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Thread: Removal of auto-travelling
Attichetcuk
Mon Feb 07, 2005 6:08 am
#14
5 Stars for the post. This is a great idea! Though many will disagree because they feel that they should be able to log in fly to a far off planet and perform tasks in a few minutes. I love immersion. I actually enjoyed everyone waiting 10 minutes for a shuttle. But then again I played before ships, before player shuttleports, before vehicles and before mounts, when if you wanted to go somewhere you actually had to walk....up hill....both ways...win a sandstorm...with a ronto on your back...lol sorry. But the point is, a portion of the players want more immersion, and a portion want convienance. Hard to satisfy both but your most likely to lose a player that is frustrated then a one that is partally unfullfilled.
CanVagabond wrote:
Because it's not a bad idea?
As long as it doesn't hinder players it sounds good to me. I personally wouldn't mind spending time to travel with other players in ships and actually shuttle around rather than see a load screen and pop into another world.
The thing is though, you have to keep the trips short, and not boring or cause travel problems as much as it would add atmosphere. For instnace, a rebel travelling gets ganged by Imperial NPCs....not cool.
Another thing is time. Some days I get on only for a few minutes before work to log in, travel to my harvs to check on them and log out. If I had to wait for a ten - fifteen minute trip......
Other than that I like it.
GregorianPipes
Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:38 am
#15
I do like most of your ideas. My first MMO experience was the original EQ, where you had to wait at the dock for the boat, then hang out on the boat and chat with people as you traveled across the sea. I didn't mind it, and I don't think anybody else minded it. It was just the way it was. I think similiar travel on shuttles would add a lot to the immersion of the game.
I don't, however, agree that Rebels should be scanned and punished every time they want to travel though. I know the Empire is in control and all, but you have to have some sort of balance. This is a game after all.
I also like the idea that you may have the chance of being attacked when traveling in your starship. You have a chance of getting out undetected, but then you may end up in your ship with 4 tie fighters on an intercept course. Again, the immersion factor.
I think they could find a way for non-JTL players to be able to be in a shuttleport and look out the window. Surely they could design a patch that would add that to their game files without all the other JTL files.
Am I wrong, or do I remember reading back before JTL came out that in order to travel in your starship you would still have to hyper to where you're going? I could have sworn I remember reading something like that. Something like in order to travel "you will be susceptible (sp?) to the dangers of space." If I'm right I guess that was changed before JTL came out. I could be wrong.
I don't, however, agree that Rebels should be scanned and punished every time they want to travel though. I know the Empire is in control and all, but you have to have some sort of balance. This is a game after all.
I also like the idea that you may have the chance of being attacked when traveling in your starship. You have a chance of getting out undetected, but then you may end up in your ship with 4 tie fighters on an intercept course. Again, the immersion factor.
I think they could find a way for non-JTL players to be able to be in a shuttleport and look out the window. Surely they could design a patch that would add that to their game files without all the other JTL files.
Am I wrong, or do I remember reading back before JTL came out that in order to travel in your starship you would still have to hyper to where you're going? I could have sworn I remember reading something like that. Something like in order to travel "you will be susceptible (sp?) to the dangers of space." If I'm right I guess that was changed before JTL came out. I could be wrong.
DarvenBeyor
Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:14 am
#16
There will now be... CorSec, RSF, pirate and Imperial blockades over their controlled planets for instance RSF won't let rebel pilots to lift off from Naboo without a fight, or CorSecs will keep any one with less than legal substances from going free. Thus giving that's right smugglers the ability to.... smuggle.
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This is a really really good Idea, as much as I use the auto travel myself, I do want it gone, I saw it in beta for a while and thought it was only going to be in there and not in live. I agree, taking it away would give more of the SW feel to the game and would populate space with travelers, it would be cool to see more YT's player controled in space flying around, than just NPCs. Yeah, taking this away is actually a good idea. It would be cool to actually "get into trouble" on the way over to lets say, Endor. If your a rebel, imperial and pirates can attack you. If your an Imperial, rebels and pirates will attack you. And if your nuetral then the pirates will attack you, and the impeials have a CHANCE to attack you if they scan you. After all, people choose nuetral to keep out of the war and sometimes the fight all together, so only pirates should attack them, and SOMETIMES Imperials if they see any controband placed in your inventory, or dropped in your ship. Oh, the possibilities of having a YT 1300 smuggle spices across space and having the crates dropped in his ship. Too cool
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This is a really really good Idea, as much as I use the auto travel myself, I do want it gone, I saw it in beta for a while and thought it was only going to be in there and not in live. I agree, taking it away would give more of the SW feel to the game and would populate space with travelers, it would be cool to see more YT's player controled in space flying around, than just NPCs. Yeah, taking this away is actually a good idea. It would be cool to actually "get into trouble" on the way over to lets say, Endor. If your a rebel, imperial and pirates can attack you. If your an Imperial, rebels and pirates will attack you. And if your nuetral then the pirates will attack you, and the impeials have a CHANCE to attack you if they scan you. After all, people choose nuetral to keep out of the war and sometimes the fight all together, so only pirates should attack them, and SOMETIMES Imperials if they see any controband placed in your inventory, or dropped in your ship. Oh, the possibilities of having a YT 1300 smuggle spices across space and having the crates dropped in his ship. Too cool
Message Edited by DarvenBeyor on 02-07-2005 07:19 AM
Coran_Sienar
Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:44 am
#18
I'm for it so long as such a method of traveling is OPTIONAL.
