Focused Feedback: Travel Updates: Base Teleportation, Long Range Teleporter Accolade, Special TP Powers

[Kal5]

 Pocket D VIP Teleporter (P2W Power)

• This power has been removed and can no longer be earned or purchased
• If you previously owned this power, it will automatically unlock Long Range Teleporter with Pocket D as a destination

 

This may seem like a minor thing, but I would very much like to see this particular power stick around. Even if there are alternatives.

• It's a classic much loved power by Pocket D regulars, and nostalgic.
• It has a different entry than other teleports (You enter thru a random side door)
• It has a unique casting.
• Just having it around in the powers list isn't a problem for people that don't want to use it, and people that still want it can have it.

Quote

If you previously owned this power, it will automatically unlock Long Range Teleporter with Pocket D as a destination

Perfectly ok with this part.

Thank you!

[ShardWarrior]

7 hours ago, Faultline said:

So... "one power on very short recharge, for free or very low cost" is very, very misleading, because what you want is a power that "is a simple unlock, has a brief cooldown, requires no influence and does not need to be recharged by day jobs".

 

We have different definitions for the word "misleading".

Why keep the Oro portal then?  It is unlocked easily, has a brief cooldown and costs no influence yet provides a shortcut to travel.  That runs counter to everything you are saying about the base portals. 

 

As I recall, the discussions over the past year, which included people from Homecoming, discussed copying the Oro portal as a replacement for the command.  There was never any mention of multiple, overly complicated and expensive items.  In fact, I believe it was one of you who first suggested copying the Oro portal, so hopefully you can understand and appreciate the disappointment people will have with regard to the new options.

Appreciate the work you all put into this, however please try to understand the disappointment here.

[Jimmy]

1 hour ago, Kal5 said:

This may seem like a minor thing, but I would very much like to see this particular power stick around. Even if there are alternatives.

• It's a classic much loved power by Pocket D regulars, and nostalgic.
• It has a different entry than other teleports (You enter thru a random side door)
• It has a unique casting.
• Just having it around in the powers list isn't a problem for people that don't want to use it, and people that still want it can have it.

The nostalgia feeling is fair, however:

• The icon can be used for the new Quick Travel menu if you wish (or even just to activate LRT directly, either through a macroimage or replacing the icon file)
• The entry point being moved was actually deliberate (if it wasn't for this issue we would've had LRT take you to that same entry point in the VIP lounge)
• The animation was gone anyway, as all of these powers have had their cast time sped up to 2s (apart from Mission Transporter)
• There is no "options being taken away" argument to be made, because LRT does the same thing that PDT did, just faster and more often (and that's not even taking into account the dozens of additional destinations)

We did briefly consider branding LRT as a "Pocket D Transportation Network" and using the icon, but there was a valid concern it would be too thematically restricting. Instead, it's a blank canvas you can theme and recolour however you choose.

[Heraclea]

16 hours ago, Backfire said:

I still don't see Cimerora on the list. Can we add it as a destination or at least have one that drops you off at a Univeristy so it's a quick jaunt to Midnighter's Club? Heck, make one for Midnighter's club and you hit 3 birds with one stone (poor birds)

 

EDIT: I just did some zone hopping and noticed Croatoa & Founders drop at the Uni for Heroes and Cap at the Uni for Villains so I guess it's all good.

I do wish that there would be SG base portals in Cimerora, or at least somewhere in the main Midnighter club.  And is there some technical reason why they can't have one in Ouroborus as well?

[Ironblade]

5 hours ago, AureumError said:

So... Echo zones are being removed from bases, however we are getting Beacons for Zones that, following the events of the iTrials especially what transpired at the Magisterium, technically no longer exist.

Not only are we travelling to another Dimension, we are going to another Dimension in the past as far as Primal Earth is concerned, though obviously when Going Rogue (starting gold) it's a different issue.

Remove the Echo Beacons, don't remove the Echo Beacons, it doesn't really matter just please apply the reasoning used to all Zones equally.

