In-game map ideas and features

Hello everybody!

Seeing as how Bloodstained is set to have IGA's biggest castle yet, having a good, functional map would be vitally important for players like me, who are easily lost. That's why I would like to start this topic where we can share ideas and suggestions about what would make navigating the Bloodstained castle more enjoyable.
And by "map" I mean the in-game map you see when you pause to check where you should go next. For a discussion about the design and layout of the castle itself you can go here.


First of all, I think it's safe to assume that the Castlevania grid-style map is a classic for a reason and we are all at least familiar with it and can use it as a jumping off point for discussions and comparisons. Personally, it's one of my favorite map systems, although I would like to see a few additions (more on that at the end of the post).

Please share any ideas and suggestions you might have. Both positive experiences from games you've enjoyed and negatives from games which could have "done it better" would be valuable information to consider.
If you haven't thought about this before, here are some questions to get you started:
What do you think makes a map useful to you?
If you're lost and don't know where to go, what would be the best way to show you how to progress?
If you feel that a map is too cluttered with unnecessary information, what could be left out?
Do you want to know how much of the map you have uncovered (e.g. 78%)? What about percentage of items or secrets?

Also, it's important to consider that Bloodstained is going to be played on a variety of platforms, each with their own quirks and limitations.
PC players will be using a mouse and keyboard; XBOX and PS users will be viewing the game from a greater distance on a TV screen; Wii U and Vita could make use of their touchscreens.
Consider the console you're going to be playing the game on and share your ideas about how to make the experience better for you and everyone else using that platform.


Here's a small sample of map screens from similar games for inspiration:



And here are my thoughts on the matter:

I think that one of the things that makes a map "good" is when it not only shows where you have been, but also where you could go. That's why I like the Castlevania grid-style maps. They make it perfectly clear where there are doors to other rooms, and when you have reached a dead end (secret rooms excluded).
The only problem I have with that style is that it doesn't tell me what's inside a room. I'm not talking about marking rooms with save spots and teleports, but more along the lines of locked doors, inaccessible areas and general places of interest.
An example would be; coming to a door that's only accessible by jumping high or flying, so I give up and go somewhere else. After a while I wonder why I haven't opened that door and I go back to try and open it, only to end up wasting my time because I still can't get to it.
Another example would be one of the quests in Portrait of Ruin. I remember finding a room with a piano, recognizing that it was an important room and thinking that I should remember where it is. But when I finally got the quest to go there I had forgotten where that room was and I had a lot of trouble finding it again.

Some games take care of situations like that by automatically marking things they think you should remember on your map, but that isn't usually isn't enough and it takes away some of the fun from finding the secrets for yourself.
Some games let you place markers on the map, but unless there are a good variety of markers, it's easy to forget what exactly they mean. And of course, even if certain games allow it, and you have a keyboard, stopping to write a text as a reminder alongside the marker isn't that fun.

An ideal solution for me would be if the game let you take pictures of the room you were in and mark where that picture was taken on the map. That way, if you're looking at the map and see you've marked something, but don't remember what it was, you could just look at the picture instead of going all the way there. Or, if you're looking for something specific, you could browse through your pictures and locate it that way.
Or you could take pictures of interesting scenery or enemies and maybe share them with your friends through the asynchronous multiplayer function. I know most consoles and platforms already have those features, but it would be nice if they were built into the game.

And assuming that an actual camera, like the one Shanoa had in Order of Ecclesia, wouldn't be out of place in Bloodstained and IGA's story, maybe Miriam (or another playable character) could find one and use it for more than just taking pictures. Maybe revealing secrets, solving puzzles etc.

Of course one of the problems with this idea is that the pictures would require a lot of storage space. Even if such a feature was implemented the pictures might have to be at lower quality or limited in number. Even so, I would be happy to have something like 20 or even 10 picture slots that I can use through the game.

Anyway, that's my ideal for a map in a game like Bloodstained. A classic Castlevania style map with the added function to take pictures of anything interesting you find.
What is yours?