Survivor's Journal (Lore entries/notes, quest tracking, charting)

Haven’t seen this mentioned in many lore/quest threads so I’ve decided to discuss it now.

A journal is similar to when looking through the map and quest menu in Unturned, but in the form of a ‘Book’ for aesthetic appeal. Other than that, I suggest there would be more mechanics and features surrounding it including gathering lore entries, tracking ongoing/completed quests and charting the map (Can still be accessed through ‘M’ key by default).

No need for fancy layout or font, simply create a basic menu layout with the same style as the inventory. Journal, quest and map would be tabs you can access.


Lore entries

A new addition I would like to see is some form of lore/note recording to allow players to read for references whenever they come across notes or pieces of lore of any form (e.g. Document in a PC, a diary/journal page, instructions/references from NPC, etching on a wall).

For convenience, entries that are connected to each other will be grouped together as one long entry with multiple pages. So when accessing one, you would be directed to the earliest page you found (e.g. If you found page 2, 3, 5 and 7, you would start on page 2).

Whenever you find a note you would be directed the journal menu, though optionally you could add a toggle option so it doesn’t force you into this menu where instead you read it later (Especially in a hostile environment).


Quest tracker

Quest tracker would be the same like in Unturned, though completed quests would be categorised below ongoing quests. There could be notifications whenever you receive a quest which could be useful for forced quests that may appear without notice.

Quests could also expand outside NPCs; you can receive quests from radio messages (Not voiced, it will just create a speech menu), notes and other objects/entities for interesting concepts.


Mapping

Maps could work differently compared to Unturned. But I’ll separate this idea with charts and GPS.

General
  • Hovering the mouse over the player icon in a map would show your name and coordinates. This also goes for group mates.
  • You can mark the map for travel convenience. Group members are affected as well.
  • Quests can mark locations temporarily (Create labels that aren’t part of the map).
  • Optionally, you can select a location to view a detailed zoomed-in map of the location. This would require additional images, and best used for locations of interest rather than every place.
Charts
  • There are now 2 different types of charts: Location charts and Map charts.
  • Locations charts display a specific location on your map whenever you obtain one. This can range from towns, cities, forests and other misc locations.
    • They would generally be found in the same location it is in, but if you want to make it interesting you could make them obtainable else where (e.g. Town charts in cities, secret unmarked bunker chart in a military base).
    • Optionally these would have the ability to label unmarked locations for quest/secret purposes. This would be something a map chart/GPS wouldn’t be able to do.
  • Map charts creates the entire map with all major locations labelled just like in the previous game.
    • These could be rarer or more exclusive than location charts (e.g. A city/town hall)
  • Players can chart a map whenever they explore. This also includes the ability to label any location in their charted map (Except quest specific locations).
  • Charts do not take space and are embed to the player. On death, you will drop a unique item called “Player’s Chart” where other players can loot from you and record any progress you’ve made.
    • However your charted map remains intact so you don’t lose any progress you’ve made on it.
    • If you obtained a duplicate map, they WILL take inventory space. They only take a small space since they’re rolled up for storage. Only get them if you want to share it with another player.
GPS
  • GPSs remain the same like in Unturned where it would allow you to display a satellite image of the map for photo-accurate mapping. This also means they take inventory space unlike charts so they’re easier to pass around.

So there’s that. To put simply, add a journal entry tab for lore recording, give more functions in the quest tab and there could be more types of charts including more functions for map tab.

Let me know what you think!

  • I agree with the whole suggestion
  • I like some or most the ideas, but some things could be changed
  • I don’t like it/There are better ideas
0 voters
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Is there some reason that it always has to go back to the earliest, rather than whichever you were looked last or something else? I don’t personally feel strongly about this, but since you specified, presumably you do.

it’d be cool to be able to read journals of players that you’ve killed (or when players turn into zombies and you kill them, you can read the journal of the original player). So when you go into the corpse’s inventory screen their journal entries will be readable as well.

If there was an active quest that the player was doing, perhaps you could access it from their journal (say if it was a quest where you had to wipe out a group of bandits or zombies, you could make that an active quest and go and do it, and then recieve the bounty).

So you can easily read connect notes in order? Don’t know what most people prefer, but this is just my suggestion. Nelson can either do last viewed or earliest/latest.

But yes, good question.

Ah, forgot about that. Yes that would be nice as well.

Also it’d be cool if a player in your group was to start an NPC activity, it’d be marked in your journal as well. So if your group-mate was to start a questline, you wouldn’t have to do the whole questline as well, because your journal and theirs are the same kinda thing (or at least the “Quest” tab).

I was thinking of the journal being filled out as you progress, like the survival guide in Far Cry 3, telling you about zombie types you’ve encountered, and possible weak spots.

Not only that, but also have the journal teach you about farming, hunting, crafting, etc.

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