New Treasure Map Designs

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    I couldn't help but notice the very large map carousel in the inventory screen, which tells me that Rare is probably planning to have players have access to many maps at once to choose which adventure they want to go on. With some maps having interesting mechanics to them ranging from riddles to sequential exploration. This is really cool, so I decided to come up with a few of my own that I think would be pretty cool and in line with the current map design themes.

    I aim for this thread to be similar in structure to my previous Chest Designs thread here.
    https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/26325/new-treasure-chest-designs
    I will be bringing up the best ideas from this thread into the main post the same way as the chest thread.

    First, a couple rules for the maps.
    Rule 1: All map names indicate some minor hint as to how to solve the map.
    Rule 2: Maps should not afflict the crew. Leave that to the cursed chests they lead to.

    Personally, I don't think maps should afflict the players, but maybe someone will prove me wrong with an interesting idea.

    Next, I've come up with four types for the map designs.
    Type 1 - Map can be solved by single player, and does not require any other resource aside from his brain.
    Type 2 - Map can only be solved by multiple crew members.
    Type 3 - Map requires special resource in order to solve.
    Type 4 - Map can only be solved by multiple crew members and requires special resource.

    Format:
    Map Name - Type # - Credit to author of map
    Description

    Now that the outlines are out of the way, here is what I came up with so far. Yes, some of these do draw a bit of inspiration from the chest thread.

    Pam Drawkcab - Type 1

    The map is inverted when compared to the table map. It is also written on the backside of a normal map. So when first looked at, it looks like the map has nothing on it. Until the player reverses the map in his hands to see the backside.

    Map of Health - Type 1

    This map can only be read with full health, so eat a banana! When not at full health, it is obscured with blood stains.

    Map of Comrades - Type 2

    This map can not be read by the person carrying it, it can only be read by other players that the carrier shows the map to. We have the feature in the game to show maps to other players, AND WE ARE GOING TO USE IT!

    Map of Grog - Type 3

    This map can only be read by players that are drunk. When sober, it just looks like a jumbled mess.

    Map of Sickness - Type 3

    This is a X marks the spot style map, but in order for the X to be revealed, the map must be vomited on. This can be done by a single player drinking, and then quickly pulling the map out while vomiting, or you can have a friend vomit on the map for you while you hold it infront of you. Just be sure to face the map toward the vomit. The X stays on the map after being vomited on once.

    Map of Waves - Type 3

    This map can only be read under water. Better find a pool of water.

    Map of Sun and Moon - Type 3

    This map is an X marks the spot style map. The island is revealed by holding the map up and facing it toward the sun. The X is revealed by holding the map up and facing it toward the moon. Once revealed, both stay visible.

    Map of Storms - Type 3

    This map can only be read revealed close to an epicenter of a storm. Once revealed, the map stays readable.
    Another idea I had was for this map to only be revealed once the carrying player is struck by lightning, but I don't know how the lightning works, that might be too much RNG to hope to be struck by lightning. Though the idea of a crew member running around the crows nest in the middle of a storm holding the map to the sky sounds helarious to me.

    Map of the Flame - Type 3 (Inspired By: @jack-littleshoe)

    This map can only be read when illuminated by flame such as a lantern or a campfire.

    Map of Heights - Type 3 (Inspired By: @jack-littleshoe)

    This map can only be read at a high altitude. This may be achieved by firing yourself vertically out of a cannon, or on several islands where significant altitude can be climbed to.

    Map of the Dread Navigator - Type 3 (Inspired By: @thecanisdirus and @Labarge28)

    Once this voyage is accepted, the riddle only reads "Follow the glow of the flame." The lantern slot in the inventory of the crew begins to pulse with a pale light until selected. Once the lantern is equipped, the pulsing stops, and the lantern will have a ghostly light inside of it and glow teal like the current ghosts in the game. When raised, it will shoot a beam of pale light in the direction of the island(Similar to the sword in Shadow of the Colossus). The beam is only active when the lantern is raised. Once on the island, the lanterns beams only function as a directional marker, not a marker of distance, so players will need to work together by spreading out and triangulating the location of the chest. The map can be solved by a solo player, it just requires more running around than normal to locate the chest.

