How to make chained jumps more interesting AND get rid of long journeys in multi-star systems!

[SentineI]

At the moment there are two seemingly unrelated problems in Elite Dangerous, but I think they can both be solve with one fun solution:

1. There is no way to jump to 2nd or 3rd star in a system - you always end up at the first star, and then have to SuperCruise for hours (it feels like) to get to planets around the 2nd or 3rd star.

2. If you have a long journey planned, which involves many 10s of jumps, lots of people find it repetitive & tedious that you have to fly-around the local star, line-up with your next jump destination, press the hyperspace button, wait for the 'loading screen' (jump animation) to finish, and then repeat the exact same thing again & again. There's no skill involved, so it just feel monotonous.



What if there was some gamey mechanic for targeting the star you want, as you are exiting hyperspace? Get it wrong & you end-up near the wrong star, and perhaps dropped out of SuperCruise (and a little damaged).

But get it right, and you'd be able to continue in SuperCruise to your in-system destination... OR else immediately jump to the next star in your nav chain (maybe portrayed as a 'slingshot' around the star?).



I imagine there'd be some kind of "hyperspace exit turbulence", so aiming for the right star would be a bit tricky & require your concentration, so as to not end-up at the wrong star (nor crash into it!).

And I imagine that the aim would be to get close (but not too close!) to the star, so that you could enter a kind of "hyperspace orbital flight" mode, which might have a similar feeling to planetary landing's blue "orbital flight" mode. This would give you extra speed compared to normal SuperCruise, so you could quickly fly around a star until your destination was no-longer blocked by the star.

At this point, as long as you were now flying away from the star, your hyperspace jump could automatically engage (if you have more jumps plotted), or else you'd simply enter normal Super Cruise mode.


And this mechanic could be made to work nearly as well for systems with only single stars. You'd still have to 'aim' for the central star, handling the "hyperspace exit turbulence", and get close (but not too close!) to the star to enter "hyperspace orbital flight" mode.

 

[Para Handy]

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[where is it]

 

[varonica]

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[where is it]

A mini game for every jump, a mini game for every jump, a mini game for every single jump?

that's all I have to say!

 

[SentineI]

A mini game for every jump

But it would be seamlessly integrated into the game, rather than be some separate "mini game".

A mini-game is like Bioshock's deactivate-the-turret mini-game, or Skyrim's pick-the-lock mini-game. They are totally separate from the main game, they don't take place in the same context of the game, and they would work just as well in another game entirely.

If my suggestion is a "mini game", then landing (at a station or planet surface) is also a "mini game". But then the term becomes meaningless & useless.

 

[Dbrn47]

Or just let us jump to every star, since we can already do that, just not in system. It doesn't have to be complicated.

 

[Starwolfe]

Because of course everybody loves the interdiction mini-game, lets add an unavoidable non-interdiction mini-game to avoid the chance of an interdiction mini-game. /sarcasm

So, no. Far too much of a hassle.

 

[varonica]

But it would be seamlessly integrated into the game, rather than be some separate "mini game".

A mini-game is like Bioshock's deactivate-the-turret mini-game, or Skyrim's pick-the-lock mini-game. They are totally separate from the main game, they don't take place in the same context of the game, and they would work just as well in another game entirely.

If my suggestion is a "mini game", then landing (at a station or planet surface) is also a "mini game". But then the term becomes meaningless & useless.

CMDR Chiggy Von Richtofen flew 60kly in 48 hours to rescue stranded CMDR Macedonia, how many jumps do you think he made to get there? Would he have done it of there was a mini-game, but not just a mini-game, the same mini-game on every jump? landing on planets and docking at stations is an integral part of the game, a mini-game inserted into imaginary space travel mechanics because you think it would make it more interesting becomes becomes a mind numbingly tedious and unnecessary addition to many people.

Oh and you need to work on your definition of mini-game, it has a far broader definition than you are using.

 

[Arkadi]

A fun mini-game for jumping?

Well yes, if there also would be the choice for auto-pilot if you don't want to "experience the fun" of travelling.

I am all for choices. I would like the choice: tunrn auto-pilot for autmated standard jumping or have some more intense travel experience. This coould work for me.

