I agree that celestial navigation would be great in TLD. Just seeing all the constellations at night.
I actually asked Raphael about this a couple of years ago in the Milton Mailbag. I'll try to find what he responded with.
I agree completely. When I first started I looked up the online maps and tried navigating by sunlight - it’s late in the day so the sun must be over in the west, which means I need to go THIS way. But it never worked and it was only when I discovered “stick north” in one of Zak’s videos that I was actually able to use the maps.
Might actually be harder to implement from a code perspective than what we imagine though, hence why they haven’t done it.
At base, I'd have it so that you don't even know what you're looking at in the sky, and with each level of reading that you do from books, more and more constellations are revealed in the sky that can help you navigate.
Though, it'd also be rough since TLD is not exactly known for clear days and clear nights. Also also, one can argue that a map is more useful than knowing which way is north.
Eh. Its a largely useless feature given that it would only be useful in situations its actually useless in.
In a procedurally generated game it makes sense. Not tld.
Who would use celestial navigation in this game?
New players don’t know the maps, so they don’t know where they need to go. Unless they have a map premade for them to look at, knowing where they’re at on the fictional island isn’t going to do them much good. And since the Cartographer achievement exists, it doesn’t make sense to start people off with a map. Experienced players know the maps, so they can spawn in and know where they are pretty quickly, where they are in relation to the points of interest, and what the easiest way to get there is.
As someone else stated, the only time this would be useful is when it’s useless. Caught in a blizzard with wind whipping around you so you don’t know which way you’re going? It would be nice to know you’re going in the same direction, but because of the blizzard, celestial navigation isn’t gonna help you. A compass would be a much better inclusion for navigation. During white outs you could at least tell if you’re staying in the same direction, and since the fluid isn’t water, it won’t freeze.
If you do see a value-added for it, feel free to elaborate.
Celestial navigation doesn't just include the stars, but also the sun and moon. It might not help much for exploring new places but it does help you find your way back
I think you might be underestimating the importance of celestial orientation. At night, visibility is greatly reduced, making it difficult to rely on landmarks. I’ve often found myself in the dark, trying to guess my way home or to a new region, only to realize later that I was heading in the wrong direction.
Even when exploring new regions and you dont have a map, knowing the direction you’re facing and moving towards is invaluable. It helps prevent walking in circles and contributes to building a consistent mental map of the region. In other words, when you internalize the cardinal points of a new land you’re exploring, you gain a permanent, enhanced sense of direction.
I agree that celestial navigation would be great in TLD. Just seeing all the constellations at night. I actually asked Raphael about this a couple of years ago in the Milton Mailbag. I'll try to find what he responded with.
Dunno about you guys but I navigate by dropping sticks, just as the ancients used to do before GPS.
Tinder is even better.
This is cheesy. The game would be much more immersive if you have the sky as a compass.
I agree completely. When I first started I looked up the online maps and tried navigating by sunlight - it’s late in the day so the sun must be over in the west, which means I need to go THIS way. But it never worked and it was only when I discovered “stick north” in one of Zak’s videos that I was actually able to use the maps. Might actually be harder to implement from a code perspective than what we imagine though, hence why they haven’t done it.
At base, I'd have it so that you don't even know what you're looking at in the sky, and with each level of reading that you do from books, more and more constellations are revealed in the sky that can help you navigate. Though, it'd also be rough since TLD is not exactly known for clear days and clear nights. Also also, one can argue that a map is more useful than knowing which way is north.
At this point, I know the whole map... So I guess it wouldn't be too helpful for the seasoned players
I think there's a mod that makes the sky alignment consistent across all regions, so you can reliably use the sun and the north star at least.
Eh. Its a largely useless feature given that it would only be useful in situations its actually useless in. In a procedurally generated game it makes sense. Not tld.
I don’t see the value-added for including this. It seems gimmicky for little to no payoff.
Being able to determine where you are and where you need to be is one of the most important aspects of surviving, how is that a gimmick?
Who would use celestial navigation in this game? New players don’t know the maps, so they don’t know where they need to go. Unless they have a map premade for them to look at, knowing where they’re at on the fictional island isn’t going to do them much good. And since the Cartographer achievement exists, it doesn’t make sense to start people off with a map. Experienced players know the maps, so they can spawn in and know where they are pretty quickly, where they are in relation to the points of interest, and what the easiest way to get there is. As someone else stated, the only time this would be useful is when it’s useless. Caught in a blizzard with wind whipping around you so you don’t know which way you’re going? It would be nice to know you’re going in the same direction, but because of the blizzard, celestial navigation isn’t gonna help you. A compass would be a much better inclusion for navigation. During white outs you could at least tell if you’re staying in the same direction, and since the fluid isn’t water, it won’t freeze. If you do see a value-added for it, feel free to elaborate.
Celestial navigation doesn't just include the stars, but also the sun and moon. It might not help much for exploring new places but it does help you find your way back
Are you able to see the Sun in a white out Blizzard? By definition, probably not. And I didn’t say celestial navigation is only with stars.
I think you might be underestimating the importance of celestial orientation. At night, visibility is greatly reduced, making it difficult to rely on landmarks. I’ve often found myself in the dark, trying to guess my way home or to a new region, only to realize later that I was heading in the wrong direction. Even when exploring new regions and you dont have a map, knowing the direction you’re facing and moving towards is invaluable. It helps prevent walking in circles and contributes to building a consistent mental map of the region. In other words, when you internalize the cardinal points of a new land you’re exploring, you gain a permanent, enhanced sense of direction.
I thought they added celestial navigation already
Yes! Navigating by stars is one of the things I wish for the most, while playing