User talk:Murk

The Shartak UBER MAP project

I have created an online and highly detailed map which all Shartak users can contribute to... To see the map so far, and join the project, go to the Shartak UBER MAP project website and check it out.

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Tree finder

I'm considering making "tree finder" Greasemonkey and PHP scripts that would log tree finds and then let people ask for the location of the nearest fruit tree or tasty berry bush (within 20 squares or so in any direction of their coordinates). I was going to ask you for a list/database of the known trees on Shartak according to your Uber Map, but I think it'd be easiest for everyone to have such a feature attached to your existing Greasemonkey reporter and PHP recorder scripts. (And when I say "easiest for everyone" I don't mean "easiest for everyone but you, who gets to code all of this wonderful stuff for us", because I'd love to code something like this. I'd just need access to the data people have given you.) I'm only an amateur programmer, but I have some ideas, so here they are.

At first, all that would need to be done would be to write a standalone PHP script that would take a player's GPS coordinates as input, hit the database for the locations of all trees within 20 x-steps and 20 y-steps, and run through them (there shouldn't be more than ten in any case) to find and report the shortest distance as the crow flies. (A "Find Trees" box could be added to the game page using Greasemonkey without much trouble.) The next step would be to modify the Uber Map Greasemonkey reporter to look for flavor text on tree/bush squares and tell the recorder whether the fruit-bearing plant is a tree, tasty berry bush, poisonous berry bush, or bush with unknown fruit. (This would require changing the recorder script and database to record tree types and, preferably, to not replace reports of "poisonous/tasty berry bush" with "unknown berry bush" or "moderate jungle, tree/bush" with "really dense jungle, no tree/bush".) A nice final step would be to take jungle density into account when the distances of nearby trees are calculated and to add to a tree's distance value if it would only be accessible after a little chopping.

What do you think?

— Elembis (talk) 10:08, 12 June 2006 (BST)

Well.. I have something for you mean time... which is actually quite useful for locating trees, although it's not what you were really asking for. Try the latest (version 2.30) uber mapper GM script. If your using it then a "NEW VERSION" hyperlink should appear to indicate an upgrade is available. Your display should then look something like this:

Enjoy! --Murk 20:51, 14 June 2006 (BST)

In fact, it occurs to me, even if you can't see a tree immediately with the V 2.30 script shown above, you can always click the "Local map" button, and you are BOUND to immediately see where the nearest tree is then, and where to go to get to it. --Murk 21:19, 14 June 2006 (BST)

Tree and Ruin finder

Awesome minimap! The Trees and Ruins are sometimes overgrown by Jungle, but are hiding under there nevertheless. Is there a way to present another icon on the UBERmap for a currently concealed Tree or Jungle, so that we know where to dig (even for example a question mark or blob)? Also, is there a master list of the locations of all of these specials? Currently, I'm roving through the UBERmap page by page to log the GPS coordinates, and that seems very inefficient. Ideally, UBERmap would also trap the terrain type name shown on the player screen, so that (for example) DUNES are displayed in a different color than BEACH. --Tycho44 07:25, 15 June 2006 (BST)

It is intended to start capturing concealed trees, and such, but they are only visible from the description, and only when you're right at them obviously. Not quite there yet through with that... The terrain types are recorded, if you click "Local map" to get the full page map, and then click the names on (one of the options at the top) then the terrain names will be shown when you zoom in far enough. --Murk 23:25, 15 June 2006 (BST)

Also, one thing I didn't quite understand... why can I see the icons for Trees and Huts on a x15 or even x9 zoom (especially with a complete satellite, not just the rover), but not see Ruins? In many ways Ruins and other special features are far more interesting than Trees. Thanks! --Tycho44 19:13, 16 June 2006 (BST)

Ah, um, er, that'll be a bug I guess. ;-) I'll deal with it asap. --Murk 20:33, 18 June 2006 (BST)