Does anybody use compass?

The role-playing games (I-X) that started it all and the various spin-offs (including Dark Messiah).
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GrayFace
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Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby GrayFace » 24 Mar 2019, 20:52

If you do, what is your preferred position - on the top in MM8 or near the minimap in MM6 and 7? To me it feels like something NWC just added to fill space.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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Anubis
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Anubis » 24 Mar 2019, 23:55

Never used it until I discovered diagonal map-crossings in MM6. The only reason I use the compass is to get an exact direction of NW, NE, SW, and SE for those diagonal map-crossings but I can easily do without it. It's like you said - compass isn't that important imo.

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Neecko
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Neecko » 25 Mar 2019, 05:00

Lol I didn't remember there was a compass. Mostly use the map and mini map.

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unknownone
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby unknownone » 25 Mar 2019, 10:01

I think it may be useful when NPC or quests give generic directions for a place, like "go west of the river", etc... I would prefer it next to the minimap as in MM6.
Last edited by unknownone on 25 Mar 2019, 10:03, edited 1 time in total.
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Erisian
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Erisian » 25 Mar 2019, 10:49

Neecko wrote:Lol I didn't remember there was a compass. Mostly use the map and mini map.
Same as that.
"It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end"
(Ursula K Le Guin)

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Tress
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Tress » 25 Mar 2019, 12:39

Since pointer is integrated in minimap and its always aligned top/north unlike GTA where map rotates, compass is kinda redundant aside of aesthetic purposes, which nevertheless is important as seen pn MM9 where minimalist interface just kills any mood that's left in the game.

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unknownone
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby unknownone » 25 Mar 2019, 20:58

I agree with that.
Tress wrote:Since pointer is integrated in minimap and its always aligned top/north unlike GTA where map rotates, compass is kinda redundant aside of aesthetic purposes, which nevertheless is important as seen pn MM9 where minimalist interface just kills any mood that's left in the game.
I've played and enjoyed many RPGs:
MM6,MM7,MM8,MM9, Fallout 1&2, Planescape Torment, Torment: ToN, TES3, TES4

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GrayFace
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby GrayFace » 12 Apr 2019, 17:04

Tress wrote:compass is kinda redundant aside of aesthetic purposes, which nevertheless is important as seen pn MM9 where minimalist interface just kills any mood that's left in the game.
Not the fact that it's minimalist, but that it's so ugly! I just went and looked at screenshots and bits of gameplay videos of MM9. It almost looks like a placeholder for interface. To some degree, that might be the case.
Also, players on left and right sides I think are universally a mistake, pretty common among cRPGs of the time.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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Echo
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Echo » 13 Apr 2019, 15:37

Never have I ever... looked at the compass in a Might & Magic game :)

Minimap plus area map are 101% sufficient.

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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Anubis » 13 Apr 2019, 19:27

Do you have plans to remove the compass entirely from the MM games? That'd be interesting. @GrayFace

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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby GrayFace » 15 Apr 2019, 05:01

Anubis wrote:Do you have plans to remove the compass entirely from the MM games? That'd be interesting. @GrayFace
No, it's for the default setting for MM8.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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Tress
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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby Tress » 15 Apr 2019, 08:33

Also, players on left and right sides I think are universally a mistake, pretty common among cRPGs of the time
Dont think that is too much of an issue. Wizardry 8 had similar setup (although its hidden for most of time) so never was problem. Baldurs gate/ icewind dale aslo had similar scheme. True that modern games like Pillars of Eternity or even TotEE have bar on the bottom, which perhaps is slightly more convenient but i dont think its ever a deal breaker, but yes considering the state of game , i would also guess it was not final look of HUD, speically considering issues like almost invisible outline of selected character, or issues with selecting NPC.

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Re: Does anybody use compass?

Unread postby GrayFace » 15 Apr 2019, 09:13

Tress wrote:True that modern games like Pillars of Eternity or even TotEE have bar on the bottom, which perhaps is slightly more convenient but i dont think its ever a deal breaker
"Modern" is a big part of it. At first I had a thought "there's so much horizontal space on wide screens, so portraits would be good on left/right side", but then I realized that non-distracting portraits are the opposite of what's needed. Portraits must be always easily visible and on a wide screen that means placing them horizontally. On 4x3 or 5x4 monitors I'm sure horizontal portraits are better too, but for the reason that horizontally wider view seems to feel better than a square to me. But yes, there's much less difference on such monitors.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.


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