The Travel System Is Severely Hurting The Gameplay!

[Darth_Eclipses]

Why not save space and just ask for instant travel on demand?

 

Now one is asking for that. Stop deliberately summarising people's arguments and twisting them into something they aren't asking for.

 

Docking bays are useless.

 

Orbital Stations are useless.

 

Elevator after elevator is useless.

 

Why have useless things in the game?

 

These things serve no purpose, only to frustrate a portion of the playerbase.

 

I completely agree with the OP and BW needs to think of smarter )and more group friendly) ways to integrate time sinks into the game.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Darth_Eclipses

[Sleekit]

Why not save space and just ask for instant travel on demand?

i was thinking more of some kind of xbox live dungeoneering game that works straight from the lobby.

 

Now one is asking for that. Stop deliberately summarising people's arguments and twisting them into something they aren't asking for.

 

Docking bays are useless.

 

Orbital Stations are useless.

 

Elevator after elevator is useless.

 

Why have useless things in the game?

 

These things serve no purpose, only to frustrate a portion of the playerbase.

 

I completely agree with the OP and BW needs to think of smarter )and more group friendly) ways to integrate time sinks into the game.

oh they serve a purpose but at least you got one thing right; it is "a portion" of the playerbase...there is another quite large portion who don't want to see every game in existence reduced to a universally bland "McGame" for the sake of convenience and/or instant gratification over immersion.

 

docking bays are not useless. they are canon. star wars ships dock in docking bays. things happen in docking bays (for some). this isn't star trek. you don't teleport around in star wars. ships have to land.

 

orbital stations you may have a point. i suspect they exist because of an earlier design iteration. however to remove them would require the redesign of many existing space ports and planet entry points.

 

the one thing that occurred to me and that i have not seen mentioned at all (probably because of the black and white mindset on such issues) is the fact you can't use speeders in hangers or spaceports and worse than that its not even consistent with when you can use them in other parts of the game (hangers in instances for example)

 

enabling speeder use virtually everywhere would be a start.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Sleekit

[Anzel]

Getting from Point A to Point B is a clumsy at best. All of the loading screens.. ugh. The orbital stations? The hangars? I like that they are all flushed out. I like being able to walk through all of that if I want to (or have time) but most of the time I'd just like to get from Point A to Point B.

[Fograw]

Now one is asking for that. Stop deliberately summarising people's arguments and twisting them into something they aren't asking for.

 

Docking bays are useless.

 

Orbital Stations are useless.

 

Elevator after elevator is useless.

 

Why have useless things in the game?

 

These things serve no purpose, only to frustrate a portion of the playerbase.

 

I completely agree with the OP and BW needs to think of smarter )and more group friendly) ways to integrate time sinks into the game.

 

Rpg.

 

Rpg.

 

Rpg.

 

Because it's a role playing game.

 

Impatient people.

 

This game is FAR from the time sink of other MMO's. I can think of MANY times where the quests in other MMO's are sprawled out across the entire map, at least BW is courteous enough to make every quest trip in relatively the same area.

 

Oh an I say RPG, because at it's base, this is an RPG, and it's main goal is to immerse you in the experience. Hence the reason why you have space ports, docking bays, and orbital stations...because....*shocker*...some planets do not have a developed space port. Which...you'll be running around in anyways if it did.

 

Seriously, the things people complain about these days, astonishes me.

[GrinR]

Why not save space and just ask for instant travel on demand?

 

I would like instant travel on demand.

 

Methods I would test to implement:

 

1. Interplanetary bindings.

a. Be able to bind to a port anywhere, with same 20 min CD

b. Be able to pay increasing costs for porting to any planet's starport

c. Be able to insta-travel to any major spaceport from my faction's respective fleet.

 

2. Planetary shuttle services.

a. Fly a shuttle (similar to current system) to a party member. Add CD and/or cost to scale.

b. Group fares. Once a group is ready, everyone can use a group shuttle to port to a common shuttle point - this does NOT use up the individual shuttle CDs. add CD and/or cost to scale.

c. Guild shuttles. A device guildies can buy/earn that will port guild/party members to their location (as long as it's a mountable area aka not inside a dungeon.)

