Map Previews

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

I was wondering if you guys think the map previews as they currently are are preferable or would something more like this be useful? 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Lion.Kanzen]

5 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

I was wondering if you guys think the map previews as they currently are are preferable or would something more like this be useful? 

 

Can't we have both?

Or maybe the second one on the loading screen. 

https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/display-mini-map-on-loading-screen/182817/22

 

[hyperion]

If it's one or the other, I much prefer the one the right, ie the current one.

[Grautvornix]

If I may, I 'd prefer the classical one on the right as it provides really an overview of the terrain.

In this phase (map selection), I don't think we need to look for resources. As a minimap during the game (as shown on the left) this is exactly the opposite - I need to see resources, other players, as far visible at the respective stage. Terrain overview would be interesting in that phase as well, but I am afraid the minimap would be to cowded.

Would it be useful to switch minimap in a different mode or temporarily enlarge it while a button is pressed to , say, half the screen? Then it could make sense to show simultaneously terrain details and resources and players.

Just my twocents.
Best regards,

Grautvornix

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Thank you for the replies. I was just exploring what I could do to make the previews more useful.  

What about something like this? Exact details open for changes.

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[hyperion]

27 minutes ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

What about something like this? Exact details open for changes.

It doesn't work exactly well with random maps, also for me those pics only serve the purpose of looking good and to immediately recognize the map. Maybe some people are indeed interested in more info, but then a sample minimap render might be more useful and can be optionally viewable with some trigger.

[Grautvornix]

Well, frankly, when starting a game I believe it can be part of the fun to not exactly know where the others are (in most cases you can guess). This is also the reason for the "fog of war" and the need for scouting.

Even more, if you are playing nomads, you may even not be able to determine beforehand where the CCs are but only where the starting position is.

As you can dynamically select for some maps how many players participate, it will be challenging to show the positions on the static preview.

Providing a map preview serves, as @hyperion pointed out, to recognise a map and to get an overview of what this is about topographically (desert, jungle, mountains, sea scape...). Sorry for being so negative, but I personally would probably not overload the preview.

Best regards,
Grautvornix

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

it's pretty optional.

I imagine the idea came from here.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

9 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

it's pretty optional.

I imagine the idea came from here.

Most games do it like this^, so I was basically asking if players would want it like that for 0 A.D.