Map is useless (and other spacial awareness issues)

[NiamhSuisei]

Come on, the map is completely useless! It's just a tiny square covered in a mess of blotches, I can't even work out which compass direction I'm facing from the map. Can't we zoom in on it at all? I only need to see my immediate 360 surrounding, not the whole play area (most of the time).

 

Anyone ever play the old Elite on BBC Micro? Now, that had a radar gizmo at the bottom, very very simple, that showed targets 360 and above and below. Something like that would be perfect in this game. I'm getting blaster hits, or missile locks, and I have no idea which direction its coming from. You're telling me an advanced starfighter with all that fancy hardware inside can't tell me which bit of the ship is being hit (and from where?). and yeah, I now C to change cam and such, but i don't need to see you, just know are you above me, below me, left, right, what

 

Anyway, that's my 2p on the map. Quickfix give us zoom, ultimately rethink and replace.

Edited December 10, 2013 by NiamhSuisei

[mtsr]

I found the field map in the lower right to be too small on 17" laptop screen. Used the editor and resized it to maxx now a little better, can see what direction I am pointing a little better. Still it is a bit small for my liking. I would like to resize the Triangle that designates my ship.

 

The center map is a circle with the three capture points A, B, and C, wheeling depending on your heading in relation to their fixed positions. On that circle which is center UI Map and the targeting reticules incoming fire flashes red arrows around its perimeter from the direction it is coming from. (LOL I have inc fire from multiple directions way too often)

 

Pressing "M" pulls up a full screen version of the map in the lower right hand corner of the default GS UI.

 

I play mainly as a capture, capping scout and usually inverted upside down. Too many times I am turning the wrong way, when disengaging to go to another point. I mouse right and the ship turns left! I am considering reversing the mouse in the preference editor lol.

[Ren_simp]

It's perfect for its function a quick glance to see where enemy locations are and

What nodes are being attacked

[Sharee]

You don't really need a map. If you are being attacked, select the attacker by pressin 'R' and attack. If you are not being attacked, select the enemy in front of you ('E' key) and attack. If there is no enemy in front of you press TAB to select the nearest, and attack.

 

Only if TAB does not select any enemies look at the small 2D map to see what capture point has enemies near. Then start moving towards that point (not using the map, but the floating A B and C direction indicators always visible on the big circle in the middle of screen).

[Uber_the_Goober]

You don't really need a map. If you are being attacked, select the attacker by pressin 'R' and attack. If you are not being attacked, select the enemy in front of you ('E' key) and attack. If there is no enemy in front of you press TAB to select the nearest, and attack.

 

Only if TAB does not select any enemies look at the small 2D map to see what capture point has enemies near. Then start moving towards that point (not using the map, but the floating A B and C direction indicators always visible on the big circle in the middle of screen).

 

This works for the derp DPS mentality, but for someone who wants to put a little strategy in, not so much.

 

I also hate the minimap. The triangle indicating my direction is useless.

[Zoom_VI]

This works for the derp DPS mentality, but for someone who wants to put a little strategy in, not so much.

 

I also hate the minimap. The triangle indicating my direction is useless.

 

I've never felt any reason to need the minimap for anything. I can get all the information I need from the edges of my targeting circle.

[Oteefo]

This works for the derp DPS mentality, but for someone who wants to put a little strategy in, not so much.

 

I also hate the minimap. The triangle indicating my direction is useless.

 

You should not be using the map for positional awareness......you have everything you need in your HUD....

 

Look at the score board....which stations are red, which have dots indicating turrets to take out...

Look at your ARC ring.....you will see indicators for "A," "B" and "C" also indicating who has control by colour.

Upside down?? Who cares....make no difference to flight....if you want to correct, check for landmarks (the "up" part of the satellite or the grass on the mesas

 

I usually check the map at one time only....and that is at respawn....to see where enemies are concentrated to give me an idea of the best direction to travel.

 

Also.....for the OP......there are NO compass point directions in space.....

Edited December 10, 2013 by Oteefo

[Zoom_VI]

You should not be using the map for positional awareness......you have everything you need in your HUD....

 

Also.....for the OP......there are NO compass point directions in space.....

This is the biggest thing that gets new pilots. They try to orient everything to a up-down, but that doesn't work there is no ground.

One trick I use to get myself out of the up-down mindset is at the beginning of a match a spin myself so that I am on some random tilt compared to my start. I might invert myself or flip sideways just to throw out that up-down mindset.

 

When it comes to orienting in combat I use the nearest flat surface. If I am near an asteroid the asteroid's surface becomes down. If I am orbiting under a satellite the underside of the satellite becomes the "ground" and the empty space below the satellite becomes "up"

 

Remember Ender's Game - The enemy's gate is down

Edited December 10, 2013 by Zoom_VI

[Oteefo]

This is the biggest thing that gets new pilots. They try to orient everything to a up-down, but that doesn't work there is no ground.

One trick I use to get myself out of the up-down mindset is at the beginning of a match a spin myself so that I am on some random tilt compared to my start. I might invert myself or flip sideways just to throw out that up-down mindset.

 

Remember Ender's Game - The enemy's gate is down

 

This situation reminds me of the fight training scene in "The Matrix" where he says...."you think that is air you're breathing??"

[MalakaiCaine]

This works for the derp DPS mentality, but for someone who wants to put a little strategy in, not so much.

 

I also hate the minimap. The triangle indicating my direction is useless.

 

 

>tab key exists

 

 

tab tab tab tab tab tab tab.

 

you know have ****uational awareness of your immediate area if you're not a moron.

and have eyes.

[GalacticKegger]

I wouldn't call the map useless. But on the minimap determining the direction your ship is pointed isn't intuitive because the ship indicator is an equilateral triangle. Have to physically move for a short distance to determine where the ship is pointed in relation to the satellites. Adding an extended nose pointer or a compass or something would be a big help imho.

 

That and the satellite orientation as displayed on the minimap compared to how they are displayed on the objective indicator at the top of the UI. One seems to indicate relative while the other seems to indicate true.

Edited December 14, 2013 by GalacticKegger

[Necriol]

Sounds like people need to learn how to fly by instrument and stay properly oriented. I have no problems with the minimap.

 

Once you learn to stay properly oriented, or to re-orient yourself, you'll be able to navigate with the map again.

[GalacticKegger]

Sounds like people need to learn how to fly by instrument and stay properly oriented. I have no problems with the minimap.

 

Once you learn to stay properly oriented, or to re-orient yourself, you'll be able to navigate with the map again.

What instruments?