[Map Markers] What set would you like to see next?

Kallak
Kallak
edited December 2020 in Feature Requests

Hey OPers,

If you haven't read our last update post, or checked out the map markers interface lately, then it may be news to you that we released a new set of map markers under the set name "General". Since this was the first foray into map markers for Jynx001 and myself (admittedly he did most of the heavy lifting on this), we stayed fairly close to the established mold, but branching out is certainly something we're up for doing going forward.

That said, we're very interested in hearing from the community. What markers would you like to see next? How about in general?

A few of the concepts/sets we have in mind at the moment are:


  • Fantasy Town (Anvil, Apothecary, Dock, Graveyard, Inn, Stables, Temple, Well)

  • Modern Town (Airport, Cell Tower, Factory, Hotel, Police Station, Restaurant, School)

  • Disasters (Biohazard, Blight, Crevasse, Flood, Meteor, Plague, Radiation, Tornado, Tsunami, Volcano)

  • Fantasy Overworld Map (Bridge, Cave, City, Mine, Tower, Village)

  • Alphanumerics (Letters, Numbers, Roman Numerals)

There are some others, but hopefully this is enough to get peoples' minds going. So tell us what you'd like to see! We want to hear from you.

Post edited by thaen on
All the best,
- Kallak

Comments

  • WarChild
    WarChild
    Posts: 1

    Any and all of the above, plus I'd love to see some sci-fi options. Starport, asteroid field, black hole, sector capital, etc.

     

  • Jynx001
    Jynx001
    Posts: 80

    Great suggestions, WarChild! I have added them to the master list.

  • Notsonoble
    Notsonoble
    Posts: 8

    I'll second the sci-fi options, adding a space version of shipwreck to the mix.

  • Jynx001
    Jynx001
    Posts: 80

    Good one.  It's on the list now, too.  Thanks for the input!

  • twiggyleaf
    twiggyleaf
    Posts: 2,006

    Currently I am happy with the Std Dragon marker and use colour coding to denote different types of locations but all of the ideas above seem to me like good additions.

    yes

    "I met a traveller from an antique land....."

    CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.

    Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign

    Inner Council Member

  • jwhite68stang
    jwhite68stang
    Posts: 2

    Is there a way to lock them down so players don't end up moving them around on accident?  Also is there any plan for controls on who can edit map markers, I'm not sure most campaigns would even want players to be able to edit them?  

  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090

    These are not things that are in place currently, but I can certainly put the notion forth and see what can be done in this area.

    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • Conan_Lybarian
    Conan_Lybarian
    Posts: 240

    I think the icons already up and the suggestions are great, but I'd like to see some "ruins" versions as well. Crumpled modern buildings, overgrown fantasy locations, or even destroyed ship/debris. I know that's a whole new subset, but it could really add to the feel for some map/location centered games.

  • Abersade
    Abersade
    Posts: 417

    Love all of the suggested icons, but I'd say that the focus needs to be on preventing the markers from being moved so easily. I'm not sure how everyone else feels but in my experience I move the map markers accidentally CONSTANTLY, especially on mobile, because merely clicking on them and dragging is enough to move them. Difficult not to click and drag on the icons when they are somewhat large on a mobile screen and they are all over the place when tapping and dragging is the means used to zoom the map in and out. Maybe a toggle option to lock them in place, located in their info screen when they are  selected? That would prevent most of my issues.

    GM of Rise of the Durnskald: Wrath of the Fallen Goddess - February 2016 CotM

    GM of Core: The Ashes of Alcarna - April 2020 CotM

    GM of Stream of Kairos

    Need CSS Help? It may be covered here: Abersade's CSS Hub

  • ragnarhawk
    Posts: 168

    I agree that this would be very helpful.

    Another enhancement that I would like to see is to have an option to have some of the markers reduce to dots (rather than full markers) when zoomed out.  Right now it is easy to have markers almost completely obscuring your map.  Perhaps even a selector that allows filtering of markers by icon and/or color, with the filtered items showing as dots.

  • Conan_Lybarian
    Conan_Lybarian
    Posts: 240

    Any word on new icons? Even some of the basic fantasy ones would be great. I didn't realize how much it would throw me off not to have just a town or an anvil icon. 

