As many people have already said, while the map art is quite pretty, the usability is awful. Why so much click-dragging? Not being able to fit the whole of a quite small map in the box on a desktop screen is a bizarre design choice, as is the highly counter-intuitive need to zoom IN to make some of the top level locations visible.
I hope this gets revised soon. For now, I won’t be playing.
ETA: I finally found compatibility mode, which makes it load quicker and gets rid of the tedious clicking in and out of zones. That makes it just about usable for me, so at least I don’t feel like I’m wasting the rest of this month’s sub. The click and drag scrolling is still really, really annoying though. There’s no need for it on a desktop. I’ve seen the map picture, it’s lovely, but I just want to play the game! edited by Grouchybeast on 3/7/2020
I have to echo everyone’s complaints about the usability of the map, which is really atrocious! No monitor is large enough for the map to display fully once zoomed in, and zooming in is necessary to be able to see all of my options at once.
On the bright side, I can report that selecting compatibility mode on my account appears to carry through regardless of browser or computer, and has finally enabled me to actually be able to play again on my old home computer, which crashed my game on all browsers since the new map was introduced, and almost made me give up FL entirely. So that’s good, I guess! On the other hand, it still crashes on mobile.
Also, I understand the visual appeal of having separate areas for e.g. Base Camp, The Medusa’s Head, The Crowds in Spite etc. but honestly, what was wrong with having them as links from storylets? Like this, it seems like they’re just filler for the map, especially when e.g. St Fiacre’s, the Orphanage, etc are on the map but inactive. I suppose we should hope more actions will be added at all those locations…? :)
To be perfectly honest, I liked the previous "flat" map and I think it fit the aesthetic of FL better, but I understand that aesthetic has been changing, with the new character art etc. Personally I’m a bit ambivalent about this overall look, but it’s undeniable that the map looks great! More important than how decorative it looks though is being able to use it – function overrides form in here, and in maps as a general category of items! edited by theonie on 3/7/2020 edited by theonie on 3/8/2020 edited by theonie on 3/8/2020
I think it’s prudent to use the map for a reasonable amount of time before providing feedback. I think there’s often a knee-jerk reaction to any change for the sake of change.
I was part of the map beta. Beside curiosity, my interest in partaking was that I use a relatively old computer myself (~ 5 yrs or so) and I was a bit afraid they might introduce something that would make the game unplayable for me. For reference, I could never get Sunless Skies to run properly on this machine.
After the very first day of beta, when everything was very jerky and lagging, they made a few changes and I haven’t had any issues with the map whatsoever since that day. None at all. I’m sad to see so many people still having problems but hey, it’s only been a few days since public release. This is not unexpected and I’m sure most of these issues can be untangled over time.
Please do send detailed feedback to Failbetter, they’re very good at working things out but they do need to know which machines/systems are experiencing which issues exactly. Venting on the forums is probably not gonna solve any problem. ;)
One thing I’d like to add: on some browsers, ad-blockers will cause problems with the map. Try deactivating your ad-blocker for fallenlondon.com (you don’t need it there anyway) and see if that improves performance. edited by phryne on 3/8/2020
Just echoing what has already been said: looks great, but it really is not player-friendly at all. I, personally, would pick one less click over aesthetics, and right now, I need to make way more clicks than I’d like to.
Thank you for all of those who pointed out there is a compatibility mode (and where it can be found). I would have been really unhappy if I did not get to play FL on my phone anymore.
Also, did Veilgarden’s description always include the slur "prostitutes" or is it a recent addition? I don’t remeber it from before (or having met it anywhere in the game, really), but in either case, it is a regrettable word choice.
I like it! It took me a little while to get used to having to click twice to travel, but it balances out with having to click or scroll less to get to particular options or sub-locations. The only thing I’m getting caught on is that it takes a second for the map to disappear after travelling, which I always spend thinking I’ve done something wrong.
[quote=Desirée]Just echoing what has already been said: looks great, but it really is not player-friendly at all. I, personally, would pick one less click over aesthetics, and right now, I need to make way more clicks than I’d like to.
Thank you for all of those who pointed out there is a compatibility mode (and where it can be found). I would have been really unhappy if I did not get to play FL on my phone anymore.
Also, did Veilgarden’s description always include the slur "prostitutes" or is it a recent addition? I don’t remeber it from before (or having met it anywhere in the game, really), but in either case, it is a regrettable word choice.[/quote]
Yup, it always included the word "prostitutes". And, I’m pretty sure that that word is not a slur. The word "whore" I’m pretty sure also isn’t a slur, but not generally for polite company.
Sex Workers is usually seen as a neutral expression of it. Escorts? That can be more questionable since not all Escorts do sex work themselves. Whether the words are slurs or not (the w-word I would call one, the former is more complicated. It bothers me less but I am not doing any sex work at this writing so not the best person to ask) I guess it depends on how vulgar you want to be? I mean “Women of the Night” might be a euphemistic compromise.
Safest bet would probably be to remove the reference to sex work altogether - it’s not like it’s central to the plot - and describe Veilgarden in other terms.
I would not necessarily object to it, but (largely thanks to Jack the Ripper) sex work is definitely associated with Victorian London. I think removing any reference would lose some of the color but also wind up erasing workers. Which would be no mortal sin, just…make it more dull. I (again, not a SW so my word should not be final) would rather see the word Prostitutes left in than removed completely.
I’m all for including sex work-related content, but the context - a throwaway line about how “low” a given district is - is a mite disrespectful and generally overly stuffy.
With the University, zooming in on it lifts away the building and reveals a travel link for your Lab…and maybe also a travel link to Professor Denuntiatus edited by Deathjack999 on 3/9/2020
[quote=Deathjack999]You know what I would like to see?
With the University, zooming in on it lifts away the building and reveals a travel link for your Lab…and maybe also a travel link to Professor Denuntiatus edited by Deathjack999 on 3/9/2020[/quote]
[quote=Professor Wensleydale of Hardwick][quote=Deathjack999]You know what I would like to see?
With the University, zooming in on it lifts away the building and reveals a travel link for your Lab…and maybe also a travel link to Professor Denuntiatus edited by Deathjack999 on 3/9/2020[/quote]
Sounds reasonable.[/quote]
In fact it’s more reasonable than wasting two actions leaving the the lab to buy something at the Bazaar, and then coming back in.
[quote=Deathjack999][quote=Professor Wensleydale of Hardwick][quote=Deathjack999]You know what I would like to see?
With the University, zooming in on it lifts away the building and reveals a travel link for your Lab…and maybe also a travel link to Professor Denuntiatus[/quote]
Sounds reasonable.[/quote]
In fact it’s more reasonable than wasting two actions leaving the the lab to buy something at the Bazaar, and then coming back in.[/quote]
Given the lab is an even better Flash Lay deck reset, being able to go there directly would be… rather broken. Direct travel with an action cost, a la Doubt Street or the Foreign Office, would be quite nice though!