This is a completely invalid comparison.  The Echo zones are 'removed' content.  They have no contacts and no missions.  The Praetorian zones are current, active zones.  You can create a new character tomorrow and level them up as a Praetorian.  Not even slightly similar.

[AureumError]

17 minutes ago, Ironblade said:

... The Praetorian zones are current, active zones.  You can create a new character tomorrow and level them up as a Praetorian...

That is correct.

As I pointed out here however:

5 hours ago, AureumError said:

... though obviously when Going Rogue (starting gold) it's a different issue.

I did consider this when making my original point.

Imperial City, Neutropolis, Nova Praetoria, as well as their corresponding sections of the Underground are still accessible and brimming with missions, events and contacts.
Thus they differ from Echo zones, as they should since it would be a shame to lose out on the unique Going Rogue Experience.

However as I stated earlier, going by in-game lore they have been ravaged by Praetorian Hamidon, and thus their current state should be similar to that of Galaxy City.

The conclusion I come to as to why said Zones don't reflect their up-to-date condition, is that it is them in the past.
Again though, that comparison is based on in-game lore and not which resources are still available in the zones.
 

[Darmian]

3 minutes ago, AureumError said:

That is correct.

As I pointed out here however:

I did consider this when making my original point.

Imperial City, Neutropolis, Nova Praetoria, as well as their corresponding sections of the Underground are still accessible and brimming with missions, events and contacts.
Thus they differ from Echo zones, as they should since it would be a shame to lose out on the unique Going Rogue Experience.

However as I stated earlier, going by in-game lore they have been ravaged by Praetorian Hamidon, and thus their current state should be similar to that of Galaxy City.

The conclusion I come to as to why said Zones don't reflect their up-to-date condition, is that it is them in the past.
Again though, that comparison is based on in-game lore and not which resources are still available in the zones.
 

 

I've mentioned elsewhere, and I'll advocate it again here, that in a resource tight economy things need to be reused or repurposed.  I think Galaxy should stay gone but also have an entire set of exemped Mender missions created for it where you can time travel back to there and do more than sight see and collect badges. Attempt to warn people of the coming meteors? Failure obviously but that could be a plot hook for lots of other things.

 

Dark Astoria?  You could do similar perhaps but given the original nature of DA that would be trickier.  Not impossible but trickier.

[UltraAlt]

On 10/28/2020 at 1:41 PM, Jimmy said:

It's been 4 days.

 

We have jobs.

 

🙂

Win.

I declare you god-champion of THE CITY.

[GadgetDon]

1 hour ago, Heraclea said:

I do wish that there would be SG base portals in Cimerora, or at least somewhere in the main Midnighter club.  And is there some technical reason why they can't have one in Ouroborus as well?

The argument they made is that base portals are traveling through space, not time. But since the most obvious explanation of these teleportation powers (including the base portals) is that they're wormholes, it's not a stretch to say that wormholes work through time as well. As a practical matter, you can call a contact from Cimerora or Ouroborus, you use Mission Teleport/Team Teleport to get you to a mission outside of those zones so back in the "main timeline". That said, a base portal would seem out of place in Ancient Rome, and Silos is supposedly trying to be sneaky so he wouldn't want one. But the blocking of the temporary SG base portal in Ouroborus (it works fine in Cimerora) seems unreasonable to me.

[UltraAlt]

On 10/28/2020 at 11:40 AM, ZacKing said:

Until that and LFG instant port gets nerfed too.  🙂

I don't know if the DEVs have posted on this point, but they may have - I don't know the exact intent of getting rid of the base macro.

I don't think it is to limit our ability to move around THE CITY as much it is to use the powers to do it instead of a DEV tool that was hijacked.

 

Way way back in the long ago days when the internet was just getting going, I was programing games in BASIC.

Graphics were very limited and it was pretty much modelled after games with text characters making up the map and a single character being the character you were moving around the map. This said to say how limited the games were on that level.

You roamed around the map from  your home base to make your way across the map to the enemy boss, defeat enemies along the way, defeat the boss, and take any weapons found along the way back to your base. Make it back to your base, you save the gear, level up, and the game saves for the next replay with the extra gear.

