The only problem I had with the fast travel system in Oblivion was that it felt like I was teleporting. If Bethesda could implement a red moving cursor moving from my current position to the place I chose to fast travel to, leaving a trail behind it.

I'm sorry if I made my point uncomprehensible, but that would definitely be the ideal fast travel system in my opinion.

Edit: Oh, and make a clock in the bottom of the screen simulating time moving forward.

That actually sounds pretty reasonable to me. I can't believe I (and a lot of other people) didn't think of that. I agree, the thing I didn't like was the feeling that there was no journey/no time involved...even if it was like a 10-second "journey" with the squiggly line and the clock moving, I think that would be way better.

Honestly, Morrowind had the best fast travel system out of any game I've ever played. When I first started out, the sheer scope of the game based solely on the silt strider in Seyda Neen was amazing. I didn't even have enough money to travel to Vivec if I remember correctly, and when I found out that there were boats too... Well that was just crazy. Who knew that giant mushroom towers existed and were only accessible from certain towns?

I felt like I knew the lay of the land by the time I had played them game for a few dozen hours, and that sense of immersion and authenticity was just amazing. I didn't care that to get from Vivec to Dagon Fel I had to make about five stops on the way. You know why? It was awesome.

But some of your wares should be in a buttpack that sometimes ends up missing after the travel (OK, it might be an obscure reference)

You are a genius.
I'm for a morrowind style fast travel (keeping also the one of oblivion for who dont have much time), but i like your idea.
Red line+clock (and maybe random encounters).

I am partial to paid services like in Morrowind (if you couldn't tell by my avatar and name!)

I don't even understand why there is a discussion. The Morrowind-stye fans have already budged and said that it'd be okay for them if both systems are in the game at the same time (at least, that's what I got out of several threads here). There is no drawback for the Oblivion-style fans in this. Because in THAT case, you can actually aplly the notion "Don't like it, don't use it". Because there is an alternative, and you never need bother with the horrible, horrible travel routes idea.
(For Morrowind-style fans however, there is a drawback - no matter how much you love one system, you will always be tempted to use the easier one if it's available. But that is at least a minor problem in comparison to not having their preferred transportation system at all.)

Other noteworthy points:

- Morrowind's system definitely made the world nicer to look at. Even if you didn't like silt striders, they were one of the strongest impressions of the game, and helped define the land's alien nature. Not to mention all the small villages that had a dock simply so that they could provide travel services, or the one extra NPC in his nice teleportation chamber that made the Mages Guild guildhalls a little less empty. If I'm not mistaken, there is no non-stupid argument against this part of the system.

- It literally takes less than ten minutes to implement Oblivion's fast-travel system and make it bug-free. So "both is too much effort" just doesn't work.

- Even if all MW-style fans played on the computer, it still wouldn't be as easy as "simply install a mod that does that" for them. Why? Because it's not a very easy mod to make:
1) Voice acting is a major problem. 2) Missing meshes are a major problem. 3) Missing travel menus are an almost unsolvable problem. 4) Compatibility with other mods is a problem because you'll have to make major changes to every featured town.
The result is that the first mod that came even close to Morrowind's travel system for Oblivion was released in 2010, six and a half years after the release of Oblivion. (It's one of my mods. And apparently, it's buggy as hell.) All other transportation networks simply connected the 8 big cities and disabled fast-travel, which is not what MW's travel system is about.


BTW, in response to the poll: I hate the idea of earning a gameplay feature by completing an epic quest. It just doesn't work for me. After a couple of playthroughs, the epic quest will be an epic nuisance. But also, it mostly feels fake, especially if there's a message like "You've slain the evil lich that blocked the teleportation system! From now on, you can use teleportation." (or whatever), it's a big immersion-breaker for me.
Certain spells that allow you to teleport to anywhere you want... I would like that if it was really integrated into the game, so that NPCs will actually give you x, y and z coordinates of some sort, or mental images of the area. I mean you'd have to know where you're going somehow, and seeing the effects of such magic on a society (invitations to parties with teleportation coordinates written on them etc.) would be cool (though not exactly what I expect from TES).
tl;dr: I voted for Morrowind's system.

I'd like it to be optional. Both acquiring it via quest or not having it sound like a good idea.

