Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) Hear me out on this one. A lot of people are complaining about the travel system that is currently implemented in SWTOR. We don’t like the fact that we have to actively sit through load screen after load screen just to get from one planet to another. It’s monotonous and boring. What this game really needs is traveling options to allow for a more immersive and open feel to the game. Here is my suggestion: Rather than having to jump through 10 loading screens in the same boring spaceports/elevators/shuttle stations, let the players actually land on the planet itself. Ultimately, there should be two load screens from planet to planet—one on to your ship, and one onto the destination planet. Secondly, once the player is aboard their ship, rather than selecting the galaxy map to pick your destination, how about fleshing out a free roam flight system that allows the players to cruise around the galaxy in their ships? Give each ship a hotbar, hyper speed could be key-press ‘1’ for example, and let the player zoom through space towards their destination planet. Not only would this greatly increase the immersion factor, but it would also open up a whole new world of content to explore (open world space pvp, total ship customization, etc.) Furthermore, if the player so chooses, allow them to put the ship on auto-pilot for travel (much like the griffon system in WoW.) This would appease both the free roaming immersion crowd and the easy mode ‘I want to go afk while I travel’ crowd. It’s the best of both worlds. This is STAR WARS and the game just needs more space to make it feel truly massive and immersive. Thoughts? Edited February 9, 2012 by Dumpiduke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) C'mon, you know you want to be able to fly anywhere between planets! Edited February 9, 2012 by Dumpiduke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andarion Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) EDIT: blah, sorry didn't read properly the OP, my apologies. Edited February 9, 2012 by Andarion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreeb Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Did someone mention the SWG travel system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ituhata Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Druid only skill plz. You nerfed everything else. ...by the way what's going on in this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Did someone mention the SWG travel system? I've never played SWG, but if that's what the travel system was like, then YES PLEASE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironspeed Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 In the end, what we would be stuck with is the Mass Effect 2 traveling (sorry havent played number one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gokkus Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) At least remove the personal airlock. I had 1 encounter there and dont see any other reason for them to be there. Edited February 9, 2012 by Gokkus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corbanite Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I am against free form atmospheric flight but I do like the OP's idea. It would definately help the space travel feel more star warsy and cut down on the loading screens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemian Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I've never played SWG, but if that's what the travel system was like, then YES PLEASE. The SWG system was great. I keep holding out hope that we'll eventually see something more like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archifikoss Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 You read my mind OP, I was thinking the same thing today Of course this would require a massive upgrade and it would be better if they fixed the already existing content first and added more lvl 50 stuff for the hardcores (not me, lol), but it would be a good compromise, everybody wins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) You read my mind OP, I was thinking the same thing today Of course this would require a massive upgrade and it would be better if they fixed the already existing content first and added more lvl 50 stuff for the hardcores (not me, lol), but it would be a good compromise, everybody wins! Definitely agree. I know the game is a work in progress and before we can think about massive upgrades like this, we need to fix what's already there, but this is something that has really been bugging me about the game. I like the fact that I have a spaceship, but I hate that I'm so severely limited on what I can actually do with it. I can't possibly imagine why Bioware wouldn't want to implement something like this in a Star Wars MMORPG. It would eliminate, at least a bit, of the on-rails feeling of the game tenfold. Heck, I'd even be happy with a third-person auto-travel through space between planets rather than the AWFUL travel system that is in place at the moment. Edited February 9, 2012 by Dumpiduke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 At least remove the personal airlock. I had 1 encounter there and dont see any other reason for them to be there. There's also no reason for every spaceport to look the same, or how some planets have orbital stations and other don't, or how there are elevator loading screens everywhere. Sad thing is, because of the way some of the class story lines are structured, it would be tough to get rid of these pointless areas entirely. At least make it so that we only have to see them once during our class stories or the start to a chain of quests on the planet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemian Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Definitely agree. I know the game is a work in progress and before we can think about massive upgrades like this, we need to fix what's already there, but this is something that has really been bugging me about the game. I like the fact that I have a spaceship, but I hate that I'm so severely limited on what I can actually do with it. I can't possibly imagine why Bioware wouldn't want to implement something like this in a Star Wars MMORPG. It would eliminate, at least a bit, of the on-rails feeling of the game tenfold. Heck, I'd even be happy with a third-person auto-travel through space between planets rather than the AWFUL travel system that is in place at the moment. Maybe we'll see some changes as part of the 'significant' space update that's coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgecase Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 It sounds to me like you're asking for space travel to become even longer by adding a step where you have to walk ("fly") your ship from the hyperspace exit to the hangar, rather than just walking to the door like we do now. I don't see how that's an improvement. Or were you asking for the ability to use your ship to land on any arbitrary part of the planet, giving people just enough rope to hang themselves by getting lost and missing the critical quest starters at the spaceports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valin-krai Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) No planet to planet travel would be possible, short of between Coruscant and