When Jonas Terhaar started playing The Forest around V 0.10, he, along with many other players, struggled with map orientation. Then everything changed, when a Reddit-posting inspired him to use his talents as a web developer to create an interactive map for the horror-survival title by Endnight Games.
Today his map project has evolved. Players are now able to easily attain the exact information that is needed, when it's needed. Or conversely, add the information one deems valuable to share. Jonas Terhaar is looking forward to working alongside players to create a brilliant interactive map. We have talked to the 23 year old from Wismar, Germany.
ST Tell our readers, how your project has begun.
JT I've been a programmer for many years. I started playing the game in an early alpha stage. When I saw a map for The Forest on Reddit, I had the idea to create an interactive one with customiseable markers. Soon afterwards the first version of my Website went live.
ST Did you use publicity for your site?
JT Barely. In the beginning I made a guide on steam and linked the map in it. The rest kind of happened by itself. A lot of players rely on my map, and it even pops up in postings about The Forest today.
ST Is there a collaboration with Endnight Games?
JT No, the project is run completely independently. I once got an Email from Endnight Games though - they think the Map is pretty cool.
ST Good to have positive feedback from the devs. Where did the basic data come from and what did the development of the map look like?
JT This was all made tediously with Photoshop with the help of Souldrinker's mod API. It took a lot of time.
ST So everything's self-made. The map is also available as an in-game-map. Tell our readers briefly how this works.
JT The mod is from Souldrinker's Mod API, the cartography and the markers are mine. It's easy: The mod transports the map directly into the game, including all markers. So you no longer have to leave the game to access the information.
ST What was your intention with creating the interactive map, what was it designed for?
JT The player should be able to find what he is looking for straight away with ease. Specfic objects can be displayed or hidden at your choosing. If you are looking for the Katana, for example: You enter "Katana" in the search bar on the left and the program shows the location on the map. In coop friends can coordinate which place is best suited for a camp or where one finds the next cannibal camp or the next cave. The possibilities are endless.
ST Speaking of caves, they are also mapped in your project. Was this as painstaking as the screenshot surface?
JT Even more so. (laughs) Since you can not clearly see the course of the caves either above or below the world of the game, I had to trace the caves from within. This was very time-consuming, but I think you will be satisfied with the result.
ST If you have found a good place for a camp on the map, what then?
JT Then you put your own marker in the place and / or upload a screenshot from your camp.
ST Are there future plans for the map project?
JT There are. However, I'm still waiting for Endnight Games to implement dedicated servers in The Forest. Then I want to bring live cards into the game, which reflect the current state of the respective server. Also, the in-game mod may be expanded to show all coop players on the map. These are just a few ideas. Let's see what the future brings.
ST Thank you for your time.