Waypoint locations

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

Also side areas benefit from waypoints nearby to avoid dead-ending on them.

Side areas are dead ends no matter how you look at it. Yes, there should be a waypoint nearby. Nearby doesnt have to mean actually in the zone. A waypoint in the middle of Dark Forest along the road is nearby to both dead end areas it contains. Dread Thicket doesn't have a waypoint even though there is one in it's parent zone. The Pools & Streams waypoint is technically nearby and should be plenty good enough as a place to venture over to Dread Thicket. And even with waypoints at the entrances of side areas, how many people actually run back to that waypoint? I guarantee most people use a portal scroll standing over the dead body of that area's boss or at the area's chest. The exception would be in the Tidal area because people may not have a portal scroll yet.

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

1. Move waypoint from mud flats to in front of tidal island.

Really, what good does this do? You already have a built in way point in Terraces(it's called the entrance from Shore Camp). So basically, now you have 2 waypoints for the first zone and it's side area. Then nothing for the next zone and it's respective side area with Mud Flats and Fetid Pool. Keep Mudflats where it is. Why screw up the flow?

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

2. Submerged Passage Level 1: waypoint near side area entrance.

I think the current random position next Flooded Depths is perfect as is.

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

3. Submerged Passage Level 2: No Waypoint.

This is good, you have a waypoint in the very next zone that CANNOT be missed. You have to walk right by it, no exceptions.

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

5. Rocky Climb: Randomly placed Waypoint

6. Prison Level 1: Randomly placed Waypoint

So now we have 3 waypoints in a row not that far from each other. I say skip Rocky, and keep the Ledge and Prison as is. They have good flow, why screw that up? Lower Prison waypoint should remain just where it is. It gives the entire prison a more daunting atmosphere, as it should be since it leads up to the terrifying Brutus!

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

8. Prisoner's Gate: Random waypoint in upper level.

I think This should stay right where it is too. You just got out of an intense battle with a boss, and the last waypoint was almost 3 zones back! You deserve a quick rest for your efforts.

I was thinking about it for a while and really - it may be worth simply reworking the waypoint concept a bit.

In the attached image you'll see my suggestion for a waypoint "Map". I feel it would not only simplify the waypoint system but also greatly add to the gaming experience. Make waypoints what they should be - Players use them to save progress, and travel great distances quickly and easily.

Warning - I just put this together in paint, so... it's not great looking lol.

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/220/waypoints.png

The map's layout was inspired by the current passive skills orb layout, and could work into the "feel" of the game pretty easily. It's existence could be worked into the game lore if needed.

"

DPTRoftheBasin wrote:

I was thinking about it for a while and really - it may be worth simply reworking the waypoint concept a bit.

In the attached image you'll see my suggestion for a waypoint "Map". I feel it would not only simplify the waypoint system but also greatly add to the gaming experience. Make waypoints what they should be - Players use them to save progress, and travel great distances quickly and easily.

Warning - I just put this together in paint, so... it's not great looking lol.

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/220/waypoints.png

The map's layout was inspired by the current passive skills orb layout, and could work into the "feel" of the game pretty easily. It's existence could be worked into the game lore if needed.

I really really like this.

Good stuff, DPTR. Even if they don't want to change the functional aspects of waypoints at all (making them all automatic, or all at the start of areas), having them stick to the visual theme set up by the passive skill tree and item sockets sounds great.

It might take up a lot of screen space, is the only problem I could see, but you've already suggested keeping text to mouseovers, which would help. And giving each area its own depiction as an icon would mean you didn't need to mouseover each one all the time, either.

That actually is a really good idea, DPTR. Just remember though, that waypoints are as much 'save' points as they are milestones. Milestones need to be placed strategically to give them significance. Having a waypoint at every zone, or almost every zone, or 12 out of 20 zones(as we currently have in Act 2) in no way seems significant to me.

i am against WP hunting, it is an outdated mechanic and is not fun. it really just disrupts your playing and wastes time

I guess I'm the only one who actually enjoys waypoint hunting..

i don't like the idea of waypoint hunting and it annoys me that some zones dont have them. maybe the majority of players have several hours to wander around,and i'm fine with that too(in a game like lotro where the scenery is pretty) but not in a game like this. the other night i was in act 2 for the first time(yes really)i have the crossroads wp and have killed the bandit kraten on the bridge. i am wandering around aimlessly really as there is no real direction for me to go, i get to fellshrine and go in, get about a third of the way though i guess and get killed. well thats that for the evening for me.its been long enough for the instance to reset so i cant get back to where i was in any hurry. frustrated i turned off.
i dont profess to being good at any games, i'm not.i'm probably going to be flames by all the pro gamers who made it through all difficulties in an hour and still think its too easy.
its not about easy,it about accesible. one of the previous posters mentioned time or the lack of it. usually i have around an hour to play in an evening and i dont want to spend it doing the exact same thing again beacause there is a lack of wp's

