I get why some parts of this game take a bit of time. Jumping takes time, Supercruising takes time. Docking takes time. Landing takes time.
Most of those things are reasonable - they sacrifice instant action in order to convey that you're travelling across the universe, which happens to be more than six or seven washing mashines across.
However there is one "time consumer" in this game that is pretty much 100% a waste of time - disembarking on stations, from landing to entering the concourse.
I propose:
Most of those things are reasonable - they sacrifice instant action in order to convey that you're travelling across the universe, which happens to be more than six or seven washing mashines across.
However there is one "time consumer" in this game that is pretty much 100% a waste of time - disembarking on stations, from landing to entering the concourse.
Supercruise and landing : FUN
I approach the station in supercruise, playing around with throttle for the most optimal approach time and trying to dodge the planet while aiming for the entrance. Fun.
I drop out of supercruise and boost into a space drift into the entrance, dodging other ships. Fun.
I manage my speed and landing gear, trying to execute the smoothest landing in history of ED landings. Fun.
.... now, if I were just doing ship stuff, I would open the station services, get a mission, depart. Quick, smooth, no obvious time wasters. FUN.
However, if I decide to go into the concourse, the ANNOYING part begins...
I wait for my ship to align perfectly with the middle of the platform, which takes ~4 seconds even if I landed squarely in the middle, before I can even use the "disembark" button. Literally nothing to do, just wait for "disembark" to activate. Annoying.
I click Disembark and now have to wait for my ship to descend, rotate, slide into the hangar... and then I have to watch the entire lifting mechanism retract and raise itself and close the landing pad cover, before my character decides to stand up. Literally nothing to do, just waiting for the ~10 second animation to play out and for my character to get up. Annoying.
I have to run from my ship to the elevators, which can take from ~4 seconds (small ships with rear entrances, e.g. Courier) and ~15 seconds (for huge ships with frontal entrance, e.g. Corvette iirc). I bought improved sprint duration on my Maverick solely because on most stations getting from the stairs of my Asp Explorer to the lifts makes my character get tired 10 meters before the elevators and I'm forced to walk to the elevator, with the sprint reactivating as I enter the elevator. There is nothing interesting to do here, nothing else to do in the hangar, the only thing you can do is go back or run to the elevators. ANNOYING.
I have to use the button, enter, turn around, wait ~4 seconds. This might be the most interactive part of this game loop, but after doing that 30983422984 times I just find it.... annoying.
... and now I am in the concourse and can start doing something sensible.
In my opinion this entire part is just obsolete and serves no real purpose. It makes engaging with station mission boards excessively bothersome and time-consuming, with 90% of the time wasted. I understand that the game is trying to keep me immersed by not "teleporting" me around, but if I can press "E" to leave a conflict zone and teleport into a Frontline Solutions shuttle, then I really could skip this entire part (from landing to exiting the elevator into concourse).
I approach the station in supercruise, playing around with throttle for the most optimal approach time and trying to dodge the planet while aiming for the entrance. Fun.
I drop out of supercruise and boost into a space drift into the entrance, dodging other ships. Fun.
I manage my speed and landing gear, trying to execute the smoothest landing in history of ED landings. Fun.
.... now, if I were just doing ship stuff, I would open the station services, get a mission, depart. Quick, smooth, no obvious time wasters. FUN.
However, if I decide to go into the concourse, the ANNOYING part begins...
I wait for my ship to align perfectly with the middle of the platform, which takes ~4 seconds even if I landed squarely in the middle, before I can even use the "disembark" button. Literally nothing to do, just wait for "disembark" to activate. Annoying.
I click Disembark and now have to wait for my ship to descend, rotate, slide into the hangar... and then I have to watch the entire lifting mechanism retract and raise itself and close the landing pad cover, before my character decides to stand up. Literally nothing to do, just waiting for the ~10 second animation to play out and for my character to get up. Annoying.
I have to run from my ship to the elevators, which can take from ~4 seconds (small ships with rear entrances, e.g. Courier) and ~15 seconds (for huge ships with frontal entrance, e.g. Corvette iirc). I bought improved sprint duration on my Maverick solely because on most stations getting from the stairs of my Asp Explorer to the lifts makes my character get tired 10 meters before the elevators and I'm forced to walk to the elevator, with the sprint reactivating as I enter the elevator. There is nothing interesting to do here, nothing else to do in the hangar, the only thing you can do is go back or run to the elevators. ANNOYING.
I have to use the button, enter, turn around, wait ~4 seconds. This might be the most interactive part of this game loop, but after doing that 30983422984 times I just find it.... annoying.
... and now I am in the concourse and can start doing something sensible.
In my opinion this entire part is just obsolete and serves no real purpose. It makes engaging with station mission boards excessively bothersome and time-consuming, with 90% of the time wasted. I understand that the game is trying to keep me immersed by not "teleporting" me around, but if I can press "E" to leave a conflict zone and teleport into a Frontline Solutions shuttle, then I really could skip this entire part (from landing to exiting the elevator into concourse).
I propose:
- Disembark button activates immediately upon landing, along with Station Services and Launch.
- Upon using the Disembark button:
- the ship begins the docking process, but
- your character stands up immediately, screen goes black
- you reappear in the elevator as the doors opens into the concourse as soon as the game loads the on-foot engine
- The entire docking process is happening in the background. If you try to enter the elevator again, you have to wait until the docking process completes, like you have to wait for Apex shuttles to get prepared immediately after booking a flight.
- Exiting the concourse, riding the elevator and running to your ship (i;.e. the reverse trip) should remain in game. I think having to approach and getting to marvel at your ship from up close before you board it and take off has an immersion value. I don't feel the same way about landing-to-concourse trip.
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