For proof of concept I have created my own mini map in unreal and using Photoshop. How well does it work? Well not that great, as I have explained in my previous post that the arrow does not move when the character is exploring the plain, the arrow would only move when i move the camera’s direction with the mouse. So not an accomplished design. The graphic work of it is very simple as well, I was going for a water due look for the compose. The H-CI, (Human-Computer Interaction) is not that great as I have explained before but, having the sound aspect attached to the map does make it ease for a player to scan the screen to know where has the mini map opened. in those respects the map is very communicative.

If i had to and want to develop my mini map further, then I’d like to have a map of the plain that would show in the mini map instead of the actually platform of the game. where an artist’s or a concept artist skill would be shown a bit more. How relevant it would be for the game, well that would depend on what kind of game it is. I will be referencing 2 games that one has a mini map and the other one has a bar but, acts like a mini map.

If you have a closer look, on the top frame of the game you can see a bar that indicates as a mini map. Now you don’t get to see the plain of the game in this form of map but, playing the game and using the “map bar”, does help me to indicate which way i have to go in the game i.e. north, east or south as an example and the locked mission would be shown as a blue diamond or a yellow diamond, and to get to what ever place you are trying to go, the player would have to get the diamond in the center of the bar and the gamer would reach their destination. Now I would say that the H-CI is is very much involved with the game and it does force the player to use it.

Now the Zelda franchise has always had a mini map in their 3D platform games. I have played majority of the Zelda games but, from personal experience i have rarely used the mini map and the reason for that is that the game has the main map in the option choice or the main map would have a teleport system that would teleport the main character anywhere on the map without the trouble of travelling to that destination by foot/ horse riding/ boat or any other form of transport that the game has introduced. I personally think that the mini map in this particular game is not necessary because has a gamer I don’t really engage a lot with it unless there is a specific mini mission to be done but, even then the gamer can have a look on the main map.

I think it depends on the game and the importance of the mini map and how the mini map would engage with the game and the player instead of having it for the aesthetics.