[3.3] Gilded Cage's Comprehensive Guide to Maps

Very nice write up on maps. I learn a few things here and there.

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As a map completion bonus, certain maps in the Atlas will drop a Shaper’s Orb of a particular tier. You can apply a Shaper’s Orb to a map of the specified tier in your Atlas. Shaped versions of maps mean that all future maps of that name drop 5 tiers higher. For example, if you shape a tier 2 Beach map you can now find tier 7 Shaped Beach maps. Note unshaped tier 2 Beach maps will no longer drop. Shaped maps are identical to normal maps, only with higher monster levels.

I wonder if bold part is true. I'm pretty sure my characters got unshapred version of maps I previously shaped. It would make sense for unshapped maps to still drop as map tier is first determined and only than roll for specific maps is done.

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Baron01 wrote:

Very nice write up on maps. I learn a few things here and there.

"

As a map completion bonus, certain maps in the Atlas will drop a Shaper’s Orb of a particular tier. You can apply a Shaper’s Orb to a map of the specified tier in your Atlas. Shaped versions of maps mean that all future maps of that name drop 5 tiers higher. For example, if you shape a tier 2 Beach map you can now find tier 7 Shaped Beach maps. Note unshaped tier 2 Beach maps will no longer drop. Shaped maps are identical to normal maps, only with higher monster levels.

I wonder if bold part is true. I'm pretty sure my characters got unshapred version of maps I previously shaped. It would make sense for unshapped maps to still drop as map tier is first determined and only than roll for specific maps is done.

You may be confusing with old maps you already had in your stash. I never had an unshaped version of maps drop after I shaped a particular map.

Thanks a lot for the nice guide!

I have a question which I hope hasn't been asked so far:

Do you have anything to say about old (pre-Atlas) maps? I still have tons of them, even the very old versions. Should I keep them, or do them to drop new ones?

Thanks in advance :D

Beautiful work!! Thank you for taking the time and effort to provide this for the community! I'd call it a "ONE-STOP resource". Truly it is people like yourself who make a game sooo much more enjoyable for others!

And of course my first map ever was desert.

Hi, can you write how to lock map guide ? I see on youtube but i dont understand
thankyou!

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Tobrokke wrote:

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Baron01 wrote:

Very nice write up on maps. I learn a few things here and there.

"

As a map completion bonus, certain maps in the Atlas will drop a Shaper’s Orb of a particular tier. You can apply a Shaper’s Orb to a map of the specified tier in your Atlas. Shaped versions of maps mean that all future maps of that name drop 5 tiers higher. For example, if you shape a tier 2 Beach map you can now find tier 7 Shaped Beach maps. Note unshaped tier 2 Beach maps will no longer drop. Shaped maps are identical to normal maps, only with higher monster levels.

I wonder if bold part is true. I'm pretty sure my characters got unshapred version of maps I previously shaped. It would make sense for unshapped maps to still drop as map tier is first determined and only than roll for specific maps is done.

You may be confusing with old maps you already had in your stash. I never had an unshaped version of maps drop after I shaped a particular map.

I get alot of regular maps of my shaped ones, not drops but vendors and what not only give normals. Bit wierd.

Exactly what I needed ! Thanks mate !

The guide says to complete all maps up till T10, but what about after that? Is it a matter of map preference, or what?

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Drazath wrote:

The guide says to complete all maps up till T10, but what about after that? Is it a matter of map preference, or what?

Most people like to only run shaped maps tier 10 and up. By only having shaped maps unlocked for a tier you force every map that drops for that tier to only be the one you have shaped. There's a few justifications for this, one the map is 5 tiers higher but the layout may be better of the rest in that tier, the surrounding maps are lower level allowing you to use apprentice or journeyman sextants all around your shaped maps, and another oft-used reason is because the mobs or bosses are often easier. The monster level is still that of the tier, but say you look at tier 14 where the bosses are Kaom, Daresso, Rigwald, et al, the boss in your tier 14 shaped map won't be one of those hard-hitting badasses.

This should also apply to other people saying that they were certain they've had normal versions of the maps they shaped drop. Once you shape a map, it will always drop in it's shaped version only. You can buy the unshaped from vendor's since vendor's item's aren't your selling your drop table.

I only run everything t1-9, so I came back to this guide that got me started in Essence League to see what tier 10 Port was about, the version is updated, but it doesn't seem the same for the content.