Guide: How to get around in Xsyon

[willbonney]

Howdy all,

Willbonney here offering a little more help and advice.

So, you got lost eh? Can't find your way around? Stuck in the woods and don't know where north is? Well, here we go:

Xsyon is laid out in a huge "grid." The grids are pretty easy to figure out once you get used to 'em, but rough when you are still new. Every "Zone" is one big 1020 x 1020 square. The Postion (pos) in game are the 3 numbers after your Zone number. They are laid out as being your east/west position, north/south postion, and finally your altitude.

Now, for East/West, the 0 point in the zone you are in is your most West position. This means of course 1020 is your most East position in that zone.

For North/South, the 0 point is the most Southern position in that zone, and 1020 is the most North position in that zone.

As for zones, they are laid next to each other, but again can be funny. As you go West to East, zone numbers go up. For instance, If I'm in zone 979, and I go east (making that first number go up), I will eventually run into zone 980.
For zones North and South though, zone numbers change by 40. So, if I'm again in zone 979, and I go north instead (making that second number go up), I'll eventually end up in zone 1019.

So, an example.

Charles: "I gotta a bear chasing me!!! Hells no, I need to get back to my camp and hide in my tent. Oh noes!!!" Well, good ole' Chuck here is at position 500/500 520 in zone 936. But my damn camp is at 800/200 in zone 978.
So, let's see if we can help Charles figure out his way home. He's in 936, but has to get to 978. Well, knowing now that zones change by 40, if he went north, he'd be in 976. That's a lot closer to home right? So, Charles needs to make that second number (500) go up till it gets all the way to 1020, and then he'll enter zone 976. He's not quite done yet though. And that bear sure is getting closer. Now he's in 976, needs to get to 978, so he needs to head east (make that first number go up), and he'll eventually hit 977. If he continues, he'll hit 978. Then all he needs is to go north/south or east/west a bit, to make his positions match 800/200. Going east to raise the first number (or west to lower it), and going north to raise the 2nd number (or south to lower it).

Well all, I sure hope Charles got home safe. And am hoping to see ya'll in game and not get asked this question no more. If it's still confusing, or you need me to get out the Gerber's baby formula some more, give me a holler.

[GuideMihr]

Hey Willbon!

That guide is also stunishing :)

thank you ...(one more time L)OL

[Jadzia]

Gotta love your style, willbonney :D

Thanks for the hard work you put into writing these guides, they are very helpful to the newcomers.

[Kyleran]

Will's guide will make even more sense if you have this map at your side while reading it.

http://www.xsyonwiki.net/wiki/Map

[Saintbob]

Will's guide will make even more sense if you have this map at your side while reading it.

http://wiki.xsyon.dreamhosters.com/wiki/Map

agreed

[willbonney]

Hehe, that map was taken down, or not working, for like a week. Glad to see it's back up, is a very usefull tool.

[Saintbob]

Will's guide will make even more sense if you have this map at your side while reading it.

http://wiki.xsyon.dreamhosters.com/wiki/Map

I think what would be a good idea, is to wipe this map clean, in terms of terrain.
keep the grid, but then turn it into a usable map, with Points of interest, and also Junk piles etc

[willbonney]

a lot of work that...was actually going to work on a "political" map of sorts for live, that people can submit modifications based on their "claims." Will look good when I"m done, but am hoping that cartography gets added to game, then it won't matter.

[Saintbob]

a lot of work that...was actually going to work on a "political" map of sorts for live, that people can submit modifications based on their "claims." Will look good when I"m done, but am hoping that cartography gets added to game, then it won't matter.

If the skills list on the Wikki is anything to go by, then it should be added in the future.
And some other interesting skills to which look really really good.
If they get added ill be mighty happy :D Gimme Boat crafting :D

[tredo]

Great map, not sure who come up with it, but best I have seen in almost a year. A working map with political influence, points of interest, trade routes, trading posts, and eventually mines, farms, towns... the list is endless, would be a great addition, after launch.

[MoonDragn]

Not criticizing your navigation skills Will, but wouldn't the person running from the bear have gotten home faster if he simply run NE?

[yoori]

Heh, yes he would, but we all know that running from bear in a straight line is a suicide :P

[willbonney]

rofl, yes, yes he would have. But Charles is a newb, so didn't want him getting lost.

[MoonDragn]

Heh, yes he would, but we all know that running from bear in a straight line is a suicide :P

That's a simple fix, just bring along a newbie who runs slower than you do.

[Cunk]

This will be useful up until release when the coordinates are removed from the UI. Unless he's decided not to do that but that would surprise me.

[Risk]

Chunk, dont scare people...
You know full well...to remove cords when there's no compass available in game would kill it.
Jook would never FUBAR the new players that much, that 101 how to lose payin clients.

[willbonney]

From what I've heard, he's decided to leave them in until they have a suitable alternative.

[Kyleran]

I think the coordinates are going to have to stay unless they plan to let players post permanent sign posts in the world and mark it in other ways as was done in the real world long ago.

There are many ways we used to get around, from paths, roads, signs, compasses, maps (yes, maps existed before air travel), reading wood signs etc. It would be hard to put all those mechanics into the game and without them it will be almost unnavigatable.