  • Jynx001
    Jynx001
    Posts: 80

    Hey, all! Yes, I am still working on map markers -- we just released the Sci-Fi/Space set inspired by suggestions from @WarChild and @Notsonoble.  Eventually, there will be more options for those, but we're trying to get the basics covered before we go crazy with 20 different ships and flying spaghetti monsters.  It took a while to figure out what the Google Maps program needed (I don't have access to the site code and it was all implemented originally by the previous-previous-previous development folks who have retired to a secret island somewhere in the Pacific where we can't bother them with questions like WHY!?!?!?).

    The goal is to get some markers out once a month in a particular theme, and whenever you all suggest one, I add it to our master list, so keep on suggesting.  If you have picture references you want, feel free to post those, too.  Inspiration is always helpful.

    I'm currently working on "Disasters" which includes things like Biohazard, Meteor, Tornado, Volcano, and a handful of others if there's time (and if the map program doesn't chew them up too badly).  @conan_lybarian has suggested assorted ruins, which are now their own category, and I have Village on my "Overworld Map" set list and Anvil on my "Fantasy Town" list -- so I will prioritize those as soon as time becomes available.

    I am with you on the idea of locking down the markers so only GM's can move them. It's on the master to-do list for the Dev's (I'm not a developer, just graphics and blog articles and comics).  From what I understand, it's a delicate program set up in the Long, Long-Ago by The Ancient Ones who did not care so much for the niceties of documentation, so the specialist that is taking care of all of our cool features has to do some forensic investigation and testing before that can be achieved.  He's really good at what he does though, so I'm confident it will get implemented eventually.  And we will let you know as soon as we are informed.

    Thanks for the support, everybody! There's lots of cool new stuff in the works this year.  (I'm sworn to secrecy with a 9th Level Spell!)  Keep your digital ears to the cyber-ground for more news here and on all our assorted social media pages!

  • Conan_Lybarian
    Conan_Lybarian
    Posts: 240

    Thanks for the update! Definitely excited to start updating the campaign map with some of these- my players will be super surprised

  • Abersade
    Abersade
    Posts: 417

    I'm excited to see what's in the works.

    GM of Rise of the Durnskald: Wrath of the Fallen Goddess - February 2016 CotM

    GM of Core: The Ashes of Alcarna - April 2020 CotM

    GM of Stream of Kairos

    Need CSS Help? It may be covered here: Abersade's CSS Hub

  • dragondreams
    dragondreams
    Posts: 24

    I'd love to see Kaiju added to the Disasters group...  :-)  

  • Jynx001
    Jynx001
    Posts: 80

    Cool suggestion, @dragondreams - Kaiju is now on the idea list for map markers. Thanks!

  • jodie
    jodie
    Posts: 82

    Monsters could be cool. To represent lairs and threats. Abstract fluffy wings, demon wings, eyeball, tentacles, clawed hands.

    Runes for different classic fantasy races. Something fancy for elven, viking-ish for dwarven, etc. These would be hard to design. 

    Also the ability to just add text labels although that might be really hard idk

  • thaen
    thaen
    Posts: 1,064

    Nice!  I've added these to the feature request list.

    Obsidian Portal Developer

  • jodie
    jodie
    Posts: 82

    Some classic heraldic style devices would be nice too - lion, fleur de lys, rose, unicorn, bear, wyvern, fish, blood drop, gauntlet

    Transport - airship, naval ship, train, portal, horse, caravan train

  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998

    Great suggestions @jodie

    Just trying to help out.

  • jodie
    jodie
    Posts: 82

    The most awesome thing would be the ability to upload your own little png, but I'm guessing google maps aren't simple

  • thaen
    thaen
    Posts: 1,064

    I think the map markers are actually "svg" files, not "png" files.  But I haven't dug into that part of the code much yet, so I can't say if they MUST be "svg" for some technical reason, or if "png" could work.  I would guess that there is a technical reason, otherwise, they probably would have gone with pngs to start with.  In any case, I've added the request to the list.  Thanks!

    Obsidian Portal Developer

  • ragnarhawk
    Posts: 168

    If they are restricted to svg files, that is an inconvenience, but probably not a huge problem.  There do appear to be free SVG converters online

    Just having the ability to upload our own markers would add flexibility

  • thaen
    thaen
    Posts: 1,064

    Great points!

    Obsidian Portal Developer

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