Most people are used to a "Floating dial" compass, which has the North on the dial point north instead of the needle. The needle on these designs are fixed.

Meanwhile this is a floating needle design, where the needle points north and the dial is fixed.

I CANT I CANT I CANT SWI *dies of freezing*

Unfortunately, the compass is a terrible flotation device.

Method unclear. Walked into ocean and drowned

this made no sense tbh. xD but whatever dont actually need the compass, can just memorize everything and how to get everywhere

Unironically the best guide. The fact people these days don't know how a compass works baffles me.

Idk why people didn't know how to use a compass 2 years ago.

Idk why this is a guide

there is and always was a problem with the compass ! however it is not constantly there . the compass works perfectly 99% of the time but there is an odd glitch that seems to move you ! and if you line the compass up with a distant object ie mountain top . then walk towards that point for a while ,then stop and check your compas ?????? wtf ??? ...this does not happen all the time but when it does then it would seem north is moving ??? maybe it is ? i dont know what causes this and i only noticed it when trying to make a nice map < i like maps> as in normal explore /hunt /mine mode i dont use the compass i like to wander around getting used to the terain and finding landmarks .. the other issue is when the white mist falls even if you stop and wait you can find yourself quite a long way from where you should be . again if you are trying to follow a compass heading ...you are turned helicaly !< screwed >

This was a while ago.

At this time when few people played the game, it was all a bunch of kiddies that were convinced that the compass was broken because if they turned left, the compass wouldn't turn left. They thought a compass magically worked like a GPS arrow.