Pop up map reading difficulties

[Sex_Cactus]

I love that the grid on the pop-up map was made smaller and thus more accurate, but it can be tough to give plots sometimes, having many more columns and rows to follow. It's not a huge issue, but I was wonder about ways to make it a bit easier to read. I have a couple of ideas.

1) Simply have a small, faint label in one center of each box (J8, E5, C9, etc). That would make referencing pretty quick without getting too fancy.

2) Slightly more fancy, but makes for less clutter, would be having a faint label appear in the box only when the cursor is over it.

Both ideas would leave the current grid markings in place in case people might need to start there anyway.

It's not a huge issue, and I'll understand if people don't care enough about it to justify doing, but I think it'd make things just a bit easier for everyone, especially those with poor eyesight.

[AnimalMother.]

i agree that in a rush you can have difficulty reading the grids, especially near the middle, or to the extremes bottom/right. Option 2 i don't think is possible.

What i think would be better is if the main grid lines where a little thicker or more standing out then the inner keypad ones, so you can see when one grid square becomes another, as my main mistake with calling out grids is saying G8k7, when i wanted G7k1. Can make a fair bit of difference for mortars etc.

something minor that could be improved

[Spec]

What about changing the cursor to be a huge, red +? Sure, it'd be the same in the squad selection etc then, but I think that'd not be too hard to deal with. Question is whether this automatically also affects the menu cursor.

[Arnoldio]

Yeah a + but infinite in y and x, so you cound easily read the map.

[PatrickLA_CA]

Well it is ok as it is and it should be even more difficult as IRL you don't really have a map like that and your position isn't marked

[sylent/shooter]

I still like my idea of having to press the M key and having a "weapon" that is a map be taken out xD Fill the whole screen instead.

Sadly that is fantasy but I agree that this is an issue as I have hard time reading it. especially on smaller screen sizes

[Elektro]

Giving the map it's own weapon slot is problematic due to the lack of weapon slots available for each kit.

[sylent/shooter]

I know thats why I said it's a fantasy xD Maybe in ARMA II R that might work. For now. MINIMAP here we come

[karambaitos]

i only want the the headings to be back or at least North since every map i know has them

[Tartantyco]

Use your finger, it's not that hard.

[Bunnyman]

Better than a red cursor would be a square by square setting, so that when you move the cursor over the map you are automatically selecting/hovering one of the squares (which gets highlighted red) and next to the square you have a line saying what square it is. This is probably not possible though.

Not really relevant but what would be helpful for officers is the ability to set waypoint markers so that you can set safe routes TO an objective for your squad(s). This could also be used to indicate a circular patrol route.

[Dev1200]

Really like this idea. Put your mouse over a marker and you get the grid ref. Wouldn't leave the current system redundant, and would make map reading a bit easier Not that it's overly difficult, but would make map reading faster. I'm also game for the thicker lines

[Bunnyman]

I reckon thicker lines would be a headache, and might interfere with actually seeing the features which are **** as it is. If you were to implement thicker gridlines I'd like to see contour lines added to maps so you can actually get an overall grasp of the terrain- and is also realistic. No military map in the world DOESNT have contour lines. This would add a new learning dimension to mapreading.

I agree that mapreading as it is isn't difficult, although like the opening post points out it can be a little awkward and if you are stressed or tired you can make a few mistakes. Which is why I also advise controur lines to help you identify what you are actually looking at rather than guessing -'could that be 300m or 500m?

I had an experienced player yesterday who was a pilot and I asked him to set me down at a specific grid reference (about 1km north of a flag to set up a forward base) and he had no idea what I meant, I was genuinely shocked- I thought is this guy a retard? I had to then say north of North Outpost HOPING he would now get my grid reference, he parked me about 50m north of the flag! So yes, if grid referencing was easier and could be somehow more interactive between players even to allow you to mark them on a map for a player outside of your squad that would be cool. It would represent military mapreading when you give coordinates. Perhaps some kind of pling function that beacons for around 30 secs, that way you don't get noobs and pillocks spamming mapmarkers to every guy they stand 10m from.

[PatrickLA_CA]

Don't you want a hot girl reading the coords too? IRL all they get is a piece of paper with some drawings on it.

[x-spades-x]

I really have no trouble's with the current map system... it is a whole lot easier than getting out a protractor and pinpointing a ten digit grid on an actual map... I think it is fine how it is.

[Vanya]

How does this hit you guys. Why not get rid of the inner grid all together.

[lromero]

Really like this idea. Put your mouse over a marker and you get the grid ref. Wouldn't leave the current system redundant, and would make map reading a bit easier Not that it's overly difficult, but would make map reading faster. I'm also game for the thicker lines

Making it automatic would take the skill and fun out of map reading when under pressure.
And it would be horribly unrealistic. I think they should either keep it this way or make the lines and letters a bit more visible.

[Bunnyman]

It's not unrealistic if you can actually directly pass those coordinates to other players, whether you are guessing or not. I don't think its unrealistic to have the coordinates worked out for you since soldiers wouldn't have as much of a hard time as us at working them out!
I think the problem lies in the lack of communication, or the ability to communicate between the squads. I for one have had real issues using coordinates with other people because so many people just aren't familiar with the system and don't bother, I think a lot of people would agree with me.
The map needs to be made more of a feature to the game and more central to gameplay I reckon. Contour lines would definitely help, in fact a more traditional style map or satellite image with highlighted notes would be more realistic to military maps than a hazy grid with the occassional marker or spawnpoint

[x-spades-x]

I think the problem lies in the lack of communication, or the ability to communicate between the squads. I for one have had real issues using coordinates with other people because so many people just aren't familiar with the system and don't bother, I think a lot of people would agree with me.

Isn't that on the player then, rather than the game. No need to change how it is set up but rather change how people use it. Maybe put a good sticky on the forums on how to read the map and use it to its capabilities. Teach rather than dummy proofing a system.