So wait, tell me, why do we even have travel powers? I barely see people in hazard zones, so that one is out.
I get it, some people want a "natural" hero but doesn't mean it should make it so people can skip travels altogether and save the power selection for something else.
[ QUOTE ]
Just thought of this today as I had to travel from one end of Independence Port to the other, just to talk to a contact...who then referred me to another back on the end I started from >.<
You know all those bus stops in town that never get used (except to herd)? How about making them transport a player to the opposite end of the zone they are in!!
Much like the tram, they can be on a timer, say 10-30 seconds.
Have the zones cut into 3 areas, Route A, B, & C (as opposed to North, Central & South which would be trouble for zones that run East/West), and have the routes marked on the maps by a dividing line, color shading, or texture change.
<ul type="square">[*]Click any bus stop.[*]Choose, from a drop down menu, which area of the zone you'd like to go to.[*]Wait 10-30 seconds while in rooted animation and *poof* you're transported to a central bus stop in the new area of the same zone you were already in![/list]
Further ideas to improve on the concept:
<ul type="square">[*]Paying a 'bus fare' to use it[*]Adding an animation of a bus (could be problematic since it'd have to materialize out of nowhere)[*]Adding an animation of a FLYING bus! (makes more sense to have it seemingly appear out of nowhere)[*]Add other stops on the bus ie. tailor, City Hall, AE, WW, etc[*]Making the action interruptable[/list]
[/ QUOTE ]
Don't forget that when a hero or villain is on the bus they are helpless to defend themselves from an ambush so if an ambush is looking for them they ambush the bus instead causing the bus to explode killing the hero/villain.
I like the buss idea in general. Hate waiting though (love CoV just geting into the ferries), would be nicer if you just click the buss stop and select what suburb to go to.
It would be very useful for lowbies, make IP way less painful to navigate and it would not negate travel powers because you would still be dropped by the suburb marker, you still got to move.
Not to mention, MA already does worse at entirely removing travel time. Right now, travel powers are only enforced if you want a form of quickly move inside of a mission map or want to stay the heck out of the MA.
[ QUOTE ]
Adding an animation of a bus (could be problematic since it'd have to materialize out of nowhere)
[/ QUOTE ]
I would instead make a buss only you can see show up and you do an animation going inside it then fade to black and show at your destination.
The MA shows the game can display things that only you can see, in the case of the MA, it's contacts.
The idea isn't to eliminate travel powers, but more of a QOL issue.
We already have a mission transporter, base transporter, WW transporter, Pocket D transporter, and Ouro Portal...all of which make life easier but still don't eliminate the need for travel powers.
This would work just the same as the above. It would simply get you to a closer area to where you want to go.
And like I said, there can be costs associated with it's use or time limits to keep it from trumping existing travel powers.
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
QR
while the idea is interesting, what would you do for villian side travel like this? they don't have bus stops.
Great idea, making it go the suburb marker instead of having to redo all the maps with marked sections! Genius!!
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
Oh I forgot to add the average City buss only travels at about 10-30 miles per hour, and then there are the stops, and the rush hour traffic.
Superspeed can get up to 92.5 miles per hour, so... lets see here, you want to take the bus and go only 1/3 of the speed you could have had with superspeed?
Or do you want the bus because you could then go afk turning the 4-5 minutes it would take riding the bus vs. the 45 seconds it takes with superspeed (I know seems a lot longer but it only takes 45 seconds to go 1 mile at 92 miles per hour, and I'm being generous), because you know there is auto run.
[ QUOTE ]
We already have a mission transporter, base transporter, WW transporter, Pocket D transporter, and Ouro Portal...all of which make life easier but still don't eliminate the need for travel powers.
This would work just the same as the above. It would simply get you to a closer area to where you want to go.
And like I said, there can be costs associated with it's use or time limits to keep it from trumping existing travel powers.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well Ouro portal isn't intended to be used as a travel device. The rest need to be paid for. But sure I could see it happening just as long as the bus isn't going 90 mph like super speed, 4 minutes per mile, aka 15 mph, or 3 minutes per mile aka 20 mph I think would be fair for a city bus.
[ QUOTE ]
QR
while the idea is interesting, what would you do for villian side travel like this? they don't have bus stops.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hmmm...ferries are out, as well as black helicopters...maybe taxis at phone booths? I haven't logged in redside in so long, I'm not sure what's in the existing landscape 
Of course, they could always add bus stops, too ;P
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
[ QUOTE ]
QR
while the idea is interesting, what would you do for villian side travel like this? they don't have bus stops.
[/ QUOTE ]
ARACHNAPULTS!!!!
Like grav geysers in the Shard, you step on and they launch you to the next point. FWOOOOSHH!!!!!
