Just a thought about the map pane. For most areas, the map is great. It's a scaled version of the area you're in, it's out of the way, and it's resolution is just fine...
Then you go to an area where it's a vertical space, rather than horizontal. Now the map is taking up 15-20% of the game space. It hides things that are going on and really somehow starts to get in the way.
I think I would be a good idea to have some sort of expandable map, where in these sorts of areas, a mouse-over, or keypress allows the map to expand and contract, so that when you don't need to know, you can hide it.
Maybe a map that only shows the closest 10% to where you're standing, so you have enough of the space above and below your character for jumping/falling accurately or something of that nature.
Thoughts, comments, feelings from anyone else?