As I’m sure many people know, treasure chart directions aren’t the most reliable. With the addition of goldsight, and the treasure chart website, they’ve become more manageable, but has anyone stopped to wonder, why exactly treasure charts can be so weird and misleading?
Well, I believe I have found a possible explanation for this. Firstly, let’s consider the four parts of chart directions: Material, Height, Direction, and Distance.
The material of the part is always correct, as is obvious, and the height is generally accurate. While “sea level” and “decent height” are a little misleading sometimes, I believe it’s based on the part’s y-level, and determined based on preset values of height. So if the part is above one height and below another, it gets categorized as a certain height.
Direction is roughly accurate, though it’s a little hard to tell due to some islands having weirdly tilted shapes. That’s where the chart website comes in, as it does help indicate where exactly “south southeast” is, for example. However, direction and especially distance are the two variables that mess up the most commonly, and this is what I’m considering.
Distance is how far the part is from the island’s center. “few steps”, “halfway”, or “edge”.
Now, it’s mostly likely determined by a radial check from the island’s center coordinate, but very commonly, the text is deceiving. At Ravenna, halfway is near the edge. At Cernunno, a similar case exists. At Palo, I once found a few paces chart that was on the shore. I recall seeing a Thorin chart with a similar problem. But why? Why does this happen?
Well, I am going to bring up two things that are crucial in deciphering this:
Hidden sections of parts, and the way a roblox part’s location is determined.
You see, parts do frequently extend below other parts and walls. While only a small section may show, they sometimes extend deeper than you may imagine. Secondly, roblox parts are determined at the center, in height, depth, and width. Now, how many assume charts work is that a random part on the map that is eligible for charts is selected. However, the thing is, it is likely that the chart’s directions are determined based on the selected part’s roblox position.
That means, on a part that is particularly long or large, the center is a far offshoot from where you’re digging. If this is how charts are generated, that means that the relative position is from the part’s center to the island, not the part as a whole. That is why sometimes the direction can be so inaccurate; large parts that extend far underground have a center that is far from where you’re digging. The game determines it as “halfway”, for example, but the only revealed section is near the edge.
Now again, this is just theoretical. But if my assumptions are correct, than that is why the chart’s distance can be so inaccurate at times. This also applies to wide parts, which is why the direction is occasionally wrong too.
