RUST Map Markers and Pings: A new communication tool
The RUST Map Marker System, introduced on April 6th in the Make Your Mark Update, allows players to place customized markers on their in-game map. As a highly requested feature for years on the game’s roadmap, it brings back some semblance that an earlier version of the game once had regarding map interactivity.
This Map Marker System enables players to add up to 5 custom markers on their in-game map, which can then be modified and removed at will. While 5 is the default number, RUST server admins can increase or decrease this number by changing the convar server.maximummapmarkers.
How to add markers to the RUST map
To add a marker to the in-game map, open the map (G) and right-click (Right Mouse Button) where you want it placed. A small location marker icon will appear at the coordinates you clicked your mouse.
To modify a marker, find it on the map and click on it (Left Mouse Button) and a dialog will then appear in place, allowing for the following options to be configured:
Marker (Icon)
Adding a new marker to the map will always default to the Location icon. Players can choose a new icon for the marker by left-clicking it while the dialog is open. To open the dialog, left-click (Left Mouse Button) on the existing marker’s icon on the map to open it.
There are 12 markers to choose from, which include the following: Location, Money Sign, Home, AirDrop, Target, Shield, Skull, Bed, Sleeping, Weapon, Node, and Loot icon.
Players will see the following error message display if they try to add more than the server’s allowed limit: “Cannot place more than 5 markers.” Players must remove at least one marker to resolve this error.
To remove or clear a marker icon from the map, hover over the intended marker with your cursor, then right-click (Right Mouse Button) it. This action will remove it from both the map and the compass. Be warned there is no prompt or reversing of this action, so proceed cautiously.
Additional properties for markers:
- Icons are required
- Defaults to location icon
- Maximum of 5 total at a time
Name (Label)
Map markers have an optional field allowing players to add a name to the marker. The name will appear under the marker’s icon on the map and a truncated 3-character version on the compass.
Additional properties for the name field include:
- Minimum of 0 and maximum of 10 characters in length
- It can consist of alphanumeric and special characters
- Ignores case sensitivity and displays in all caps
Players can edit or delete the name, automatically updating both locations displayed. Removal of the name alone does not delete the marker.
Marker Color
Markers follow an automatic color scheme when placed on the map in the following order: Yellow, Blue, Green, Red, and Purple. However, players can modify each marker’s color after it’s placed on the map.
There are six colors to choose from, and markers can share the same color or have a mixed variety. A marker’s colors can be changed at will, with no limitations, and will immediately update on both the map and compass.
Map marker visibility & sharing
Map markers cannot be seen or shared with other players except the team leader’s markers. The team leader’s markers will be visible to all active players on the team, but they cannot see their team members’ markers, as it’s one-way. This functionality lets players on a team see up to 10 markers on the map.
One interesting point on map markers is that they persist through your game sessions and the server restarting.
Map Pings
As part of the Make Your Mark update, map pings bring a new method of communication to the game allowing players to ping their teammates quickly and briefly. Pings were designed to let players signify a designated point of interest on the map, which their teammates can see on their screen, in-game map and compass.
How to ping your teammates in RUST
To ping your teammates, you must actively use Binoculars, PTZ CCTV Cameras, or a Drone. While one of these items is active, you can point your cursor toward the intended target and press the default (Mouse 3) key to bring up the radial menu, which displays 6 options.
The 6 options players can ping in RUST are:
- Hostile (Danger in area)
- Go To (Look at this)
- Value (Something valuable is here)
- Loot (Loot is here)
- Node (An ore node is here)
- Weapon (A dropped weapon is here)
While you can manually select which ping notification you want to be displayed, contextual pings are also built-in. So if you target a node, the node option will automatically be displayed, or if you target a weapon, the weapon option will be displayed. If you quickly double-press the ping key (Mouse 3), it will place a hostile red ping to represent danger.
If you need to remove or clear a ping, open your map and click on it (Left Mouse Button). All pings will remain on the map and compass for 10 seconds.
Final thoughts on RUST’s Map Marker and Ping Systems
The Map Marker and Ping systems bring new forms of communication to the game that enable small teams and clans to plan better and organize their actions while in-game. Gone are the days of chaotic approaches to raiding and defending bases and even roaming the map.
With these new functions in place, players who favor overwatch have been gifted pin-point accuracy for their communications. The question now is, how will solo players and you adapt this to your play style?
One final note to server admins out there, the introduction of multiple markers on the map has slightly impacted how the teleport2marker command works. If two or more markers exist on your map, the command will send you to the first one placed and cycle through them in order each time you issue the command.
