I’m presenting this as a discussion because my knowledge of the technical side of this (server resources ect…) is limited.
Even on a PVE server with a small group of friends, the map seems too small. The creature population seems crowded and special locations are so close together that they cease to feel special when you encounter them.
On a PVP server, where weaker clans need to avoid stronger to build up their strength, the map feels so much smaller.
So lets imagine the map as between 9x to 16x its current size. First, I’m not talking of adding more features (though it would be nice) just more space. The desert would be an obstacle just for its size, The savanna would seem like an endless sea of grass. In addition, the waterways could be made large enough that water breathing potions might have a purpose.
Why so much larger? I imagine most of you have made a run from at or near the bottom of the map to the top. Consider how long that took you. Its a chore but not so long you couldn’t do it to join your friends in attacking an enemy. Now multiply that time by 3x to 4x. Even if I had a map room, that would make me wonder if its worth the trouble.
Not only would this make it more difficult for one clan to stop out all others on a PVP server, PVE servers would also benefit as sprawling foundation spam would have much less impact.
The extra room could also allow for some game play changes that simply aren’t possible with the current map. There could be far more smaller NPC encampments scattered about and when the inhabitants of one are wiped out, they could stay gone for much longer. The cities could be expanded and hardened, making them much more difficult to attack.
With a large enough map, space could be added to the outlying/ starter areas and designated as non combat areas. With this, a single server could give players a place to build their fancy palaces while requiring another fortress in the PVP area if they want to be close to the good resources.
Other ideas? Possible to implement or pipe dream?