Map of the islands

[amagineer]

I see people refer to the islands by name. How do you know the names of the islands? Is there a map of the islands with their names?

[Bimdur]

It's in the quest line. Visit island X you find and directions.

[Zuleica]

And you can deduce them from the patch notes over time.

[Adinnea]

Does not seem kind of weird that your character is in a place with ferries operating but has no access to a map? Or cannot make a map?

[Zuleica]

Originally posted by Adinnea:

Does not seem kind of weird that your character is in a place with ferries operating but has no access to a map? Or cannot make a map?

I guess I'd have to ask what the motivation would be for the ferry man to give you a map, if he even had one or needed on since he's been doing that for his entire life.

As far as making one I'll give my standard answer from another game many of us here also play; It doesn't have to be done IN the game. Pull a piece of paper out of your printer and hunt down a pencil (yes, I know, they can be hard to find these days), then make your own map. It actually is kind of fun to do it that way intead of having the computer fill in a map as you move around. Adds a bit of the cartographer skill you'd actually need to develop if you were on your own in an unfamiliar area. You get to understand the problems of map making when you only have a ground view (prior to getting the heli of course) which was the ONLY way it was done until flight was invented.

[Adinnea]

Originally posted by Zuleica:

I guess I'd have to ask what the motivation would be for the ferry man to give you a map, if he even had one or needed on since he's been doing that for his entire life.

There would be an incentive for the trader to sell a map.

[Zuleica]

Originally posted by Adinnea:

Originally posted by Zuleica:

I guess I'd have to ask what the motivation would be for the ferry man to give you a map, if he even had one or needed on since he's been doing that for his entire life.

There would be an incentive for the trader to sell a map.

Why? This isn't a tourist location. I have complete disdain for computer-bestowed maps in survival games. It removes one aspect of skills necessary to survive and it is wholely unnecessary especially when the map is so small and features are so distinctive with landmarks like the houses visible from many locations, the fort, and the new POIs with their tall wind turbines.

You have a compass, if you want a map travel around, take bearings on your base and you have a bearing and a distance. Draw your own...really not that hard.

[Adinnea]

I never said it was hard. I do in fact have my own drawn map - you aren't the only one. All I am saying is it seemed weird in a land where there is electricity, ferries and traders, that there are no maps. You would think that out of all the hunters that I have killed, the ferry drivers and the traders, that someone would have thought of makiing one for sale. This is not some solitary character on a lonely island.

[Zuleica]

Originally posted by Adinnea:

I never said it was hard. I do in fact have my own drawn map - you aren't the only one. All I am saying is it seemed weird in a land where there is electricity, ferries and traders, that there are no maps. You would think that out of all the hunters that I have killed, the ferry drivers and the traders, that someone would have thought of makiing one for sale. This is not some solitary character on a lonely island.

But it is a solitary character on a lonely and hostile set of islands. The traders and ferry captains are the only ones willing to talk to you without shooting you first. Like I said, you show up, but why would they have maps to sell? The hunters certainly don't need maps, they live and hunt on the islands and there aren't any other tourists or outsiders showing up. It just doesn't make sense they would print maps for the random castaway.

[Bimdur]

Originally posted by Adinnea:

Originally posted by Zuleica:

I guess I'd have to ask what the motivation would be for the ferry man to give you a map, if he even had one or needed on since he's been doing that for his entire life.

There would be an incentive for the trader to sell a map.

Yes it would. Firstly are you sure that he knows the area that well to make a map? Why would someone sell him a map that he can re sell and so on.

After all, in the end you get a helicopter and can make out the islands quite well so there is really no need for a map.

[Bunky8604]

You could just supply us with Cartography tools. We already have a compass - just need a sextant so that we know our L,L and a blank sheet of graph paper. We can totally make our own maps.

[Zuleica]

What would be the Trader’s customers for a map?
1. The player - not likely as the Trader would have no idea you’re about to show up. And she’s not likely to make a map just for you even if she had that kind of knowledge of all the other islands but her little sand bar.

2. The hunters - clearly the act as though they the land they are on is theirs so it’s reasonabke to assume they are native. Natives to an area rarely would buy a map. I would The the hunters would be a primary customer of the trader as she sells supplies.

3. The (invisible) residents of the houses and fort town - while they may have been customers of the trader they are again natives and not going to buy maps of their home. Currently it would seem they are likely prisoners of the guards but that is unknown.

4. The guards - they’re guarding specific locations so not likely to need a map. Furthermore the trader is giving you quests to kill them so not likely going to stock maps for them. (Btw, she didn’t give you the kill hunter quest since you hadn’t met her yet).

5. The ferrymen - again natives, they wouldn’t need to buy maps.

6. The former guests at the motels - probably not trader customers since a) no transport to the trader and b) the motels have their own stores.

6. The new POI apartment dwellers - likely works at the motel, locals or brought in to work but no transport to trader so likely not a trader customer and the POIs have stores.

So who exactly would the trader being stocking maps for?

[Zuleica]

Originally posted by Bunky8604:

You could just supply us with Cartography tools. We already have a compass - just need a sextant so that we know our L,L and a blank sheet of graph paper. We can totally make our own maps.

You have a compass and a range to your base. Everything else is geometry. There is no need for a sextant as you are only mapping relative points, not global positions.

[Bunky8604]

Yes yes - I know this. But for game play - being able to create a map is a lot of fun. A sextant just makes it a tab bit easier. I don't like having to open another application or notebook so that I can see my in game map - I'd like to be able to create one as I play if they aren't willing to give us one.

[Dead1Rollin]

Well most hotels do have maps of the surrounding areas, if not for sale, at least put up in the lobby for the guests to look at.

[Pointyhead]

Originally posted by Adinnea:

I never said it was hard. I do in fact have my own drawn map - you aren't the only one. All I am saying is it seemed weird in a land where there is electricity, ferries and traders, that there are no maps. You would think that out of all the hunters that I have killed, the ferry drivers and the traders, that someone would have thought of makiing one for sale. This is not some solitary character on a lonely island.

This is something that Zuleica and I have disagreed about in the Subsistence forums in the past. I think adding a map, with unexplored islands shrouded with fog, would be a great idea.