Idea: GUI and ingame maps

[Tabby]

Couldnt it be cool, to be able too buy maps, be able to use the mqp, that will open a GUI map..
Can be local maps, bigger maps.. even treasure maps that will show a hidden treasure?

The maps can help in writ locations, or just general orientation.

[Tabby]

Even so, if any devs wants to make something like it, i would love to help make the graphics for it (im a graphical designer)
Just poke me in a message

[AstralUniverse]

GUI (wasnt it called NUI? or if not, then what's even the difference between them?) is just amazing. the sky is the limit. It's the facelift nwn always needed and hasnt been quite fully achieved with EE just yet. I was very excited to see the new options it opens and I really hope to see it implemented into all or most systems of arelith and base nwn. Shops, ships and others systems who currently use dialogues to function, containers, bartering... all of these things can potentially be so much more comfortable to use with this tech.

[Tabby]

NUI or GUI, not sure what is what. Im more into making graphics, rather than, Ui, Nui..

But i was thinking, like when you look at the map on the ship, and a pop of the isle and the surrounding map.
But just a static local map, that (example) shows Bendir and its local areas around it.
Then there could be, a shyr map.
Just a 1x1 item in your bag, with a "use unlimited" and it will show a static map of that, no pins of where u are, just the drawn, POI on the map, small drawned icons of say, the Bendir Graveyard, so on so on.
It could be helpful in writs for characters too navigate the vast areas.
Even so.. Loremastera, with the Explorer perk, could perhaps make the maps? After visitting all the areas, unlocking the option to make it.
Or just be sold in NPC shops, found in bookshelves, or chest.

[Ithalan]

There are two problems with putting drawn maps of Arelith (or subregions of it) ingame for navigation.

1) Distance and direction between two points on the drawn map would have very little relation to the distance and direction you'd actually experience travelling between them ingame, since the way areas are connected to each other presume varying amounts of distance travelled during the loading screen, often not in a straight line. What you actually need for effective navigation is a map showing you the areas you need to travel through, and where you need to exit each area to reach the next one. This is hard to draw in a way that looks natural.

2) At least going by recent updates to the surface and underdark, the relative positioning and distance between areas is not guaranteed to remain constant through future updates. Any map image (drawn or otherwise) that's put into the game would require a commitment from the artist to update it in the future if necessary, or you'll just have a tool that advertises as a navigational aid for players, but is actually misleading.

[Tabby]

Ahh well.. just an idea..
Call it a brainstorming fart

[Irongron]

The idea of map items is definitely enticing, however as has already been pointed out there are a number of issues, not least is the fact that future updates may make them invalid.

I've always felt that Arelith locations are, in many cases, POIs rather than a perfect rendition of the larger isle, which in turn allows me too add in new content as it is 'discovered'.

I think the idea could work as an extension to the sailing system, whereby one can purchase maps of various of the Nelanther isles, allowing one both to sail there, and navigate towards specific locations, though it is not something I have time to realise, personally.

[Tabby]

Well, whatever that comes out of it, i love to volunteer to do some graphics for it.

About the new areas to explore.. i can see that be a problem, if a map has a "year tag" on it, then it could be replace with a new one. With a new year tag. The old map could become a collectible suddenly.
Having an old "outdated" map could show some history.
But yeah, thats so require a new map.
But.. i do graphic, i only see it as moving around some "layers", add a little new, so on

But anyway, if you need me for anything like that still.. i love to help.
Im not good at nwn 3d animations, scripting, but i know normal graphics.
I could perhaps make new icons? 1x1 items, and so on?

[MrHishprung]

GUI (wasnt it called NUI? or if not, then what's even the difference between them?) is just amazing. the sky is the limit. It's the facelift nwn always needed and hasnt been quite fully achieved with EE just yet. I was very excited to see the new options it opens and I really hope to see it implemented into all or most systems of arelith and base nwn. Shops, ships and others systems who currently use dialogues to function, containers, bartering... all of these things can potentially be so much more comfortable to use with this tech.

NUI or GUI, not sure what is what. Im more into making graphics, rather than, Ui, Nui..

But i was thinking, like when you look at the map on the ship, and a pop of the isle and the surrounding map.
But just a static local map, that (example) shows Bendir and its local areas around it.
Then there could be, a shyr map.
Just a 1x1 item in your bag, with a "use unlimited" and it will show a static map of that, no pins of where u are, just the drawn, POI on the map, small drawned icons of say, the Bendir Graveyard, so on so on.
It could be helpful in writs for characters too navigate the vast areas.
Even so.. Loremastera, with the Explorer perk, could perhaps make the maps? After visitting all the areas, unlocking the option to make it.
Or just be sold in NPC shops, found in bookshelves, or chest.

GUI stands for Graphical User Interface - so all things that are showed on your screen like - menu bars, character sheet, text area, text menu etc.
NUI stands for Nuclear User Interface. Its a widget used by NWN that allows developers to tell the program to draw GUIs and what they do/show when you interact with them.

Think of it like:
GUI - its like cake
NUI - is like oven
Programmer - is your pastry chef.

Programmer puts all the ingredients together (code) and puts it into oven (NUI) that bakes the muffins (translates it into machine code that tells the game how it works) and then puts them into plate (as interface on your screen).

Something along these lines. Im sure a dev himself will explain it better, thats how i understand it.