Open grid navigational system

A method for providing assistance to a user in navigating an object to a user in navigating an object to one or more unattained goals during a game in an open grid type virtual environment, comprising the steps of:

• maintaining a listing of one or more unattained goals within a virtual environment for which an object is to be navigated to by a user during a game;
• removing any unattained goal reached by the object during game play and that is included within the listing of the one or more unattained goals once it has been determined that the object has reached the unattained goal and such that the listing of the one or more unattained goals only includes unattained goals that still remain to be reached by the object during the game;
• identifying a next listed unattained goal within the listing that still remains to be reached by the object during the game;
• repeatedly displaying a global indicator that points in a direction directly from the object toward the next listed unattained goal within the virtual environment upon determining that the next listed unattained goal is present and until the next listed unattained goal is reached by the object and removed from the listing, and by at least iteratively performing the following:
• identifying a current location of the next listed unattained goal within the virtual environment;
• identifying a current location of the object within the virtual environment;
• and
• displaying the global indicator to point in a direction directly from the object toward the next listed unattained goal within the virtual environment, and
• such that the global indicator is repeatedly displayed from a time in which the next listed unattained goal is determined to be present and until the next listed unattained goal is reached by the object and removed from the listing, and such that each repeated display of the global indicator points in a direction directly from the object toward the next listed unattained goal and so as to dynamically reflect change in the current location of the object as the object is navigated within the virtual environment;
• providing a local indicator, which is graphically distinguished from the global indicator, and that generally points to indicate a direction of a specific turn to be taken by the object in the virtual environment-for reaching the goal;
• and
• displaying the local indicator in the virtual environment at least before the specific turn can be taken by the object to reach the goal, and wherein the local indicator is displayed simultaneously with the global indicator, at least temporarily.