 

3. Long CD fast-travel items/skills.

a. Once a group-quest or Flastpoint is complete, a "transport datacron item" is updated with that location so the player who completed it can simply teleport there in the future.

b. Planetary transit "tickets". Allow players to purchase starport tickets that will allow instant transport to the planet's starport, based on the ticket sold. ie, can buy ticket for X credits that, when used, will fly me directly to that planet's starport. Might be re-usable, might not.

 

 

Should I go on?

[GrinR]

Rpg.

 

Rpg.

 

Rpg.

 

Because it's a role playing game.

 

Impatient people.

 

This game is FAR from the time sink of other MMO's. I can think of MANY times where the quests in other MMO's are sprawled out across the entire map, at least BW is courteous enough to make every quest trip in relatively the same area.

 

Oh an I say RPG, because at it's base, this is an RPG, and it's main goal is to immerse you in the experience. Hence the reason why you have space ports, docking bays, and orbital stations...because....*shocker*...some planets do not have a developed space port. Which...you'll be running around in anyways if it did.

 

Seriously, the things people complain about these days, astonishes me.

 

Your post, like many of the others, is not identifying the proper issue. The issue is not so much the time spent as the time spent being boring. I can see you're a pure-RPG type of guy, who probably still thinks EQ is a great game and hates detracting from the purity of the experience, but there's nothing stopping you from getting that purity by doing exactly what you like AND having the option for others to not do that.

 

Do you never use your Fleet Pass? Do you never use your 20-min shuttle port? Star Wars charaters never used local taxis to get from place to place - so why would you?

[Sakima]

MMO whiners won't be happy until you can instant travel everywhere in the game world. Then we won't need mounts at all. Just click a spot on the map and instantly go there. Then they'll whine that opening the map and clicking takes too long and the game should read their minds. Then they'll complain that their mind doesn't process information as fast as their friends and that their friends brain should be nerfed.

[Sakima]

Your post, like many of the others, is not identifying the proper issue. The issue is not so much the time spent as the time spent being boring. I can see you're a pure-RPG type of guy, who probably still thinks EQ is a great game and hates detracting from the purity of the experience, but there's nothing stopping you from getting that purity by doing exactly what you like AND having the option for others to not do that.

 

Do you never use your Fleet Pass? Do you never use your 20-min shuttle port? Star Wars charaters never used local taxis to get from place to place - so why would you?

 

 

If you don't like RPG design elements why are you playing an RPG? Especially one developed by a company that puts an emphasis on immersion (hence all the voice acting and emphasis on story).

[Aryzyra]

If you don't like RPG design elements why are you playing an RPG? Especially one developed by a company that puts an emphasis on immersion (hence all the voice acting and emphasis on story).

 

Running through empty spaceports isn't role playing. It barely qualifies as playing.

[GrinR]

If you don't like RPG design elements why are you playing an RPG? Especially one developed by a company that puts an emphasis on immersion (hence all the voice acting and emphasis on story).

 

I don't see where I said anything of the sort. I am eager to get to the RPG design elements and am hindered by the world design (and UI design) elements.

 

It's not immersive to me to have my speeder disintegrate from under me when I zip into a building. It's not immersive to walk through a doorway with 5 other people only to have them disappear because I'm being sent into a "docking station" instanced zone. It's not immersive to have my pilot buddy sitting in my version of the Millenium Falcon, unable to come pick me up and deposit me anywhere I want!

 

I want MORE immersion, and less boredom.

[davidreadeevans]

YES PLEASE GOD. Travelling in TOR is extremely painful.. But something simple out the front of a heroic point, or fleet action, something to summon missing party members!

 

I'm so sick of either waiting 10 minutes for a party mate to go 'I'm omw! ill be there soon!' and the res tof the party is stuck waiting for the poor bastard.

 

I've even had the pugged healer we waited ages on decide that he won't wait for our guild tank because the tank we've found is on another world..

 

Healer leaves, tank spits the dummy and quits.. group collapses.

 

Happens almost every time i try to group.

 

Please PLEASE PLEASE make something so we can summon missing party mates. Give it a 30 minute cooldown if you must! ONE BUTTON in my journal, that pops a 30min CD for everyone in the party, but summons all the party members to the first players location instantly.

