Speeders Need Lovin.

[DiluculoVoX]

Puttering around on my not so speedy speeder isn't that exciting. Essentially I run slightly faster, with a model of a vehicle under me. I feel a little ashamed of my character riding along in a jet powered Segway, hopping around stiffly.

 

 

These are just some of my feelings about speeders and I think I have a few suggestions that might make speeders more interesting, in demand, and a welcome new and fun economy in the game.

 

 

Gear slots for speeders: increasing speed and other aspects of the vehicle as one might see on a ship. We worked to 25 for something more than a slightly better sprint.

 

-Functions like a Barrel or armor slot, ratings would increase speed variable by the quality of the mod.

 

-Speeds more reminiscent of what I feel we all expect from a flying motorcycle/car/jet ski... Speeds represented by distance/time not as a % bonus to your base jogging speed might be a nice to look at.

 

-And speeders should move at the very least, the speed of 110% up to as much as 210% as apposed to the 90-110%. If you fear this may disrupt the purpose of the taxi service... think of taxis as what they are to most of us in reality, safe, reliable, Find places you havn't been before, pay someone else to drive so you don't have to, or because you can't for whatever reason.

 

 

This may be asking a lot... but how about some minor vehicle physics, reduce ground friction, perhaps minor elevation controls equal to the now ridiculous looking vehicle hop. Something to be discussed and considered, not my job to figure it out. I've played many old SW games that gave me a much different idea of the way speeders moved, I always got the impression they were something like the "Ghosts" Of Halo.

 

 

Imagine the joy of simply riding your speeders if they moved and felt like real vehicles, Riding the dune sea of Tatooine, hitting the gas and flying off of those dunes like a motocross champ.

 

 

Id enjoy reading some viable, mature discussion about this topic - I won't be replying to flames.

Edited January 20, 2012 by DiluculoVoX

[Cwen_Tun]

Personally I think that is an awesome idea. If the vehicles are truly more like vehicles then it makes the expense more understandable. Because as it is I think that the prices are a bit steep.

[DiluculoVoX]

Yeah, of course, and who doesn't want a sweet ride? For crafters of the appropriate mods and vehicles this would be a huge perk, would add a new economic dynamic. Hell - if we started seeing war zones or mini game competitions of players racing speeders, that just gives bioware more to work with right there.

[Baracca]

I think the new zones they add should be built for faster speeders. Even if the land is filled with huge barren areas, I want to speed through them. Like when Anakin goes after his mother.

[Bamajawn]

As I go faster, the amount of travel seems to be longer, so it's all a wash as far as I'm concerned. However, I think this is a good idea. I'd do anything to go faster.

[Galbatorrix]

Going from 30% to 90% is a pretty big increase, but I agree that the rest of the speed upgrades are not good enough.

[pubkin]

I hate the forced FOV ( field of view ) change once you activate the speeder. It's supposed to give a feeling of the world moving by faster, but since I can't disable the forced FOV it seems more like a cheap trick.

[Aloro]

Going from 30% to 90% is a pretty big increase, but I agree that the rest of the speed upgrades are not good enough.

 

I agree and disagree.

 

On the one hand, strictly as a player, and putting aside any reflection on the underlying issues... sure, moving faster is better!

 

On the other hand, speed limits are put in every MMO for very very very very good reasons; to wit, the ability of the server to update itself adequately to correct for latency / client lag. The faster we move, the greater the chances are that objects will appear right on top of us, because we hit a pocket of latency and didn't update our location for 0.5s. Imagine you're booking along in your blindingly faster speeder and you come across a guild having a meeting outdoors in the zone you're in. Suddenly there are 60 people on the screen, when two seconds ago your client was only tracking you... now your GPU seizes up and you hang in space for 20s while the client loads all the new players. Problems like this really do happen.

 

Then there's the issue of monster/player reaction speed - the faster we move, the harder it is for mobs to be able to knock us off our speeders, and frankly they should be able to. Game worlds become a LOT smaller when you can move at blinding speeds and ignore threats even at or above your level. Right now it feels "fair" when I'm knocked off my speeder; sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, and it feels like it's based on my skill. Were I traveling at five times this speed though, monsters would appear right on top of me and knock me off my speeder in a way that felt unfair to me... or I'd be able to blow through them with no risk. Neither of those is a good solution.

 

Devs work backwards on these issues, by and large. That is to say, they decide what the top speed in the game should be, based on average client computers' ability to render everything. Then they adjust the other speeds in the game based on that theoretical top speed.

 

I understand why you'd want this, and in one sense I do as well. But I also understand why it's likely never to happen, and why it hasn't thus far.

 

Edit to add: Gear slots though, I'd be fine with those. More customization is always good.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Aloro

[Muckbeast]

Great ideas.