I agree, but it does seem as if the oblivion crowd would also agree to this. I also think we'll survive the temptation of the OB system aslong as we have the alternative... I really really hope someone from bethesda looks at this thread... since it looks like the fans for once actually agree on something ^^

Hell I'm part of the Oblivion crowd. I haven't played enough Morrowind to get 1000 feet from Seyda Neen and I have been suggesting that since Skyrim was announced :biggrin:

Some of us are competent, trust me.

perfect

Now all we have to do is magically convince the devs

Well, yes.. if you don't count http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4520 (Which is the best of those mods imo), which was released in 2006, as well as http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=21999, which was released in 2009
Please search a little before coming with statements like that...

And where the hell do you get six and a half year from!?
2006-2010 is 4 years, dude..

Mods isn't the biggest question here.
Important features like these should be in the game in the first place, togglable or not.
It shouldn't have to be done by modders, and it's quite simple for Bethesda to do themself.

Besides, mods can't be used by consoles. And a lot of people play TES on consoles, if I'm not entirely wrong :]

Yeah, I know, I just want people to get their facts straight...
And I totally agree with you!

This thread has turned from an ill mannered debate to a nice forum of agreement ^^

The fees in Morrowind were insignificant and the locations made sense. I just don't see any reason not to copy that aspect of the game.

I don't count Cyrodiil Transportation Network and Cyrodiil Travel Services because they only included the 8 big cities, like I said.
Since the release of my transportation network mod, Arthmoor has also added several villages to his Travel Services. But before, there was no other mod that really brought back Morrowind's system, period.

...the six years are an embarassing mistake. I thought for a second Oblivion came out 2004. I insist on the half year however, my mod was released in summer.

Edit: ...the hell! It came out in May. I can't even remember my own release dates, gosh.
I take back the half year and promise to get my facts straight next time.

Some of who are competent in what exactly if you don't mind me asking?

He is just saying that some of the oblivion favoring people also agree that having both options would be nice

Too many "casual players" around that seems to want to destroy the game. Daggerfall had a travel system, a box where you set options, and it was a necessity due to its sheer size. Morrowind became more hard core, where you had to manually walk to each service and use it, but there were many types of services that presented themselves as the game progressed, and had Mark & Recall and Initervention (Divine and Almsivi) spells that was also helpful in moving around. Combined with levitation and boots of blinding speed - there were OPTIONS, a very important part of role playing. Magicka didn't regenerate and you had to sleep or, absorb to get it back. Combined with Atronach you didn't even regenerate with sleep. So there was CONSEQUENCE, a very important part of role playing.

What in the living hell happened in Oblivion?
Travel is now FULLY based on Click & Appear with the following "features":
* You don't have to go anywhere to use it - NO COST in time.
* You don't have to pay anyone to use it - NO COST in money.
* You never risk a fight - NO COST in risk.
* 1 second feather spell lasts all the way where you go - BUGGY and EXPLOITATIVE as hell.

Should current Click & Appear be an option? No way!

So instead let's combine the Daggerfall Travel Options with Morrowinds Travel Services:
* You can still choose to travel by foot or horse. If safe, it will cost you time. If fast, it will cost you risk of fight - YOUR CHOICE.
* You can choose to travel by means of services. It's extremely safe, but will cost you in time and money - YOUR CHOICE.
* There is a purpose of bringing back Mark/Recall/Intervention spells - YOUR CHOICE.
* Hard core players will still walk manually to a travel service and use it's service - YOUR CHOICE.

As games grow bigger in area (again), we need some kind of travel system. Nobody can expect anyone to walk everywhere.

So those who enjoy Oblivions utterly faulty system can choose to do so, but with the following exceptions:
* Spells will still tick down, and travel will stop if you become over encumbered.
* If you want to get there fast, you pay with risk of fight. Want to go safe, you pay in time (avoiding fights).

So, to the fans of fast travel and those who like it as an option:
Is there any reason you couldn't have it as an option in a travel box, where you sacrifice spell exploits and speed to remain safe?

Most would probably agree. It doesn't damage their gameplay.

Like morrowind. Impatience is a terrible thing to have when playing this game.
You can't just warp somewhere, you need to go catch a bus or take a car.

I loved the silt striders. I explored much more of morrowind than I ever did of oblivion. I remember traveling the whole island at the beginning because I had no money, but I found towns and quests I would have never found with fast travel.

I think it would be best if it was like in fallout 3, or new vegas. Where you have to find the locations to be able to teleport to them. And why am I comparing it with a fallout game? Because in oblivion, on the beginning you could travel to all the cities. In Skyrim, it should be like in fallout 3, at the beginning you dont have all cities unlocked, but you have to find them.

I enjoy choice #1.

This!