Which do you prefer...

A World Map where you can walk around and go from place to place?
or
No World Map, and you go from area to area and they are all linked together?

I'm not really calling for a vote, but I wanna see what people have to say and why you like each one more.  That way I can weigh the options and make a better decision for my game.

So like a brainstorm I guess

How about a world map you can't walk on that gives you a general overview of where you are.

I've thought about this.. and I'm kinda torn.  I'm not of a fan of the whole final fantasy million miles big and boring world maps, but i think as a way to kinda organize and streamline, a SMRPG style would be cool.  No world map certainly immerses you more, but it can get to a point where its hard to know your bearings, walking from little area to little area.

Linked area sounds better
World map reminds me of the countless time I got lost in Tales games

Depends on your game.
If it includes houses/ things like that, no world map.
If its a quest game where you have to roam around, world map is okay.

Well the world itself is going to be really big.  I kinda like TeaBag's idea for like SMRPG style.  Or maybe have a world map where you walk around on, but it's not huge and complex.  Something like Chrono Trigger maybe.  Just to get around you know?

Yeah then it'd do...

FFX's style was good...it showed you the world map and took you to the destination, but you could trek to the destination manually if you wished.

I do think a world map is good, but I can see why it would affect game play.

FFX's style was terrible.

FFV was simple and even though it was unrealistic (places in convient spots, so it wasn't pointlessly big) in how there weren't many empty spots until later in the game (e.g. desert, mountains). FFV is a good example of a world map.

Whilst FFVIII is realistic in a XP game I don't think it'd work Yami.

Oh i dunno, i liked FFX's style, what I didn't like, was that I didn't get to drive the ship around...that sucked.

World maps are something i like alot !
I really dont like linked stuff because you need to walk through everything and that takes alot of time...
I mixed it in my game ^^

World Map's are hard. I'll make a "Navigator" if I make a game. That way continents are linked together, but then go to a Nav, which branches to other continents. Maybe I could use teleports. And somewhere in all five continents you can teleport to others. I don't know!

I've played FFX and I didn't like it. I like the World Map thing more.

You can do kind of what Fable did. It's all linked but you can teleport anywhere which has a cullis gate

Linked maps make it seem more like an adventure, and you really have to work around things to get there. I mean think about it, when the First Crusade started, the soldiers didn't exactly have a world map to walk on to get there in a few minutes did they?

I'm going to have a way-point system in my game a bit like Diablo 2 were you have to have been to the way-point before you can use it and the menu for it will be a world map that gets uncovered as you go along...

that way if you need or want to go back for some reason you can easily without the map giving away whats ahead...

A linked map

No world map. Look at games like Earthbound and Brainlord, those are GREAT examples of this.

Earthbound did their map SO well.  If I could link my maps together like that, I would love it.  Maybe I should study how everything works together in that game.

Dohgames.com has the rom

TURN YOUR SPEAKERS OFF, OR THE POPUPS WILL KILL THEM.

But yeah, it was SUCH an awesome game...

I don't need the rom I have it for snes ^^

So do I! I got the rom because of PK Hack.

How much did you pay for yours? I got ripped off...FIFTY BUCKS.

I can't remember.  I wasn't that old and my dad bought it.  He collected NES and SNES games (We have literally dresser drawers full of them.  Hundreds and hundreds).  That was when they were still in stores though   So I guess I got it for like 30 dollars.  That's how much they were if I remember right.

*gasps*

Dresser drawers full?!

OMG...Don't you ever let him sell those...but if he did he would be filthy rich. If he sold each of those cartridges seperately, moreover, AUCTIONED them...he could probably stop working.

I like this idea, too. And it's very easy to make.
Use a switch for each waypoint. If you reach a way point, turn on the switch. Everything you need is to make a conditional branch that checks the condition of each switch. If it is turned on, make teleportation to to location possible. The only thing is that you need a lot of event code.

I honestly love the traditional World Map.

It's one of the things I look forward to in RPGs. [I know that's weird.  ]

I think world maps are cliche'd.

Things become cliche because people like them, and wish to see them.

But once they become cliche, people become sick of them.

They sure do! 

Linked maps can get very realistic, but they may stretch on unnecessarily like real life tends to do. I'd say boh of them have equal merit.

I decided what I'm gonna do is use a linked map, but you can still pull up a world map to see where you are.  And maybe have a skill where you can use the world map to teleport to places.

i like a game that has little maps linked together but thats  just what i like