# Interaction between survivors, roadmaps, signposts

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [April 14, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820 "2013-04-14T22:56:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Psiweapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Psiweapon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Psiweapon)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/1 "2013-04-14T22:56:36Z")

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A lot of times I end up in the same shelter time and again with different characters, accumulating resources. Last time, I didn’t even know where it was, but following some roads I learned from a roadmap, I ended up there anyways.

First suggestion:  
Why not addd a “ballpen” item, no weight or volume; if you’re carrying it and a roadmap, your map notes will be committed to it, if your character dies and a new character finds the map, upon reading they’ll learn the roads AND the previous character’s notes.

Second sugestion:  
Signposts. A construction menu furniture that needs two 2x4 OR 2x4 and heavy stick, and spray paint can OR a cutting tool. Oh and nails too, don’t forget the hammer or the nailgun. Let’s you leave readable warnings in the map, such as “shelter northwards” “beware the bear” and so on.

Generated signposts could be used to boost atmosphere with messages such as “trespassers will be shot” “QUARANTINE ZONE KEEP OUT” “Neighborhood protected by Robotic Security Inc” “Government/military property, access forbidden. Trespasssers will be shot” “Fat Jay’s Whiskey Den”

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**Author:** ![Coconutsales](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coconutsales/32/900_2.png) [@Coconutsales](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coconutsales)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/2 "2013-04-14T23:18:49Z")

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This, so much THIS.

I’ve come across many of my old survivors whom I had explored a hefty portion of my map with. ☹

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**Author:** ![Flare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@Flare](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Flare)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/3 "2013-04-14T23:30:46Z")

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On road maps, maybe you can find them in general stores and gas stations.

A one use item that applies with a. The charge will increase your map viewing range by 20 to 30 for one turn.

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**Author:** ![kilozombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@kilozombie](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kilozombie)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/4 "2013-04-15T15:31:45Z")

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There are actually items called “road maps” though, they show you all the locations of roads, pharmacies, hospitals etc. on the entire map square.

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**Author:** ![Psiweapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Psiweapon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Psiweapon)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/5 "2013-04-15T16:16:34Z")

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[quote=“Flare, post:3, topic:820”]On road maps, maybe you can find them in general stores and gas stations.

A one use item that applies with a. The charge will increase your map viewing range by 20 to 30 for one turn.[/quote]

> [@kilozombie](#):
>
> There are actually items called “road maps” though, they show you all the locations of roads, pharmacies, hospitals etc. on the entire map square.

Excuse me sirs but, if you take the pains to carefully read my original post, you will find the following statement concerning a bunker with goods stashed by previous characters:

[quote=“Psiweapon, post:1, topic:820”]A lot of times I end up in the same shelter time and again with different characters, accumulating resources. Last time, I didn’t even know where it was, but following some roads I learned from a roadmap, I ended up there anyways.  
[…][/quote]

Statement which would hardly have any meaning without the assumption that I already know about roadmaps and applying/activating them, a possibility most aptly suggested by them having one (1) charge; what I’m suggesting here is merely a new usage for the discussed item, that being allowing the inheritability of map notes via it’s use.

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/6 "2013-04-15T16:40:33Z")

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I assume Kilozombie was responding to Flare.

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**Author:** ![Psiweapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Psiweapon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Psiweapon)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/7 "2013-04-15T17:10:13Z")

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> [@The Darkling Wolf](#):
>
> I assume Kilozombie was responding to Flare.

And you might be exactly right about that, sir. Maybe I have a twitchy trigger-happy posting finger? My apologies.

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**Author:** ![sodapop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@sodapop](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/sodapop)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/8 "2013-04-15T21:57:14Z")

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I’m pretty sure he was as well.

Anyway, building a sign in a game like cataclysm makes more sense to me than one in something like Terraria, and that pre-marked map? So awesome. If this gets implemented, how cool would it be to find an NPC’s map with all sorts of shit marked on it that you have to decipher, like what does ‘B’ mean? Bear? Base? What about ‘Mine’? Does that mean land mines or a mine area?

Reading a road sign to figure out how far it is to the next town would be pretty cool as well, maybe automatically adding rest stops and such to your map if you read them (not that rest stop areas exist to my knowledge, but oh well)

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**Author:** ![Psiweapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Psiweapon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Psiweapon)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/9 "2013-04-16T20:43:35Z")

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Wait… There actually is a buildable ¿furniture? item called Billboard, what’s it good for?

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**Author:** ![warppooted](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/warppooted/32/905_2.png) [@warppooted](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/warppooted)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/10 "2013-04-19T04:33:30Z")

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It’s for assigning NPCs to defend an area (when they stop being buggy, that is)

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**Author:** ![Soron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/soron/32/885_2.png) [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/11 "2013-04-19T04:35:27Z")

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No reason why someone can’t add note-leaving functionality to billboards, though. Especially since it would let us properly fix a compiler warning.

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**Author:** ![Psiweapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Psiweapon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Psiweapon)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 9:39am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/interaction-between-survivors-roadmaps-signposts/820/12 "2013-04-19T09:39:12Z")

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It’s made of wood, notes could be added to it with a simple cutting tool:

“Mason Bailey was here”