    Map of Greed - Type 3 - (Inspired by: @Kittelsen )

    This is a riddle based map, but in order to read each tier of the riddle, you need to have a certain amount of gold on board your ship. Or sneak onto another ship that is loaded with loot. The steps are revealed at 500, 1000, and 1500 gold respectively. This map can be a handy way to detect treasure on enemy ships just by setting foot on them and checking the map.

    Map of Music - Type 4

    This is a X marks the spot style map, but it will only reveal its features when music is played for it. The first crew member reveals the island on the map. The second crew member reveals the X. The third or forth crew member read the map while music is playing.

    Map of the Spyglass - Type 4 (Inspired By: @jack-littleshoe)

    This map is so tiny that it requires one person to hold the map in front of them while a second player reads it with the spyglass.

    Map of Skin - Type 4 (Inspired By: @misterdoomed)

    This map does not show an island or an X, but a body part instead. The map draws itself on a body part of the player model, like the back, leg, belly, chest(for male models). So you need to take off the relevant piece of clothing, and have your crew members read the map while you stand still. May need to use a spyglass depending on available texture resolutions.

    Map of The Dutchman - Type 4

    This map is a 4 part riddle. Once picked up, it appears in the inventory of every player. Each player has one part of the riddle. Each part of the riddle can only be read when the player is on board the Dutchmans ship. The active riddle shimmers with ghostly blurry letters on the map, indicating which player has to die in order to go read it. Once read, and solved, the next riddle will shimmer. This continues until all 4 riddles are solved, which lead to the chest.

    Final words:

    Well, I like that the treasure hunting aspect of this game focuses on solving puzzles. It makes treasure hunts feel a lot more like an adventure rather than a fetch quest. Which is good considering treasure hunting is one of the main aspects of this game. I think it would be pretty cool to have maps with a bit more flavor to them.

    Feel free to post your own ideas, I will add them into the main post if they are good enough, and of course let me hear any criticisms you might have.

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  • Wildcard128
    Seafarer

    i really like this idea. so hit the up vote button to let Rare know we want this.

  • SaintGobnait
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    This is really clever! Some of these sound a little complicated, but the simpler ones (like needing to be underwater or drunk) sound very fun. Maybe there could be a similar feature for the Order's bounty posters. Like glowing when within proximity of the skeleton you're looking for.

  • JASCaldeira
    Marauder
    Founder

    LOVE IT, GREAT IDEIA

  • MisterDoomed

    Where is the map that is tattooed on someone's back or scalp that we have to capture and " remove " lol...oh am in the only bad guy pirate? Sorry nvm hahaha

  • TheCanisDirus
    Marauder
    Founder

    Map of the Haunted Flame - Type 1

    This map is obtained via an Order of Souls quest line. Once read (insert spooky, ominous story regarding flame from the Sea of the Damned) the map disappears but not before the player is given instructions to "follow the glow of the flame and light the path on the island to the treasure" (or something of the like). That player who read the map has had his/her standard lantern replaced with one from the "other side" with a blue glowing flame. Follow the flame's increasing glow to the island (works like a compass but with distance/intensity as well as direction) and discover the hidden area where the flame barer must light the torch/lamp/alter etc. to reveal a chest.

  • Labarge28
    Master
    Founder

    A bit of a twist on the idea, but I see no reason why we need to keep ourselves too deep inside the box creatively:

    Map of the Navigator - Type 1
    Instead of a physical location, the map simply shows a lantern raised. When a member of the crew mimics the image, a beacon (think what a lighthouse does) points off in a direction from the raised lantern. Using this directional aid, the crew must track down the island and subsequent location of the buried chest. Multiple members of the crew working in tandem would be able to triangulate the location much faster, once the island has been identified.

    Map of the Artistically Challenged - Type 1
    As it stands currently, treasure maps are literal pictures from the world map of the island, with an X. This map's creator was not so artistically inclined, and so they've simply named the island, with a crude drawing of where the X is relative to some things that are around it.

