The New Galaxy Map

[casirabit]

I think a lot of people want to spend as little time as possible on their ship since it's a clunky way to travel. I rarely use it these days. Perhaps you are one of those people who really wants to hang on their ship and watch the ftl light beams pass by...but I suspect you would not be in a small majority.

 

As it stands combat is quite a different thing from travel and because of the universe getting bigger and bigger I think it was rather time for a simplification in travel methods.

 

This. Was never really that big on a ship except for having to travel. Even in SWG I just click on travel and never boarded my ship to travel so for me this is perfect.

[Nightblazer]

Seems like they're improving something that nobody even asked to be improved. Now theres one less reason to travel to my ship.

 

They should give us abilities that 1 shots bosses as well to improve quality of life saves me the trouble of waiting and fighting it, very time consuming. SAD!

 

It's actually something people have asked for which was the ability to by pass things such as orbital stations, using your ship to travel, etc. So yes faster travel has been asked for and this is one of those steps towards that.

 

If you don't want to use the system then don't use it and travel the old way to travel. It's optional so you shouldn't worry about something that won't affect you if you choose not to use it. For those that wanted it and will use it, it's available.

 

Also not every single feature added / changed needs to be asked for. I've never seen any MMO, WoW included add / change a feature that was strictly only asked for by the players and not make any changes unless asked. Simply doesn't exist.

 

Here is a few examples since you clearly haven't done a search:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=214411

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=212908

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=213071

 

I'm not going to post every single thread but it has been asked and discussed about being able to travel from planet to planet faster.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Nightblazer

[Edyn]

...Also not every single feature added / changed needs to be asked for...

 

I understand this, but it makes it hard for me to understand how BW prioritizes new features and bug fixes. For example, when they "improve" things like condensing the UI menu bar, fixing Ravage, fixing AoE telegraphs, fixing group icons on the minimap, and then making end game item and gearing "less complicated," I remember thinking, "The hell? With all of the longstanding bugs and popular player-requested content and improvements that are out there, this is what they decide to roll out?" I've grown very skeptical of future "improvements" because of these types of changes.

 

Personally, if they had just announced that you can skip orbital stations and Quick Travel/port to Strongholds from spaceports, I would have been as happy as a clam.

[SidiousJeka]

It's great, but... very easy, sorry, i dislike it. Canon of flight on the ship lost its meaning. Noo... :( Edited April 18, 2017 by SidiousJeka

[HuaRya]

Love it... Ascetically it's very good looking and functions well. I love how it's attached to the mini map now. The designer and graphic artists should be given highest accolades. It's one of those things that now we have it we wonder how we ever did without it.

 

As far as the ship goes.........Ever since we lost our companions it never felt the same to me personally. Running around an empty shell that once had people on board has little to no appeal. The ship feels firmly ensconced in the class story and deservingly needs only to be an ornament on a landing pad in a stronghold. Preferably surrounded by our stable of GSF ships. But one can only dream.

[Nightblazer]

It's great, but... very easy, sorry, i dislike it. Canon of flight on the ship lost its meaning. Noo... :(

 

You don't have to use the new map. You should be able to manually walk or use your mount t travel to your ship, pull up the map, fly to the specific planet, exit the ship,if it has an orbital station manually exit and then proceed as normal.

 

Unfortunately haven't tried it yet since harbinger is still down but you don't have to use the shortcuts.

[Nightblazer]

I like the redesign of the fleet map too. More aesthetically pleasing.

[Raiida]

I don't see why everyone seems to love the new map design. I think it's horrible and there goes another part of the Star Wars feeling with it.

 

The old map could be rotated and the galaxy slowly rotated by itself which made it look more alive. Plus it played a great Star Wars tune which made flying around in your ship feel even more immersive.

 

The new map looks static, cold and lifeless and it could belong to any Sci-Fi game that is not Star Wars. Plus some story locations that remainded active even after completion on the old map don't show on the new one. That includes Mandalore's flagship "Spirit of Vengeance" (Bounty Hunter Story) or the HK-51-story ghost ship.