I never liked waypoint-hunting in d2. it was a necessity but no fun. having random quest-locations (eg: the bandits) is no problem, but i think there should bee something reliable on the maps. if i have cleared one area and shift to another, a waypoint close to the entrance is nice: i can go back to town, stash the stuff i found before, and then go back. or stop playing at that point cause i know i have finished a part and its easy to continue from where i was.

thats means NOT that i want a wp on every area!

________________________________

comments on the others:

"

Epicurwin wrote:

The Ship Graveyard way point is a pain to find.

dont see that. follow the coast, follow the little streams a bit inside and you find the waypoint very fast.

"

FaceLicker wrote:

Personally I feel there's too many waypoints, though. Why do I need a wp in Dark Forest, Weaver's Chambers and Alira's Camp? Alira's and Weaver's can only be accessed through DF and it's not like the area is that large that it takes forever to get to either one. If you put the wp a little further in DF, it removes the need for both Alira's and Weaver's. Same thing with Broken Bridge and Chamber of Sin accessed from the Crossroads.

this is conflicting with the 15-min-instance reset. i like all these waypoints. imagine you have to clear every sidearea as you get there, because no waypoint is available. when u have completed the area and return to the parent-area, its very likely that it has been resetted. sounds like no fun/frustrating to me... (perhaps doesnt count for weavers/broken, because they are small and doable within 15 min.)

"

FaceLicker wrote:

Providing 'save points' every so often is great. Provide too many and you take a lot of risk/challenge out of the game. Provide too little and then people QQ. There needs to be a balance with strategically placed points not just at the entrances to almost every zone.

+1 to that, but waypoints must be reliable and "easy" accessible. sometimes i just log in to make my way from one area to another, playing half an hour. having to clear half an area before getting to the waypoint, knowing i will eventually have to clear that half of the area again when i decide to play further... dont think i like that. wps at the inside of entrances are therefore fine for me.

"

tpapp157 wrote:

Submerged Passage level 2 does not need a waypoint. Instead move the Ledge's waypoint to the start of the Ledge area.

+1

"

FaceLicker wrote:

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

1. Move waypoint from mud flats to in front of tidal island.

Really, what good does this do? You already have a built in way point in Terraces(it's called the entrance from Shore Camp). So basically, now you have 2 waypoints for the first zone and it's side area. Then nothing for the next zone and it's respective side area with Mud Flats and Fetid Pool. Keep Mudflats where it is. Why screw up the flow?

"

FaceLicker wrote:

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

5. Rocky Climb: Randomly placed Waypoint

6. Prison Level 1: Randomly placed Waypoint

So now we have 3 waypoints in a row not that far from each other. I say skip Rocky, and keep the Ledge and Prison as is. They have good flow, why screw that up? Lower Prison waypoint should remain just where it is. It gives the entire prison a more daunting atmosphere, as it should be since it leads up to the terrifying Brutus!

"

Joel_GGG wrote:

8. Prisoner's Gate: Random waypoint in upper level.

I think This should stay right where it is too. You just got out of an intense battle with a boss, and the last waypoint was almost 3 zones back! You deserve a quick rest for your efforts.

im all with facelicker

"

DPTRoftheBasin wrote:

I was thinking about it for a while and really - it may be worth simply reworking the waypoint concept a bit.

....

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/220/waypoints.png

nice idea (at least the visual wp-menue... the rest sounds to much like "austosave/console-style". dont like that...)

__________________________________


last thought on mudflat/submerged-wps:
perhaps move the wp to the wall where the glyphs are put in. its the first "big quest" you have to solve. but i dont knowm whats going to happen to fetid pools (but as it is now, i am on every diff able to clear the whole fetid pools and get out before mudflats resets). terraces/tidal island dont need a wp because its near the town and easy accessible. submerged passages 1 wp and flooded-depths-entrance should then be moved reliable near the end of submerged1. no wp on submerged2, next on ledge (im fine with the wp in the middle. id dont do much farming, and if im farming the ledge i dont mind running back if i want to get every mob on the map)

hm, second guessing my own thoughts: perhaps the first wp in a1 is then a bit to far out to reach. imagine you have to clear terraces, tidal and mud to get to the first wp at the glyph-wall...