Endless Colonnade map (spoiler)

[nodnal]

Even with it, you can still get lost. Sorry, not the full labyrinth.

Edited July 9 by nodnal
clarify that it is the Endless Colonnade

[Zhym]

I'm a bit confused about why the labyrinth won't have a zone map.  Is the idea that the labyrinth map will change dynamically, or at least from time to time?  Or is there just a static map that will be "secret" until someone maps it out and posts it on the forums? 

 

Wait.  I used the future tense there, didn't I?  Sorry about that.

 

I guess maybe the intended effect of there being no zone map is that you can't see where other players are.  But I thought that "figure out the map!" labyrinth puzzles went out of style in the '80s (for good reason).

Edited July 8 by Zhym

[Cobalt Arachne]

33 minutes ago, Zhym said:

I'm a bit confused about why the labyrinth won't have a zone map.

Primarily two reasons:
 

1. The zone was concepted as an open raid zone.
This means the zone is consistent and a space shared by all players, it's not locked off unless the zone caps players.
This is a contrast from when a player owns an instance, they feel more secure within it, as it is their personal space to play around in and complete.

On the flip side, an open zone belongs to nobody, is more vast and unknowable, and that leads to a better fit for the 'vibe' of the zone, which is to encourage exploration and keep the anxiety of the Minotaur present, which is accomplished more when the zone is not owned by anybody, and you're venturing into the unknown blindly.
It also encourages players to team up, since you're in a maze together.

Why this matters is that open zones don't have any interior maps, they have a singular zone map (there was no logistical way to realistically draw/map 40+ floors onto a single image), so instead the zone was designed to be a liminal maze with no map, because...
 

2. Specific locations don't matter for the raiding.

Players are given a free teleport tool power that allows them to recall themselves to any target on their Team or League with a 1 second cool-down.
This means it's trivial to stay together with your group, and the raid's goals in the Labyrinth can be accomplished from anywhere within it.

There are Elite Boss mobs everywhere, so being in any specific place matters less for the raid, with the exception of those hunting for Malevolent Fog, which is a raid sub-task that will appeal to explorers, much akin to the way during Halloween leagues will often have a few scouts who go out and teleport the League to Eochai / Jack In Irons for Merit income.

Lastly, the Minotaur raid boss will come to you, so you don't need to go out and look for him, just prepare your raid to challenge him, then pick a spot and stand your ground.

For these reasons, the map wasn't required as the elbow of all organization, the idea was that players would actively play and stay with their groups while they're undergoing Labyrinth runs, this also plays into the Minotaur's mechanics, and they're more than happy to say hello to players who are going AFK while inside.

[Cobalt Arachne]

41 minutes ago, Zhym said:

Or is there just a static map that will be "secret" until someone maps it out and posts it on the forums?

This is correct, the whole zone is static, the doors were seeded randomly once, then the zone assembled from the results.
If you enter the Yellow portal from the lobby, hang a left and take the elevator door, you'll always end up on the same Green Praetorian Lab floor.

It was never meant to be secret, and as you can see from this post, it won't be for very long... 😛
Players creating their own maps was something we did expect / didn't want to discourage, players who don't want maps, can ignore them and find the secrets on their own.

[Zhym]

7 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

1. The zone was concepted as an open raid zone.
This means the zone is consistent and a space shared by all players, it's not locked off unless the zone caps players.
This is a contrast from when a player owns an instance, they feel more secure within it, as it is their personal space to play around in and complete.

On the flip side, an open zone belongs to nobody, is more vast and unknowable, and that leads to a better fit for the 'vibe' of the zone, which is to encourage exploration and keep the anxiety of the Minotaur present, which is accomplished more when the zone is not owned by anybody, and you're venturing into the unknown blindly.
It also encourages players to team up, since you're in a maze together.

Well, okay.  But there are plenty of shared spaces.  Every city zone is a shared space, including the ones that are currently used for raids, like the Abyss, The Hive, and the Rikti War Zone.  They all have maps. 

As for the "vibe" building anxiety—well, that's '80s game design.  The lack of an in-game map doesn't heighten anxiety or excitement, and it's not a puzzle that anyone but the most hardcore of maze devotees finds remotely fun.  In-game maps are now standard for a reason: they're really useful.  No one is expected to map out the space by hand anymore like they're playing Wizardry I.  And no one is going to be encouraged to team up more because there's no in-game map.

 

And if specific locations don't matter for the raiding...what's the harm in including a map?

 

13 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

(there was no logistical way to realistically draw/map 40+ floors onto a single image)

If it's that the map is 3D and it's impossible to make a map that's at all functional for that layout, that's a legitimate issue.  Although I'm sure I've seen some other in-game maps for spaces with multiple layers—even if those maps aren't incredibly helpful (looking at you, layer cake cave map).

[Cobalt Arachne]

4 hours ago, Zhym said:

If it's that the map is 3D and it's impossible to make a map that's at all functional for that layout, that's a legitimate issue.

This is pretty much the case...

Here's some out of bounds shot of the zone from the map editor; It's a massive sprawling 3D assembly, it wouldn't be possible to make a singular map where all the players positions are correctly displayed in a way that would be helpful to anybody trying to locate them, especially with how the doors do not connect in any sensible manner.

Also for clarification; OP's map is just showing the Endless Colonnade secret area's puzzle solution.
That's not a map of the entire Labyrinth of Fog zone, that's just a single non-combat floor.
 

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[jaw354]