Please forgive my lack of expierance when I ask this but how would I make a map that is always accesable by the player, but that is incomplete. I wan't the map to show only the rooms that the player has visited. Thanks for the help.

Dr. Froth

Create a small program which you launch (giving the room numbers as parameters/etc) and this shows the correct rooms.

... Or you could write it in ASL - not sure how this would work exactly..

I've got a small idea in my head which I'll write down and test out, but I'm still not 100% on this.. Would prefer to do it in a small program myself - much easier.

Interesting question and thanks for using a keyword in the Post Subject.

I would just use a picture for the map but that would be static and doesn't work in multiplayer games yet.

Another idea: using a string array in the Status Variable pane of the player window. That would take some coding tho and right now I'm rationalizing that making maps is part of the player experience.

Yeah - the only *real* maps in quest qould either be ascii - but it'd have to be a bit small because you can't be sure of the player's quest window size!

You would find string arrays quite hard as you'd have to have loads of different arrays that hide or show rooms.

I suggest using a combination of string arrays to hold just one room at a time - then 'piece' these together in a map, that can hold room numbers/names and put them onto the map on-the-fly.

It would be easier to just show the 4 rooms surrounding you - or possibly a bit more.

...Actually, an idea just came to mind...
A big blank 'map' is generated (a certain string array full of blank's).
This should be made up of 'cells' I think.
When you enter a room, the room name is searched out - and at index 0 of that array, contains information on where the room goes (or in a room property).
The array replaces the cells (blank spaces) in the original 'map'. (Blank spaces may not be blank - possibly X or _ or something).
Now when you call the map, it localises the display area around the current room, and gives the output.

(Oh, this 'idea' has been re-written about 5 times to become something work workable and half-way reasonable to implement - could probably use another couple of revisions).

Would be easy to display with cells - just pick the cells to display and they're up.
Would be easy to set-up with cells - just pick a cell and put a rom in there.

Would be difficult for multi-cell rooms unless you allow user to edit cell's directly.
Would be difficult to display 'correctly', this depends on font-type, width, also with user changing room cell's it'll be hard to line up other parts.

This of course is way over the top for any newbie to comprehend..
So they would have to setup an ascii map, send it to someone else, get them to turn it into ASL code (library) and then that would allow them to use it.

A map library (to hold multiple maps for different area's, choosing the area's, displaying, setting the cells etc) would be quite complex IMO.

Holy crap. Yes that is very much over my head, and so I think my great map idea is going to have to wait until later. It looks like my eyes were bigger than my brain. Thanks so much for the help anyway guys.

I'll look into this as well, maybe me and tron can work something out?