On topic: Travel in this game is now so trivialized, I don't see need to make it more so. Even though this is a cool idea.
nah, taxis would only work in Port Oakes and St. Martial. and adding bus stops wouldn't really make any sense. then there is the unholliest place to travel round that is known as Grandville. i could see some kind of speedboat thing in Nerva though. hmm.... let's see what eveyone else comes up with for it. red side is a tough one.
[ QUOTE ]
The idea isn't to eliminate travel powers, but more of a QOL issue.
We already have a mission transporter, base transporter, WW transporter, Pocket D transporter, and Ouro Portal...all of which make life easier but still don't eliminate the need for travel powers.
This would work just the same as the above. It would simply get you to a closer area to where you want to go.
And like I said, there can be costs associated with it's use or time limits to keep it from trumping existing travel powers.
[/ QUOTE ]
The mission transporter, base transporter, WW transporter, Pocket D transporter, and Ouro Portal are used to travel across different zones. You can't use travel powers to cross the zones. So of coz, all these convenience won't eliminate the need for travel powers, which are for traveling within a zone.
I think if there are enough bus stops within a zone, the transport system can potentially eliminate the need to use travel powers. It is a bit sad that heroes have to take a bus to rescue a citizen because heroes with super powers are supposed to be faster than the bus.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The idea isn't to eliminate travel powers, but more of a QOL issue.
We already have a mission transporter, base transporter, WW transporter, Pocket D transporter, and Ouro Portal...all of which make life easier but still don't eliminate the need for travel powers.
This would work just the same as the above. It would simply get you to a closer area to where you want to go.
And like I said, there can be costs associated with it's use or time limits to keep it from trumping existing travel powers.
[/ QUOTE ]
The mission transporter, base transporter, WW transporter, Pocket D transporter, and Ouro Portal are used to travel across different zones. You can't use travel powers to cross the zones. So of coz, all these convenience won't eliminate the need for travel powers, which are for traveling within a zone.
I think if there are enough bus stops within a zone, the transport system can potentially eliminate the need to use travel powers. It is a bit sad that heroes have to take a bus to rescue a citizen because heroes with super powers are supposed to be faster than the bus.
[/ QUOTE ]
I hadn't thought of that reason not to do it, good job.
And yeah riding the public bus at like 10-30 mph is pretty sad... why not let the police just take care of it, at least they have the ability to run spot lights.
Eh...
There are only a couple of zones (PI, Nerva) I can think of where it's long enough to be particularly tedious... and even then, there's stuff to do along the way. (Stop at a tailor, fight a GM, pick up a respec TF.)
I'm not really *against* it, I just don't see it as all that useful, personally.
I like this idea! It would be extremely useful for places like Independence Port and Steel Canyon. Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't had Teleportation Pods installed (Duck Dodgers, in the 24th and a Half CENTUREEEEEEE!).
Independence Port, the place is FRACKING LONG from North to South. Even with travel powers, you may as well just hit "R" and go get yourself something to drink. You'll probably be halfway to your destination by the time you get back.
Steel Canyon, while not quite as long as Independence Port, has pretty much everything on opposite ends of the place save the AE and the trainer. And oftentimes, the mission you need to get to will usually be on the opposite side of the map of the train you used to get to the zone.
Sure, places like Talos Island won't see TOO much use in this system, what with almost everything being centralized (though getting from the train to Dark Astoria quickly will be a nice option), but it will make the grind of the lower levels before Travel Powers (such as those early missions that have you running from one side of Atlas Park and Galaxy City to the other).
The argument that our travel powers are supposed to be faster than public transportation is kind of bunk in this game. I mean, we can't have a Batmobile, Blackbird or Quinjet; we have to use the Metro to get from zone to zone or hoof it ourselves (in which case, the train is the quicker, more efficient option in most cases).
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Blackavaar says, "Heroes don't use the bus! I'd rather hoof it than sit next to gramma on the crosstown. Thanks."
I regularly use the Ouro or Base portal to pop from one end of a zone to another because I can do it quicker than flying or leaping there. (I also take advantage of Hosp TP, esp at debt-free low levels!)
And, of course mission teleport, too if it's a particularly long travel.
I'd use the WW teleporter if I ever remembered I had it and the pocket D teleporter can easily be used for it too (ie. to get from High Park in Kings Row to the Blue Steel: TP to the D and exit back into KR...it puts you just down the ramp from old Blue, no travel power needed)
Just because they weren't intended to be used as in-zone transport doesn't mean they aren't being utilized for it.
As for it being sad to take the bus, when did taking a train ever become more dignified?!? Seriously.
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
[ QUOTE ]
I regularly use the Ouro or Base portal to pop from one end of a zone to another because I can do it quicker than flying or leaping there. (I also take advantage of Hosp TP, esp at debt-free low levels!)
