height map

[Enrique el Navegante]

Hi.

 

I am a professional land surveyor and I would like to make an accurate map of the NA open world, including altimetry (and maybe bathymetry).

 

Does anyone know the system used for terraforming in the game?.

 

Are there a heightmap of the open world that i can use?.

 

I think "real" navigation is the point that makes this game different of any other. Maybe the developement team will improve the map by adding some tools like a pen, a ruler, a drawing compass, a bearing compass, etc to allow us navigate as it would be.

 

 

[ulysse77]

yeah the tools you mentionned were requested for a while, They said many times that you will never be able to automatically tell you position on the map, but they seem somewhat open to tools to plot your course

 

in the meantime you can use http://burningsail.com/

 

as for the reference map for heightmap, sorry I don`t have the info.

[ObiQuiet]

http://navalaction.wikia.com/wiki/Maps_and_Navigation_Tools

[Prater]

You can do a rudimentary form of bathymetry, but it is a very long, tedious, and manual process.  I can message you how.  But be aware, the sea floor is mostly flat.  Bathymetry is only useful in measuring shallows, deep water channels, and shoals that stop even shallow water ships.  On my map (TDA map), you can see where I have marked in places Shoals/Hidden Reef, etc, when I have come across them.  Such as the shoals off Honduras that at least used to be there, that wasn't passable by any ship.

 

Altimetry isn't possible as far as I know, but I'm not a surveyor, and maybe you can come up with a way.

 

We have two actual in game landmass maps in Naval Action.

 

Siegfried's map

TDA map

These were hand made very meticulously by taking thousands of surveys of the land masses in game.  They took hundreds of hours to complete.  Prior to them, we only had the standard modern maps (such as google maps) we could use.  I'm not sure about Siegfried's map, but I know inaccuracies have crept into mine because throughout the making of it, Game Labs was constantly changing the land masses.

[Pigafetta]

I do not think it is possible to have bathymetric charts in our OP. It seems that we all are sailing over a few feet of water Did you try to unlock the camera and go under water?

[Prater]

However, there are different depths. The depth between shallow and deep and not accessible at all is shown.

[Enrique el Navegante]

Bathymetry is not very useful but altimetry, i think is essential

[Siegfried]

My map have some inconsistences too. Some I know it others not. Even the newest ports added are placed using only the ingame map as reference, I was not in good mood for another trip arround the world.

 

I noted some graphical improvements in "that shallows even shallow ships can't pass" in the form of coral.

 

I noted too in some places now there is not see floor anymore, only infinite empty space. Strange. As an example you can check the floor around Sancho Pardo shoals between Cuba and Yucatan.

 

P.S. Shrouded Recluse from english faction has a map as ours too.

[Prater]

Bathymetry is not very useful but altimetry, i think is essential

 

Why would the heights of the islands be essential, but not the depth of the water?

[Siegfried]

Coast recognition comparing the skyline.

 

It was the next thing to add my map, but I was not in good mood for other trip around the world.

[Enrique el Navegante]

Why would the heights of the islands be essential, but not the depth of the water?

Because i guess the NA sea deeps are flat and shallows are flat too but les deep

[Prater]

Because i guess the NA sea deeps are flat and shallows are flat too but les deep

There are like 3 or 4 maybe 5 levels of shallows, true, but their locations are vitally important. It can mean the difference between sunk and escaped, arrived on time with a flag or not, or being able to get to a shallow port through the deep water channel or not.

[Pigafetta]

It looks really nice Shrouded I am sure your clan will appreciate your efforts. I think that bathymetric lines will be useful in this map even if they are used as a delimitation of a shallow area.

[Enrique el Navegante]

great job

[Pigafetta]

Well... some news: we have a bottomless ocean now

I went under water to check how my new ship was fending the waters and I saw it...better I did not see it!!

So maybe in the future we can have a real bathymetric  map as an aide to navigation and planning? Will see.