 

Give it a 30second channel if you want to, make us stand still for 30seconds so it cant be used in an even remotely hostile area or can't be used in world PVP or something..

 

A simple summon would be an absolute godsend!

[Sleekit]

The issue is not so much the time spent as the time spent being boring.

fun fact: "boredom" didn't exist until Charles Dickens invented it in the novel Bleak House in 1852.

 

point being contrary to popular belief its neither an emotional state or a natural state of being but rather a fictional construct.

 

in other words there really is "no such thing as boredom".

Edited January 25, 2012 by Sleekit

[Sakima]

Running through empty spaceports isn't role playing. It barely qualifies as playing.

 

 

Actually it is playing. Immersion adds to the experience of playing. Immersion is an essential element in RPG game design. Bioware as previously stated puts an emphasis on the story elements of an RPG. Designs that draw you into the world and or make it feel more real aid the story telling process.

 

Space Ports and Star Wars go hand in hand. Hell half the prequels running time was taken up by characters arriving on ships and departing (Whether that's good or bad is debatable).

 

I think part of the problem is that each generation of MMO has gotten further and further away from their RPG roots and has put less emphasis on story and immersion. So some are having issues with the RPG elements SWTOR. But that's a matter of taste and not a problem with the game.

 

Its funny because you never hear people whining that they have to travel so much in Oblivion. Why? Because most of those playing it are RPG fans and not only expect that but actually enjoy riding on their horse and being immersed in the world.

 

And its not like other MMO's don't have their own travel issues. There are long flights in WoW (or there was the last time I played which admittedly was several years ago).

 

I agree that there are an awful lot of load screens. Perhaps they could eliminate the orbital stations. But overall I'd hate to see them streamline travel too much more than it already is especially when most of the complaints are downright ridiculous. Hearing people whine that they get bored riding an elevator is kinda disturbing (once again though that's a classic Bioware design, Mass Effect had tons of elevator riding). I mean it takes what, 20 seconds? Unless you have severe ADD you should be able to handle a 20 second elevator ride.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Sakima

[Aryzyra]

fun fact: "boredom" didn't exist until Charles Dickens invented it in the novel Bleak House in 1852.

 

point being contrary to popular belief its neither an emotional state or a natural state of being but a fictional construct.

 

in other words there really is "no such thing as boredom".

 

 

That's fascinating. Did you know that China was unaware of horses until the 17th century? And most Chinese still don't know what a horse is.

[GrinR]

fun fact: "boredom" didn't exist until Charles Dickens invented it in the novel Bleak House in 1852.

 

point being contrary to popular belief its neither an emotional state or a natural state of being but rather a fictional construct.

 

in other words there really is "no such thing as boredom".

 

Ironically, you have bored me with your fun fact.

[GrinR]

Space Ports and Star Wars go hand in hand. Hell half the prequels running time was taken up by characters arriving on ships and departing (Whether that's good or bad is debatable).

 

None of those scenes were silent, with only one character running for a few minutes down empty halls, up elevators, through more empty halls, then through huge empty rooms, then into an empty ship (or a ship where a droid says ONE THING over and over.)

 

That movie would have to be made by Kafka, not Lucas.

[Aryzyra]

Actually it is playing. Immersion adds to the experience of playing. Immersion is an essential element in RPG game design. Bioware as previously stated puts an emphasis on the story elements of an RPG. Designs that draw you into the world and or make it feel more real aid the story telling process.

 

Space Ports and Star Wars go hand in hand. Hell half the prequels running time was taken up by characters arriving on ships and departing (Whether that's good or bad is debatable).

 

I don't remember a scene where a Star Wars character jogged alone through an empty spaceport. Maybe the movies needed more immersion.

[photometrik]

fun fact: "boredom" didn't exist until Charles Dickens invented it in the novel Bleak House in 1852.

 

point being contrary to popular belief its neither an emotional state or a natural state of being but a fictional construct.

 

in other words there really is "no such thing as boredom".

 

You're assuming that because the word "boredom" is a construct by Charles Dickens that it isn't a real state of being? All words are fictional constructs representing something, no matter who first came up with it or when. Words typically hold no real value to their meaning. I could replace "blue" with "red" and say the sky is "red" but just because the word is a construct doesn't mean the sky isn't real. No, "boredom" is very real, and it can be a sign of serious problems from time to time, including depression in extreme cases.

