New World Map Questionaire, was Re: [CF-Devel] Suggestion.

[David Delbecq]

Here follow my point of view (given as shortly as possible)

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       Since there seems to be no clear opinion just from mail what approach
     
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      should be taken, here is a questionaire.  Note that some questions are
     
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      applicable no matter what main approach is taken.  To prevent to much
     
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      unneccessary traffic that is not likely meaningful, please respond directly
     
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      to me.  I'll tally the results probably sometime Wednesday evening (which
     
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      is -8 GMT for me).  Note that some questions are more relevant than others
     
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      - I just figured that if I'm putting this out, might as well get some
     
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      additional input.
     
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       Please try to keep the response short (eg, don't write 'well, if it was
     
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      done this way, and if that was done, and ... I'd go for X, but if .. and
     
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      .., I'd go for Y').
     
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      1) How should the world map be generated.  Choices:
     
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      a) completely by hand.  Except for the editor, no computer aids really
     
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      used. 
     
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      b) computer base design, but extensive hand additions/customizations.
     
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      c) completely computerized, allow each server to have a unique map.
     
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--> d) some people have already started creating a whole coherent world. We 
should use it.

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      2) How large should the world map be (please just specify size in spaces).
     
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      Current world map is roughly 110 x 100:
     
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--> very large (about 10 seems good but higher sizes could be used too)

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      3) How dynamic should the outdoor map be, eg, effects from both players and
     
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      weather.  Choices:
     
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      a) very dynamic - depending on weather patterns and spells players cast,
     
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      forests show grow/die, grass turn to desert, etc.
     
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      b) slightly dynamic - the terrain itself will not change, but special
     
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      plants may grow given the right conditions/spells, and there may be effects
     
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      on creature production in the wilderness.  Trails may form and decompose
     
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      based on where players travels.
     
     
--> terrains and creatures evolving ok. Randomly having to fight creatuer in 
some maps too.

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      c) not at all - player dropping equipment would really be the only way for
     
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      any change to happen on the world.
     
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      4) How cohesive should the world be:
     
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      a) Very.  Everything should be on the main world map and be relative to
     
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      each other, but boats/dragon transports would still be shortcuts to reach
     
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      some of them.
     
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      b) somewhat - maps that work much better seperated out (due to npc's or
     
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      style of the map) can remain so, but an effort should be made to bring most
     
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      of the maps onto the main continent.
     
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      c) not really - people can toss stuff wherever, including making their own
     
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      mini continents.
     
     
-->  The maps linking should be coherent but dungeons and cities should stay 
as now (separate maps)
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      5) Thoughts on more than one continent (note that the main continent will
     
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      like have islands around it).  Second continent here would be another big
     
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      body of roughly the same size of the first (eg, answer to #2)
     
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      a) Why bother - everything should fit on the main one with space to spare.
     
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      b) Given a good reason (eg, different culture/style/terrain, or current
     
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      continent starting to get filled up), sure.
     
     
--> increasing the size of continent or creating new one should be possible. 
But it has to be interresting too (why creating a whole continent if it is to 
put 3 towns and 7 quests?)

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      c) never - we should really try to make sure this one continent will cover
     
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      everything we need.