(Please no more floating islands!) Open letter to Map mod creators

[Demon]

First of I'd like to say the map creators for this community are some very talented, and creative individuals. Many of the community created maps are brethtakingly beautiful, but for the love of the game why do they all have to have floating islands. The Center's floating island in my opinion is fine since it looks like it was the cause or result of the cataclism that wiped the previous civilization from existance. The evidence of their demise is scattered across the entire map. It adds to the mystery of what happened, and why is this gigantic piece of rock floating in the air?

The problem I have with all the other maps is they all seem to think floating islands are ok or cool. Problem is there is no reason why they are floating they are just there, and for some reason gravity just said ♥♥♥♥ it, and here ya go floating island for no reason.

So if you are a map creator please don't copy the trend of the floating islands or make a seperate version with them. There are mods that add floating islands to existing maps why not just make the floating islands a seperate companion mod and let the player choose if they want them or not. As it is right now I can't find a single map without them that is any good.

[Attack Kitty]

Well, there is a plausible reason...

When you play ARK, you are vying for inter-species dominance inside an alien terrarium. Like a fish tank, or an ant farm. Supply drops are like when they feed the fish.

There can be floating islands purely for "style" because the alien terrarium designers said so. Much like we might put a sunken ship and little treasure chest in a fish tank just because we think it's visually interesting. And it's no more 'weird' than running into an invisible force field if you leave your intended habitat space.

Floating Islands would be weird if there were not already floating obelisks, etc.

[Demon]

Originally posted by Attack Kitty:

Well, there is a plausible reason...

When you play ARK, you are vying for inter-species dominance inside an alien terrarium. Like a fish tank, or an ant farm. Supply drops are like when they feed the fish.

There can by floating islands purely for "style" because the alien terrarium designers said so. Much like we might put a sunken ship and little treasure chest in a fish tank just because we think it's visually interesting. And it's no more 'weird' than running into an invisible force field if you leave your intended habitat space.

Floating Islands would be weird if there were not already floating obelisks, etc.

I get that, but it has become an ongoing trend with the created maps. It is becomming an over used feature with user created maps. I spent a few hours exploring Thieves Island, and believe me if those floating islands were missing it wouldn't hurt that map at all.

[ZánÐêr]

It is a way to make the play area larger within the confines of the Dev Kits limited x & y size limits.

[Tanchyon]

Originally posted by ZánÐêr:

It is a way to make the play area larger within the confines of the Dev Kits limited x & y size limits.

This is the real reason.

[Hobgoblino the III]

Originally posted by Tanchyon:

Originally posted by ZánÐêr:

It is a way to make the play area larger within the confines of the Dev Kits limited x & y size limits.

This is the real reason.

yeah true cant go out go up personnaly i love floating islands on maps tho especially big ones

[Demon]

Originally posted by ZánÐêr:

It is a way to make the play area larger within the confines of the Dev Kits limited x & y size limits.

This is fine if someone plans to run a heavly populated server, and there are many who just really like them Then there are people like myself who have a real OCD issue with them, and are stuck playing on the island or The Center. Yes the Center has a floating island, but like I mentioned in my original post I was done right, and adds to the lore of the map. Most of the other maps with them just add a floating flat top rock with some metal, crystal, and obsidian nodes on them. All I'm asking is to please give us a choice to either have them or not. Just make two versions one with and one without, its simple. The author just needs to build the map and save it then add the floating islands last.

[Archie]

I don't necessarily agree with you, but I do agree that very little of the floating islands look nearly as good as the center one does. I'm a fan of floating islands assuming they blend in with the landscape other than smacking you in the face because ♥♥♥♥ you gravity.

That's why I chose the center floating island as my long term project. It is so much more than just a good ol' hunk of rock floating. The landscape, the waterfalls, the rims going up and down blending with the rock formations, the middle lake and view from within, the natural ramps and tunnels, the cave, so much diversity packed in a single island.

Nothing I've seen comes even remotely close to that.

[Demon]

Originally posted by Smittah79:

I don't like it when musicians overuse auto-tune. I am not going to do an open letter to all of the music industry cause I don't like it, and wish they would just stop. I simply listen to a different song.

LOL bad example since you have millions of choices to enjoy, but here we are limited to a very small number of choices and they all have floating islands.

[Demon]

Originally posted by ArchXDiablo:

I don't necessarily agree with you, but I do agree that very little of the floating islands look nearly as good as the center one does. I'm a fan of floating islands assuming they blend in with the landscape other than smacking you in the face because ♥♥♥♥ you gravity.

That's why I chose the center floating island as my long term project. It is so much more than just a good ol' hunk of rock floating. The landscape, the waterfalls, the rims going up and down blending with the rock formations, the middle lake and view from within, the natural ramps and tunnels, the cave, so much diversity packed in a single island.

Nothing I've seen comes even remotely close to that.

I would have less of an issue with them either if they are done right, hell I would have less of an issue with them if they just added some alien tech jutting out of the rock on the underside of the island. for me it would suggest some alien tech is holding it up there.

[Demon]

Originally posted by Smittah79:

Originally posted by Demonsoul109:

LOL bad example since you have millions of choices to enjoy, but here we are limited to a very small number of choices and they all have floating islands.

Less than 1% of the workshop involves floating islands.

1% lol try 100% every map I've downloaded has had floating islands. Link the ones that don't and I will check them out, because I can't find them.