Not a lot of time here, but I did want to talk about some recent adventures in Vanguard. After completing the Veskal’s Keep quests (including a very nice, nearly epic one about purifying the Tree of Life), I thought, “Self, it’s time you started working on your racial mount. After all, what’s a halfling without a giant, carnivorous, ugly, smelly, dangerous, awful, disgusting, mutant, radioactive ant to ride upon?” Sure, other races get cool mounts. We get friggin’ ANTS. “Ma’am, your giant radioactive ant is eating the children. Could you please park it elsewhere?”
That meant a quick trip to Rindol Fields, but unfortunately, Rindol Fields is not on the increasingly unhelpful map, which seems to show and discard points of interest for no apparent reason. Here’s a paradigm-smashing idea: Why not show THEM ALL? Or at least the ones I have BEEN to?
I hate the Vanguard map so much. There’s good maps, then there are marginal maps, then there are maps that by their very presence make it HARDER to find things, MORE useless than having no map at all. Such are Vanguard maps. Put it this way. If I were using a VG-style map to get from here to Boston – Boston wouldn’t be on the map. Neither would any roads. There would be no towns on it except one named, oh, Millbury. There would be no indication that Millbury was anywhere near Boston, but it being the only town on the map, I would head my car in that general direction and hope for the best. However, every hill and river would be shown (but no, no roads).
THAT is the Vanguard map.
The rift from Veskal’s Exchange brought me to Renton Keep, and I picked up some quests there. I looked around for awhile for Rindol Fields, but no dice. Map, again, absolutely useless. Thrushk is not on it. Rindol Fields, my STARTING AREA. is not on it.
Vanguard has a lot of nice bits. It’s very beautiful. But that map ruins it all. I’m sorry. Even a blank piece of paper would be a better map, because at least it wouldn’t imply by its existence that it would be possible to find your way to something using it. I could be RIGHT OUTSIDE Veskal’s Exchange, looking up at it – and it wouldn’t be on the map, but a couple of other pointless PoIs would be.
SOE, just remove the map. You’re just promising something with it you have no intention of delivering.