Map Revison

[ZanderArch]

Currently, when looking at the map on either the Spawn Screen or the Tactical Squad Map, you see a series of grid lines that run horizontal and vertical. They are labeled A-I (I think, don't remember) and 1-9 (Again, I think.). These lines are only visible on those maps, which obstruct your screen (Don't suggest changing the transparency level changes.) and take 1-2 seconds to open up, which can mean the difference between getting the intel to someone fast enough they can save you or just after you let out your first medic cry kill the one that killed you.

Also, these implications can be very useful for pilots who, if I am any representation of even a small group of "I'm net the best, but I'll do what I can." people who want to help all they can and don't mean to myg0t with the LB or add deaths to who ever was unfortunate enough to think "This Black Hawk will save me time from swimming!", aren't able to use the map very actively or risk control loss of some helicopters or slowed reaction time to enemy threats.

My suggestion is simple. Rather than have the grid lines on the map display GUI, put it right on the map image. This way, you can tell which grid you are in just by looking up at your compass / GPS.

Also, map makers would be able to better scale the grids to their map, and it would greatly help coordinating Air Support if a Commander is unavailable or non-cooperative.

This wouldn't change game play, but it would streamline navigation and team coordination speeds so you can keep your men moving rather than stopping for a while to check your map.

Plus, it's simple to do.

[Rhino]

interesting idea, not sure if its possible since the grids is just a overlay image.

[ZanderArch]

I checked on a map, and I do think it is entirely possible. Remove the grids from the GUI bits and edit the ingamemap.dds image to have the grid lines drawn in.

I didn't start up a map to test it, but it should work.

[Rhino]

I checked on a map, and I do think it is entirely possible. Remove the grids from the GUI bits and edit the ingamemap.dds image to have the grid lines drawn in.

I didn't start up a map to test it, but it should work.

ahh you mean have the overlay image edited so that the grid nubers are in each box?

problem i see with that is simply, clutter. personally when I want to look at a map I want to see the map, not loads of letters etc all over it

what I thought u where suggesting is that when you are over a grid square, in like the top right of the minimap would be a small bit display what grid you where in.

[Desertfox]

Rhino']interesting idea, not sure if its possible since the grids is just a overlay image.

If understand him correctly, cant you just render the minimap then open it up in photoshop and make one square like:

[Rhino]

still too much clutter IMO, and if you make the text too small then you wont be able to read it.

[ZanderArch]

Rhino']what I thought u where suggesting is that when you are over a grid square, in like the top right of the minimap would be a small bit display what grid you where in.

That doesn't sound like a bad idea.

But if the map is edited correctly, it shouldn't clutter it up very much. The right colour, a good font, and it could make the map easier to read.

I'm not sure, but I could possibly edit the client ingamemap.dds myself and test it out, since the Hud/Minimap folder doesn't exist in the Server.zip, then shouldn't I be able to replace the image with anything, as long as it is the same size, and play normally, without a "Your files differ from the server's"?

[Rhino]

the grid is not on the ingamemap.dds file, its on a HUD overlay image that is put on ever minimap, for every map, so you cant change it for each map.

[Outlawz7]

Whats the file name and folder location?

[ZanderArch]

Rhino']the grid is not on the ingamemap.dds file, its on a HUD overlay image that is put on ever minimap, for every map, so you cant change it for each map.

I wasn't going to edit the GUI image, I was going to "copy and paste" the grid lines (Get a screen shot in game with the Spawn Menu Open) to the ingamemap.dds and test it out, seeing the lines on my GPS/Compass and in the Spawn Menu / Squad Map, just see the GUI lines on top of the lines I edited in.

Starting from EA Games/Battlefield 2/Mods/<SelectMod>/Levels/<Selectmap>/Client.Zip/Hud/Minimap/ingameMap.dds

[Long Bow]

I like the idea of the tactical map having the designations like B-6 and I like the idea of the mini map having the info (though the mini map idea does fell a little gamey). If the text scalled with the zoom it shouldn't be to much of a problem visually. That way for a more moderate to close zoom the text reduce in size with each zoom level.

[l|Bubba|l]

I wasn't going to edit the GUI image, I was going to "copy and paste" the grid lines (Get a screen shot in game with the Spawn Menu Open) to the ingamemap.dds and test it out, seeing the lines on my GPS/Compass and in the Spawn Menu / Squad Map, just see the GUI lines on top of the lines I edited in.

Starting from EA Games/Battlefield 2/Mods/<SelectMod>/Levels/<Selectmap>/Client.Zip/Hud/Minimap/ingameMap.dds

Like this?

[{GD}Ghost]

That is just about perfect, Bubba.

This could be very useful information to have on the fly instead of having to pull up our maps to relay our position and risk being blown to kingdom come.

[Dunehunter]

Maybe put the grid on the map itself, but not the co-ordinates? Should save on the clutter, but still allow fast counters to do something.

[AnRK]

I dunno that is pretty awesome.

Did someone say something about the possibility of displaying what coordinate your in by the minimap?