LE Minimaps and Favorites

[MrTastix]

Two little additions I'd like to see add, and will probably make an attempt at doing so once the Creation Kit is released, is a minimap and some organisation to the Favorites menu. Both are largely cosmetic, but the latter function would be extremely useful in lieu of a decent hotbar interface.

 

I'll add pictures at a later date, once I've made some. :P

 

Minimap

 

I'm sure we all know what a minimap is: It's a representation of a larger map of a smaller scale that is usually found in the upper right-hand corner of the HUD.

 

In Skyrim, you already have two maps: The World Map, and Local Maps.

 

The World Map shows the overhead world and the cities laid out upon it. This is the map you use to fast-travel from previously discovered locations.

 

Local Maps are greyscale maps that you can view when you're in dungeon, cave, tomb, etc. You can also view them when you're on the world map view by pushing the "L" key (default key for PC users).

 

If you already see where I'm going then great! If not, then simply put, a minimap would be a smaller replica of the local map found in the upper right-hand corner of the screen (or upper-left, it could be configurable). It would only appear when you're not viewing the default world/local maps.

 

Simple enough concept, but would be handy none-the-less. This would probably go well with a mod that turns the local maps from a bland greyscale to something more colourful, so you could actually see the roads a little better.

 

Favorites

 

The next idea is to have a little bit of organisation with the Favorites menu.

 

The Favorites menu is nice but it would've gone much better if I could have assigned some of my Favorites to the 1-9 keys, much like you can in other roleplaying games that have a hotbar (or the wheel system in Oblivion).

 

Alongside this, I had the idea to add a menu-based system to the Favorites menu, as opposed to the current alphabetical system it uses now. Quite frankly, it's pretty horrid. At later stages of the game, and with certain class setups, you'll find that you switch between spells frequently or are constantly opening the Favorites menu to use another potion or reapply some poison. The list can get pretty large, as well, when you have a large list of spells or potions to choose from.

 

To alleviate this, a category function in the style of the standard Inventory/Magic interfaces could be added. Simply open the Favorites menu and all the items would be categorised into their own menus, exactly how they would be on the standard Inventory and Magic interfaces.

 

In essence, this would make opening the Inventory menu something of a commodity. You could essentially add every item in your inventory to the Favorites menu and you'd never have to leave the sight of combat again, as unwieldy and pointless that would be.

 

Think of it as another inventory/magic menu that only shows the items and spells you want. The inventory menu? What inventory menu?

 

Oh, and just for good measure: Let's have a mod where I can capture and ride a dragon. And make it breathe fire and burn down villages and all that chaotic nonsense! (It's only a matter of time when this will happen, since we have a mount already.)

 

Edit:

 

Another tidbit about an organized Favorites section:

 

Organization is only the first step into making the Favorites menu something that isn't tedious and repetitive to use. I believe my idea would help solve some issues but it's major downside is that it still requires the player to withdraw from all combat temporarily whilst they're equipping a new weapon or drinking a potion.

 

To remedy this, a sort of "hotbar" functionality should probably be added. A genuine hotbar in Skyrim would be handy but bar that, the next best thing would be to simply allow people to assign some of their Favorites a number assignment, the maximum being 10. Consider these 10 options to be the "favorites" of the Favorites menu. It would allow players to easily use a potion, switch spells or weapons, or use a shout, during combat, without the incessant need to pause the game every few minutes.

 

For those who don't know what a hotbar is, here's a picture of the hotbar used in Dragon Age:

 

http://i.imgur.com/jDlBs.jpg

 

This is generally found at the bottom of the main HUD in pretty much every modern RPG. The first 10 buttons are usually assigned to the numbers 1 to 0 on your keypad and are used to quickly access spells or potions. Oblivion used a similar mechanic with it's "hotwheel".

Edited November 17, 2011 by MrTastix

[urgumflux]

i really like the favorites organization thing. that is much needed.

however, i am afraid of a minimap blocking off too much of the screen, or making the game less immersive.

[MrTastix]

I'm a fan of extensive customisability and I enjoy mods that let me alter much of the way that mod works.

 

I have a large monitor so minimaps are generally not a problem for me, but I'd say that the mod could be included with some way to alter a few settings. Such things that could be altered would be location on the screen and how much space is taken up by the mod (probably measured in pixel measurements). Zooming in/out functions would be handy too.

 

I cannot, unfortunately, help with immersive of the mod, however. I'm not entirely sure that Tamriel had access to GPS' in the timeline and environment it's set in. I understand your point however, as I value immersiveness in game to a degree as well, I'm just not too sure how I'd explain this one in the lore books.

[atrayu17]

for immersion you could make it a spell or something like that........just an idea

[MrTastix]

Yeah, such an idea ran through my mind. It could work on the basis of a similar spell to Clairvoyance (directs you to your current object with a big blue line).

 

The world map itself can be passed off as an actual map. The local map could be passed off as spell that conjures an item that looks like a map but with a more detailed portfolio of where you currently are, as well as pinpointing where you are on that map.

[SiNNeR]

I love this idea. minimaps can be very handy, and the Skyrim 'favourites' system is a bit messy when compared to the usual hotbar system of most RPGs or the keybindings of previous Elder Scrolls, so this would definitely be an addon I'd consider a must have

[MrTastix]

Another tidbit about an organized Favorites section:

 

Organization is only the first step into making the Favorites menu something that isn't tedious and repetitive to use. I believe my idea would help solve some issues but it's major downside is that it still requires the player to withdraw from all combat temporarily whilst they're equipping a new weapon or drinking a potion.

 

To remedy this, a sort of "hotbar" functionality should probably be added. A genuine hotbar in Skyrim would be handy but bar that, the next best thing would be to simply allow people to assign some of their Favorites a number assignment, the maximum being 10. Consider these 10 options to be the "favorites" of the Favorites menu. It would allow players to easily use a potion, switch spells or weapons, or use a shout, during combat, without the incessant need to pause the game every few minutes.

 

For those who don't know what a hotbar is, here's a picture of the hotbar used in Dragon Age:

 

http://i.imgur.com/jDlBs.jpg

 

This is generally found at the bottom of the main HUD in pretty much every modern RPG. The first 10 buttons are usually assigned to the numbers 1 to 0 on your keypad and are used to quickly access spells or potions. Oblivion used a similar mechanic with it's "hotwheel".

Edited November 17, 2011 by MrTastix