  • Kapitan Klaps
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    @cows-n-muffins Few days ago I've made similar topic with few similar ideas
    https://www.seaofthieves.com/forum/topic/30126/ideas-for-higher-lvl-x-marks-the-spot-map/5

    "So right now the higher tier voyages just give you more maps instead of being really harder. More expensive voyages felt to me like a chore and became very repetitive. So I had few ideas to make it a bit more fun and challenging:

    • higher tier maps would show only a fraction of the island, instead of a whole thing. 1/4th or so.
      super high-level maps could be zoomed in more but with a hint of one coordinate axis.
    • Co-op maps. Every crew member gets a unique piece of the map (up to 4, depending on crew size?). Players need to collaborate and use the "show map" feature to work it out (show map feature is such amazing thing that right now has no use). This can be done solo but it's harder (you have all the pieces but can't see all at once, need to memorize). If there is a programming issue with assigning the unique piece to each crew member, every member could have all pieces. It would still encourage co-op.
    • remove directional hints from the map and add the ability to rotate map when holding it so you actually gotta figure out which way is up. This would work great with the previously mentioned co-op map. Imagine crew members holding unique pieces of map rotating them in an attempt to align them together."
  • RGBKnights
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    Map of The Stars - Type 1
    The map can only be read at night by matching the stars constellations

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    @misterdoomed You say never mind, but you actually gave me a neat idea for a map. Muahaha

    Map of Skin - Type 4 - (Inspired By: @misterdoomed)

    This map does not show an island or an X, but a body part instead. The map draws itself on a body part of the player model, like the back, leg, belly, chest(for male models). So you need to take off the relevant piece of clothing, and have your crew members read the map while you stand still. May need to use a spyglass depending on available texture resolutions.

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    @thecanisdirus @Labarge28 You guys had almost the same idea. So I am going to have you both credited to this map.

    Map of the Dread Navigator - Type 3 (Inspired By: @thecanisdirus and @Labarge28)

    Once this voyage is accepted, the riddle only reads "Follow the glow of the flame." The lantern slot in the inventory of the crew begins to pulse with a pale light until selected. Once the lantern is equipped, the pulsing stops, and the lantern will have a ghostly light inside of it and glow teal like the current ghosts in the game. When raised, it will shoot a beam of pale light in the direction of the island(Similar to the sword in Shadow of the Colossus). The beam is only active when the lantern is raised. Once on the island, the lanterns beams only function as a directional marker, not a marker of distance, so players will need to work together by spreading out and triangulating the location of the chest. The map can be solved by a solo player, it just requires more running around than normal to locate the chest.

  • JASCaldeira
    Marauder
    Founder

    Omg, you guys so creative, im loving all the ideias

  • PiranaStanly

    I do really like the idea of diversity in the treasure maps. Make the maps feel like an actual challenge instead of just instructions. My only critique is making sure that all maps work with any size of crew.

    I think it'd be cool if the gold hoarders gave you a simple map, like the ones that are already in the game (but i would also add a visual puzzle where players use key landmarks as clues to find the X) however when interacting with the map in a certain way it would reveal bonus clues to find extra chests. I don't think they should be easy or mundane to figure out either nor should they lead you directly to the exact location of a chest.

    A lot of your ideas would work for this too but it could be simple things like holding the map to a lantern will reveal a hidden message or image on the back, using the map as a key to unlock secret passages on the islands, dunking it under water to reveal another x or a hidden message, having a friend or skeleton shoot the map burn a new clue into it, coordinates to a chest at the bottom of the ocean, and you already said getting drunk to read jumbled text (i just really like that idea).

    the idea is a sort of bonus difficulty mode with the gold hoarders that is optional but there for people who want a challenge and extra loot.

  • Jack LittleShoe

    Spyglass Map Type 4 This map is so small it requires one person to hold the sheet in front of them for the other player with the spyglass to see

    Island Map Type 2 This Map would appear on an island after solving a riddle perhaps painted onto a rock one person would have to be at the ship while another person describes what they are seeing, this map can be erased by bringing a bucket of water too it.

