This game takes travelling back 7 years

[LizardSF]

 

Like someone said earlier... They want this game to be like a movie with all these cutscenes, but in what movie have you seen characters continually running down corridors, taking elevators...

 

Well, not a movie, per se, but you just described pretty much the Jon Pertwee era of Dr. Who.

 

"Quickly, Jo! Run this way!"

"Now run that way!"

"No, we have to run the other way!"

 

"But Doctor, why?"

 

"We've got about twenty minutes of dialog and a special effects budget based on what they found between the seat cushions in the BBC lounge, and we have to stretch this to a four part story! So run!"

Edited January 13, 2012 by LizardSF

[BobaFurz]

I don't understand how travel times are all the more great then other games. In WoW if you want to go from one side of the world to another you either take a flight path and afk to make a sandwich or get on your epic mount and autorun while afk for a sandwich. It's not like it's instant travel anywhere you want to go. In this game it seems much more immersive to be on your ship fly (pretty much instantly) to any planet then land.

 

The only thing I wish they would add is the ability to mount up on orbital stations and space ports. I don't mind moving through them I just hate moving at a slower pace.

 

How is this more immersive than really flying through the world actually, wheras in wow you fly really long routes and even with the zeppelin you see at least for a while that you are actully flying and not just a cockpit ? All what the ship fly does is just a covered laoding screen again and at the door you have another loading, going to the elevatior to have another loading screen. To land on a planet which has no open world but maps connected with loading screens and where you have to follow paths..well lets rock n loading.

Edited January 13, 2012 by BobaFurz

[Apax]

My problem with traveling is that the planetary ports are so large (ridiculously so) and seemingly useless. Maybe they were picturing hundreds of players mulling about them? But that's not happening with the instancing (and rarely is there much more than a hundred people on a planet anyway, most of which are nowhere near a spaceport).

 

So, you build these extremely large ports and then in many cases you require players to run through the entirety of them (bad design) and then enter a private instance (fine) and then immediately use an elevator to go to their hanger (bad design). Why the extra step? Especially when ports are that large and then with the private instance barriers.. why stick an elevator load between the instance entrance and the actual ship hanger? Not every port does this but several do.

 

And then there's the problem with being forced to take off into space every time I board a ship, even if I only went there to have a conversation with a crew member, use the bank, or use my holo-terminal for a quest.

 

Really, if anything I would like to see the actual time in hyperspace between planets EXTENDED to upwards of a minute (rather than the two seconds warps we have now before appearing at another planet). And then in turn remove a lot of the unnecessary hops and time sinks between the public gameworld and our ships. In my mind not more than 20 seconds should pass between the time I'm entering the spaceport and the time I'm clicking on my ship door. Anything longer than that is just too long.

[mcfabulous]

My problem with traveling is that the planetary ports are so large (ridiculously so) and seemingly useless. Maybe they were picturing hundreds of players mulling about them? But that's not happening with the instancing (and rarely is there much more than a hundred people on a planet anyway, most of which are nowhere near a spaceport).

 

So, you build these extremely large ports and then in many cases you require players to run through the entirety of them (bad design) and then enter a private instance (fine) and then immediately use an elevator to go to their hanger (bad design). Why the extra step? Especially when ports are that large and then with the private instance barriers.. why stick an elevator load between the instance entrance and the actual ship hanger? Not every port does this but several do.

 

And then there's the problem with being forced to take off into space every time I board a ship, even if I only went there to have a conversation with a crew member, use the bank, or use my holo-terminal for a quest.

 

Really, if anything I would like to see the actual time in hyperspace between planets EXTENDED to upwards of a minute (rather than the two seconds warps we have now before appearing at another planet). And then in turn remove a lot of the unnecessary hops and time sinks between the public gameworld and our ships. In my mind not more than 20 seconds should pass between the time I'm entering the spaceport and the time I'm clicking on my ship door. Anything longer than that is just too long.

 

I can only imagine from a design view the elevator load is a trick, there is one space ship room (i havent taken the time to look around for design differences because frankly the hangar is boring). So you essentially:

 

Room A: Hangar

Room B: Port with Elevator

Room C: Ship

Room D: Landing Port with Elevator

 

 

Go from Room B > to Room A > to Room C > back to Room A (except this time Room D is loaded into memory instead of B) > into room D

 

They saved themselves the trouble of building 20 Hangars and just made a function that swaps your loading into D instead of B

[Asuka]

Setup a security key and buy fleet passes. Problem resolved.

 

This^

[LizardSF]

How is this more immersive than really flying through the world actually, wheras in wow you fly really long routes and even with the zeppelin you see at least for a while that you are actully flying and not just a cockpit ? All what the ship fly does is just a covered laoding screen again and at the door you have another loading, going to the elevatior to have another loading screen. To land on a planet which has no open world but maps connected with loading screens and where you have to follow paths..well lets rock n loading.

 

I don't recall ever encountering an on-planet loading screen. I won't say there's none, because I haven't explored every planet.

