The current map naming scheme (XXX-Y) is rather limited and cumbersome. It has 3 digits to identify the map, and another to identify the submap (outside, indoor, cave level, etc). We're using less than half of the characters available for this (5 out of 11 available). We also have each one of our 100+ maps in the same folder (not a big deal, but it gets annoying as we add more).
I'm proposing a new, more flexible system: R/[what ever up to 9 characters]. R is a region identifier (T for Tonori, A for Argaes, K for Kaizei, etc). Everything after that is open to use, up to 9 characters (which is the limit with the current network protocol). Some samples:
- T/Tul/S/o (South Tulimshar outside)
- T/Tul/S/inn (South Tulimshar inn interior)
- T/Tul/S/h1 (South Tulimshar, house 1 interior)
- A/Hur/o (Hurnscald outside)
- A/Hur/clinic (Hurnscald clinic interior)
- A/Dim/cave1 (FIrst level of Dimond's Cove cave)
- A/grave/o (Woodland graveyard outside)
- K/Niv/dck/o (Nivalis docks outside)
The source of the 11 character limit is the network protocol, which allows only 16 characters (null terminated) for map name. Add in the extension (period followed by 3 characters), we're left with 11: 16 - 1 (for null character) - 4 (for extension) = 11 (available characters).