Balzan
Mon Feb 07, 2005 10:09 am
#19
If it's optional, then it won't be used. It's quite simple, if you have the option to go the easy way or the hard way you're alway going to take the easy way. This would hopefully be after the CU so timmers on buffs aren't as important (hell I want buffs completely removed from SWG, or at least nerfed so much it doesn't make a difference).
The fact that rebels are punished is because this is a game, and as such people who are rebel should be willing to have to undergo hardship, if you don't want to be part of the GCW, then don't join a side. If your ship is good enough you'll be able to outrun your opponents anyway. For the shuttle travel I mean there are occasional scans not automatic ones, so unless you're straped for time and can't risk an allout fight on a shuttle against imperials, you take other methods (would also only happen in Imperial Controlled territories).
It would also be good to see ground factions link to space factions, JtL should be part of SWG not just a side game
The fact that rebels are punished is because this is a game, and as such people who are rebel should be willing to have to undergo hardship, if you don't want to be part of the GCW, then don't join a side. If your ship is good enough you'll be able to outrun your opponents anyway. For the shuttle travel I mean there are occasional scans not automatic ones, so unless you're straped for time and can't risk an allout fight on a shuttle against imperials, you take other methods (would also only happen in Imperial Controlled territories).
It would also be good to see ground factions link to space factions, JtL should be part of SWG not just a side game
ryarbrou
Mon Feb 07, 2005 10:42 am
#20
This line of ideas has merit, but I think maybe just a little tweaking to flesh it out and make it more in line with the movies & books would be in order. Since SWG is a game, and games are about fun, the whole system can't be made too tedious. Here are some ideas that I hope the developers might entertain... not all of the ideas just pertain to JTL.
First off, modify the regular method of travel for everyone in the game, but only slightly so. First of all, those who wish to travel will be scanned for illegal goods. If found, said individuals will be denied travel privileges by the startports, otherwise travel would proceed the same way it normally does. This enters into play the possibility for different factions to make different rules up for different starports. If you wish to travel with ilicit goods, then you're going to have to talk to a private pilot. Also, rebel players wishing to travel from imperial starports would need to aqcuire "fake" identification in order to fly, more stuff for smugglers (or perhaps image consultants) to do. This would eliminate the burden for those folks who just want to travel around and check on harvesters, and whatnot.
Now, if you decide you want to make a trip with illegal goods, and you can't sneak past "customs" (sneaking past customs could open up a whole new line of containers for artisans to make), you have to find a private starship captain that is willing to take you where you want to go. You would negotiate a price with the captain, and then he/she would be able to transport you to your destination. Private starship captains should also be a way to get from one place to another without having to stop in various startports along the way.
Depending on how well this system works, they could also implement "blockades" and patrols. A ship captain transporting passengers (and thus probably some goods) could have a chance at getting stopped by imperial (or rebel) ships. This would enter a choice for space combat/escape, to outrun the ships, or allow yourself to be scanned (not knowing for sure who the passengers are, or what they are carrying). Fines for contraband would be assessed to the captain of the ship. If the captain chooses to run/fight, then if successful, the trip goes off, if not (the ship is destroyed, or the crew ejects) everyone on the ship is put back to the planet with appropriate wounds/fatigue applied. Those who have the JTL expansion might be able to man guns in the starships, those who do not could be put in a "passenger hold" for the duration of the space battle. As time wears on, certain starship pilots would gain a reputation for getting passengers to their destinations safely with little trouble.
