Zelda games, or Genshin Impact; lots of the same hills, trees and rocks scattered across the same rolling green hills dotted with the same nondescript buildings. I'm sure it will improve...just very frustrating right now.

[Nivek Ogre]

Originally posted by Xorpion:

The game is still in development, we're essentially testing the game. Most studios dont test their games before full release and then release a game that barely works if it works at all. Testing isnt for everyone, but you should have read the pinned topics before committing to a purchase.

I don't regret the purchase. It's just like my beloved old Everquest, except the world so far (and look I only have 6 hours played) seems far less...memorable. To me.

[Nivek Ogre]

Originally posted by JP:

Curious as to which starting area you were in?

I started in Wilds End and felt hopelessly lost a lot of the time too but Thronefast was very different, plenty of locations to get your bearings from.

I started in the caves (Ogre Shaman) which wasn't too bad, I could orient myself by the roots (or lack of) growing outta the ceiling. Then, I have no idea how, but I got to Availia (spelling?) and promptly got lost. I set myself a personal goal; "Get back to the caves for larfs". Never made it in 3 hours lol....then died, and forgot my old EQ habit of checking my loc before releasing.

[MugHug]

Trying to remember if when SWG on it's original release (2003) with it's mega-size zones and only Shanks's pony available, did we have meaningful maps or landmarks then. Seemed similar in Asheron's Call 1.

Seems those zones were as big as in this game. Have a feeling I just relied upon a basic extremely low-detailed map and location coordinates to navigate then. Not much in the way of hand-holding.

Suspect modern MMO players would freak out if they had to deal with that now. :)

[MugHug]

The art of constant situation awareness seems lost nowadays. And I suspect many do not know what a compass is for, as they depend upon Google Maps all the time. :)

[Nivek Ogre]

Originally posted by MugHug:

The art of constant situation awareness seems lost nowadays. And I suspect many do not know what a compass is for, as they depend upon Google Maps all the time. :)

Pretty much. I used to be able to run with a bunch of friends on Follow and go all around Velious using only visual queues (docks, ToFS, jump across the ice floes, follow water's edge etc etc etc), and I'm not finding that possible here.
Yet.

[Kinslayer1447]

Nah there are plenty of landmarks telling you where to go