20 replies to this topic

[SciFiFanatic]

So, as a new Hawken player, it's been great working on this game, but some things still befuddle me (and others I presume); when you die and respawn I always feel lost in the map. Where am I? What happened? And most importantly - what the hell does the map look like? Big? Small? What is where?

 

I am sure I am not the only new player that feel this way.

 

So just like in UT2004 (yes, THAT old) and APB Reloaded, at least during respawn a simple overview map pops up showing you the next objective (in UT2004 onslaught for example) or in APB the city map showing what city block you can spawn in.

 

In spite of my best efforts, I cannot seem to find any similar "quick visual map" in Hawken at all. Forget seeing any enemies on the maps. Just a simple "lay of the land" And it's driving me bananas. 

 

Sure, there is radar. But especially when you are getting started with the game, it seems crazy not to have a visual representation of the playing field at all, that at minimum shows your next spawn point, and potentially the location of friendlies and enemies at the moment of your death... (the last part is optional of course)

 

Thoughts?

 

Are more specifically - what if the game popped up our default renderings of each map, with just markers on each showing where you died and where you will respawn? https://www.playhawk...ds/bazaarl1.jpg

[CrimsonKaim]

There actually was a big map you could open every time you want (assuming you live and are not in the respawn garage) by pressing "M".

 

Please give us this. :]

 

 

EDIT: Enemy players are not dispalyed but the location of your teammates plus the whole overview of the current map.

 

EDIT2: 

 

I remember it, there was also a button on it that you could use to set a team focus point that would show up in the game on your teams HUD's

 

Edited by FakeName, 07 April 2015 - 02:33 PM.

[SciFiFanatic]

When on earth was that removed? It seemed like such a key feature!

[KOS_Baconman]

I remember it, there was also a button on it that you could use to set a team focus point that would show up in the game on your teams HUD's

[FRX23]

The respawn place depends of the location of both your team and the enemies in TDM and obviously enemies in DM.

 

I think this system works pretty well and it is rarely disappointing. I'm against and free location to spawn in TDM, the 'Dead Ball' have to grow from itself.

 

Regarding the mini map, without any location to pop in i think it's useless, Maps are not labyrinths, it's easy to travel side to side.

And like you said there is the radar.

Also, more than the cartography, the place of covers are important to know.

[FRX23]

I remember it, there was also a button on it that you could use to set a team focus point that would show up in the game on your teams HUD's

Oh yes, i forgot that ! It was useful if not dumb spammed (maybe the reason of why it was removed...)

[Silverfire]

When on earth was that removed? It seemed like such a key feature!

 

It was removed (I'm thinking Ascension timeframe? so June/July of 2013).  Honestly, I never used it.  You could set waypoints and stuff, see your teammates positions.  Given Hawken's speed and pace, I hardly used it because it slowed me down, checking it, settings stuff, when it's easier to roll with the team using radar, just observing what's around me and learning the map by looking. 

 

Good idea, it's just that taking a hard, long look at the map I feel wastes time that you could be using to regroup.   Radar is detailed enough for me to be able to decipher it so I can look at it and see where I'm going.  Perhaps better detail to the radar could alleviate this a little bit.  But a minimap has its uses admittedly. The community has built up names for certain areas in Hawken too, perhaps adding those names into any minimap could be useful. (Like the Library in Uptown, etc)

[CrimsonKaim]

Well, because we are veterans, we don't look at it. We know each corner of each map in each variant (winter last Eco, we miss you Mr. Yeti).

 

But as a newbie I often used this map, clearly made me learn fast how the maps looked like.

Additionally, for Siege I find it pretty useful.

[Guns_N_Rozer]

would be a great idea...so i can see where is my team , who is alive ...and i can spawn on him

[KOS_Baconman]

The map is kinda useless unless you are new, hawken wasn't strategic enough to have planned attacks like that, its basically walk around and shoot anything that moves.

[M3CH47]

The respawn place depends of the location of both your team and the enemies in TDM and obviously enemies in DM.

 

I think this system works pretty well and it is rarely disappointing. I'm against and free location to spawn in TDM, the 'ded Ball' have to grow from itself.

 

Regarding the mini map, without any location to pop in i think it's useless, Maps are not labyrinths, it's easy to travel side to side.

And like you said there is the radar.

Also, more than the cartography, the place of covers are important to know.

