New App being developed - Interactive maps for *every* Odyssey settlement type

[Quizengine]

Hello Commanders.

I am developing this app and am at a point where I can share a preview to garner feedback and levels of interest.

There are currently only 2 working maps, but the rest of the app is 'feature complete' (at least for version 1) and so I think you can get a good idea how a version with a complete set of maps will look.

You can see the preview at https://www.quizengine.co.uk/odyssey_helper/ody_settlements_preview_01.003.html

I have asked for (a tiny bit of) Frontier's help to speed development, but have yet to hear back if they are able to share the info that will help me.

Looking forward to your feedback, comments and questions.

CMDR Quizengine

 

[Lordsetesh1985]

This will be helpful.

 

[Frop]

Nice, but quite ambitious given that one settlement layout can have multiple arrangements. For instance, a small industrial settlement could have the alarms panel in the HAB, PWR or IND-building. The same often goes for data panels which can be in multiple locations per building. And of course my favourite outlier, large industrial settlements with two settlement alarm panels.

Anyway, I also liked the "easy level 3 access" tip you had in there. Once you've got all the layouts in there be sure to update the thread, wouldn't mind sharing a few of those if needed.

 

[Quizengine]

Nice, but quite ambitious given that one settlement layout can have multiple arrangements. For instance, a small industrial settlement could have the alarms panel in the HAB, PWR or IND-building. The same often goes for data panels which can be in multiple locations per building. And of course my favourite outlier, large industrial settlements with two settlement alarm panels.

Anyway, I also liked the "easy level 3 access" tip you had in there. Once you've got all the layouts in there be sure to update the thread, wouldn't mind sharing a few of those if needed.

Thanks for the feedback. You're right that one danger is that there is randomisation in settlement layouts. Certainly the contents of lockers etc has that. But my experience in the last year with Odyssey has me believing that I have 'learned' some settlement layouts and that they don't vary. Yes, there are some that are similar but different, but my belief right now is that there are a fixed number of layouts, and the assets I am logging (terminals / dataports / doors etc) don't change between instances of each layout. I'm open minded though, and am ready to recognise if I am wrong.

 

[CMDR X]

I don't do the on-foot parts of Odyssey, but if I did, I would definitely find this as an excellent resource.
At least when starting out for the first time. Wish you success with it.

 

[Quizengine]

I don't do the on-foot parts of Odyssey, but if I did, I would definitely find this as an excellent resource.
At least when starting out for the first time. Wish you success with it.

Thanks for the good wishes

 

[Osbo89]

Looking forward to seeing this as a full app.

 

[Frop]

I'm open minded though, and am ready to recognise if I am wrong.

Some recognised the behaviour of the mission generator in another thread, but if you operate in the same systems, you get sent to the same settlements a lot while others get completely ignored. I also believe there's a fixed number of iterations per layout, but the chance I've seen all of them is probably quite slim.

 

[Quizengine]

Some recognised the behaviour of the mission generator in another thread, but if you operate in the same systems, you get sent to the same settlements a lot while others get completely ignored. I also believe there's a fixed number of iterations per layout, but the chance I've seen all of them is probably quite slim.

My hope is, that once I believe I have every layout variant in the app, that if commanders using the app discover errors / flaws in my assumptions, they'll report them to me, and I can integrate new info to evolve the app.

 

[Factabulous]

the assets I am logging (terminals / dataports / doors etc) don't change between instances of each layou

Data Ports do move even in the same layout (there are 28 settlement layouts as I'm sure you know). There is a tendency for all settlements in a system to share data port locations (not always), but they certainly differ between systems more than within. PWR ones are good examples - there are 5 locations (from memory) for the ports (and a maximum of 2 actually present). Plus ofc the High tech settlements with 2 SEC ports (which are probably a bigger issue for you - PWR ports are always in the PWR building, so at the resolution of your map the difference is not visible - but the SEC ports can also be in LAB buildings, which will be visible).

Might also be worth documenting the location of the 'cage' thing used for Protect missions. I believe this is fixed per layout.

Oh, and if you could come up with a naming convention for the layouts - we really lack that (e.g. there is one layout that had issues with switching off fires, but identifying it is a pain - "the one with the central street with habs on both sides and the bar at the end next to the PWR building" is quite long-winded Shame many have the same landing pad layout as that makes automatic recognition from journals problematic

Anyway, have fun!

 

[Disemboweled Ego]

I've thought about making something like this too, but it's a lot of effort.

Screenshots aren't super useful and ideally you'd eventually be able to make layered vector graphics floor plans for every settlement. (some of the larger hi tech/agri places are just a huge indoors maze with one exit)

• It'd be useful to have the buildings/areas laid out in the same way as they are on the terminal console (with icons)
• An overlay with the different areas (proc/lab/cmd etc) would be useful for quickly learning where the good loot lockers area.
• Potential medkit/energy cell spawn locations could be useful for larger settlements
• Atmosphere console locations and outside atmosphere panels could be useful for stealth and putting out fires during restore power missions.
• "Monster closet" locations where new enemies spawn in if the alarm is triggered could also be useful to have
• I think (based on interpreting patch notes) patrol routes and enemy spawns aren't random so with a major effort you could also try to document those.

There's also some combat zone specific stuff like dropship drop locations, potential capture point locations and defence emplacement locations.

Alarm console locations might not be random but might depend on the security level of the settlement - the same layout can spawn in different variations of security which affects the security level for doors.