So to test the game, there were various GOD-MODE powers that could be unlocked with codes. Make yourself invisible, invincible, unlock all weapons, etc.

 

Reason I'm saying this is that, apparently, the base macro was a DEV tool and not intended to be a code that all players had access to.

That being said - I do enjoy using it. 

If the DEVs think it is too OP, I stand by them. They apparently feel that way and are trying to limit the impact its sudden removal will have on the community.

 

My suggestion is to start parking your characters at base portals on-live and get the Day Job for base portals and patrol XP. When the change goes live, you will already have 30 base portal saved up and you will probably automatically unlock some SG portals that your whole team can use as well.

Need to port back and forth to craft? You can do that from any base portal in the game. In and out doesn't cost any power.

 

Need to change zones quickly on a taskforce?

That's what Team Teleport and Mission teleport are for.

Need to get to the zone quickly without it?

You can open a base portal that everyone in the team can use.

 

It seems like the DEVs aren't taking way the easy way to travel, they are just modifying how it is done.

 

I am an alt jumper, so, yeah, it was a bit of a pain to move all my characters around to do this (and a fair amount of influence to equip all of them), but I have done it ... because, honestly, I'm panicking a bit too.

 

So in finally, I think people are panicking about this. Take a breath and figure out how to go with the flow and adapt to the changes. It isn't that bad when it comes down to it.

[ZacKing]

7 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

I don't know if the DEVs have posted on this point, but they may have - I don't know the exact intent of getting rid of the base macro.

they've been very up front with the reasons why this is getting removed and I don't think anyone objects to it getting removed as it works now.  Sure, people will figure out a way around it or just do without.  what some of us tried to do was offer feedback and criticism of the proposed now essentially set in stone alternatives.  one power would have worked just fine, not 4.  there are impacts to the base community that has cropped up because of the command.  I know its hard for some people out there to listen to criticism or even want to hear the opinions of others who disagree with them.  there seems to be a big problem here where people want to jump all over anyone who doesn't unquestioningly follow whatever homecoming says or does.  that's a big problem.  if they want to make 4 or 50 new powers, go for it.  just wanted to share my opinion that 1 is fine and empathize with those who would like to see something they feel a little more reasonable. 

[UltraAlt]

1 minute ago, ZacKing said:

people want to jump all over anyone who doesn't unquestioningly follow whatever homecoming says or does. 

Or maybe people are being overly defensive?

Take a deep breath. 

The world is always changing around us and all of us have to adapt to the changes or be left behind.

[ZacKing]

11 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

Or maybe people are being overly defensive?

Take a deep breath. 

The world is always changing around us and all of us have to adapt to the changes or be left behind.

Sure, that happens too.  from what I've seen here on these forums over the past year though?  definitely a wanting to cancel anyone who disagrees problem.  just my 2 inf. 

[Coyotedancer]

<_<

 

>_>

 

I still think the LRT accolade thing is all kinds of useful.

I don't know about anyone else, but my slow-zoning self is going to be using the heck out of that thing.

[Dragon Crush]

From what I can tell, the reason for the multiple powers is in part  from datamining /enterbasefrompasscode usage and wanting to not leave people high and dry so to speak when taking it away, but having an inf sink for edge cases.

Pretty sure one of the devs or GMs mentioned that just LRTP will handle the majority of people's teleporting needs based on datamining they did (though whether they meant 51% or 85% don't think they said), 2 powers covers 90%, 3 95%, and 4 will cover everyone who's not deliberately trying to TP so much so as to "prove" we need instant unlimited TP / command for everything .

[Heraclea]

1 hour ago, GadgetDon said:

The argument they made is that base portals are traveling through space, not time. But since the most obvious explanation of these teleportation powers (including the base portals) is that they're wormholes, it's not a stretch to say that wormholes work through time as well. As a practical matter, you can call a contact from Cimerora or Ouroborus, you use Mission Teleport/Team Teleport to get you to a mission outside of those zones so back in the "main timeline". That said, a base portal would seem out of place in Ancient Rome, and Silos is supposedly trying to be sneaky so he wouldn't want one. But the blocking of the temporary SG base portal in Ouroborus (it works fine in Cimerora) seems unreasonable to me.