Such a system would make things fun for those who wish to partake of it, and those who just want to check on some harvesters, or go visit friends would not be inconvenienced. It would give lots of opportunities for the smuggler class (such as the ability to pay bribes to not get searched, fake travel identities... etc...). Other fun things to do would be to get fake ship clearances for rebels & imperials to fly through occupied space, cool stuff like that.
Balzan
Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:09 am
#21
I have to say that if any master pilot can smuggle... then iut kinda destroys the idea of bein a smuggler.
ToppDog
Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:31 pm
#22
I've always liked the idea of actually being able to ride inside the shuttles...
And I would gladly give up the auto-traveling to be able to actually walk around my ship in a hanger & board it... & then spend the five minutes or so traveling to the nearest space station or capitol ship where I could then exit my ship & head for the nearest cantina or officers club.
Sifer2
Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:34 pm
#23
This how the players origionally envisioned it before the game ever came out. We all assumed we would be able to walk around on the shuttle an have to endure a few minutes of wait while taking off, going into Hyperspace, then finally landing. We also thought that travel to far off planets would take longer. Right now with instant travel we dont really get the immersion of being on a far off hard to reach planet. So yes I agree with your Shuttle idea. However I dont think its wise to require people to download Jump to Lightspeed. Instead just make JTL owners have windows on thier shuttles an people that dont own it would be in a shuttle with no windows. I dont know if that would even work though.
Tumbler2002
Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:30 pm
#24
I didn't like standing in starports waiting 10 min for a shuttle. I didn't like waiting 5 min. I don't mind waiting 60 seconds at all. I do not want to spend more time transporting than I already do now.
If you can implement this is a way that makes it optional so all the chatty folks can mingle and take star tours around the galaxy, fine by me, but I want to be able to press the travel button and instantly go where I want, and buy a shuttle ticket and instantly appear at the other shuttle terminal. There is already plenty of waiting in this game. Lets not add anymore than necessary.
If you can implement this is a way that makes it optional so all the chatty folks can mingle and take star tours around the galaxy, fine by me, but I want to be able to press the travel button and instantly go where I want, and buy a shuttle ticket and instantly appear at the other shuttle terminal. There is already plenty of waiting in this game. Lets not add anymore than necessary.
rabblerowser
Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:14 pm
#25
IMHO something like this needs to be done. The lack of integration between the space and ground games is fustrating for the players, specifically:
- PVP in space even more rare than PVP on the ground
- Post-Master content is less than ideal - Pursuit of high end loot, accruingFP or assiting othersbeing the only apparent motives to kick the tires and light the fires.
- Utilization of the expansion solely for traveldrives demand for shipwright products to minimum product and some RE work. Thank goodness someplayers are still willing to be shipwrights.
There are undoubtedly compromises - perhaps, launch and hyper for free vs. pay and wait being the simplest. But given a little effort the space expansion has endless possibities. Not to get too extreme but let me buy a Lamda shuttle and land at one of my groundwaypoints...I'll ferry npc stormies for free 
K...I digress, thanks for calling attention to the divergence of travel and space and it's impact.
Ippo
Imp Ace/M-Brawler/Fencer/Rifleman
Message Edited by rabblerowser on 02-07-2005 12:15 PM
psikobunny
Mon Feb 07, 2005 5:51 pm
#26
The biggest barrier to solutions like this is that they are what make the game playable from a technical (not a personal) standpoint. My point is, that the autotravel was put in to cut down on server load, and give some parity between JtL and ground travel. Now enough people whined about JtL being instant, that the devs killed two birds with one stone, they put JtL and non JtL on the same footing, and cut down on lag at the starport bottlenecks.
If a new system could meet the following criteria, I'd be in favor of it
1) JtL ship owners get to get where they are going more quickly than public transit most of the time (yes that means ground people will have to wait, but it is logical and a good incentive to either buy JtL or pay a pilot for transport)
2) the hazards need to be fairly sparse even for rebels, unless they are Special Force out in the open, etc. Travel should be interesting, but not burdensome.
3) There cannot be any noticible increases in lag, or significant extra loadins for travel!!!
In every thread I've posted about shuttle wait times or JtL travel, people who want instant gratification try to turn it into an argument about the social vs the antisocial. I'm tired of it, because that's not what the majority of the people in favor of longer times are basing the desire for change on. I feel that the game would make more sense if it took time to get where you are going. These are planets around different stars in most cases. I don't care what people do while waiting or traveling on a shuttle, but I don't like having what is effectively teleportation. It makes the galaxy feel too small. If it means I get less done in a play session, thats fine. I'm in this game for the long haul anyway.