 

[Quizengine]

Data Ports do move even in the same layout (there are 28 settlement layouts as I'm sure you know). There is a tendency for all settlements in a system to share data port locations (not always), but they certainly differ between systems more than within. PWR ones are good examples - there are 5 locations (from memory) for the ports (and a maximum of 2 actually present). Plus ofc the High tech settlements with 2 SEC ports (which are probably a bigger issue for you - PWR ports are always in the PWR building, so at the resolution of your map the difference is not visible - but the SEC ports can also be in LAB buildings, which will be visible).

Might also be worth documenting the location of the 'cage' thing used for Protect missions. I believe this is fixed per layout.

Oh, and if you could come up with a naming convention for the layouts - we really lack that (e.g. there is one layout that had issues with switching off fires, but identifying it is a pain - "the one with the central street with habs on both sides and the bar at the end next to the PWR building" is quite long-winded Shame many have the same landing pad layout as that makes automatic recognition from journals problematic

Anyway, have fun!

Thanks for the observations and suggestions. As I said in an earlier post, my experience suggests to me that these assets don't move, but I am prepared to accept that I'm mistaken. I need to do more research for sure (remember this is an early preview of the app) and I'll be watching the location of the dataports.

Interestingly your wordy description instantly gave me a mind's eye view of that Tourist settlement. For users of this app (when complete) could use the 'Tourist 6' layout or 'Agri 4' layout?

 

[Quizengine]

I've thought about making something like this too, but it's a lot of effort.

Screenshots aren't super useful and ideally you'd eventually be able to make layered vector graphics floor plans for every settlement. (some of the larger hi tech/agri places are just a huge indoors maze with one exit)

• It'd be useful to have the buildings/areas laid out in the same way as they are on the terminal console (with icons)
• An overlay with the different areas (proc/lab/cmd etc) would be useful for quickly learning where the good loot lockers area.
• Potential medkit/energy cell spawn locations could be useful for larger settlements
• Atmosphere console locations and outside atmosphere panels could be useful for stealth and putting out fires during restore power missions.
• "Monster closet" locations where new enemies spawn in if the alarm is triggered could also be useful to have
• I think (based on interpreting patch notes) patrol routes and enemy spawns aren't random so with a major effort you could also try to document those.

There's also some combat zone specific stuff like dropship drop locations, potential capture point locations and defence emplacement locations.

Alarm console locations might not be random but might depend on the security level of the settlement - the same layout can spawn in different variations of security which affects the security level for doors.

One of the options I am considering (though is not in the layout in this preview) is a 'wireframe' view. I think (at least for some people) that form of a map would be easier to read. I want to get a version 1 of the app out as soon as I can, so this may be a v2/v3 etc feature, but I think it's on the cards at some point.

Thanks for your other suggestions (I can see an 'M' in a spooky font for the monster closet). All good ideas, but again I want to bake the 'essential' version first, then look to add extra features over time. Thanks for feeding back. Much appreciated

 

[zombieapocalypse]

Nice idea, will be cool and very useful if you pull it off.

But I feel that we should have settlement maps in-game. At the very least we should be able to view or download a map from the settlement terminal. And it would be useful to have some terrain detail on the HUD mini-map/scanner, or at least give us some indication of whether POIs are above or below us. Running around trying to find the entrance or exit to a building is not exactly my idea of fun.

 

[Quizengine]

Nice idea, will be cool and very useful if you pull it off

Thanks. I intend to try.

 

[Factabulous]

As I said in an earlier post, my experience suggests to me that these assets don't move, but I am prepared to accept that I'm mistaken. I need to do more research for sure (remember this is an early preview of the app) and I'll be watching the location of the dataports.

Sounds good. If you are interested here are a few places with two SEC ports - I bet there are also examples of the same layouts in the same systems without a SEC2 as they are almost as rare as PWR2 ports (and far more useful!):

ER 8	Durno Pharmacology
Weywotya	Bauer Analytics Installation
HIP 9769	Wright's Analytics
Gnowee	Stelmah's Biological
Marogee	Varma Analytics Facility
LHS 3384	Doroshenko's Laboratory

 

[Quizengine]

Sounds good. If you are interested here are a few places with two SEC ports - I bet there are also examples of the same layouts in the same systems without a SEC2 as they are almost as rare as PWR2 ports (and far more useful!):

ER 8	Durno Pharmacology
Weywotya	Bauer Analytics Installation
HIP 9769	Wright's Analytics
Gnowee	Stelmah's Biological
Marogee	Varma Analytics Facility
LHS 3384	Doroshenko's Laboratory

Thanks. I will investigate.

 

[Frop]

Thanks for the observations and suggestions. As I said in an earlier post, my experience suggests to me that these assets don't move, but I am prepared to accept that I'm mistaken.

I was trying to brainstorm which assets actually have multiple locations, but the fact that a lot of the buildings and outdoor assets get recycled throughout the various layouts doesn't help. -.-

 

[Quizengine]

I was trying to brainstorm which assets actually have multiple locations, but the fact that a lot of the buildings and outdoor assets get recycled throughout the various layouts doesn't help. -.-

If you do manage to find two locations with identical layouts (of buildings etc) but have different locations of say, a dataport, that would be extremely helpful in disproving my belief, and have to rethink. Please let me know if you come across such a thing.

(I'm quite ok with the same BUILDING having different contents in different layouts. That still makes the layout unique to me)

 

[Frop]

If you do manage to find two locations with identical layouts (of buildings etc) but have different locations of say, a dataport, that would be extremely helpful in disproving my belief, and have to rethink. Please let me know if you come across such a thing.

I'm 99% sure of that and I think it even affects less interesting assets like power cell and medical cases, but I'll keep an eye out.