I've always wondered how Imperious and Marcus Valerius manage to have cell phones, myself.

[Jacktar]

So, now for something new to consider......ask random players ingame what those blue swirly columns we see in most zones are for and I think the answer would be ...they are used to get to your/guest SG.

So far all well and good.

But, there are four of those blue swirly columns ingame that do not do that.

Those are the ones that are inside RV (2 red and 2 blue) that only take you into and out of the killing field.

I tried using my new tp powers on beta on them but no go.

Then there is a unique swirly column that is green in colour inside the RWZ and that also funtions only to move you in or out of the HQ.

Nobody is ever going  to confuse that with a normal SG portal.

So how about using that green swirly graphic also for the RV portals so it all makes sense? 🙂

[Ironblade]

3 minutes ago, Heraclea said:

I've always wondered how Imperious and Marcus Valerius manage to have cell phones, myself.

Gifts from Mender Silos.  As he says in one of his monologues, he is from millions of years in the future, far past what the 'Carbon Law' allows, but "That's not the first rule I've broken."   🙂

[QuiJon]

14 hours ago, Faultline said:

 

 

 

So... "one power on very short recharge, for free or very low cost" is very, very misleading, because what you want is a power that "is a simple unlock, has a brief cooldown, requires no influence and does not need to be recharged by day jobs".

 

We have different definitions for the word "misleading".

When you take the exploit out of consideration for needing to get rid of the slash command, because no one is arguing to leave and exploit in the game, the slash command was one of the best QoL improvements this game ever had. Sure there are a few in any group that will argue they dont like it, and a few more that will argue against it cause they are just people that will never NOT defend the devs in this game.  But even the original posts asking for the fix for pvp and motf runs said they love the slash command and wanted to keep it otherwise then the exploits that were known at that time. 

 

So i get at times we have to give up things we like, all i expect is a reason why. Even for big things if you can explain why if i can see the logic i am fine with it. I could even see why things like enhancement diversification was needed. But as of yet NO ONE seems to be able to point to a solid reason why this change is needed to the travel aspects of the slash command. Sure they can point out the exploits and the super secret exploit to rule them all, however it seems like fixes are available that leaves MOST of what everyone liked about the slash command and removes its exploitability. 

 

Yet all we get for the reasoning behind the overkill on the fix is because you all worked some magic and decided how many times we use the exploit and for some other reason decided to match that with 3 powers instead of one. But you have never given a reason why one power was broken? You can go into the game files and pull all this information out to determine how many times we use it and how often, but i see no evidence presented for why having one power that has a limited recharge of 5 minutes, that is an unlock everyone can get for free is "not happening"

 

Well why, what has your data mining indicated will break if it was to happen? I mean cause it has been happening for over a year, and i have not seen one complaint from players about it beyond what i have stated already. So why? Why do the devs considering allowing the players to have what they have asked for and enjoyed for over a year is not and option any longer and by why i mean what would it break in game play?

[GadgetDon]

33 minutes ago, Dragon Crush said:

Pretty sure one of the devs or GMs mentioned that just LRTP will handle the majority of people's teleporting needs based on datamining they did (though whether they meant 51% or 85% don't think they said), 2 powers covers 90%, 3 95%, and 4 will cover everyone who's not deliberately trying to TP so much so as to "prove" we need instant unlimited TP / command for everything .

Here's what that viewpoint is missing. Much of the time I go to a base, it's for something other than "go to another zone". I want to level up to 50 quickly so I can start earning Incarnate XP. I want to quickly sell a bunch of salvage because the storage is full again. I want to craft something. The reason that losing the ability to use the temporary base portal in Ouroborus annoys me is because, while an incarnate trial league is SLOWLY building, I'll often pop into a base for a little crafting and selling. (Including merit reward crafting, so no, the portable worktable doesn't fill the bill).