And, of course mission teleport, too if it's a particularly long travel.
I'd use the WW teleporter if I ever remembered I had it and the pocket D teleporter can easily be used for it too (ie. to get from High Park in Kings Row to the Blue Steel: TP to the D and exit back into KR...it puts you just down the ramp from old Blue, no travel power needed)
Just because they weren't intended to be used as in-zone transport doesn't mean they aren't being utilized for it.
As for it being sad to take the bus, when did taking a train ever become more dignified?!? Seriously.
[/ QUOTE ]
Great support for why not to add it!
Sounds like you have it great.
But one thing I don't get.. Why do you want to make it so flying or leaping there isn't even an option, and so that you'd be stupid for taking flying or leaping?
Don't tell me you're one of the people that wants to experience the game without even moving... God forbid you have to put a little effort into anything...
Also the train doesn't really make sense from a hero aspect but it is way more sad for you to be riding the bus within a zone than it is to ride the train/tram to a complete different zone. There is a difference, traveling within a zone requires effort of pressing down your finger and steering with either of your other finders or the mouse, Zoning requires the effort of staring at a wall for 3seconds to 4 minutes depending on how your connection is, hell you don't even have to be there, take a quick bio break.
[ QUOTE ]
But one thing I don't get.. Why do you want to make it so flying or leaping there isn't even an option, and so that you'd be stupid for taking flying or leaping
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not suggesting that. You'd still need travel powers once you get to the side of the zone you want to be in. Plus, travel powers are used for more than just getting to contacts & missions.
They're used in combat, pvp, hazard zones, street sweeps, badging, exploring, powerset pre-reqs, etc. Even with this suggestion, people would still be taking travel powers and not be considered stupid for doing so. Are villains stupid now for taking a travel power when they can just buy a jetpack? No.
I'm not suggesting perma mission teleporter (which is already in game as AE, mind you), simply an in-zone transport to get you to a diff section of a zone quicker. With possible built-in timer and/or in-game costs.
You say the tram is different because it tp's you between zones. It's not. In case you didn't know, you can also use the tunnels in the War Walls to travel between zones. If you were playing before they added a tram to Founder's (and ran thru Indigo's painfully long arc) you'd know this. The trams just make it so you don't have to use your travel powers to hop from tunnel to tunnel. The bus idea would be the same, only within a zone. Not eliminating travel, just making it a bit more convenient.
This is a simple quality of life suggestion on par with existing systems already in-game. Nothing game-breaking here.
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
[ QUOTE ]
So wait, tell me, why do we even have travel powers? I barely see people in hazard zones, so that one is out.
I get it, some people want a "natural" hero but doesn't mean it should make it so people can skip travels altogether and save the power selection for something else.
[/ QUOTE ]
I have a couple of "natural" characters that get along quite well with just the fitness travel pool. Most characters end up getting Stamina anyway.
Yet still, I'm against the "buses" idea.
It might as well be an inter-zone "mission teleporter".
I did a satire post on this very subject a while back when this idea was brought up before.
Search-fu powers, activate!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But one thing I don't get.. Why do you want to make it so flying or leaping there isn't even an option, and so that you'd be stupid for taking flying or leaping
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not suggesting that. You'd still need travel powers once you get to the side of the zone you want to be in. Plus, travel powers are used for more than just getting to contacts & missions.
They're used in combat, pvp, hazard zones, street sweeps, badging, exploring, powerset pre-reqs, etc. Even with this suggestion, people would still be taking travel powers and not be considered stupid for doing so. Are villains stupid now for taking a travel power when they can just buy a jetpack? No.
I'm not suggesting perma mission teleporter (which is already in game as AE, mind you), simply an in-zone transport to get you to a diff section of a zone quicker. With possible built-in timer and/or in-game costs.
You say the tram is different because it tp's you between zones. It's not. In case you didn't know, you can also use the tunnels in the War Walls to travel between zones. If you were playing before they added a tram to Founder's (and ran thru Indigo's painfully long arc) you'd know this. The trams just make it so you don't have to use your travel powers to hop from tunnel to tunnel. The bus idea would be the same, only within a zone. Not eliminating travel, just making it a bit more convenient.
This is a simple quality of life suggestion on par with existing systems already in-game. Nothing game-breaking here.
[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure about you but as for me and plenty of other people I have teamed with, we don't leave travel powers on during combat because they are an end drain.
Yes, in PvP, Travel powers are wise, but PvP and PvE are 2 different thing. Like Red and Blue.
Hazard Zones, well right now I barely see more than 1 person (if that) in a hazard zone at a time, yes Hollows, Sewers and Perez might see the most action but that's lowbies, that don't have on of the t3 travel powers
Street Sweeps? I never use travel powers here, wise to conserve endurance, just run to the next mob without travels, shouldn't be far away.