Before I found the above map it was really annoying having no map to navigate by, and I agree, it would be much more useful if it had major points of interest on it.

[willbonney]

I think the coordinates are going to have to stay unless they plan to let players post permanent sign posts in the world and mark it in other ways as was done in the real world long ago.

There are many ways we used to get around, from paths, roads, signs, compasses, maps (yes, maps existed before air travel), reading wood signs etc. It would be hard to put all those mechanics into the game and without them it will be almost unnavigatable.

Before I found the above map it was really annoying having no map to navigate by, and I agree, it would be much more useful if it had major points of interest on it.

Signs from what I hear, are in the works. Also hearing the compass I posted is being considered, and that they like the "trading" maps idea, cartography skill, but we'll see.

[Otter]

Coordinates aren't too hard with some practice. While waiting for this wipe I went on a trek from 702 to 976 to learn to better use coordinates. I do really want signs though.

[skyrek]

If the skills list on the Wikki is anything to go by, then it should be added in the future.
And some other interesting skills to which look really really good.
If they get added ill be mighty happy :D Gimme Boat crafting :D

I'm with Saint Bob, crafting boats would be great!

[aliksteel]

If the skills list on the Wikki is anything to go by, then it should be added in the future.
And some other interesting skills to which look really really good.
If they get added ill be mighty happy :D Gimme Boat crafting :D


I'm with Saint Bob, crafting boats would be great!

From my blog (http://aliksteel.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/xsyon-qa-with-jooky-of-notorious-games/)
I did some Q&A with Jooky


14) Will we see boats in the game at some point? And if so, How big will you make them? Could a raiding party be able to be all in the same ship?

They are planned, but a ways off. We’ll start with small rafts and canoes and then barges large enough for a small raiding party (10-20 players). Anything larger will be saved for much later when the world expands beyond the current Prelude area (the Prelude area is 40×40 km, most of which is currently covered by the deadly green mist.

[skyrek]

Great, thanks for the information Aliksteel :)

I assumed it would be coming given the area is riddled with rivers and the lake.

[gremrod]

I had heard that the coordinates were only there for beta testing and they were going to be removed for release. Was I misinformed?

[vorg]

I was told in IRC this is false. System will stay at least until something better is ready to put in. It would be a big misstake to remove it.

[willbonney]

Coordinate system will stay until there is a new system that replaces it.

[gremrod]

Thanks for the reply guys!

[coca]

I'd like to see a compass of some sort.

[Chavoda]

I'd like to see a compass of some sort.


http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8774/compassq.jpg

[caldrin]

They really should just add a map in game.. i know im new here and its probally been discussed before but having to navigate using co-ords is not the msot fun in the world and esp when the game gets a lot bigger. So what people will end up donig is writing external map applications or just a picture of the map.. so why not just have a map in game or map skills in game and be done with it :)

But thanks to the OP for helping out some of us new guys your guides are really helpfull :)

[willbonney]

Why have an in-game map if no one knows how to make one? It's been suggested by myself, and a couple others now to make a "cartography" skill later on in the development of game, to allow the player to "make maps." Better maps, with increased size and detail could be made as the skill got higher. Then the maps could be traded in game, and who knows, maybe by "reading" hte map it would fill in some sot of player map generator deal, similar to in game maps of other games, but you'd have to "buy" it in sections and wouldn't have the map in an area till you bought it. Now that's something I'd like to see.

Maps aren't sandbox, now player generated and tradable maps, that's sandbox.

[caldrin]

Why have an in-game map if no one knows how to make one? It's been suggested by myself, and a couple others now to make a "cartography" skill later on in the development of game, to allow the player to "make maps." Better maps, with increased size and detail could be made as the skill got higher. Then the maps could be traded in game, and who knows, maybe by "reading" hte map it would fill in some sot of player map generator deal, similar to in game maps of other games, but you'd have to "buy" it in sections and wouldn't have the map in an area till you bought it. Now that's something I'd like to see.

Maps aren't sandbox, now player generated and tradable maps, that's sandbox.

yeah that idea is perfect for a sandbox game, they do need to put somthing in hopefully they have already decided to add the skill in :)

[Zarin]

Great guide

[Tandarie]

Very helpful thanks Will

[jagroq]

Why have an in-game map if no one knows how to make one? It's been suggested by myself, and a couple others now to make a "cartography" skill later on in the development of game, to allow the player to "make maps." Better maps, with increased size and detail could be made as the skill got higher. Then the maps could be traded in game, and who knows, maybe by "reading" hte map it would fill in some sot of player map generator deal, similar to in game maps of other games, but you'd have to "buy" it in sections and wouldn't have the map in an area till you bought it. Now that's something I'd like to see.

Maps aren't sandbox, now player generated and tradable maps, that's sandbox.

I would agree but acording to the lore this is the real world after some event. maps exist in the real world so it makes sense that one might be available to the citizens of this world. Now if it was a findable resource (salvage) but you don't start with, or if you have to develope a skill somehow to know your location on the map, or something along those lines, that would be a good balance between the game being user friendly and keeping the chalange.