While my preference would be some form of galactic supercruise, an alternative to having to do hundreds of jumps to cover long distances quickly would be a long jump option. You select a system that would normally take you X number of jumps to deplete your fuel, but you just do it in one jump and sit in the jump screen for however long it would normally take you to complete those jumps manually. Then you fuel scoop the star to fill up, and rinse and repeat until you get where you're going. Why? Because for the several minutes you're sitting in the loading screen waiting to arrive at your next jump you can be making yourself a sandwich, or working on another task, or doing anything other than just mindlessly jumping from system to system because you forgot something back in the bubble. It should absolutely take a lot of time to travel long distances; it should not require my constant attention and input. This option would require virtually no adjustment to the core mechanics of the game and still provide a reprieve for long distance travel.
Long Jump Option
- Thread starter avarusbrightfyre
- Start date
Apart from the already made comment, fuel use doesn't work like that at all, it's exponential, which means double the length of your jump, quadruple the amount of fuel used, if you could make a jump 3 times the length of your current jump that takes 10 tons of fuel it would take 160 tons of fuel, not 30 tons of fuel. Most ships would exhaust all their fuel just doing a long jump twice the length of their current jump, the fuel use jump calculation isn't just a matter of adding all the fuel that used for each jump together so yes, it is indeed a major adjustment to the core mechanics of the game.
fewer loading screens more gameplay. This isn't a play the game less. This is a spend less of your game time doing something fairly worthless and more time doing the stuff you want to do. There's no skill to jumping it's just a rote time filler. It's a barrier that isn't required when we're never going to explore the entire galaxy even if you could instantly jump to each star.Oh, another suggestion to play the game less.
you've just described what Elite Dangerous is. The game is built around the worthless time wasting, with bits of fun in between. Its not the other way round like most games, here's the tedium is the game, the fun bits are extras.
However, a "make x jumps in one procedure" is an optimisation too far IMHO. Its not that bad to go jumping, and scanning systems, checking if there's anything you might want to do en route is part of the gameplay that matters.
Considering the game loop. I think it's fine. You sacrifice any chance at any of the discoveries and credits on the zone that you bypass. It's got a risk and it's got a reward. We can already just click a button go AFK and appear 500ly away when we come back. It wouldn't be breaking anything and for people who've already lost the shine of what they can do in between the crud they're not going to be using it to get places anyway.
Re read the OP, the suggestion isn't to reduce the total time just how many jumps you make in the same time to provide long enough with nothing to do that you can go AFK to make a sandwich.
Have you actually read the OP?
Or you can do it between game sessions so during play time you can be not playing loading screen simulator. The effect isn't reduced game time it's reduced time spent waiting on loading screens. I have read it. I understand it and while it might not be perfect it's better.
Yet you’re suggesting something totally different from what they were. They were literally suggesting longer load screens so they can make sandwiches instead of playing the game.
Hence my comment.
No it's the same thing but you think it has to be applied in a certain way and I see it being applied in a different way. It doesn't really matter how the specifics work. You do nothing wait some time and then it gets done. That lets you spend your game time doing what you want to do and use your non gaming time which could be making sandwich time removing the need to click jump every 70 seconds.
I’m not arguing with you. You’re either not listening, or you’re being disingenuous. Either way, there’s no point continuing the conversation.
Assuming 1 min per jump, spin up, loading screen, rounding the star etc, you really think a 20 min, or whatever how many jumps you wanted to do, loading screen is a good idea?..
For good and bad, the scale of the galaxy, and the time and effort it take to traverse it, is very much on purpose. If you can't accept that this might not be the game for you.
For good and bad, the scale of the galaxy, and the time and effort it take to traverse it, is very much on purpose. If you can't accept that this might not be the game for you.
there are players who think time sinks with no game play is 'playing the game'. it's not
but the answer isn't to create circumventions to that dead time sink. it's to bring it to life and give it gameplay. and if they can't figure out how, only then should it be eliminated.
travel should be fun, interesting, potentially hard and rewarding. it is currently not (and never was) any of those things.
but the answer isn't to create circumventions to that dead time sink. it's to bring it to life and give it gameplay. and if they can't figure out how, only then should it be eliminated.
travel should be fun, interesting, potentially hard and rewarding. it is currently not (and never was) any of those things.
I really do not see how one twenty minute long loading screen is better than 20 one minute loading screens.
We already have too many ways of shortening distance massively (fleet carriers, neutron boost, synthesis boost, GFSD booster, engineering, pre-engineered FSDs).
My vote is hard no to 'galactic supercruise' or 'long jumps'. The galaxy has gotten small enough. It's a big place, and journeys in big places between A and B have a lot of points in between. It is literally a game about moving about between the stars, writing your name on the stars, conquering or colonizing the star(-system)s.
I am open to autopiloting options, however. That is something that makes sense within the context of the game world. And engineering/module management/outfitting QOL could all stand to be improved (significantly) further.
My vote is hard no to 'galactic supercruise' or 'long jumps'. The galaxy has gotten small enough. It's a big place, and journeys in big places between A and B have a lot of points in between. It is literally a game about moving about between the stars, writing your name on the stars, conquering or colonizing the star(-system)s.
I am open to autopiloting options, however. That is something that makes sense within the context of the game world. And engineering/module management/outfitting QOL could all stand to be improved (significantly) further.
The original game had exactly this option ... besides it's not playing the game less or more ... because it's still the gameOh, another suggestion to play the game less.
The original Elite allowed you to buy one off Galactic Hyperdrives with an entirely self contained fuel supply ... they were single use .... I say bring them on.