Map exits should be visually explicit so as not to punish exploration

[MundaneCocanut]

I started playing with 1.0. Overall I have enjoyed the game and appreciate the work you put into it. However, the map/area exits are a constant frustration in every phase - both for a beginner in the story content and later on in more advanced areas like Dungeons.

PROBLEM - VISUAL LOCATION OF TEXT LABEL
The text label floats way higher on the screen than the graphic representation of the exit. This means there are numerous locations (especially for a “north” exit) where the only way to bring the text label onto the screen is to move so close that you run right through the exit. This discourages new players from continuing, because early on you may have needed a lot of time and careful work to survive an area. You have a particular quest objective, and this exit may not be the one you need, but you can’t tell because you can’t see what it’s called. If you accidentally go through an exit before clearing it or its objectives, when you jump back the entire map has reset. And in places where this leads to a boss battle, you’re suddenly dumped into a scene without preparation.

PROBLEM - UNCLEAR EXIT BORDERS
The graphic representation of the exit (a door, cave tunnel, archway, etc.) is often just a cloud of mist. I appreciate the work that goes into the graphics and effects, but there is zero way to know where the threshold is for many exits. You’re basically walking through a dungeon and then hitting the event horizon of a black hole that sucks you in before you realize what’s happening. Which makes the next problem even worse…

PROBLEM - VERY LOOSE EXIT TRIGGERS
There are insufficient alert/confirmation features to trigger an exit.
Example: I was at Soulfire Bastion. I had loaded up a bunch of Observatory Prophecies on completing the dungeon and killing the Fire Lich. I was at a level where I had a good chance of defeating him, but not so high that I could just stand still and bash away. I got him down far enough that I could use my biggest attack that should auto-kill below a certain HP but it uses a lot of Mana. I cast the attack and run sideways away from him so I can regen Mana in case he survives. Well… he died at the precise instant I was running sideways, and the space I occupied instantaneously became the exit. I had one fraction of a second to see the screen fill up with all the bright gold unique/Legendary/special drops I’d earned, and then BAM I’m outside looking at the Soul Gambler, and a dozen hours of carefully built Observatory leveling and Favor farming to load up a big score… gone. Completely gone. All because the game map changed states right out from underneath me.

SUGGESTION
No, I don’t think you need some irritating “Are you sure” popup confirmation for every doorway; that would diminish the player immersion and the fantasy theme. But how about if you could fix all of the above with one change?
1) Move the text label to the graphical center of an exit, and make it clickable, just like loot.

We already have to click to pick up weapons, items, shards, and to activate shrines. If the text label is in the actual exit it applies to, then people simply move their mouse onto the words and click them just like they would loot. No guesswork about where the event horizon is. No accidentally running out when being chased – but also no popup stopping you from escaping if you WANT to get out quickly. You can still leave the visual/audible effect where the exit area lights up and the little /whsssh/ shimmer sound let the player know they’ve entered a doorway area. But it’s the click that triggers the action.

[rocdog]

Again with the playing victim. The game isn’t punishing you. It’s, perhaps, not rewarding you in the way you believe yourself entitled.

If they tell you where the exit is, you’re not really “exploring” are you? Exploration is its own reward. Before you didn’t know what was there, and once you’ve done your exploring, you do.

[T3SH]

Being catapulted out of an area without having decided is clearly a flaw.
A click as a sign of agreement is a tried and tested solution to avoid misunderstandings.
Please stop having this hostile attitude towards anyone who makes half a criticism to the game.

[rocdog]

Oh I have plenty of criticisms of both the game and EHG, but they concern the execution of the design rather than the design itself. The exit thing has nothing to do with “exploration”.

[MundaneCocanut]

Again with the playing victim. The game isn’t punishing you. It’s, perhaps, not rewarding you in the way you believe yourself entitled.

If they tell you where the exit is, you’re not really “exploring” are you? Exploration is its own reward. Before you didn’t know what was there, and once you’ve done your exploring, you do.

Where in the world did I “play victim”? I expressed appreciation for the game, their regard for graphics, for thematic use of exits, etc. I clearly laid out that there are some significant disadvantages to the current set of choices in certain use cases, and I suggested a constructive alternative which could mitigate those cases.

Coding is hard. Design is even harder. I understand there is no perfect UI/UX for 300,000 people and their millions of use cases. Nowhere did I say the choice was dumb, or uncaring, nor did I cast any aspersions on the development team. You might well have a different set of tradeoffs you prefer, and that is perfectly fine with me.

In this case, I even agreed with your point about “exploring” already, when I directly acknowledged that I understood why they wouldn’t have wanted the label text to be in the middle of an exit. Because of course in a real cave tunnel there wouldn’t be words saying “This Way To Your Quest” floating disembodied in the middle. I understand that completely. But if that is the design consideration, then consider the fact that another thing which wouldn’t happen in a real cave tunnel is, you wouldn’t exit, immediately step back inside, and find that all the monsters you killed are suddenly alive again, and the map in your pocket that you sketched as you walked through has suddenly become an empty piece of paper in 0.05 seconds.

My suggestion is simple and sincere. If they don’t feel the tradeoff for this kind of feature is worth it, it’s their game to design as they wish, and I hope it succeeds and grows within that design paradigm.

There’s no value-add in being so unconstructive with your response.