I think that lack of automaps is PS is a mistake. There are some things to consider here. If this game has only its current players in mind, then the developers time is practically wasted. Since I assume that is not the goal, perhaps the target audience\'s wishes should be accommodated to increase player numbers, and thus, add to this \"role-playing\" aspect I keep reading about on the forums (which seems to be a placeholder for interactive plot and quests. Understandable this early in development, but realize this should not be the focus; it is flavor, which is nice, but not why people play, mostly... gameplay is key). There is such a thing as being too esoteric, and it can really destroy the chances that the project will do well in beta.

A few simple (can you say that word on a game-in-development forum?) things could be implemented to make the game more newbie friendly. An NPC tutorial, for instance. Role-play/quest oriented, of course. A game that throws you into a small and feasible goal gets the action moving, and the player interested. The more new players who get interested, the more buzz will be created and more people will come to play. In my mind, this, more than money or even prestige, is most rewarding for the developers.