 

[Lestat]

1. There is no way to jump to 2nd or 3rd star in a system - you always end up at the first star, and then have to SuperCruise for hours (it feels like) to get to planets around the 2nd or 3rd star.

At the most for me it takes 5 10 minutes. But I learn a few major skill.

Exploration: After scanning systems with discovery scanner. Look at the System map and decide if the long distance system are worth scanning. If you expect an Earth-like world that takes 10 minutes to get to. Ask your self this. Is the time effort worth it to you? If not jump then to a new system.

Missions or stations. Always buy the exploration data. If it too far for you do not go to that system or don't accept that mission. Problem solved.

I can see a exploit in this mostly for explorers. Jump to a main system. scan get basic info find out there a Earth-like world at the other system. Jump out of the system and jump back in using the other system. It would also put a damper on inderdiction.

2. If you have a long journey planned, which involves many 10s of jumps, lots of people find it repetitive & tedious that you have to fly-around the local star, line-up with your next jump destination, press the hyperspace button, wait for the 'loading screen' (jump animation) to finish, and then repeat the exact same thing again & again. There's no skill involved, so it just feel monotonous.

It a huge galaxy what do you expect. There ways to make the trip faster. Ships with larger jump ranges. Use FSD Supercharging. Pick shorter missions.

 

[SentineI]

Come on guys, at least make sensible objections!

So, no. Far too much of a hassle.

So you like space travel taking a long time? And being highly repetitive? I guess you must be one of those people who watch Netflix or browse the internet (etc) while 'playing' Elite Dangerous?

Would he have done it of there was a mini-game, but not just a mini-game, the same mini-game on every jump?

Yes, sure he would, since my proposal would be *faster* overall, and it would be less repetitive than the current "mini-game".

Not that this is a sensible objection anyway, since you're pointing to an extremely rare case, where-as games should be optimised for the common cases.

landing on planets and docking at stations is an integral part of the game, a mini-game inserted into imaginary space travel mechanics

Errrr, you mean like all of Elite Dangerous' other imaginary space travel mechnics? Including Super Cruise, Planetary 'Orbital' Flight (aka blue zone makes you faster for no good reason), Planetary Glide (without an atmosphere!), etc...

Oh and you need to work on your definition of mini-game, it has a far broader definition than you are using.

I'm afraid saying "Nah you're wrong" isn't an argument.

 

[SentineI]

At the most for me it takes 5 10 minutes.

I was exaggerating, and made that clear. But really, I don't see the benefit of staring at a screen for 5-10 minutes, with nothing happening, just because your target happens to be around the 2nd or 3rd star in a system. There's no gameplay benefit. The only reason it happens is because they couldn't work out a way of choosing the destination that's simple to use & simple to program (and had bigger fish to fry).

I specifically avoid missions that might take me to somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd. I'm sure I'm not the only one...

I also suspect stupidly long Super Cruise times (5-10 minutes) drive a lot of people away from Elite Dangerous, because journeys 'randomly' take silly amounts of time (it's not at all obvious that the 2nd or 3rd star should take far longer to get to), and loose interest in ED before they have a chance to work out why.

Missions or stations. Always buy the exploration data. If it too far for you do not go to that system or don't accept that mission. Problem solved.

I already do that. But that's no solving the problem, that's working-around it, and at the expense of loosing 40%-75% of missions (depending on where you are).

It's also not possible to know some missions destinations in advance. So definitely not solved.

I can see a exploit in this mostly for explorers. Jump to a main system. scan get basic info find out there a Earth-like world at the other system. Jump out of the system and jump back in using the other system.

How is this an exploit? Sounds like a good thing to me. Hell, FDev could even get rid of the need to jump out of the system, and just make it possible to target in-system stars directly.

It would also put a damper on inderdiction.

???

It a huge galaxy what do you expect.

A game not a screen saver? One which doesn't waste the majority of the player's time? Or allow them to watch Netflix (etc) while 'playing' the game?

 

[Para Handy]

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So you like space travel taking a long time?................... .

Seriously I think you are looking for a different game.

 

[Lestat]

I was exaggerating, and made that clear. But really, I don't see the benefit of staring at a screen for 5-10 minutes, with nothing happening, just because your target happens to be around the 2nd or 3rd star in a system. There's no gameplay benefit. The only reason it happens is that they couldn't work out a way of choosing the destination that's simple to use & simple to program (and had bigger fish to fry).