 

Agree, the system works well, better not fuzzy bunny with it! But a map showing spawning areas, tunnels, missile silos, AA's etc. wouldn't be such a bad idea...

Edited by M3CH47, 07 April 2015 - 03:02 PM.

[SciFiFanatic]

The map is kinda useless unless you are new, hawken wasn't strategic enough to have planned attacks like that, its basically walk around and shoot anything that moves.

 

Right. Clearly Hawken's currently has a lot of issue around "new" players, not necessarily "vets" - though there are a lot of things we can do to improve life for vets as well. But for that reason - the popup map I think is a brilliant idea. Especially if we can introduce new (and maybe more strategic) maps in the future where the location of key items would be useful. We will be digging through the code to see if we can locate the old map data, and see if its still usable.

[Luaq]

The team pin point was somewhat interesting, espicially NOW that we don't have VOIP and people don't seem have the habit to look at the chat.

Edited by Luaq, 07 April 2015 - 03:40 PM.

[nokari]

Right. Clearly Hawken's currently has a lot of issue around "new" players, not necessarily "vets" - though there are a lot of things we can do to improve life for vets as well. But for that reason - the popup map I think is a brilliant idea. Especially if we can introduce new (and maybe more strategic) maps in the future where the location of key items would be useful. We will be digging through the code to see if we can locate the old map data, and see if its still usable.

 

From what I can remember, I think it was removed because of performance issues. But it could have been something else. Needless to say, we've been patiently waiting for its glorious return.

[Silverfire]

Right. Clearly Hawken's currently has a lot of issue around "new" players, not necessarily "vets" - though there are a lot of things we can do to improve life for vets as well. But for that reason - the popup map I think is a brilliant idea. Especially if we can introduce new (and maybe more strategic) maps in the future where the location of key items would be useful. We will be digging through the code to see if we can locate the old map data, and see if its still usable.

 

Would be mighty useful for some sort of "search and destroy" or CTF type game modes....

 

I'd only understand the minimap's usefulness for new maps, and for new game modes more specifically.  The way MA, Siege, TDM, DM are now, it's unnecessary I feel due to smaller maps and the faster pace of the game, other than showing people where things are.  Once they learn the maps, it'd be irrelevant.  The minimap needs an implementation that makes it useful for both vets and new players alike, basically have real purpose other than a learning instrument.

[talon70]

I remember wanting the radar to be able to explode up to the map to get an perspective of things when healing.

 

You can tell more off the radar actually then popping up a map and I don't really think there is time during battle . A new person is best to stay with the main group and learning the map will come. They are small maps at least for now :) .

 

Knowing the map is huge compared to not knowing it, but you cant really open it and decide where you are going mid-battle.

[JackVandal]

It was removed (I'm thinking Ascension timeframe? so June/July of 2013).  Honestly, I never used it.  You could set waypoints and stuff, see your teammates positions.  Given Hawken's speed and pace, I hardly used it because it slowed me down, checking it, settings stuff, when it's easier to roll with the team using radar, just observing what's around me and learning the map by looking. 

 

Good idea, it's just that taking a hard, long look at the map I feel wastes time that you could be using to regroup.   Radar is detailed enough for me to be able to decipher it so I can look at it and see where I'm going.  Perhaps better detail to the radar could alleviate this a little bit.  But a minimap has its uses admittedly. The community has built up names for certain areas in Hawken too, perhaps adding those names into any minimap could be useful. (Like the Library in Uptown, etc)

This is important that the radar is gone over, so new players learn t use it.

[RespawningJesus]

Honestly, it isn't needed. Most shooters do not have any kind of map that you can pop up. You just play the map, and learn how to play it through experience.

I guess if you wanted to add the feature, it would do no harm.

[Panzermanathod]

I'm a new player and I was fine with just a mini map and the little markers on the edges. I've never really expected a full map function was ever implemented.

[Scow2]

I think it's a great idea to re-implement the Pop-up map... and let it be accessible during the 'kill cam' sequence as well as alive.

[Culex]

I highly suggest you look into this thread I recreated on the old forums multiple, multiple times. I believe it has more information about the old minimap (to some extent) and well as suggestions for improvements/collected feedback.

 

Bringing back the Map HUD Keybind (w/ Improvements)

http://hawken.mirror...w-improvements/

Edited by Culex, 08 April 2015 - 05:50 PM.