[Sakima]

None of those scenes were silent, with only one character running for a few minutes down empty halls, up elevators, through more empty halls, then through huge empty rooms, then into an empty ship (or a ship where a droid says ONE THING over and over.)

 

That movie would have to be made by Kafka, not Lucas.

 

 

Would it make you happier if there was music playing while you walk down the empty hall?

 

Seriously you're whining that you have to occasionally walk down an empty hall?

 

And not only that you're complaining about one of the more popular/requested features - player ships. Why put ships in the game at all if you never have to use them for travel?

 

As I said you guys won't be happy until you have your own little map you can pull up and just click where you want to go and never have to walk anywhere or ride a mount anywhere.

[Superawesomerman]

Obviously, they made it this way because all warzones are meant to be done from your ship.

 

Because it has the least ridiculous load time.

 

So all those dirty warzone deserters who queue from corellia or hoth or ilum are justly punished.

 

Its a feature, not a bug.

[Liathan]

I don't think they are either, but I'm not sure I distinguish heavily between the two. Loading screens are a technical issue, and this is not what this is about. In the end, people want to click on a mount/ship/shuttle/glider/etc and than chat in guild/sort equipemtn/etc or just tab out to check their Facebook/troll some forums. What I'm saying is that to me there isn't a difference since either way they ain't doing anything in-game to facilitate that travel and more importantly its eliminates the 'feel' of actually traveling across large distances.

 

Let me elborate...

 

To begins with, I personally don't think there is anything wrong with such a system. Works well in WoW and other MMOs. But as someone just pointed out, the other extreme of this is EVE where people take a week IRL to travel to the other side of the galaxy since its a long ways off and dangerous. I'm simply saying that IN MY OPINION (this usually has to be caped for obvious reasons) SW:TOR should be slightly closer to that "feel" that when you look on the galaxy map, you know that some planets require an investment of time and effort to get to and get back from.

 

Making me run down a 15 second hall, and thus forcing additional loading screens or time, is not a technical issue, it's a design issue. There's no reason why when I go to Hoth, I need to dock at an orbital station that's empty and then take a shuttle down, the only thing it did was add additional loading screens/time, I mean I can't even do anything on them to enhance my experience.

[Liathan]

Oddly, TIME is mentioned a lot by the opponents of the current system. A lot.

 

yeah, time that doesn't need to be there. give people a reason for the time to be there and it's not an issue.

[Darth_Gao_Gao]

i don't find it to be that bad...

 

i simply make effective use of the quick travel system, and the emergency fleet pass. i carry a few extras just in case, as well.

 

the letter q.

[terminova]

Typical fanboy. Completely ignore the point of my post and point out a spelling or other minor error instead of responding with a logical or rational counter-argument.[/Quote]

 

You made an unfair and biased comparison between two travel systems in different games using cherry-picked data to blatantly favor one over the other. Then you call someone names for calling you on it.

 

Poor form. Try again with a proper comparison and without cherry picking your data.

[Liathan]

i was thinking more of some kind of xbox live dungeoneering game that works straight from the lobby.

 

oh they serve a purpose but at least you got one thing right; it is "a portion" of the playerbase...there is another quite large portion who don't want to see every game in existence reduced to a universally bland "McGame" for the sake of convenience and/or instant gratification over immersion.

 

docking bays are not useless. they are canon. star wars ships dock in docking bays. things happen in docking bays (for some). this isn't star trek. you don't teleport around in star wars. ships have to land.

 

orbital stations you may have a point. i suspect they exist because of an earlier design iteration. however to remove them would require the redesign of many existing space ports and planet entry points.

 

the one thing that occurred to me and that i have not seen mentioned at all (probably because of the black and white mindset on such issues) is the fact you can't use speeders in hangers or spaceports and worse than that its not even consistent with when you can use them in other parts of the game (hangers in instances for example)

 

enabling speeder use virtually everywhere would be a start.

 

 

And in lore, ships can land in places other then docking bays.

 

sure it might require some work to remove orbital stations, that doesn't mean they shouldn't be removed.

 

I love the irony of being able to use a speeder on a space station but not being able to use it in a space port that typically has more open space then the station, or ship...