 

The speed of the speeders was a massive disappointment.

 

Starting with Alderann, the planets are unnecessarily huge with tons of wasted, boring driving time.

 

The level 40 speeder should be 150% and the level 50 should be 210% at a minimum.

[somnang]

I agree with customizable speeders! I'm still using the 100% one because the 110% is pointless, other than the looks. They really need to bump the speed up or at least allow mods.

[Spymaster]

Good ideas here.

[kiddeth]

Puttering around on my not so speedy speeder isn't that exciting. Essentially I run slightly faster, with a model of a vehicle under me. I feel a little ashamed of my character riding along in a jet powered Segway, hopping around stiffly.

 

 

These are just some of my feelings about speeders and I think I have a few suggestions that might make speeders more interesting, in demand, and a welcome new and fun economy in the game.

 

 

Gear slots for speeders: increasing speed and other aspects of the vehicle as one might see on a ship. We worked to 25 for something more than a slightly better sprint.

 

-Functions like a Barrel or armor slot, ratings would increase speed variable by the quality of the mod.

 

-Speeds more reminiscent of what I feel we all expect from a flying motorcycle/car/jet ski... Speeds represented by distance/time not as a % bonus to your base jogging speed might be a nice to look at.

 

-And speeders should move at the very least, the speed of 110% up to as much as 210% as apposed to the 90-110%. If you fear this may disrupt the purpose of the taxi service... think of taxis as what they are to most of us in reality, safe, reliable, Find places you havn't been before, pay someone else to drive so you don't have to, or because you can't for whatever reason.

 

 

This may be asking a lot... but how about some minor vehicle physics, reduce ground friction, perhaps minor elevation controls equal to the now ridiculous looking vehicle hop. Something to be discussed and considered, not my job to figure it out. I've played many old SW games that gave me a much different idea of the way speeders moved, I always got the impression they were something like the "Ghosts" Of Halo.

 

 

Imagine the joy of simply riding your speeders if they moved and felt like real vehicles, Riding the dune sea of Tatooine, hitting the gas and flying off of those dunes like a motocross champ.

 

 

Id enjoy reading some viable, mature discussion about this topic - I won't be replying to flames.

 

some really fun ideas.

[ToliverGrey]

This may be asking a lot... but how about some minor vehicle physics,

 

Great idea! They can make it so that it takes several seconds to get up to full speed, then on the other end it takes several seconds to come to a complete stop.

[Merwanor]

I have to agree that the Speeders in this game is pathetic, and they should not be called Speeders at all. How on earth could they think that 90-110% speed increase is good enough for a Star Wars game.... We want speeders! not advanced lawnmowers!

 

Make the first skill 100%, second skill at least 150% and the third skill 200% or close to the speed Taxi Services got.

[Aenoria]

I will stay with this like i said somewhere in a similar post a while ago.

 

25 = 90%

40 = 120%

50 = 150%

 

I think they should with your suggestions maybe make some optional things for example a speeder has 3 sockets.

 

• 1 is more armore related.
   
  This socket would for example reduce fall damage, reduce the chance of getting knocked of your speeder (by enemy hits).
   
  
• 1 is speed /travel height related
   
  These could increase the speed by an additional 20% (to 170% or something). They could increase the distance you can jump. Or the height that you jump.
   
  
• 1 is special stuff.
   
  This could be for anything. Stupid example a flag on the back of your speeder, a new logo etc. Or later even allow certain speeders to carry two passengers etc.
  

 

In all they could do alot with the speeder, but i do support your idea. Would be a nice way to customize your own speeder. (But the boost to speed is mandatory even without sockets like a ship. They simply should increase the speed we can travel or give us another skill to buy (40million credits anybody?) )

[gtmach]

I think it's a great idea OP. And I applaud you (it's sad that I have to) for not bashing this game for not having this idea already.

 

I really think part of the reason the speed feels lacking with vehicles in the beginning is because all classes recieve a running speed boost at level 14.

 

Going from 35% to 90% doesn't feel that dramatic. You'd definitely get the sense of speed if we had no running speed boost, but that would make leveling to 25 an even bigger pain...

 

Just wanted to point that.

Edited January 23, 2012 by gtmach

[Anzel]

Speeders in this game are very disappointing to me as well. The cost, the wait, the way they look, they way they behave. All of it.

 

It's not a total fail but I would like to see more attention to them. I think speeders should be mod'able like the OP is suggesting. They should be customizable. They should be accessible much earlier in the game. They should be less expensive. They should be more fun (funner!!!). Thank you in advance.