 

I'm currently at 30th level BH, so I've been to Hutta, Dromund Kas, Balmorra, Nar Shaddaa, and Tattooine. Can you tell me which of those worlds have on-world loading screens, and when you trigger them (i.e, "Go from X to Y and you'll be staring at a loading screen").

 

Thanks.

 

(I define "on world" as "after you walk out of the starport".)

[MaximusRex]

you can buy containers of those things from china at 10-20 cents per unit. not making any money lmao.

 

No, you can't. Digipass maybe can make that that cheap, but they certainly don't sell them that cheap, feel free to look it up on their website. Since BioWare nor EA own that company, they have to pay for the units like anyone else.

[mcfabulous]

I don't recall ever encountering an on-planet loading screen. I won't say there's none, because I haven't explored every planet.

 

I'm currently at 30th level BH, so I've been to Hutta, Dromund Kas, Balmorra, Nar Shaddaa, and Tattooine. Can you tell me which of those worlds have on-world loading screens, and when you trigger them (i.e, "Go from X to Y and you'll be staring at a loading screen").

 

Thanks.

 

(I define "on world" as "after you walk out of the starport".)

 

hes refering to the elevator black screen, but it does instead still load to some degree.

 

What it actually did though is load from the cockpit then teleport you in that short amount of time between hangar and elevator.

 

Or so I can assume if I were programming it.

[LizardSF]

My problem with traveling is that the planetary ports are so large (ridiculously so) and seemingly useless.

 

I have to totally agree here. My reaction at the huge, empty, private zone you walk through from your ship to the starport is "Gods, what a waste." I think of all the design effort to make a space that large and generally detailed, and it doesn't serve any in-game purpose. It doesn't enhance immersion because there's no feel of it being a populated area since no one is moving in it or interacting with it but you. It is sometimes used for story events, but there's a zillion other ways to do the same thing.

 

I'd actually like to have all classes share a hanger, with all four ships there, and you would see people constantly running back and forth to "their" ship, or possibly "your" ship if you were the same class.

[LizardSF]

hes refering to the elevator black screen, but it does instead still load to some degree.

 

What it actually did though is load from the cockpit then teleport you in that short amount of time between hangar and elevator.

 

Or so I can assume if I were programming it.

 

His exact quote is:

To land on a planet which has no open world but maps connected with loading screens and where you have to follow paths

 

I do not see how that can be parsed as "elevator screens". He is clearly referring to world maps with loading screens between them, that is, zones on the world you stop at and wait to load, ala EQ, where you'd be paralyzed when you hit the invisible wall between zones until the new zone loaded up.

 

So:

a)There are such loading screens on worlds, I just have been lucky enough to not encounter them yet.

b)He can't communicate very well, which means he should stop playing video games and start taking remedial English.

c)He doesn't know a damn thing about the game and probably hasn't played it, he is just repeating something he heard once.

[Tarka]

Get a security token, apply it to account, and get the 1h CD fleet passes sold for 1k at the security key vendor. Problem solved. Yes, it costs you $5, but Bioware is probably making little to no profit on it, and your account is better protected.

 

Personally, I've never understood the reason why they are sold only on the security vendor (aside from obviously being a marketable "perk").

 

I think they should be sold on standard vendors.

Edited January 13, 2012 by Tarka

[mcfabulous]

His exact quote is:

 

 

I do not see how that can be parsed as "elevator screens". He is clearly referring to world maps with loading screens between them, that is, zones on the world you stop at and wait to load, ala EQ, where you'd be paralyzed when you hit the invisible wall between zones until the new zone loaded up.

 

So:

a)There are such loading screens on worlds, I just have been lucky enough to not encounter them yet.

b)He can't communicate very well, which means he should stop playing video games and start taking remedial English.

c)He doesn't know a damn thing about the game and probably hasn't played it, he is just repeating something he heard once.

 

I thought you were refering to a different line by him ^_^ , yes hes crazy then.

[Tarka]

My suggestions in specific regards to the OP's third point:

 

 

1) Remove the need to run through specifically through the airlock to your ship (which is currently completely pointless, aside from a couple of mission endings). So instead, when a player exits their ship, they appear in the elevator in the orbital station.....now lets talk about the rest.....

 

2) Allow players to use their speeders in the spaceports, hangars and orbital stations. It's funny how there's tunnels on planets that allow us to use our speeders, and we can use them on the fleet station, but cannot use them in the spaceports, hangers or orbital stations.

 

3) Put a speeder taxi point on Tatooine closer to the space port. Link it to the existing speeder taxi station that has the speeder mounts for sale. Who the hell decided that Imp players had to run mile before they got to the first one?

 

To me, the above would help tremendously.

Edited January 13, 2012 by Tarka

[Braindrop]

The last place there should be a loading screen is when you ALT + TAB out of the game and come back. I love this game, but it truly is the only game I have ever played where if you ALT + TAB and come back you are greeted with a loading screen? What exactly is it loading? I was playing the game just fine, tab'd out to change my song, and opened it back up and it's loading....what the heck is it loading if I never even moved or changed anything?