    Lantern Map Type 4 This map can only be read when one player holds the map in front of them and another holds a lantern up high by them.

    Shadow Puppet Map Type 4 This map is a cutout and by shining a light through it in a dark shadowy space the island will appear that you need to mark.

    Soaring Map Type 4 This map can only be read when you are mid air, get ready to shoot yourself out of the cannon alot.

  • Kittelsen
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    I really love the idea of different maps. But I don't think we should separate solo players.

    Golden Map: A map that can only be read while in posession of x number of chests. I think there needs to be a reason for people to carry around more chests instead of cashing in every time they get a couple.

  • D0mino28
    Rogue

    Like some of those ideas, type 1,2,3, are already being used.

    Backward map should be a curse or from a bounty.

  • dyfrin
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    I hope there is some map improvements over the course of updates if not just the release. But for the release I hope they fix/remove the locations A-H and 1-6 on the x maps.
    It makes it look like the island you need is in that quadrant, and it is not. New players constantly say, oh it's North West of us, because that is where the map shows the island to be.
    Are they going to be fixed with their actual location (IMO that is too easy, hunting for the island is fun on the big map), or is that just background that should be redesigned not to be location coordinates?

  • Inbred Chimera

    Some of the greatest treasures could be hidden in perspective maps similar to those found in 'The Witness' game. These would takea lot of preparation but could be done on a smaller scale. So a map directs you to a specific position and a riddle hints that you have to look somewhere. From that perspective you might directly see the treasure or see a representation of the island and where the treasure is.

    The constellations one is great too. What about actual puzzle maps like the one in PotC that leads to the fountain of youth and up is down?

    What bout a map that can only be read by players not part of your crew? You would have to employ a diplomatic approach to finding the
    treasure.

    Might be a bit too hard but what about a map and the first time you open it it bursts into flames without warning, and you only get a feew seconds to take in the details. It couldn't give you a warning though or people would just take photos of it.

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    @jack-littleshoe Some solid ideas there.

    Map of the Flame - Type 3 (Inspired By: @jack-littleshoe)

    This map can only be read when illuminated by flame such as a lantern or a campfire.

    Map of Heights - Type 3 (Inspired By: @jack-littleshoe)

    This map can only be read at a high altitude. This may be achieved by firing yourself vertically out of a cannon, or on several islands where significant altitude can be climbed to.

    Map of the Spyglass - Type 4 (Inspired By: @jack-littleshoe)

    This map is so tiny that it requires one person to hold the map in front of them while a second player reads it with the spyglass.

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    @kittelsen I kind alike this idea. This is probably one of those riddle maps.

    "To know what clues this greed map holds, one must first get a hoard of gold." My attempt at least, lol.

    Map of Greed - Type 3 - (Inspired by: @Kittelsen )

    This is a riddle based map, but in order to read each tier of the riddle, you need to have a certain amount of gold on board your ship. Or sneak onto another ship that is loaded with loot. The steps are revealed at 500, 1000, and 1500 gold respectively. This map can be a handy way to detect treasure on enemy ships just by setting foot on them and checking the map.

  • Dje La Planque
    Master
    Founder

    Some ideas :

    Map of the Brig (Type 4 - ressource : the brig in the boat) :
    One of the Crew members must be put in the Brig in order to read the map or the riddle to find the Island. He/She should stays in the Brig to guide the others that are searching on the Island.

    Map of the Sunken Shore (type 3 - ressource : the boat and a beach) :
    You need to sails directly into an Island in order to read the map by staying on the boat.

    Map of the C.'s Nest (Type 3 - ressource : a chicken and a boat) :
    You need to get a chicken and climb with it into the New Crow/Chicken's Nest in order to read the map. Riddles stay on the map after doing it.