[Glacier Peak]

11 minutes ago, GadgetDon said:

Here's what that viewpoint is missing. Much of the time I go to a base, it's for something other than "go to another zone". I want to level up to 50 quickly so I can start earning Incarnate XP. I want to quickly sell a bunch of salvage because the storage is full again. I want to craft something. The reason that losing the ability to use the temporary base portal in Ouroborus annoys me is because, while an incarnate trial league is SLOWLY building, I'll often pop into a base for a little crafting and selling. (Including merit reward crafting, so no, the portable worktable doesn't fill the bill).

Most incarnate trials form up in Pocket D (and the RWZ has those same resources). All of the needs/wants you stated are met in that zone(s). 

[Coyotedancer]

3 minutes ago, Glacier Peak said:

Most incarnate trials form up in Pocket D (and the RWZ has those same resources). All of the needs/wants you stated are met in that zone(s). 

Huh. That may be one of those "Differences in shard culture" things. I see most of them on Ev forming in Ouro

[QuiJon]

1 hour ago, UltraAlt said:

If the DEVs think it is too OP, I stand by them.

Then prove it. I mean you stand by them that is fine, all any of this is asking for is prove why it is to OP and cant be done. The slash command is gone, i got it, i dont disagree at all with removing exploits. They introduce 3-5 powers that demand time badges (something easier for some then others) spent influence, (something easier for some to earn then others) and generally for no better description time logged off (something that is quite frankly the stupidest game mechanic any dev has ever introduced going all the way back to when day jobs were introduced) 

 

So according to our devs these all allow for something like 2 twice as many teleports then we commonly used with the slash command per hour. But again that is only true if you have them all right? But that is another issue. So assuming we have them all, why is having all 5 "good" but having one free unlock that gives me teleport to my base for me alone every 5 minutes (which seems to be the base people want because it makes it like ouro) why is that "bad". And by why i mean give me a reason other then opinion. We have heard influence sinks, however influence sinks are most likely to punish players most that dont have influence, you know those that dont farm, or market and just try to play the base game and enjoy themselves. We hear making us earn it, well why, we dont earn ouro portals now. We just reach a level and ask someone to open one and get a easily found badge, or we go to our base and run 1 fast misson through the pillar etc.  Not to mention i am not earning anything when i am logged off not even playing but that eventually grants me two of the teleport powers plus more uses for them. The Ouro portal allows you to jump to what 4-5 zones instantly on a 5 minute recharge a couple of them being very useful zones like peregrine and talos the later of which is totally a travel hub to get anywhere as has been pointed out. So why is traveling to talos every 5 minutes with no time or investment not breaking the game, but traveling to my base every 5 minutes off one power given sudden shatter the game?

[Apparition]

5 minutes ago, Coyotedancer said:

Huh. That may be one of those "Differences in shard culture" things. I see most of them on Ev forming in Ouro

It is.  Most iTrials are formed in Pocket D on Indomitable, while Hamidon raids are done in The Abyss.

 

On Excelsior, iTrials are split between Pocket D, Ouroboros, and Dark Astoria, while Hamidon raids are done in The Hive.

 

I prefer to form things in Pocket D, but that is because I try to avoid Ouroborus.  Too many people camping the entrance.

Edited November 3, 2020 by Apparition

[ivanhedgehog]

1 hour ago, ZacKing said:

they've been very up front with the reasons why this is getting removed and I don't think anyone objects to it getting removed as it works now.  Sure, people will figure out a way around it or just do without.  what some of us tried to do was offer feedback and criticism of the proposed now essentially set in stone alternatives.  one power would have worked just fine, not 4.  there are impacts to the base community that has cropped up because of the command.  I know its hard for some people out there to listen to criticism or even want to hear the opinions of others who disagree with them.  there seems to be a big problem here where people want to jump all over anyone who doesn't unquestioningly follow whatever homecoming says or does.  that's a big problem.  if they want to make 4 or 50 new powers, go for it.  just wanted to share my opinion that 1 is fine and empathize with those who would like to see something they feel a little more reasonable. 

The simplest fix would have been 1 power modeled on oro that replaces the /enter. it would have solved all stated problems. Are there additional things being addressed here that have not been talked about? It kind of looks like that is true.  If there are, fine. That is just the way it looks.