Carrick statio, Dromund Kaas and their fleet and Nar Shaada and Nal Hutta. What your saying just adds another step to travel and thus another loading screen. There is no point in exploring in space. It's blackness with a bunch of Stars or insane amounts of dev time to make unique stuff to explore that will feel like clutter. "Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" You can't pilot manually in hyperspace (short of those who chart hyperspace routes in the first place), so the only time you could do it is in real space. Not much reason for that except PvP space combat. Edited February 9, 2012 by valin-krai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 It sounds to me like you're asking for space travel to become even longer by adding a step where you have to walk ("fly") your ship from the hyperspace exit to the hangar, rather than just walking to the door like we do now. I don't see how that's an improvement. Or were you asking for the ability to use your ship to land on any arbitrary part of the planet, giving people just enough rope to hang themselves by getting lost and missing the critical quest starters at the spaceports? No. I envision it like this. Each planet has a landing station where you essentially park your ship. This could be done with a cutscene as you zone into the planet. Boom, you’re on the planet where you need to be. Questing npc’s are moved to these respective zones so that you don’t have to track them down. When you want to leave the planet, you click the door of your ship and boom, you’re in space where you can either manually fly to the next planet or select autopilot to have you ship take you there automatically. When you get to the next planet, a prompt will ask you if you wish to land, cut scene ensues and you are now on the planet in the designated landing zone. Two loading scenes—one onto your ship, one onto the planet. How is that not better than the current system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemian Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 No. I envision it like this. Each planet has a landing station where you essentially park your ship. This could be done with a cutscene as you zone into the planet. Boom, you’re on the planet where you need to be. Questing npc’s are moved to these respective zones so that you don’t have to track them down. When you want to leave the planet, you click the door of your ship and boom, you’re in space where you can either manually fly to the next planet or select autopilot to have you ship take you there automatically. When you get to the next planet, a prompt will ask you if you wish to land, cut scene ensues and you are now on the planet in the designated landing zone. Two loading scenes—one onto your ship, one onto the planet. How is that not better than the current system? There has to be a way for me to enter my ship without it automatically flying off into space. This bugs me to no end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgecase Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 When you get to the next planet, a prompt will ask you if you wish to land, cut scene ensues and you are now on the planet in the designated landing zone. Two loading scenes—one onto your ship, one onto the planet. How is that not better than the current system? Eliminating the orbital stations and the forced zoning between hangar and spaceport is a universal improvement, but has nothing to do with free space travel. Current system: World 1 -> Orbital 1 -> Hangar 1 -> Ship -> Hangar 2 -> Orbital 2 -> World 2 Merge hangars and orbitals/spaceports: World 1 -> Merged spaceport 1 -> Ship -> Merged spaceport 2 -> World 2 Eliminate orbitals and hangars entirely (make hangar a phased part of each world): World 1 -> Ship -> World 2 Your suggestion: World 1 -> LZ 1 -> Ship -> Fly to LZ 2 -> LZ 2 -> World 2 Flying around space is just an extra step if you're trying to get places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpiduke Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Your suggestion: World 1 -> LZ 1 -> Ship -> Fly to LZ 2 -> LZ 2 -> World 2 Flying around space is just an extra step if you're trying to get places. Well, essentially World 1 and LZ 1 are combined...because LZ1 is on World 1 much like a speeder flight master. So it would be World 1 --> Ship --> Manual flight or hyper speed to World 2 --> World 2 Cuts down on load screens, adds an element of immersion and openness (making it feel more like an actual galaxy.) This would also pave the way for possible space PvP combat. The great things about MMO's is that they create living, breathing worlds. SWTOR really lacks in this department and I think this would make it feel even more like Star Wars (which is never a bad thing.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vydor_HC Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Traveling to Fleet is a nice simple exchange. Pick Fleet as destination, dock get out and your in. You still get the immersion of travel, without the immersion of multiple transitional screens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaycenLightrider Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Here me out on this one.... That is where I stop listening. When any poster, either due to lack of education or laziness, are unable to even use the proper word as the very first word of their post I stop hearing you out. I am certain you have nothing intelligent to say. TL;DR Learn to spell and write properly or do not bother us with such nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raoul_Duke Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 When you take that "taxi" flight from the Fleet Station to one of the other nearby ships, there is that little moment of space travel in real time. It's something simple but amazing when you see your ship docking in real time like that. Utilize that idea when you take another look at improving the space elements. Are our characters flying about in a Star Wars universe or are we watching loading screens? I want the same epic experience in space as I have on planet/station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthRik Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 whats with the problem with load screens its not like wow doesnt have them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgecase Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 whats with the problem with load screens its not like wow doesnt have them WoW having them means they don't suck why? Back to the main topic, I think the OP is pretty much proposing two things: one, get rid of the pointless orbital stations and spaceports, and two, allow free space flight with an opt-out hyperspace button that you'd push each time. Streamlining the clunky spaceport system is good no matter what, but is not inherently tied to the second suggestion of free space flight. Free space flight has both a benefit and a cost. The benefit is you get to fly a ship around, which some people find cool. The cost is that it takes additional time and some people will find it a nuisance if all they want is to get to where they're going. I happen to fall in the latter category, so I'm a fan of just streamlining the spaceports and not adding free flight, but I think the OP is entitled to his/her opinion as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts