GPS and Waypoints

[cywehner1234 582]

guys you have soo much fear of losing this crutch

 

I let my friend explain

 

After the zombie uprising, the ability to navigate to safety or to find resources is going to be a key to survival. Getting lost in the woods on the way to loot a WalMart is a quick way to die. So, you might be saying to yourself, “I’ll just use my trusty GPS system to get around – that never fails me.” And you’d be DEAD wrong. To understand why, it’s important to understand how GPS works. “Satellites right?” Sure thing there Isaac Newton, but let’s look at it in a little more detail.

 

GPS or Global Positioning System is a project run by the US Government, The Air Force Actually. The Air Force keeps a minimum of 24 satellites orbiting the Earth broadcasting a radio signal with their time and position. Currently there are a number of redundant systems should a problem occur. That’s the technology part. However, the weakest link in the security of any system is the human part. These satellites need constant adjustment. The ground operations are relative complex, and handled by 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS) . Their operations consist of a Master Control Station in Colorado, as well monitoring stations and antennas all over the world.

 

This system allows the military to fire a cruise missile form a ship and have it fly through the correct window of the building. So, in ZA world, we have to assume an eventual breakdown in society, and perhaps the military becoming overwhelmed. What if the monitoring or Master Control Station were abandoned? How long would the GPS system serve us? Turns out, not very long. Without constant adjustments to the satellite’s clocks, they will be useless almost immediately.

 

Now here’s some science stuff: Because of relativity (you know the Einstein stuff), time is actually different on Earth than it is in Space. So the clock shift in the satellites put the GPS coordinates off by 11 kilometres a day. 11 clicks is some extreme discrepency – enough to mean the difference between arriving at a well-stocked military base and becoming zombie poop. (Do zombies poop? We’ll examine that at another time). So Mr. Fancy Technologypants, where does that leave you. Well sonny, when I was a boy, they made these things called maps and compasses. Turns out they still make them, and they still work. Get yourself some topographical maps and a compass, take a course in orienteering.

And also if you would like to get techinical, a zombie apocolypse would never actually happen or be successful unless it was a disease or cold or something like that. That was passed on not through just biting. Army, Air Force, Marines, honestly, a zombie apocolypse is totally unrealistic, so stop trying to act like a game has to be perfecly accurate. It's quite annoying that you think you're right about everything and add 7000 faces in a paragraph.

[Inception. 9443]

Stay on-topic. If you dislike another user's method of posting please use the ignore button.

[TheRedScare 353]

Instead of a marker the GPS should give you voice instructions to your destination. 

"Take the next left turn"

"Drive around the burning helicopter wreckage"

"Turn right at the next bandit roadblock"

[Wayze 549]

Stay on-topic. If you dislike another user's method of posting please use the ignore button.

If people would do that, in the end, everyone would talk to themselfs.

[Inception. 9443]

If people would do that, in the end, everyone would talk to themselfs.

 

Fine with me. I'll get free-reign on the forums.

[enforcer1975 1111]

As long as there is nobody who controls the satellites they might break at the next minor solar flare since nobody takes precautions, lose one or two in the region and you had GPS.

 

And also if you would like to get techinical, a zombie apocolypse would never actually happen or be successful unless it was a disease or cold or something like that. That was passed on not through just biting. Army, Air Force, Marines, honestly, a zombie apocolypse is totally unrealistic, so stop trying to act like a game has to be perfecly accurate. It's quite annoying that you think you're right about everything and add 7000 faces in a paragraph.

 

Since when was it sure that the virus was spread through direct contact? It could be everything and nowadays a virus ( be it natural or man made ) can be spread pretty fast thanks to globalisation.

[whisperbow 38]

The only reason I use way points is because I like to know how much more I have to run. You can try to use them for ranging but, the way points don't count elevation of the building.

[Karmaterror 982]

Have to agree with OP, when you have found a map on a waypoints server that's it.....its of no benefit to find a gps or rangefinders. I like servers with waypoints turned off, at least that makes rangefinders have a purpose. Unless having the waypoint on the gps screen only is implemented, i'd say just get rid of gps.

[NagsterTheGangster 388]

pretty good point.

[BC_Hawke 276]

Wow!  Lots of responses!  Thanks for your input.  I have three things to add.  First, when we played on BMRF we absolutely loved that waypoints were turned off.  Navigating with the map and compass is actually a lot of fun (not a lot of people know that when in-map, you can click and drag the compas over your current position, then use the "end" key to rotate your character...you keep rotating until the compass is pointed at your destination, then when you come out of the map you are facing that heading).  Even the people in our squad that hated it at first grew to like the experience after a bit.

 

Second, as to whether or not GPS would work, remember that the GPS in game is a military GPS.  We're isolated to the wilderness of Chenarus, who's to say that there aren't still military strongholds out there in some far off city that still has power, computers, and the ability to keep satellites in orbit?  Just sayin'.

 

Third, as for waypoint markers once you have a GPS, I wouldn't mind having them (IF AND ONLY IF you have a GPS in your inventory or are piloting a helicopter) because you can set waypoints on a GPS in real life and it will tell you range and direction of travel to reach that waypoint.  If green numbers on the HUD really kill the immersion, then alter the display of the on-screen GPS to have an arrow on the border of the screen showing direction and a number next to it indicating range.  Not sure if this is at all possible for devs to modify, though.

[HIHBGaming 14]

Having WP's is easy mode imo. I've always had them off on my servers and they really don't belong in the SA or the Mod for that matter.

As far as GPS is concerned, maybe leave them in but have them extremely rare, need batteries, and only partially work in the SA.

[Fruit_loop87 21]

I think it should be remove this game is going for realism, take the map for an example you have to find the pieces and craft it together to expand your map and build it up to help find your way. Why have GPS and way points god dam cod kiddy thing doesn't make it a challenge to survive because you can if what you need, o and the map thing online to show were loot spawns in for food, guns and cars the worst thing ever, I hope that changes for good....