Empty map files

[Ruln]

Any search involving maps brings up dozens of threads. I skimmed several and didn't find anything like the following. Hopefully it is new...

 

In areas where there is no map I'd like to see an empty map. Just a black screen. This would allow me to mark stuff for future use. Things like the magic school for instance would be much easier to navigate with this feature.

 

Hopefully two suggestions in one day isn't to many. It was early to mid January 2005 when I started playing EL and this is my way of celebrating.

[Vanyel]

In areas where there is no map I'd like to see an empty map. Just a black screen. This would allow me to mark stuff for future use. Things like the magic school for instance would be much easier to navigate with this feature.

 

There is the map for magic school.

 

The point is - the masp are about 263kB each and it does not depends on the large of the area, so adding all of them to the client would make it too huge.

There is easy way to do it yourself. Check for which name.elm files you don't have map yet. Make in the any graphic editor the plain square (black is not good colour, though. With making maps I found that greyish colours are best). Save it with the to the name.bmp file (512x512x8) in your EL/maps folder. Voila.

[sparhawk]

Hmm very nice. Especially on the maps that are going to get maps.

[Learner]

There is a reason that many indoor/underground places dont have maps. There has even been discussion as to whether or not cutsom maps should be allowed in the long run or not. Not having some maps is supposed to be part of the flavor of the game.

[Ruln]

D'oh on the magic school. I had thought I got that map from somebody on the forums a long time back.

 

Note you don't have to actually have these empty maps as part of the package. I suspect a fairly minimal amount of coding could be needed to fake this. And the map markings are in a seperate text file, so the space addition would be minimal.

[Vanyel]

You're probably right, but since developers are busy with other stuff the solution I proposed is probably the only one. (Other is too look on some websites and download the custom maps made by players - :looks at Learner and run:)

[Ruln]

One thing I forgot to add is that there are places with the new perspective view (Or is it isometric? I don't have EL on this computer and can't recall for sure which is which). where I often come in with a cave wall between me and anything I would want to click on. The DP storage is a case in point. If I could mark an empty map then it would be easy to switch to the map view, click and end up at the storage. I could also make notes if I found secret places where there was no map.

[Vanyel]

Try to play with Advanced Video--->Near Plan Distance it should solve this problem.

(There is also map for the DP storage )

[Ghrae]

http://www.el-cel.com/info/files.php

 

See the 2nd selection. It's a blank map that I use in all places where there isn't a TAB map for just the purposes you describe. Just rename the blank file to which ever map you are using it for.

[Ruln]

Thanks for the suggestions. These should solve my problem, but from the point of view of the broader community some sort of solution that didn't require any additional work sure would be nice.

[petersohn]

There is one problem with making every place a map. Roja wants to minimize the quantity of the .elm files, so there can be more of independent maps on the same file. For example, I made WSC sewers on the Portland insides map. And it would be weird if you press Tab in a house in PL, and you see the sewers map.

[Ruln]

Thats always been an issue though. I've had custom maps in the past that had stuff from multiple places. Never bothered me a bit. And now with the new viewing mode you can even see the other buildings and such on maps sometimes.

[Aislinn]

There is one problem with making every place a map. Roja wants to minimize the quantity of the .elm files, so there can be more of independent maps on the same file. For example, I made WSC sewers on the Portland insides map. And it would be weird if you press Tab in a house in PL, and you see the sewers map.

Yes, that happens now anyway.

 

Besides, I bet people are more glad to have the map than worried about seeing another one on the same screen as well.