 

I understand that some people play the game not for the sake of playing in a Star Wars environment and therefore welcome the new instant map travel feature that skips the entire ship sequence, but that also adds to the feeling of having lost a part of what made Star Wars different from other Sci-Fi experiences.

 

Very sad.

[Andryah]

I don't see why everyone seems to love the new map design. I think it's horrible and there goes another part of the Star Wars feeling with it.

 

For the most part, people simply want insta-clickies to where they want to get to. For them, it's a QoL improvement. Sure.. we have purests who want the old vanilla anything and everything, but I think they are a minority.

 

Personally, what I find most interesting is the areas of the new map where nothing yet exists. Clearly demarked from other areas, yet noting yet in them. Many more then I expected to see. My point? While we all think this was a QoL thing for us, I now think it is more about prepping the map for more planets, stations, etc. etc. in the future.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Andryah

[TUXs]

I don't see why everyone seems to love the new map design. I think it's horrible and there goes another part of the Star Wars feeling with it.

Then travel like you did. Pretend it doesn't exist. It's not like you were giving people rides on your spaceship. You shouldn't notice any difference in what YOU like to do.

[kodrac]

For the most part, people simply want insta-clickies to where they want to get to. For them, it's a QoL improvement. Sure.. we have purests who want the old vanilla anything and everything, but I think they are a minority.

 

Personally, what I find most interesting is the areas of the new map where nothing yet exists. Clearly demarked from other areas, yet noting yet in them. Many more then I expected to see. My point? While we all think this was a QoL thing for us, I now think it is more about prepping the map for more planets, stations, etc. etc. in the future.

 

You could be on to something. The ship map was starting to fill up with icons all over it. I haven't seen the new one yet (darn work!) so I'll reserve judgement until later tonight.

[Kamilynn]

Sorry but the map sucks!

 

Doesn't show me planets I have quests on, and if I click the wrong system, I can't back out - have to use the Exit Map button.

 

Not to mention my retinas have been burned out from all that neon/lightning blue color used. The old map color was perfect as it was - not too harsh on the peepers of players who have some form of visual impairment (like myself and the 1000s of others playing).

[IanArgent]

You can use your scroll wheel to zoom in and out on the map, and I was able to click into a system and then return directly to the galaxy map without having ot leave the interface. I was getting mission indicators for missions in my character's log (Including the DF indicator for the finale of the Oricon chain).

[Master-Zimoon]

I like the looks of it, really lean and slick. I like the way it works, so far no bugs. Keep up the good work!!!

[Kamilynn]

... and I was able to click into a system and then return directly to the galaxy map without having ot leave the interface.

 

How? There's no "Back to Galaxy Map" button like in the old version. Just the Exit Map one.

 

 

I was getting mission indicators for missions in my character's log (Including the DF indicator for the finale of the Oricon chain).

 

Is there an option in the UI i need to turn on for this that wasn't mention in the patch notes? I've got 3 quests in my log and none shows for this new map.

[IanArgent]

How? There's no "Back to Galaxy Map" button like in the old version. Just the Exit Map one.

 

When in the Planet View, upper left hand corner there is a"Galaxy View" button with a left-facing chevron arrow. This returns you the Galaxy View.

 

 

Is there an option in the UI i need to turn on for this that wasn't mention in the patch notes? I've got 3 quests in my log and none shows for this new map.

 

The quests can't be untracked in your quest log. You can bring up your Log by pressing L in the Galaxy Map interface (or anywhere else) and set them to tracked. Once you do so, you get the standard mission triangle above each planet with a mission, if you hover the pointer over the mission triangle, it lists the missions on that planet.

 

If the PvE space mission rails shooter is your thing, the galaxy map now highlights the active space missions you may have in your log, a nice touch.

[exfell]

I hate the look of the new map. Looks fuzzy and kind of attacks your eyes.

[Jagaimee]

I hate the look of the new map. Looks fuzzy and kind of attacks your eyes.