  • Dillerjohn
    Master
    Founder

    Man these ideas are amazing. Would really spice up the treasure hunt! Maybe this could be ideas to treasure hunts found in bottles or something like that, as it would maybe be too "common" if all treasure maps bought was special in nature.

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    @dillerjohn That is actually not a bad idea. Making these maps a bit more rare is probably for the best.

  • ItsLukewarm99
    Insider

    How would people know which type of map is which. Although this is a wonderful idea this would still be confusing as to which type is which

  • Cows n Muffins
    Master
    Founder

    @confusedgamer99 The types are more of an organizational tool for this thread to distinguish the different mechanics required to solve the map. The map names give a hint as to how to solve them, though I am sure Rare could come up with additional ways to help players along if a map seems too difficult.

  • tavishhill2003
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    Brilliant thread! I had a few ideas myself but most of em you already got there, along with a TON of other great ones!

    Map of the Sea: You have to look at the map in sea water for the X/island to appear. It's one or the other; either the X is there and no island or the other way around.

    Map of Waterfalls: Similar to above, except you must look at the map while in fresh water.

    Map of the Silent Cartographer: It's a charming nod to another incredible franchise, but also serves to encourage more exploration of islands. For this map to work,have to land on the island and as you walk around it you will see the map gradually fill. Once the portion of the map near your location is revealed, it stays that way.

    The Gunpowder Map: Someone in the crew must be fired from a cannon for the map to reveal itself. When it does, it is etched and seared into the parchment to reflect how it came to be.

    Map of Sacrificial Offerings: The map has just one X on it, and you retrieve a low level chest by digging it up. Then an altar in a cave shows up on the map with a ghostly marker. You must go to the marker to find an altar, upon which you place your low level chest as an offering. Once the gods are pleased with your offering, your map will become marked with several other chest locations to dig up.

  • Aye Manda Panda

    Definitely a good idea that I hope rare brings into the game :) Not so easy, but also not so hard that people would be turned off of the ideas of them.

    One I could also suggest are maps that are based off of the status of the member holding it so that the outfits can be utilized. Ex: The admirals map can only be read by someone dressed in full admiral gear.

    Also I'd love to see two and three part maps where if you dig up the right spot you may just find a box that gives you the second part to the map instead of instant treasure. This could be a way to take away some of the randomization in chest collection and leave the higher end gold chest to the people who work really hard for them by doing multiple maps.

    Also makes it better for those crews that manage to sink a ship and get their hands on such a chest.

  • John von Wells
    Captain
    Insider
    Founder

    would love to see these kind of maps.

  • Captain Gronsak
    Marauder

    Map of The Thief - Type 1 or 3 depending on definition
    This map is a physical item that has to be held like a chest, skull or crate meaning it can be stolen by other players when dropped and it should lead to rare tressure. It should be found out in the world like just like a journal but always beside a skeleton or be dropped by one of the named skeletons in a order of souls voyage, i.e. by the original thief.

    Would love to see other stealable maps as well leading to special things that are otherwise hard to find or come by.

  • Qui Gon Jinn599
    Rogue

    Sounds AMAZING!

  • Nycthelios
    Marauder
    Insider

    Some sound a bit iffy, but most sound like a fun brilliant idea! Upvote in hopes Rare sees these ideas.

  • CaptnSmile
    Ship Mate

    Map of Trust - Type 4 (?)
    A map that can only be read when showing it to another crew. In order to find the treasure, another crew must tell you what the map says! To be fair, both crews must have the same type of map, or there is no point for a crew to help you at the state the game is (you can either give one extra map to another crew or if you both start a journey like that, it matches you, not sure yet). This map is not readable by your own crew, it can only be read by another crew's member. Could be a simple puzzle map, even an X marks the spot type, but crews would have to exchange members in order to find their treasures! It's a map of trust! (To clarify, those two maps would have different content in them, and would have to guarantee a special chest in order to be worth doing, aka Sorrows/Grog chest, or even a special and expensive "Chest of Friendship".)

    I like the social part in this game and after a lot of hours of playthrough I'm tired of that "kill on sight" approach most players have. Would like to see crews being connected and all!

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