A quick update today to fix some issues caused by the changes to the map (this should prevent any random turn of the month crashes people may have been encountering on old save files).

I've also changed the Explorer trait which used to give the ability to chart paths for free, it now unlocks the entire map regardless of whether you have visited a city or not. This probably takes it from the weakest overall trait to one of the strongest early game traits.

Enjoy!

Greetings fellow merchants!

I'm pleased to announce that the much requested map feature has been added to Silk Roads II: Paths of Fortune!

The history fans among us might recognise the inspiration for this map, namely the Mapa Mundi, the largest known surviving medieval map.

The Mapa Mundi was made shortly after the game is set. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, I'd recommend having a quick google, you may find it quite hard to read, namely because it has Jerusalem in the centre of the world and the distances all look a bit odd. While the map in the Silk Roads II is a bit more grounded, I did want to try to incorporate a bit more of that medieval exploration feeling in the game.

As for the implementation, there are 3 primary maps in the game:

Travel - When you enter the gatehouse in a city you will no longer be presented with a dry screen with a bunch of buttons on where you want to go or how to get from X to Y, instead you will now find the map. On the map you'll be able to see where you are currently, where you can travel to next and all of the cities that you have thus far visited as greyed out options. To travel to another city, simply select its icon on the map. You can also zoom into the map and pan around by clicking and dragging. This should give players a better general idea of where they are in the world and where they're going. A city that is your quest target will also be lit up in gold.

Quests - On a quest you will now be able to view each city on the path of the quest as well as the goal city. I have also included the current date on the quest since that seemed to be causing issues for some people.

World - In the world tab you can now see, well, the world. This will show you all the cities that you have thus far explored. By selecting a city, you can see what other cities it is connected to, therefore giving you the ability to plan out a route of your own.

City icons are further distinguished by their culture and wealth with smaller looking cities being less wealthy than the larger ones.

With this update there have also been changes to paths and the removal of around 10 cities to keep the map logical. In order to remove these cities, players whose save files were located in this cities will find themselves in another city nearby.

Right, I've rambled enough, now go and enjoy!