Badging? Yeah I do use travels but only for the exploration and history badges, though it would be incredibly easy to get them without a travel compared to 5 issues ago.
Exploring? Who does that any more? Thanks to AE only exploring anyone has done was to head to Wentworths to sell the drops from the rolls. Which makes me think, this buses thing would get those AE noobs skipping travels so that can take more attacks.
Powerset? What do you mean?
Pre-reqs? Yeah, I take Boxing and Kick for Tough and Weave, but 99% of the time they get neglected.
Just FYI, they could always get a jet pack fairly easy, just takes 3 missions (2 if you auto complete) and a Mayhem, oh and level 5.
How do you get to Crotoa via tunnels?
Listen, right now as it is, travel is easier than it ever has been. If you're having problems getting around, even without a travel power, you are just too lazy to hold a key down for a matter of seconds.
[u]List of Travel Methods:[u]
Travel Powers (Super Speed, Sprint, Hover, Teleport, Fly, Combat Jumping, Super Jump, (Recall friend))
Ferries
Black Hawks (For got the actual names of them)
Temp Travel Powers (Zero-G Pack, Raptor Pack, Teleportation)
Green Line
Yellow Line
Pocket D (Used as a hub)
Midnighter's Club (Used as hub)
Ouroboros (Used as hub)
Ouroboros Crystal used as a contact or zone transporter.
Rikti War Zone (Used as hub)
Bases
Black Market/Wentworth's teleporter (Day Job and purchasable)
Mission Transporter
Base Transporter (Vet and Day Job)
Self Destruction (Used as base transporter, can't rule this one out, not its intended use but same for all the hubs up there^)
Tell me if I missed anything.
[ QUOTE ]
How do you get to Crotoa via tunnels?
[/ QUOTE ]
Midnighter's club. No tram needed 
[ QUOTE ]
...you are just too lazy to hold a key down for a matter of seconds.
[/ QUOTE ]
That's twice you've called me lazy. I really don't appreciate the personal attacks. If you don't like my idea, fine. If you have a valid reason it wouldn't work, great, discuss it. But keep your assumptions of me to yourself. They are completely wrong and uncalled for.
If you have anything new to add to the discussion, please do. I welcome the insight of other players and their experiences.
If you're just going to repeat the same argument, you've made your case already: you think it would trivialize travel powers. Got it. Please move on.
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
I like the concept of a bus line, since we've had the bus stops forever and never had any busses in the traffic.
I'd like:
1) Click on the bus stop and check the popup menu for a list of stops. Preferably, this would be a modified version of the zone map.
2) Sit through an interuptible period (while your character does the waiting emote).
3) Arrive at new destination.
Here's my question:
Using the tram, we have a huge safe area to do so. Would using the bus stops require that the spawns near the stops be moved out of agro range?
Or maybe have a countdown-to-targetable timer like in PvP for when there is a mob near the bus stop you arrive at? (I guess some mobs won't attack while the bus is still there and is full of witnesses or something)
While there a many things that cuts travel time making the game a little less boring. Cutting too much travel would mean players would spend more time doing missions eventually reducing their interests in doing them. Sort of like having an account doing only AE missions, some people could dedicate 4 years to just doing those, but most people won't stick past 6 months. Having buses in low level zones and a few parts of large zones would reduce the pressing R wishing they could get there faster, but would still have to use travel powers after reaching the next stop to where they are going.
If it ain't broke set it on fire, then say it was a fault in the design.
Main:50 Force Encephalon Mind/Kinetic Controller, Protector Server
Just thought of this today as I had to travel from one end of Independence Port to the other, just to talk to a contact...who then referred me to another back on the end I started from >.<
You know all those bus stops in town that never get used (except to herd)? How about making them transport a player to the opposite end of the zone they are in!!
Much like the tram, they can be on a timer, say 10-30 seconds.
Have the zones cut into 3 areas, Route A, B, & C (as opposed to North, Central & South which would be trouble for zones that run East/West), and have the routes marked on the maps by a dividing line, color shading, or texture change.
<ul type="square">[*]Click any bus stop.[*]Choose, from a drop down menu, which area of the zone you'd like to go to.[*]Wait 10-30 seconds while in rooted animation and *poof* you're transported to a central bus stop in the new area of the same zone you were already in![/list]
Further ideas to improve on the concept:
<ul type="square">[*]Paying a 'bus fare' to use it[*]Adding an animation of a bus (could be problematic since it'd have to materialize out of nowhere)[*]Adding an animation of a FLYING bus! (makes more sense to have it seemingly appear out of nowhere)[*]Add other stops on the bus ie. tailor, City Hall, AE, WW, etc[*]Making the action interruptable[/list]
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!