This Game Should Have Auto-Travel And Here's An Example Of How It Could Work

[Holyvigil 171]

In big worlds (these world's will take 2 hours to travel from top to bottom) where a lot of your time can be spent on the road there needs to be a way to be able to stay entertained otherwise you just don't do the travel or you quit in frustration (of not being able to do the cool things in the game)/boredom. I remember back in Vanilla WoW or Warhammer Online when a lot of flight paths had not been connected efficiently. I chose to not go to exciting places/play the game because of how boring the travel time between it was and because I had to have my hands on the arrow buttons the entire time. I have also played games like Eve Online where that was mitigated by auto-travel!

 

Imagine a world where I can not only fly a space ship but I can also watch videos and read a book (In RL and as I like to imagine my character doing) at the same time! In Crowfall with Auto-travel I could not only ride a horse/ride in a carriage but I could also read a book!

 

How could this be implemented? A player/guild could build a stables and build roads and then subsequently connect the road with another stable. The game would then allow the player to click on the stable and the player would automatically travel along the road to the other stable. This would not speed the amount of time it took to get there. It only allows for a hands free ride.

 

You could be required to have discovered the stable in order to travel to it. Or you could be required to have the stable owners permission. Or be part of that person's guild.

 

This opens up the possibility of trading actually being a viable profession in this game by making it not deathly boring. It allows players to establish gate houses with toll booths for blocking the players and allowing the people who made road to make a profit off of the flow of traffic.

 

It also allows bandits to set up temporary palisades and stakes to stop and trap the traders on the road.

 

Auto travel could be a risky endeavor since you might not notice the players surrounding you or coming towards you.

 

Also since it is a predefined path there may be a faster but more risky path. For example you could travel through a forest filled with hostiles.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Holyvigil

[FenrisDDevil 3,474]

**off-topic**

 

I hope it's just me, and I am sorry to point this out, but when I read some of you saying "I remember back in WOW when..", I can't go any further.

 

**off-topic*

Edited March 15, 2015 by fenrisddevil

[Hax 244]

I thought this was gonna be a thread about teleporting.

 

I agree with your view on how travel should work. Basically, player-ran and managed. 

[zinnie 2,399]

**off-topic**

 

I hope it's just me, and I am sorry to point this out, but when I read some of you saying "I remember back in WOW when..", I can't go any further.

 

**off-topic*

 

yep, I stopped reading past that aswell.

 

No thanks to any form of autotravel or fast travel,  the game becomes so boring.

[rajah 1,602]

As long as I am able to PK you when you auto travel I am fine with it

[tehmartini 299]

I thought this was going to be about teleporting as well. This is an interesting idea though. As much as it would free up time to do other things, you have to keep one eye open to make sure no one attacks you on the way.

[Anotherneko 505]

I like the idea of livery systems, but not automation. Having a player involved with ferriering people back and forth along a road would solve this, but I'd hate to be that guy when an ambush decided it was going to happen.

[XroW 6]

I'm fine with traveling mechanics that are based on the following principles:
 

1. Its player built, we expand our reach by building and defending infrastructure that is vital for faster travel.
2. You are still exposed to enemies for the duration of the travel.

Much like eve, traveling "automatically"  (autopilot) could be a option that comes with great risks.

I like the idea behind stables, forcing players to feed the horses, making food more important and adds another strategic element to the game.
It also makes stable keeping a business idea. Building road is a common goal for the alliance and roads should increase all movement riding or otherwise.

[swordroll 47]

I think there are two sides to the coin.

 

First and foremost, what you're saying is important to consider. Long travel times between locations, particularly if your team or guild is spread out, can not only be an issue of your success in the campaign but also whether or not you actually enjoy playing. I'm a huge fan of these big, open landscapes, so no compromises there. I think that mounts, however, may ease this burden.

 

The other part of it is that the trading and economic aspect of Crowfall may be enhanced by this mechanic. Instead of everyone heading to one "Uncle Bob" crafter who has the highest skills in everything, they might "buy local" or branch. This also provides the opportunity for some crafter to increase their prices simply based on convenience, and not necessarily quality. Travel is dangerous, especially along established roads, so if you're the only crafter in the area who's selling to everyone, and players don't want to make the journey or need supplies immediately, you suddenly become a lot more valuable.

[zeonx 179]

What's the risk in dying if you can auto travel naked?

[XroW 6]

What's the risk in dying if you can auto travel naked?

Time, if you auto travel naked and die. you might realize it far to late and waste a lot of time.

Also, where are you going naked and what will you do there?

