Your map grid system is chafing my legs

[captainpicard]

In FFXI the map used a letter and a number to determine your location. I don't remember if X=Letter Y=Number or vice versa. At any rate-this system left no doubt about map coordinates.

In FFXIV, some one, no doubt your star game designer, decided in that it made more sense to use a new system. X=Number, Y=Number.

Now if this wasn't enough, someone else (or maybe the same someone) decided to make maps absurdly large. So its not uncommon to see something like (23,42) and (42,23) on the same map. But which is X and which is Y? Yeah that's the tricky part isn't it.

Now I know what you are thinking.. One in the hand is better than two in the bush.
Its that kind of thought that got us to where we are today. How is it possible that you took a simple coordinate system that is mindlessly easy to understand (LETTER-NUMBER) and turned it into something that is confusing and founded in anti-logic?

Please see my ASCII map below illustrating what needs to happen.

A B C D E F G H I J

-------------------------
1|
2|
3|
4|
5|
6|
7|

Next time when Yoshi-P says meet me at (D,5) I'll know exactly where that is and we can go make a go at having some fun.

This is my challenge to you. It does not require a new server infrastructure to do this.

its the small things that kill me inside.

[Razor]

What is worse is when someone says that <whatever> is at (33,32) and there is a (32,33) right there but it could be on a completely different ledge 15 minutes away! I do agree with you though, I've had problems with the map too. I liked the (L,#) system from XI a lot better (I think almost all maps use letters and numbers, don't they?) but with the map reforms coming soon and 2.0 ushering completely new zones we might just see the return of letter-number maps.

[Murugan]

In FFXI the map used a letter and a number to determine your location. I don't remember if X=Letter Y=Number or vice versa. At any rate-this system left no doubt about map coordinates.

In FFXIV, some one, no doubt your star game designer, decided in that it made more sense to use a new system. X=Number, Y=Number.

Now if this wasn't enough, someone else (or maybe the same someone) decided to make maps absurdly large. So its not uncommon to see something like (23,42) and (42,23) on the same map. But which is X and which is Y? Yeah that's the tricky part isn't it.

Now I know what you are thinking.. One in the hand is better than two in the bush.
Its that kind of thought that got us to where we are today. How is it possible that you took a simple coordinate system that is mindlessly easy to understand (LETTER-NUMBER) and turned it into something that is confusing and founded in anti-logic?

Please see my ASCII map below illustrating what needs to happen.

A B C D E F G H I J

-------------------------
1|
2|
3|
4|
5|
6|
7|

Next time when Yoshi-P says meet me at (D,5) I'll know exactly where that is and we can go make a go at having some fun.

This is my challenge to you. It does not require a new server infrastructure to do this.

its the small things that kill me inside.

What do you mean what is X and Y. They are static designations.

X always refers to horizontal,

Y always refers to vertical.

It is always written as (X, Y) just like how you would write (D, 5) and not (5, D).

It is standard in any grid. It isn't anti-logic for anyone who made it past 5th grade mathematics.

[captainpicard]

What do you mean what is X and Y. They are static designations.

X always refers to horizontal,

Y always refers to vertical.

It is standard in any grid. It isn't anti-logic for anyone who made it past 5th grade mathematics.

There is no reason to just not use a letter/number grid design. It takes any errors, miss education, failed 5th grade math memory, or otherwise completely out of the equation.

In that regard, it is anti-logic.

You're just being a prick to be a prick.

[Dreadnought]

There is no reason to just not use a letter/number grid design. It takes any errors, miss education, failed 5th grade math memory, or otherwise completely out of the equation.

In that regard, it is anti-logic.

You're just being a prick to be a prick.

Zis times too

i think its safe to assume we can understand the map, but its also safe to assume there is an even more user friendly map interface that could be implemented

[RathSkybreaker]

There is no reason to just not use a letter/number grid design. It takes any errors, miss education, failed 5th grade math memory, or otherwise completely out of the equation.

In that regard, it is anti-logic.

You're just being a prick to be a prick.

people are still complaining about this? Seriously? 5th grade? Thats being nice more like 3rd or 4th.. its a standard coordinate plane what are video games going to have to start doing? teaching basic math? I mean theres definitely an age limit on this game for a reason, and i'm pretty sure 99% of people haven't dropped out before 5th grade. It's pretty standard. It's not broken. Why fix it? I mean really this is annoying seeing this multiple times. -rant rant rant-

[Hitoriki]

What do you mean what is X and Y. They are static designations.

X always refers to horizontal,

Y always refers to vertical.

It is always written as (X, Y) just like how you would write (D, 5) and not (5, D).

It is standard in any grid. It isn't anti-logic for anyone who made it past 5th grade mathematics.

This guy is indeed being a prick but he is correct in my opinion. X,Y is Horizontal, Vertical.... I dunno i've never once been confused by it. On the other hand, (T,23) would be more confusing for me because I dont really know where T is in the alphabet(numerically speaking) and I immediately know exactly where I need to look with (32,23). Another thing... theres only 26 letters... so after 26... what would you have? A1 B1 A2 B2? that would make it even MORE complicated.

[captainpicard]

This guy is indeed being a prick but he is correct in my opinion. X,Y is Horizontal, Vertical.... I dunno i've never once been confused by it. On the other hand, (T,23) would be more confusing for me because I dont really know where T is in the alphabet(numerically speaking) and I immediately know exactly where I need to look with (32,23). Another thing... theres only 26 letters... so after 26... what would you have? A1 B1 A2 B2? that would make it even MORE complicated.

Greater than 26 letters you go to AA, BB, CC, DD, etc.

[Arcell]

What do you mean what is X and Y. They are static designations.

X always refers to horizontal,

Y always refers to vertical.

It is always written as (X, Y) just like how you would write (D, 5) and not (5, D).

It is standard in any grid. It isn't anti-logic for anyone who made it past 5th grade mathematics.

^this. I mean, come on really? We can't handle a normal grid system that is standard in math and science?

I wouldn't object to having a (letter, #) system but the current system works too. Also if someone asks you where you are, just type <pos>. All the guesswork is taken out for you.

[lackofwords]

First of all, the problem is trying to clear up ambiguity caused by how people tend to read maps. Some people read maps as X,Y and others as Y,X. It causes ambiguity when trying to give directions. It was only cleared up a little bit when they made the position coordinates in game listed as X,Y standards oppose to what Eoreapedia used to read them as Y,X.

To refute what Murugan said

It is always written as (X, Y) just like how you would write (D, 5) and not (5, D).

It is standard in any grid. It isn't anti-logic for anyone who made it past 5th grade mathematics.

A map does not always list their locations as X,Y. Take for example road maps below published for AAA/CAA, and another one is tourist map. Noticed they are listing locations as Y,X.
(click for full image)

Even worst from the same publisher, hagstrom maps, list their locations always as LETTER, NUMBER. However, uses "red line" and "blue line" grids square systems, where the location of the letter and number could be X,Y or Y,X depending on the map. (publications of 1992 maps of Queens borough NY and Suffolk County NY)


Now, back to the issue of ambiguity, provided with the examples above. If these map publishers were to list their locations strictly as numbers, then it adds an ambiguity of what the numbers actually represents. However, since they labeled each axis as a distinct value, you can not possibly mistaken the axis regardless of how you provide the location.

Such as, saying the location is at A,5 and 5,A would mean the same thing since they are distinct values on the map.

However, saying 1,5 and 5,1 could mean either location when the axes are both labeled numerically.