See right now there is two type of players. Players like me who like the Vastness of space. Or players like you that want everything handed to them on a silver spoon.

I specifically avoid missions that might take me to somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd. I'm sure I'm not the only one...

I also suspect stupidly long Super Cruise times (5-10 minutes) drive a lot of people away from Elite Dangerous, because journeys 'randomly' take silly amounts of time (it's not at all obvious that the 2nd or 3rd star should take far longer to get to), and loose interest in ED before they have a chance to work out why.

We can say the same thing to the other space games that make it super easy to get to point A to B you know the snap of the fingers you get to star to star or planet to planet. The dream game ChrisH want. The game could even be better than Elite but what kills the game for me and other players it lacks Vastness of space.

I already do that. But that's no solving the problem, that's working-around it, and at the expense of loosing 40%-75% of missions (depending on where you are).

Here how I do missions and maybe you learn something. I determine distance vs cost then decide if the mission worth doing. If it was 1000 credit for 5 minutes from the main star we can determine the distance not worth the credits. As we can see common sense come into play. It not like the other games where everything handed to them with a snap of the fingers.

It's also not possible to know some missions destinations in advance. So definitely not solved.

You ever gambling? That what this is. It could be close it could be far. Like what I explain in the earlier quote. determine distance vs cost. If it not worth it to you then don't do it.

How is this an exploit? Sounds like a good thing to me. Hell, FDev could even get rid of the need to jump out of the system, and just make it possible to target in-system stars directly.

I see this as a bad thing. Because it ruins gameplay for people who like the Vastness of space. I can also see exploit in this also.

A game not a screen saver? One which doesn't waste the majority of the player's time? Or allow them to watch Netflix (etc) while 'playing' the game?

As I explain in earlier quotes you have to make choices. If you don't like the distance then don't accept the missions.

Seriously I think you are looking for a different game.

LOL I agree. He want to ruin game play for others players to suit his needs

 

[varonica]

LOL I agree. He want to ruin game play for others players to suit his needs

There are always going to be mechanics in games that don't appeal to everyone, the point is that they do appeal to some people, and that group is the group that exploration is targeting. I always enjoy exploring in MMO's, I will go the extra 5 or 10 minutes to try and climb to the top of that mountain, even if there's nothing else there except the view, and there will be people who will never go to the top of that mountain, because there is nothing there but the view. Oh they would like to go there, and they would if there was fast travel option to the top of the mountain and they could do it in 3 seconds, and then they would leave and never go there again, so what was the point? No journey, no sense of achievement, no gameplay.

The point with exploration is the journey, take away the journey and it's just jumping from one location to another, and people like me and others would find it no more interesting or attractive than that SC to the station 10ls from the primary star.

The point here is there are many different things to do in the game, and the reason for that is because everybody is different. The travel and exploration is aimed at a particular group of people, if you are not in that group of people who enjoys that sort of thing then don't do it. I play a different MMO where there are group dungeons, and some of the switches in that dungeon require the presence of more than two people, sometimes up to dozen or more all coordinating their actions, but I play alone or with just one friend so even though I am capable of handling every mob in the dungeon I cant do it, because the dungeon is aimed at group play.

Now I could be one of those annoying people and go on the forums all the time and complain about this group gating but I don't, because I recognise that these mechanics are aimed at group play and group cooperation and it would spoil it for those people who play in large groups. I don't get the nice stuff from the dungeon, but I accept that because it's a special reward for those groups. Yet here we are once again arguing on a forum with someone who demands that a game mechanic is changed because it's to hard or boring or not suitable for his style of gameplay. The answer is simple and been expressed many times on these forums.

Don't like a particular game mechanic? The don't do it, there's plenty of other things to do!

 

[Para Handy]

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LOL I agree. He want to ruin game play for others players to suit his needs

........

Don't like a particular game mechanic? The don't do it, there's plenty of other things to do!

Whilst I agree that people should feel free to make suggestions about changes to the game there is a common "feel" to a lot of the suggestions and also those other posts that are just basically whining complaints. This is that some people just are not prepared to adapt their behaviour or playstyle to meet the needs of the game but instead clamour that the game should adapt to meet their desires.