RPGs that auto-map?

john1979 · 03 October 2013, 16:14

My elder brother was reminiscing to me today about his teenage years spent playing Bards Tale III (C64) and Pools of Radiance on the Amiga. It really got me hankering after getting deep into a long dungeon crawler like this.

I don't think I'd have the patience (nor the desk space or time) to sit down with squared paper and map it out. Sure you can download the maps online, but that would kill the exploration and make it harder to level.

Are there any games like PoR and BDIII that have an auto-map feature? Or that don't rely on mapping too heavily for exploration and progessing?

s2325 · 03 October 2013, 17:38

Rogue http://hol.abime.net/1272

lordofchaos · 03 October 2013, 17:40

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=70323

This thread may offer some help too. I was searching for a similar less time consuming experience.

Marcuz · 03 October 2013, 18:14

Eye of the Beholder AGA...
Also my game will, if you wait some year still.

john1979 · 03 October 2013, 21:16

Thanks all.

Eye of the Beholder AGA series looks like the one. What an amazing job CFOU did. Just started into it, the cut scenes are suffering a bit on my plain 1200, but otherwise it's great.

Bards Tale III apparently does have a rudimentary auto map, but I read that it doesn't detail enough and you should still make your own.

demoniac · 03 October 2013, 22:42

Might & Magic II is similar to Bard's Tale series and automaps.

There's also the Phantasie series.

Lord Riton · 04 October 2013, 00:00

Captive !!!

john1979 · 04 October 2013, 00:06

I am checking out the lemon page for each of these suggestions. They all look fantastic.

alexh · 04 October 2013, 09:48

Amberstar and Ambermoon

Predseda · 04 October 2013, 09:57

Hired guns

Calabazam · 04 October 2013, 20:46

Black Crypt does automap.

john1979 · 04 October 2013, 22:22

Most of the big names seem to be here. I really thought there'd only be a few.

Looks like automapping really got started during the Amiga RPG days.

Lord Riton · 05 October 2013, 00:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by john1979

Most of the big names seem to be here. I really thought there'd only be a few.

Looks like automapping really got started during the Amiga RPG days.

What's so good with automapping ?

I think a game with no map and no "radar" will give a much better feeling for the game than games which have these options. I play Diablo 3, and 50% of the time i look on my radar to see where i'm going. Without the radar the game would be better for me. Remember Diablo 2, when you could open the map on the screen while still playing. you played a lot of your time just on that map screen for guiding your char to destinations. It makes you lose much of the immerssion a game can give. If i ever make an RPG game, it will have no map, and no radar. Maps, radars, and also teleportation/portals, are all elements which reduces the size of a games world. And for me a world needs to be BIG, and need to give you the feeling that you can travel in it for days or even months, and still discover new things !
Same for general chats in MMORPGs. They just reduce the game world and the pleasure of discovering things by yourself, but that's another story, even if there are similarities with maps ...

Why did i write all that now ? no one cares anyway...

Marcuz · 05 October 2013, 01:26

Well, I don't care for automapping as well, but there are games, specially old ones, that currently I could not play at all because of difficult mechanics or interfaces, that I find or I would find more enjoyable with such feature.

Black Crypt is an example: the game is harder to me than others of the same time, like Eye of the Beholder, and I can play it only with the automap on.
It has also the smart touch of having the automap as a spell in game, so that when the spell expires it doesn't add anything to the drawn map. That's a good compromise imho.

john1979 · 05 October 2013, 01:40

Well I do agree with your sentiment Lord Riton.

As my brother explained to me, mapping these huge games by hand was part of the exploration and mystery of the game. It made every dungeon more of a challenge, and like you say it makes them feel bigger.

I had already that in mind when I asked the question. It's just because as I said I don't have the patience or time anymore to go without the auto-mapping feature.

I hope that explains my motives. I do understand that classic RPGs are partially great because they don't hold your hand in such a way.

03 October 2013, 16:14	#1
john1979 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: UK Age: 44 Posts: 748	RPGs that auto-map? My elder brother was reminiscing to me today about his teenage years spent playing Bards Tale III (C64) and Pools of Radiance on the Amiga. It really got me hankering after getting deep into a long dungeon crawler like this. I don't think I'd have the patience (nor the desk space or time) to sit down with squared paper and map it out. Sure you can download the maps online, but that would kill the exploration and make it harder to level. Are there any games like PoR and BDIII that have an auto-map feature? Or that don't rely on mapping too heavily for exploration and progessing?

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03 October 2013, 17:38	#2
s2325 Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gargore Age: 43 Posts: 17,789	Rogue http://hol.abime.net/1272

03 October 2013, 17:40	#3
lordofchaos TinkerTailorContentMaker Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bedfordshire Age: 45 Posts: 1,205	http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=70323 This thread may offer some help too. I was searching for a similar less time consuming experience.

03 October 2013, 18:14	#4
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	Eye of the Beholder AGA... Also my game will, if you wait some year still.

03 October 2013, 21:16	#5
john1979 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: UK Age: 44 Posts: 748	Thanks all. Eye of the Beholder AGA series looks like the one. What an amazing job CFOU did. Just started into it, the cut scenes are suffering a bit on my plain 1200, but otherwise it's great. Bards Tale III apparently does have a rudimentary auto map, but I read that it doesn't detail enough and you should still make your own.

03 October 2013, 22:42	#6
demoniac Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: - Posts: 1,698	Might & Magic II is similar to Bard's Tale series and automaps. There's also the Phantasie series.

04 October 2013, 00:00	#7
Lord Riton Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: France Age: 52 Posts: 507	Captive !!!

04 October 2013, 00:06	#8
john1979 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: UK Age: 44 Posts: 748	I am checking out the lemon page for each of these suggestions. They all look fantastic.

04 October 2013, 09:48	#9
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,430	Amberstar and Ambermoon

04 October 2013, 09:57	#10
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,558	Hired guns

04 October 2013, 20:46	#11
Calabazam Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: France Posts: 480	Black Crypt does automap.

04 October 2013, 22:22	#12
john1979 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: UK Age: 44 Posts: 748	Most of the big names seem to be here. I really thought there'd only be a few. Looks like automapping really got started during the Amiga RPG days.

05 October 2013, 01:26	#14
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	Well, I don't care for automapping as well, but there are games, specially old ones, that currently I could not play at all because of difficult mechanics or interfaces, that I find or I would find more enjoyable with such feature. Black Crypt is an example: the game is harder to me than others of the same time, like Eye of the Beholder, and I can play it only with the automap on. It has also the smart touch of having the automap as a spell in game, so that when the spell expires it doesn't add anything to the drawn map. That's a good compromise imho.

05 October 2013, 01:40	#15
john1979 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: UK Age: 44 Posts: 748	Well I do agree with your sentiment Lord Riton. As my brother explained to me, mapping these huge games by hand was part of the exploration and mystery of the game. It made every dungeon more of a challenge, and like you say it makes them feel bigger. I had already that in mind when I asked the question. It's just because as I said I don't have the patience or time anymore to go without the auto-mapping feature. I hope that explains my motives. I do understand that classic RPGs are partially great because they don't hold your hand in such a way.

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