By using a waypoint like a tree that you have identified lies along your azimuth, you can simply move to it as quick as you can, and once you get to it, find another waypoint along your azimuth. I don't think that you stand to gain much by double checking the back azimuth. However, if you reached your waypoint and perhaps you were not certain that it is the same one that you identified earlier, AND you are able to identify the location that you came from, then checking the back azimuth would help you confirm that you are still on azimuth. Overall though, it is generally best to try and find enough identifiable features along the way as you move so that staying perfectly on your azimuth is not needed. Catching features, aka backstops, attack points, linear features - a good plan identifies many different natural or man-made features - the more you can identify along your route, the more certain you can be of where you are and thus the faster you can move with confidence.

@@landnavgame2160 Ah I see. On my own I found that I’m far better at longer distances because of definitive attack points. Rivers are a cheat code, but in my research, it’s unwise to use handrails. Apparently, because handrails can be used to hunt you. Instead, the end points of rivers I find are much better attack points, but I’m concerned that seasonal or natural changes would make it more dynamic in real life. Hills and Valleys are good attack points, but for the beginning stages, I find the valleys to be unreliable, since a small decline seems like only 1 meter and not 10 meters like the map says. Land marks like the radio tower, pointing my compass at it and taking that bearing helps me find exactly where I am on the map. This actually helped me figure out that I was at the wrong nav point and that my point was inside a bush completely hidden. If I reach a backstop, I turn around on my reciprocal azimuth and walk a certain amount. Using a combination of these techniques, I’m either 100% accurate or I miss it because it’s inside a bush. I also believe that my distrust of the pace count system is a weakness, I distrust it because I haven’t learned to account for getting stuck in a bush properly yet in terms of time. I’m wondering how appropriate using some type of marker, like a cloth, tape, or knife mark on trees is. Because when I reach my point and I don’t see it, I have an urge to anchor myself with some type of marker and start a circular search pattern for the point.

awesome, if you do well in landnav people will have a lot of respect for you, because it is a very tough thing to do. I hope you crush it. Good luck!

well sort of moved on - it is a big game to handle for a single developer, but a relatively small audience, so I am not able to work on it full time, but every couple months I take several weeks to work a bit more on it. My goal is to get it a bit more polished and with a bit more content so that it is a good training simulator and also just a fun experience even for non-military people. It is getting pretty close to being "finished" but it's just slow going. Good luck with Selection, a few people have used the game to help prep for that and reported that they felt it gave them an edge.

@@landnavgame2160 Glad to hear it, I can see how the game is a lot for one dev. I have 2 questions, one is how do you move that 1 line on the protractor without moving the whole protractor to get a grid azimuth, and 2 how do I use a hint? I see there was an option to enable hints in the game and would like to utilize that when I am lost.

​@@Blessed3724 hints are not implemented yet in the current version. If you become hopelessly lost my advice is to just keep going, just choose a direction based on your best instinct and just walk and each time you find some distinguishable feature try to locate it on your map. This is what you'd have to do in real life (and you will get hopelessly lost so figuring out how to handle this situation is good practice). Once you finish the event the AAR will show you exactly where you went so you will get that chance to figure out exactly where you went wrong. To move the straight edge on the protractor you have to select it by clicking it, and then use the bracket keys ( [ and ] ). Same as the compass bezel, if you hold control or shift that changes how many degrees it moves for each click.

@@landnavgame2160 I am going to give an improve for the game if that's okay. This game is very good at its job, which is to be disoreinting, and I often experience headaches/motion sickness when I play. I think if there was an option to always have a compass on screen, it would be helpful to this and for other new players.

haha me too! learning landnav on the spot was pretty dang tough, being able to make stupid mistakes in a virtual world really seems to take that edge off and I'm pretty happy that it is possible to use the exact same techniques in the game as in real life, so there isn't a threat of practicing bad habits that might get you in trouble in the real world. Good luck with your new sport! I have wanted to do that for many years, might have to actually do it one of these days before I get too far out of shape working on the computer all day :)

Quite a few people have suggested this! I am going to look into it further once I get the next big update finished.

Glad you are enjoying it. We are working hard to update the forest map which is going to increase the realism by increasing the types of terrain and how it effects you movement, making it more realistic but also a bit easier to understand as well. In the current version, it is pretty much best to just avoid draws where heavy vegetation grows, or if you have to go through, try to do so at a 90 degree angle and double check your surroundings on near and far side so you dont get disoriented when you come out the far side.

Glad you are enjoying it! Multiplayer is pretty much out of my scope as a developer, unless the DOD funded me. I have a pretty extensive design for a full infantry simulation game, though I have plans to create some other games first before that one. But in a few years I might start work on that and will let the LANDNAV community know about it if I do since there is probably a lot of carry-over interest.

Thanks I hope you'll like it. The map size is 8x8km.

It uses the Military Grid Reference System for military style navigation, and for orienteering style points are marked on the map automatically so you just terrain associate and don't have to deal with coordinates very much.

@@landnavgame2160 Hmm okey! The thing is Im heading towards selection (not US) and ive been a civilian for the past 4 years. I need to get my landnav skills back, forgot a lot of things (ex military as well). Regarding compass, what type is being used? Similiar to the classic Silva Compass?

the compass model is based on the Cammenga 3h tritium model which is used by the US military. It has both Mil and degree readings. It looks like it is functionally similar to the Silva model, though it does not have a transparent body. There is also a square style protractor which a lot of people like to use for grid plotting as its more convenient than using a compass, but the compass also has a ruled edge so it can be used for plotting if you prefer.

@@landnavgame2160 Alright, thanks man! Ill be buying this later in april. Thanks for the quick responses!

@@VrigeHD awesome i hope it is useful for you!

It takes a lot of practice so you can't start too soon! let us know in the discord when you crush your friend :)

Awesome, this is the best sort of review. If you have any feedback please let me know in the discord server, I am working on updating the game.

Thank you!

The people who need this game are usually preparing to go into military or have a serious dedication to the sport of orienteering. For many people the skill is not just a professional requirement but a matter of deadly seriousness. The development measured over 12,000 hours from a solo developer. If 10 euro's on the price tag is make or break for you, you probably just are not in the right audience. It is on steam so of course you can always try it and return so long as you are under the two hour window. It is not likely that the game will ever be put on a sale, but if you feel there is not enough value for the price, keep an eye on game because I'll be updating in future. I am also offering 1 on 1 training via the discord for any owners of the game at no additional cost. You can easily pay hundreds of dollars for similar training from (sometimes) less qualified people.

@@landnavgame2160 I second this!

It is released now. The mountain map is not included yet though, just a forest map. Mountain map will be added as free update in future

Have you got a key for the steam playtest? You can use it right now to help with your prep. A few guys have reported that it's helped them for similar courses.

thanks! i'm glad it's helping some people out in more ways than just entertainment