The Ur-Quan Masters Home Page Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
December 07, 2024, 10:03:41 pm
Home Help Search Login Register
News: Celebrating 30 years of Star Control 2 - The Ur-Quan Masters

+  The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum
|-+  The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release
| |-+  General UQM Discussion (Moderator: Death 999)
| | |-+  Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2 Print
Author Topic: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?  (Read 4415 times)
The Orz are creepy
Zebranky food
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 14



View Profile
Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« on: May 10, 2010, 09:56:09 pm »

I played this game like two years ago so I´m not really sure about this.

First, is this map http://www.star-control.com/sc2/images/sc2_color_map.jpg an official map that perhaps came with  SC2 or just some fan made map?

I remember there was a hint (given by the VUX guy perhaps) for a item that mentioned a snake/serpent (or some other creature)  and I recall I couldn´t find an answer for it so I googled the location of the item.

After I found this map the hints made more sense as the constellation looks sort of like the animal mentioned.

So, if this really is an official map (or if at least there was some sort of official map), shouldn´t UQM mention to the player that you can "better enjoy " the game if you have this map?


Well, if there wasn´t any official map ( and I was supposed to find the item without it anyways) then I guess my thread doesn´t make much sense.
Logged
SweetSassyMolassy
*Smell* controller
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 271



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2010, 10:52:54 pm »

I recall that the map you posted a link to was included in the original 3DO copy my family owns. Admiral Zex's hint would probably be the only thing the map would be really that useful for though. I don't recall any other part of the game depending on the acutal shape of the constellation.

Logged

I am not always understand about what you speak, unfortunately.
Vee-R
*Many bubbles*
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 176



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2010, 10:54:56 pm »

Yes, that was the official map that came with Star Control 2.

Perhaps an equivalent map could be added to the UQM manual.  Constellation shapes may not matter other than for Zex's hint, but the spheres of influence (both known and unknown races) could be helpful for new players.
Logged

"Space cannot be measured. It cannot be angered, it cannot be placated. It cannot be summed up. Space is there.
"Space is not large and it is not small. It does not live and it does not die. It does not offer truth and neither does it lie.
"Space is a remorseless, senseless, impersonal fact."
Alvarin
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 801



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2010, 11:44:49 pm »

The spheres of influence, as known by Alliance, are also pretty much the only way to know where to repeat Umgah prank.
Logged
Vee-R
*Many bubbles*
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 176



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2010, 01:05:34 am »

The spheres of influence, as known by Alliance, are also pretty much the only way to know where to repeat Umgah prank.

The intended victims themselves volunteer this information to you after you bug them enough, if I remember correctly
Logged

"Space cannot be measured. It cannot be angered, it cannot be placated. It cannot be summed up. Space is there.
"Space is not large and it is not small. It does not live and it does not die. It does not offer truth and neither does it lie.
"Space is a remorseless, senseless, impersonal fact."
Alvarin
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 801



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2010, 03:18:37 am »

You have to combine the two - the victims give reference, but you have to have the map to see which part of the sky the reference fit.

EDIT - I've checked the DIFF directory and indeed they give the coordinates set, so yes, no need for map for that.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2010, 03:29:11 am by Alvarin » Logged
The Orz are creepy
Zebranky food
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 14



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2010, 03:50:22 am »

For the sake of completeness I think UQM should mention (in the readme or the manual) that the original came with this map and that it might be useful for completing the quests. That way new players would be aware of this and google for the original SC2 map before playing.
Logged
SuddenDeath
Frungy champion
**
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 96


from Sunstrike's image pack


View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2010, 12:20:24 pm »

Perhaps new versions of UQM might have the map file included?
Logged
Draxas
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1044



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2010, 03:52:05 pm »

The problem is, of course, that the map contains major spoilers for those who are averse to such things. With the exception of the accidentally omitted dialog from the 3D0 version, you don't technically NEED the map to play at all. The hints given in-game sufficient to solve every quest without ever needing to consult it (though some of the means of acquiring those hints may be a bit obscure; ZEX's beast stands out in particular).
Logged
Death 999
Global Moderator
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 3874


We did. You did. Yes we can. No.


View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2010, 05:02:53 pm »

That isn't spoilage, it's the information Zelnick actually had at the time corresponding to the beginning of the game. Not having it is inaccurate.
Logged
The Orz are creepy
Zebranky food
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 14



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2010, 05:24:10 pm »

The problem is, of course, that the map contains major spoilers for those who are averse to such things. With the exception of the accidentally omitted dialog from the 3D0 version, you don't technically NEED the map to play at all. The hints given in-game sufficient to solve every quest without ever needing to consult it (though some of the means of acquiring those hints may be a bit obscure; ZEX's beast stands out in particular).

What is it that you think is spoilage? The spheres of influence?

It´s been a while I played the game so I don´t remember what Zelnick could know at the beginning of the game.
Logged
Novus
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1938


Fot or not?


View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2010, 07:31:57 pm »

Zelnick is assumed to have access to Star Control maps from the time when the Burton-Farnsworth expedition to Vela left Earth (in 2134); the Vela 2 colony has been isolated since then. The map supplied with SC2 says it's from 2133. The manual (at least for the PC version) has more spoilers.

Incidentally, the UQM project has a map generator that produces maps that look something like this.
Logged

RTFM = Read the fine manual.
RTTFAQ = Read the Ur-Quan Masters Technical FAQ.
Steve-O
*Many bubbles*
***
Offline Offline

Posts: 127



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2010, 03:13:31 pm »

As I recall, the official map was included with the PC version of SC2 as a form of copyright protection.  The game would ask you to name a star of a given colour at a given set of coordinates before launching, and you needed that map to look up which star it was asking for.  The spheres of influence aren't a huge spoiler IMHO, being several years out of date as of the start of the game.  Besides, knowing where the big bad Ur-Quan are, roughly, is a big help in not getting swamped by hyperspace encounters before you're ready to fight them.

Having said that, the 3do version wouldn't really need the copyright protection as a console game, so the map was probably included there as a courtesy more than anything else.  The VUX hint about a serpent constellation can be solved if you look at the hyperspace map in game and seek out a constellation that looks snake-like.  I mean, unless you really need someone else to connect  the dots for you, it isn't that hard. =P

The missing dialogue is a bigger issue, but I think most people would go online before looking at a jpg map outside the game anyway, in this day and age, so no, I wouldn't say the map is needed to play UQM, even if it is your first time.  Helpful, yes, needed, no.
Logged
Novus
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1938


Fot or not?


View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2010, 03:24:26 pm »

The missing dialogue is a bigger issue, but I think most people would go online before looking at a jpg map outside the game anyway, in this day and age
This suggests another option: allow the player to toggle the in-game map between "2133" and "current" modes (differing only in the spheres of influence shown).
Logged

RTFM = Read the fine manual.
RTTFAQ = Read the Ur-Quan Masters Technical FAQ.
Draxas
Enlightened
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1044



View Profile
Re: Shouldn´t the game warn you that you might need the map that came with SC2?
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2010, 05:52:36 pm »

What is it that you think is spoilage? The spheres of influence?

Specifically the ones labeled "Unknown," which are big hints on finding races that you shouldn't even know exist.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!