 

Edited March 15, 2015 by XroW

[Hax 244]

 

What's the risk in dying if you can auto travel naked?

 

That'd be true if your items in your bank can be accessed anywhere that a bank exists.

 

What if your gear could only be stored in a single place? Traveling anywhere naked would be completely pointless then. You wouldn't be able to get naked, travel somewhere, and re-gear at your destination. You'd travel naked and stay naked. Who wants to do that besides nudists?

 

 

Also, where are you going naked and what will you do there?

 

I think it's best not to know.

[Sillsei 52]

I think that this would be a good dynamic. but you will have to design something to do while you are on the trip. maybe you could buy a chess board and play with whomever you are riding with or maybe there will actually be book scattered around the world that tell you about the points of interest. this way there will be something to do as well as an advantage to being well read.

[aChris07 73]

Well, at least is not teleporting...

 

To be honest, it's only boring when you don't expect anything good to happen for more than...2 or 3 minutes  (aka WoW flying routes). If the size of the map isn't excessive, I'm sure that you won't be able to walk as easily as that, knowing that you might be jumped at any moment.

 

Considering the game already has mounts (since they're promised in the kickstarter), I'd say having a smart pathing system (something like you click on a camp and your character starts riding/walking there automatically) might be good enough. If you're fine with not checking where you're going while you're moving...well, hope you're not jumped.

 

But mostly, I think most of the problem can be solved with a well-sized map, neither too big nor too small. That's the advantage of the Crowfall campaign system: you don't need a huge world, because you won't need to fit several huge cities/camps, since it's supposed to encourage early fights and it won't be permanent (hence you don't have to be worried to have enough space for future buildings).

[fleur 11]

Well, at least is not teleporting...

 

To be honest, it's only boring when you don't expect anything good to happen for more than...2 or 3 minutes  (aka WoW flying routes). If the size of the map isn't excessive, I'm sure that you won't be able to walk as easily as that, knowing that you might be jumped at any moment.

 

Considering the game already has mounts (since they're promised in the kickstarter), I'd say having a smart pathing system (something like you click on a camp and your character starts riding/walking there automatically) might be good enough. If you're fine with not checking where you're going while you're moving...well, hope you're not jumped.

 

But mostly, I think most of the problem can be solved with a well-sized map, neither too big nor too small. That's the advantage of the Crowfall campaign system: you don't need a huge world, because you won't need to fit several huge cities/camps, since it's supposed to encourage early fights and it won't be permanent (hence you don't have to be worried to have enough space for future buildings).

I would love to be able to make cities/castles in the Campaign worlds. Imagine it: instead of NPCs instantly changing the world, players create the capital cities and players destroy the capital cities and players guard the capital cities.

[aChris07 73]

I would love to be able to make cities/castles in the Campaign worlds. Imagine it: instead of NPCs instantly changing the world, players create the capital cities and players destroy the capital cities and players guard the capital cities.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'd love that too! To have the players be able to build cities to defend and use as trading hubs, and huge sieges! Reminds me of Shadowbane

 

However, in those games, you do need to have a huge, open area, since you need to leave enough space for cities to expand and for future players to build theirs, or they'll run out of space real quick.

 

In Campaigns, I don't think you will really need that much space, since you will have to plan for a determined amount of cities to be built (ex. 4-6 cities, maybe even 8 depending on the population density), areas for resource gathering and that's it, since you don't need to "plan ahead": the Campaign map will eventually die off, giving the opportunity for other cities to be built in the future.

 

Edit: Typos

Edited March 16, 2015 by aChris07

[bairloch 2,136]

OP, you assume travel time will be boring. Therefore your entire premise might be flawed. We don't know enough about travel yet to make that assumption. From what we have seen, IMO, it looks like travel will be fraught with peril and more of an edge-of-your-seat situation than a read-a-book ferry ride. If true, your entire suggestion is unnecessary.

[rhone 338]

**off-topic**

 

I hope it's just me, and I am sorry to point this out, but when I read some of you saying "I remember back in WOW when..", I can't go any further.

 

**off-topic*

Vanilla WoW being 10 years ago qualifies as "back".  It also sets the precedent for the rest of his story about skipping out on going to areas because it was a pain in the ass to get there.

[bairloch 2,136]

Vanilla WoW being 10 years ago qualifies as "back".  It also sets the precedent for the rest of his story about skipping out on going to areas because it was a pain in the bottom to get there.

I don't think the age of the game is his problem...

[rhone 338]

I don't think the age of the game is his problem...

Most of us have a love/hate or hate/hate relationship with WoW, that's fine.  The OP's point is still valid.