In our last post we talked about pipes, how they act as physical breadcrumbs through the dark. But pipes just give you two directions to follow. They don't tell you what's out there, or how far you've gone. That's where the map comes in.
Getting a Map
The map is a craftable item. You won't start with one. Early on, you're navigating blind, relying on pipes, landmarks, and gut instinct.
Once you craft it, the map becomes a handheld item you pull up like any other tool. Aim down sights to zoom in, and drag to pan around.
Fog of War
The map doesn't show you the whole world. It starts almost entirely dark. As you explore, a circle around you reveals the terrain, your pipe networks, and points of interest. Move somewhere new and the fog clears permanently. Stay in your base and the map only shows what you already know.
This means two players on the same server will have completely different maps depending on where they've been. Your map is your exploration history.
Waypoints
You can click anywhere on the map to drop a waypoint. Click near an existing one to remove it. Simple toggle, no menus.
Waypoints sit above the fog layer, so you can mark a spot you haven't reached yet based on what a friend told you, or pin a location you want to come back to. They show up as bright markers on the map surface so they're hard to miss.
Visual Design
The map is full in game item that you hold, with a topographic design. The terrain is broken into elevation bands, color-coded. Contour lines run between them. A labeled grid overlays everything so you can call out coordinates to other players. Your position shows as a red indicator with a directional notch so you always know which way you're facing.
Pipe paths render as lines on the map. Points of interest show as markers. The whole thing composites from six separate render textures so we can update each layer independently without redrawing the entire map every frame.
What's Next
Next time we'll talk about the monuments that await you out there in the dark, and when the map might come in useful!
Don't forget to wishlist the game and make sure to apply for alpha access on our brand new website!
If you didn't know - we regularly post smaller dev updates on our Discord.
Thank you all for your continued support!
– Fearem Team