 

It is a bit of an eyesore - literally, not aesthetically (in my opinion).

 

Anyway, other than the brightness and the fuzziness (and that slightly irritating static fuzz when zooming in all the way to a planet), I don't mind it. I prefer the old one, but this new map isn't terrible. It's just... meh.

[BenKatarn]

The new map looks static, cold and lifeless and it could belong to any Sci-Fi game that is not Star Wars.

 

This mirrors my thoughts, I think.

 

In terms of functionality, I think this map is spot on. I don't think a lot of people play the regular on-rails space missions anymore, but I like that they are now marked on the map as well with a name indicator, so I don't have so search all over the galaxy where what space mission is.

 

Despite that, as Raiida put it, the map seems very sterile and boring. The original map moved ever so slightly as the galaxy turned and you could also rotate it a little. Nothing game-breaking, but a nice piece of fluff. The planets don't turn anymore when you actually select them and there is no "artsy" feel to observing the map anymore.

 

Likewise, this was already broken with 5.1 or earlier, but the different areas of the galaxy were broken up into specific regions that were aligned with one faction or "contested" or neutral when you hovered over it. That is now gone.

 

All in all, the new Galaxy Map is very nice to use, but very ugly to look at.

[hillerbees]

I have to add a plus 1 to those who hate the look of the new galaxy map.

 

I really don't see why this was touched. Its making my ship feeling even more redundant than usual also. If I can travel from my map when I am anywhere why bother boarding my ship at all once my class stories are complete?

 

So much of this game is becoming skipable it won't be much long before I just skip the game entirely. I do want the game to improve and I'm here since the start so please don't think I am just trolling.

 

Fingers crossed for the future.

[IanArgent]

Outside of being a setting where complicated cutscenes can be run with a guaranteed environment, the whole starships subsystem was deliberately and obviously a timewaster. Everything from putting the cargo hold and GTN as far away as possible from the mailbox, to simply not allowing quick travel from ship hangars, stations, and starports, to having large chunks of important planets NOT on the priority transit terminals, it's all about inserting minutes artifically into playtimes.

 

If you like your ships, they're still there. Just like you can (and I will in many cases) walk to new zones on most planets instead of taxing the taxi. But if I'm not on Alderaan and want to get there prior to this update? If I haven't got the Priority Transport: Starship perk, it's QT to fleet (or stronghold), then go to ship, walk through ship to GalMap, use GalMap to travel to Alderaan starport, trudge from ship to starport entrance, and then FINALLY QT to where I'm going. Compare to getting to CZ-198, or anyplace else that happens to be on the Priority Terminal, or have a stronghold (or both).

 

How long has the Priority Transit system been in place? This just expands that, scalably.

[Sydth]

[*]If you have a Priority Transport/Planetary perks, you will have a zero credit cost to travel to that location from the Galaxy Map.

-eric

 

Can you all expand on this? I'm a little confused. What/where exactly is "Planetary Perks". It's sounding to me like it's saying there's a way to transport anywhere for free using the new galaxy map.

Are they referring to the five Travel perks to CZ, Oricon, Rishi, Yavin and Odessen; or something else?

[FOETodo]

Can you all expand on this? I'm a little confused. What/where exactly is "Planetary Perks". It's sounding to me like it's saying there's a way to transport anywhere for free using the new galaxy map.

Are they referring to the five Travel perks to CZ, Oricon, Rishi, Yavin and Odessen; or something else?

 

Yes, exactly those daily mission planets you mentioned. And apparently the perk for outlaw's den doesn't provide you free travel to Tatooine.

[Darkside]

I hate the look of the new map. Looks fuzzy and kind of attacks your eyes.

 

Yeah. To me just seems less intuitive. Maybe I just need to get use to it, but gawd I wish they would have differentiated the planets from the other junk, cause it makes finding certain things a pain in the ***.

[Edyn]

I traveled to my Stronghold from Fleet and then tried to use to map to travel to Iokath for a quest, but couldn't because the map thought I was already on Iokath... Edited April 19, 2017 by Edyn