[SUGGESTION] Break Hyperspace when instance fails to load

nanite2000

nanite2000
I'm sure many people have experienced the issue where they try to jump into a system, but the system instance fails to load for whatever reason, and you're stuck in Hyperspace indefinitely. It tends to happen most frequently in CG systems.

The only way for a player to 'fix' this is to force-quit the game and restart.

Given this is a difficult issue to properly fix, I would like to propose a simple workaround.

If the instance fails to load within a certain period of time (due to a network failure), the game should just drop the user out of hyperspace between systems. From the user's perspective, they'll be stuck between systems and be forced to re-initiate the jump. There would be nothing in the system they're stuck in, so no assets to loads. The previous skybox can be used (because who would notice the difference really?). And you just have to drop the fuel amount by half of what would have been used had the jump completed successfully (since they're halfway there anyway, this would not impact the overall jump range).

The new jump would re-initiate the instancing process and hopefully load successfully this time.

This could re-use the animations/effects of the recent Thargoid hyperdictions, but just put it down to a random systems malfunction.

It would save the user from having to restart the game, and make the whole instancing issue seem 'intentional'.

Thoughts?
 

Rhaedas

Rhaedas
Simple and brilliant idea. Camouflage the game error by something that was originally a request anyway, failed jumps. The only thing that might be questionable is how much fuel to subtract, as you wouldn't want to strand someone in the middle of systems without enough fuel for a new try, like in a case where they jump with just enough to get there, but the math doesn't add up. Perhaps a lesser percentage, like a third, or a random amount between a third and a fourth, since not every breakdown is the same.
 

Mobiusetti

Mobiusetti
Smart idea, however I believe the way the framework is laid out requires that the player is in a system at all times. As a result there can be no in-between systems as proposed. The jump is merely a loading screen to transition between systems. As far as the server knows you are either in system A, or you are in system B. Initiating a jump is telling the server "move player X from System A to System B" if the server fails to respond, and you relog, the server says "nah dude, you never left System A."

We'd want it to timeout, then drop us back in System A without a force close/disconnect ever occurring. The problem is, if we aren't getting a response when we ask the server to move us, chances are we aren't getting any response at all and a disconnect is the only logical conclusion (odd this doesn't occur already though).


Ideally for an immersion perspective, the game would say "Hyperspace Conduit Failure - Dropping" (using the Hyperdiction animations you described) and throw you back into System A (I wouldn't even mind a system reboot for the cool factor), but several hundreds of thousands of Ls away from where you tried to jump. No fuel usage, as the drive malfunctioned before it could complete the jump.
 

Poy

Poy
I love It ! However, the fuel is fully consumed on start of the jump. So no "reimbursement".
 

Xcell Miguel

Xcell Miguel
Rhaedas said:
Simple and brilliant idea. Camouflage the game error by something that was originally a request anyway, failed jumps. The only thing that might be questionable is how much fuel to subtract, as you wouldn't want to strand someone in the middle of systems without enough fuel for a new try, like in a case where they jump with just enough to get there, but the math doesn't add up. Perhaps a lesser percentage, like a third, or a random amount between a third and a fourth, since not every breakdown is the same.
Click to expand...

I think that would not be a problem (substract half the fuel), as jump fuel consumption is not linear, but the farther you jump the higher consumption you get (exponentially).

So let's say you have to go 30 ly away and there's one system just between you and the target system, at 15 ly, you would use more than twice the fuel when jumping right to the 30 ly system than doing two 15 ly jumps.

That's why the galaxy map offers economic routes and fastest routes, the economic one can get you way further, but would take much more time as you would be doing many more small jumps, whereas the fastest one only tries to get the less jumps, killing fuel consumption (and thus max distance before refueling).

I like the idea too :)
 

Tactical Tree

Tactical Tree
Good idea. The game is doing a terrible job of masking its weaknesses, I would also love to see some solution to in-system instance switches (supercruise-normal space often you just hang instead of smoothly transitioning)
 

YinYin

YinYin
Logging back into the last system at least has the chance of being able to scoop again.
(fuel is consumed 5 seconds before the actual jump to create a wake - all of it)

Landing nowhere is a bad idea, doesn't fix anything and punishes the player for no fault of his own.
(this would be fine as an intentional mechanic - but not as masking an error)

Better to isolate the actual problem and make a new connection attempt during the jump work.

You could still of course throw some jump problem animations on there to let the player know there is trouble with the connection and it may take longer.
 
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Micha

Micha
I like the idea, but as others have pointed out: fuel.

Quite apart from regular fuel usage (currently fuel for the entire jump is consumed at start; would not be difficult to change the code to consume on arrival, or to reimburse partial fuel on misjump if they're reworking the jump mechanic anyway), what about people who have supercharged their drive (either through a NS/WD cone or via Jumponium) and are part-way between very distant systems. (EDIT1)Not only is the fuel gone, but also the boost.(/EDIT1)

You do NOT want to strand a player with the only option being suicide, EVER (unless it is the players' fault..). While for a lot of people that would only be an inconvenience (minor to major), for an explorer it would mean the loss of EVERYTHING up to that point.

There are ways around it - as I said, partial fuel reimbursement; instead of dropping half-way between systems you drop randomly in the area, but close enough to a system that is within range (and scoopable), etc.(1)

The other issue, that's also already been pointed out, is one of coordinates. Currently you are -always- in a valid system(2). It would presumably require quite a lot of work to change the mechanic to allow you to be in "interstellar space" with valid galactic coordinates, but no system-name.


(1)Having just thought on this more - perhaps ships could have "emergency beacons" which can be activated in interstellar space. This would allow someone else (ie, a Fuel Rat) to drop into their interstellar coordinates to rescue them. Of course, anybody with the right sensor equipment could also.. ie, pirates, aliens, ...

(2)I have no idea how the "hyperdictions" work - what does the system-map show?
 
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LeptonFields

LeptonFields
To the concern about being in an undefined coordinate system (code does not support 'interstellar space'), a failed jump would land you in 'Limbo system'. While the HUD would just say 'Interstellar space', the log would indicate spawning in 'Limbo'. Minor code change to the RNG-POI/NPC system would prevent pirates, bounty hunters and USS's from spawning in 'Limbo'. Finally, as a communications failure is the result of the failed jump, you would always be in a solo instance.

As the OP indicated, 'Limbo' system always inherits the previous 'skybox'
 

Hydrino

Hydrino
I like the idea, but only FD knows how complex this would be to code.

This is along the lines of mis-jumps and dark systems, which are not in the game but were discussed as possibilities in the early days/ DDF.
 
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