Mini-Map

[Fiasco 0]

I'm sure purists will slam this suggestion for being unrealistic. There should be a mico-map showing all squad units within 150 feet that are within +/- 85 deg of your current view direction (indicated by unit number).

Because of the limitations of viewing a virtual world through a fixed square w/ limited field of view game designers often add non realistic elements to compensate for the loss of situational awareness you would get in real life. Even with my trackir, it

In real life you have spatial orientation, depth perception, peripheral vision, aural orientation and other sensory clues to clue us in to our position relative to objects around us.

I don't have to turn and look at someone 80 deg off my line of sight to know that they have changed position.

IMHO it would help in multiplayer when moving with your squad considerably and would give back some of the normal situational awareness you would have in real life.

[smellyjelly 0]

Ctrl+M anyone?

[Beagle 684]

Where can I get this so called "real life"?

Souds interesting, I need this update.

Oh...I just realised that my virtual perception in ArmA ist better than my "default" one.

But such a "mini map" would be quite obstructing to my field of vision, just like the GPS minimap already in game.

And i still consider it a part of the gaming experience not to know were everthing or -one is.

[smellyjelly 0]

But such a "mini map" would be quite obstructing to my field of vision, just like the GPS minimap already in game.

Still, it really helps me when flying the jets because my computer can't handle high view distances without freezing.

[Balschoiw 0]

You already got a map. Keep yourself updated, that´s what I call situational awareness.

A minimap simply gets a solid NO from me.

[Fiasco 0]

I think you mistake the intent of a "mini-map". It's sole point would be to indicate the position of fellow unit members that would be detected visually by you in real life but because of the limitations of looking through a 90 deg FOV monitor are not visible to you in the game.

Artificially making situational awareness more difficult then it really is in life for the sake of "realism" is hypocritical.

[Balschoiw 0]

Why waste your time asking for opinions if you actually don´t want to hear them ?

From playing OFP online for more than 5 years I know that knowing where your mateys are is not magic. It´s called good team-interaction and situational awareness. First of all everyone in a team should know where his leader is and vice versa.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

I think you mistake the intent of a "mini-map". It's sole point would be to indicate the position of fellow unit members that would be detected visually by you in real life but because of the limitations of looking through a 90 deg FOV monitor are not visible to you in the game.

Artificially making situational awareness more difficult then it really is in life for the sake of "realism" is hypocritical.

that's what the green and red dots are for.

Seriously - if you have problems finding your friendlies, pay a little more attention ingame.

[Fiasco 0]

Why are so many people so obnoxiously abrasive in ArmA?

Any comment or suggestion about ArmA that goes against their judgement demands an immediate post with some type of insult or slight.

Balschoiw, where in this thread did I ask for an opinion? I didn't, that's where.

Why bother reading a suggestion thread if you don't want to attempt to understand the concept being put forth?

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Balschoiw, where in this thread did I ask for an opinion? I didn't, that's where.

It´s a public forum. The idea of a public forum is that people do talk about things. If you don´t want to have a talk about your subject don´t open up a thread here but print it out, hang it above your bed and read it all day long.

Quote[/b] ]Any comment or suggestion about ArmA that goes against their judgement demands an immediate post with some type of insult or slight.

Aha.

Quote[/b] ]Why bother reading a suggestion thread if you don't want to attempt to understand the concept being put forth?

I understood the concept, still I see no valid reason to have such implemented. Your suggestion makes only little sense anyway. If you want to have characters on the map for the people who are actually near you, a simple look to the left or right will solve your problem. If you can´t see them because of buildings block your view, etc, how on earth should they be visible on the map ? If they were, I´d considered that some kind of crystal ball addon that certainly has no reality validation.

Again, you as a teammember have to know at all times where your leader is by keeping visual contact or using the map. If you move as a team and interact there is simply no reason to have that magic minimap other than being lazy and not staying in team formation.

[opteryx 1562]

No! Seriously, if there's anything I really HATE with most tactical shooters it is the freakin' minimap/gay-dar/spinn-map/ whatever you want to call it.

Games with such features are arcady and boring, no need to use landmarks and navigation, besides, there's allready enough ways to easily navigate in ArmA.

PS: There already a Minimap ala BF style in ArmA, fourtunately it's used in very few missions and is not compulsory.

I've been fearing such a suggestion for some time now.

[suma 8]

I'm sure purists will slam this suggestion for being unrealistic. There should be a mico-map showing all squad units within 150 feet that are within +/- 85 deg of your current view direction (indicated by unit number).

You may find interesting to hear such "tactical display" was present in early Flashpoint versions. However, based on the gameplay testing, it was removed, as it turned out it was distracting for the gameplay - the players inclined to rely on this display too much, instead of checking the world by their own senses. Removing this display was a major step in making OFP a realistic game, and I think one of the very lucky decisions.