 

HORRIBLE!

[Tarka]

The last place there should be a loading screen is when you ALT + TAB out of the game and come back. I love this game, but it truly is the only game I have ever played where if you ALT + TAB and come back you are greeted with a loading screen? What exactly is it loading? I was playing the game just fine, tab'd out to change my song, and opened it back up and it's loading....what the heck is it loading if I never even moved or changed anything?

 

HORRIBLE!

 

That's not really a "loading screen" per se (like the onces where you transition from your ship to the spaceport hangar). My guess is that it's more like blanking screen which hides the fact that all the artifacts are being rendered one after the other until the entire "screen" is complete. It's just a way to hide the nasty sequential rendering you see in other games.

 

If you want to get rid of that "screen", and you spend a certain amount of time doing other things on your comp, then set your client to windowed mode. Unfortunately, SWTOR has a VERY nasty bug which results in the client continuing to "capture" your keystrokes even when the game is running in the background in windowed mode. Thus a post you are writing for the forums, can end up being plastered in chat.

 

Naughty, naughty Bioware. Tsk , tsk.

Edited January 13, 2012 by Tarka

[Avrose]

1) I don't want to input a random number every time I log in.

2) I don't want my account better protected.

3) What happens when I inevitably lose my security key?

 

I don't want to read the forums facebook posts and twitter to get news on patch updates but I do. Its called staying an informed customer.

 

You don't want you account better protected? heh, k fine.

 

When you lose you key you call support verify you account they remove the key and you get a new one. The second part is optional.

[Bloberts]

better than 15 seconds of elevator

[Heliotic]

you can buy containers of those things from china at 10-20 cents per unit. not making any money lmao.

 

Plus the licencing fee for the technology, it's not just 'random numbers' you know.

[DeeckTator]

I ran across 4 enemies in the open world from levels 1-49

 

weeeeeeeeeee pvp server

 

Hehe, friend of mine L35 said something simular. I'm L35 on a PvP server and haven't been jumped once, not once. Seems like 99% play it as Kotor 3, and why not. There are no social aspects, no need to group. No need to talk to any players +++

And Nobody seems to give a flying ratsass about PvP.

 

I predict a mass exodus within 6 months.

[Basedgawd]

A quick port to your ship (1 hour or 30 min cooldown) would fix a lot of this for me...

 

this... its crazy you cant get to your ship quickly.

[IheartGreenGirls]

The issue for me is, the space stations inbetween the planets are stupid. Completely unnecessary. The elevator level of space stations, between my hangar and the main level? Unnecessary. I don't need thirty load screens to get from one place to another. Especially not one of this game's long load screens. EQ1 loaded faster.

 

Also, why is my log filling up with quests I can't abandon?

[JMESUN]

1) I don't want to input a random number every time I log in.

2) I don't want my account better protected.

3) What happens when I inevitably lose my security key?

 

go ask your mom what to do.. maybe she will hold your hand, maybe

[SithLordEdes]

Get a security token, apply it to account, and get the 1h CD fleet passes sold for 1k at the security key vendor. Problem solved. Yes, it costs you $5, but Bioware is probably making little to no profit on it, and your account is better protected.

 

Alternatively you can get the free security key for smart phones.

[coffeerox]

I've got a few ideas for improving travel

 

For Heroic groups in the same area, design a system that allows the player to teleport to instance for that specific quest. This same system can also be used for Flashpoints and it's quests. Judging by how the instance system works, it looks like it would have to teleport to instance owner but it can also work by teleporting to a point in the front of the instance portal.

 

A system like this would make grouping up so much easier and they wouldn't have to implement a dungeon finder (although I would want one very much)

[LizardSF]

I've got a few ideas for improving travel

 

For Heroic groups in the same area, design a system that allows the player to teleport to instance for that specific quest. This same system can also be used for Flashpoints and it's quests. Judging by how the instance system works, it looks like it would have to teleport to instance owner but it can also work by teleporting to a point in the front of the instance portal.

 

A system like this would make grouping up so much easier and they wouldn't have to implement a dungeon finder (although I would want one very much)

 

I can see a sort of "Summon shuttle" feature that used the same cooldown as quick travel and teleported you to the party leader.

 

Many heroics are open-world; there's no "instance gate", you just go to the area where all the mobs are elite or champion and start massacring.

 

(Everyone talking about how "instanced" the game is... have they played it? Many heroic quest areas are, in fact, open to multiple groups at once. The green screen does not mean "instance" in all cases. i believe if it says "group phase", then multiple groups or individuals can enter concurrently and see/interact with each other; if it says "story phase", it's an instance. But I could be wrong; I haven't been paying THAT much attention, too busy killing things. I have noticed other parties of PCs in at least some of the Heroic 2+ and 4+ quests I've been on, even when they were inside buildings guarded by the Green Wall Of Doom.)