[Altyrell]

Good Idea, though I do wish that they would prevent Speeders from being usuable on the Fleets

[Tronics]

Sounds like a good idea to mod speeders, but if you mod speeders with armour or weapons, this should slow them down, not speed them up because of the weight:D, perhaps a bigger engine mod or gravity drive to accomindate the extra weight, but if you decide to mod, things like this should be taken into consideration and also a health bar for your speeders for damage if you want them to carry armour and weapons. and once depleted, you buy another. Edited January 23, 2012 by Tronics

[Darth_Gao_Gao]

a cool idea that could help revitalize the cybertech profession.

 

also: WHERE IS MY WAMPA MOUNT?

[DiluculoVoX]

So glad to hear you all supporting my ideas for the speeders, I would like to go ahead and reply to a few concerns folks brought up.

 

To the comment about top speeds causing client/server rendering issues, I don't think that should be a problem - there have been so many games with much older engines that have operated high top speeds without any problems. I see no problem with low level NPCS being wholly incapable of responding as a top notch player whizzes past them on their souped up Speeder. If youre in a car going down the highway at 60 mph, what chance does a pack of angry mutated lizard pig monsters have of ripping you from that vehicle, or even paying attention to you other than to get out of your way.

 

A few examples from my own experience.

 

City Of Heroes and Villains - old game, still has an active player base - and you're capable of fantastic speeds and maneuverability. No rendering catch ups, huge maps.

 

Champions online - top level "super speed" infact grants aggression/detection stealth from npcs. some specifically grant you the ability to evade unnecessary fights. Players can adapt to catching anything if they want it badly enough, just get a couple guys on "interceptor" speeders

 

Auto Assault : Very fast, Very intense, hours of gameplay become a blast simply because its fun to drive, fun just getting there. Vehicles are created, unique. Different Stats and speeds all generating high demand for those uniquely crafted vehicles.

 

 

Have faith in the devs and players to adapt to a new standard. Also, even 210% speeds are really not excessively fast even for the current state of the games system and engine.

 

 

Thank you for your posts guys, I'd like to hear more

[Joxerthemighty]

 

Starting with Alderann, the planets are unnecessarily huge with tons of wasted, boring driving time.

 

this...same amount of quests per hub, size of area around hub increased 500%

 

they need to add open world heroic areas with a purpose of finding a group and chilling there, ie: warhammer public quests/rifts from rift to all the open space on hoth/alderaan/belsavis/corellia, even as early on as tatooine in the dune sea area is pretty much nothing

Edited January 24, 2012 by Joxerthemighty

[Geewiz]

At the very least I think the custom cybertech speeders should be 10-20 percent faster, and it should be an option in the legacy system to have your legacy toon "come from a long line of pod-racers" or some such, and maybe have a 1 percent boost per legacy level.

[bunja-padon]

crafted speeders are BOP are daft is that. As soon as I craft a speeder its bound. This needs changing and make the best speeders craftable and get rid of the 1.5m ones that no sane person will ever buy

[Aloro]

To the comment about top speeds causing client/server rendering issues, I don't think that should be a problem - there have been so many games with much older engines that have operated high top speeds without any problems. I see no problem with low level NPCS being wholly incapable of responding as a top notch player whizzes past them on their souped up Speeder. If youre in a car going down the highway at 60 mph, what chance does a pack of angry mutated lizard pig monsters have of ripping you from that vehicle, or even paying attention to you other than to get out of your way.

 

Well, first, let's try to avoid comparing apples to oranges. A game with a completely different engine, with completely different art assets and animations, with completely different client/server technology might perform entirely differently. What does this tell us though? It doesn't tell us that THIS game engine would work well at higher speeds, which is what you're assuming.

 

Downsides to moving too fast include:

 

* Foes won't appear sometimes until you're right on top of them. You think you're cruising along an open plain, but in fact you're already deep into a pack of strong foes. Once the server catches up and spawns the foes, you'll go from 60mph to dead in a heartbeat. That doesn't sound like fun, does it?

 

* The flip side to the above is that sometimes it'd be possible to freely move past foes that you shouldn't be able to move past without some effort. The foes standing all around actually serve a number of purposes, one of which is to restrict travel, which in turn makes worlds feel bigger. If players didn't have to worry about maneuvering around foes, the game would honestly feel smaller. This wouldn't please many people and would upset many more.

 

Look, again, as a player I'd love to be able to move a lot faster. I'm just trying to explain that there are substantial mechanical limitations that force these speed limits to be created in every single MMO that exists. SWTOR isn't any different from any other MMO; they all have these restrictions. How fast you can travel will vary from game to game based on a staggering number of variables, but the fact that the restriction exists in the first place is a constant.

 

If the devs are able to do this, great! But I honestly expect that if it were a simple matter to have us moving faster, then this would already be possible.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, only that there are mechanical reasons why it's not likely to happen; and more to the point, there are mechanical and gameplay reasons for things to be the way they are.