In ArmA (and OFP:Elite) there is a new feature compared to OFP - peripheral vision simulation, which can be used to maintain a basic awareness of what is happening outside of the screen.

[Journeyman 0]

I understand what you are trying to say Fiasco, but seriously like has been said if you post in a public forum you are automatically asking for other peoples opinions and that is exactly what you are going to get! If you have a good argument then you can win it by debate, but if you don't expect to get hammered here!  

I think that you will find that BIS has done sufficiently well with this 'situational awareness' thing though without going over the top and spoiling the realism. That's my opinion!  

EDIT: Suma got there first! ... And I agree with what he says too. One thing that killed Brothers in Arms for me was that silly 'situational awareness' view where you could suddenly become a camera in the sky and move around anywhere! Where is the 'realism' in that?

[Fiasco 0]

I'm not talking about a ground map. Just a transparent 170 deg arc that shows an indicator for squad members within a very tight distance.

The same type of awareness you would have if you were walking in a group at that range using normal human perception. I'm not talking about the call of duty or BF minimaps, this would be a range of 150 feet or less.

Quote[/b] ]I understood the concept, still I see no valid reason to have such implemented. Your suggestion makes only little sense anyway. If you want to have characters on the map for the people who are actually near you, a simple look to the left or right will solve your problem. If you can´t see them because of buildings block your view, etc, how on earth should they be visible on the map ? If they were, I´d considered that some kind of crystal ball addon that certainly has no reality validation.

Again, you as a teammember have to know at all times where your leader is by keeping visual contact or using the map. If you move as a team and interact there is simply no reason to have that magic minimap other than being lazy and not staying in team formation.

Thats my point. In real life you would not have to turn your head and look at someone walking near you to know where they are or pull out a map to find someone 100 feet from you. You could see them with your nearly double the field of view normal human vision without turning your head.

It isn't a magic minimap. It would only show information that your normal perception would permit you to see in real life in the same situation.

When I'm walking down the street with the wife I do not have to constantly look at her to know she is there and where she is relative to me.

This isn't some unrealistic add on. It would only give you the normal awareness you would have in the real world for people in that close of proximity. Having a fixed 90deg or less FOV and having to fix your gaze to get your bearing on close objects is decidedly unrealistic.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Thats my point. In real life you would not have to turn your head and look at someone walking near you to know where they are or pull out a map to find someone 100 feet from you. You could see them with your nearly double the field of view normal human vision without turning your head.

So what´s the difference to the already implemented "situational awareness" indicators ?

They are already in Arma and do exactly what you ask for...without a map of course.

[Journeyman 0]

When I'm walking down the street with the wife I do not have to constantly look at her to know she is there and where she is relative to me.

Holding hands isn't likely to be implemented into PC games anytime soon!

Seriously mate the only solution for this is to look! Whether you are using your default keys/mouse or TrackIr or better still have a multiple monitor set-up. Unless you are asking for an additional window onscreen that gives a wide FOV view without having to look? I guess something like that might not be too intrusive but would certainly eat PC performance and you would loose some of your forward screen area too.

I'm just looking forward to the day when we all have surround screen monitors and PC's fast enough to use them!  

[Heatseeker 0]

Nah, you just need to practice some more mate, spend a little more time guetting used to the game and then you will apretiate having such a nice and clean display.

Its like the crosshair, if you get used to play without it you wont go back and trust me its much more rewarding than choosing the easy way .

[Fiasco 0]

Red Kite & Suma,

Thanks for the more cordial replies. I'm glad you tried to understand my point.

My SA isn't helped by the fact that I play on a 15" laptop. I do have a TrackIR which helps some but not having a 1:1 ratio on head rotation to game world rotation takes getting used to.

If you had 5 people in a line spaced 20 feet walking across a field they could easily maintain that formation or course following a "leader" without having to repeatedly look back and forth betweem the various members of the group. It's a spatial awareness that is very difficult to translate to a screen.

IMHO (and it is just my opinion) a basic transparent indicator of your group units in direct proximity to yourself would greatly assist in spending less time trying to stay in formation with your group and more time scanning the horizon for targets.

[Fiasco 0]

Speaking of obtrusive stuff on screen.

How can I get reduce the font size and/or location of radio messages on the screen!

[Fiasco 0]

Quote[/b] ]Thats my point.   In real life you would not have to turn your head and look at someone walking near you to know where they are or pull out a map to find someone 100 feet from you.   You could see them with your nearly double the field of view normal human vision without turning your head.

So what´s the difference to the already implemented "situational awareness" indicators ?

They are already in Arma and do exactly what you ask for...without a map of course.

I honestly think they are more intrusive visually on screen then what I am talking about.