[Genevieve]

I've seen many fast travel threads that have have polls about what's the best fast travel method, and it immediatly turns into a heated debate about what people think about fast travel, and what should be in TESV. It often turns into a series of personal attacks, a bear has to eat everyone, and the whole thing goes nowhere.

This isn't that.

What this is, is a sort of suggestion blending thread. I plan to have people tell me of any improvisations that they have, how to get around everything, and what to do for everyone. I saw that the topic could be getting raised in the suggestions thread again, and thought I'd try something out that may not go in circles.

For example, I have this following idea about how fast travel should be implemented:

Fast travel should go back to Morrowind's method. We should use boats, carriages, payed for teleportation, or whatever is native to the province. This should be accompanied with a teleportation spell. The player can use this spell to immediatly teleport to any previously found location on the map. This would be like the system in Oblivion and Fallout. The spell would be roughly a Mark/Recall level Mysticism spell. It would be made available in scroll/potion form, in bulk, in almost every town, for those who aren't magically adept. This allows a player to get around the province quicker, and get straight to the action. The scrolls would cost a few gold (50-100 gold each), just to have that "I don't want to waste my money" feel to it. Makes it less addictive.

I feel that this suggestion makes everyone happy, and I've yet to see something bad with it. Please, post some systems that you've come up with, and feel free to give CONSTRUCTIVE critisism to others.

The problems you'll need to address:

Morrowind player's problems;

• Oblivion's fast travel causes no need to create interesting and unique landscapes
  
• Oblivion's fast travel causes no need to have random encounters, such as quests, along the roads
  
• Oblivion's fast travel reduces exploring
  
• Oblivion's fast travel is a hand holder
  
• Oblivion's fast travel eliminates the need to think about where you're going
  
• Making it optional isn't a solution. There is still various issues at hand if it is simply made optional. We would also likely have slack alternatives

Oblivion player's problems;

• Morrowind's fast travel makes getting to somewhere a pain

I'm not trying to favouritise Morrowind, but that's all I know for this one. Tell me if I miss something


Anyway, we're going to assume TESV will be around Morrowind/Oblivion scale, perhaps a bit bigger, but I doubt we'll see another Daggerfall scale game. Please, try to refrain from walking speed and quest marker debates if possible. Remember to improvise if you need to. I feel that my suggestion is an improvisation, but it's one I can happily live with.

I've put my trust in the maturity of The Elder Scrolls' fanbase. Don't prove me wrong. :stare:

[rae.x]

I wholeheartedly agree with your fast travel system and would love to see it implemented, although as we probably know, it will be like Oblivion and Fallout 3...

[Samantha Mitchell]

I'd like to suggest one small tweak:

Make it so that you have to mark someplace before you can recall to it. An amulet of mark could be a rather common item, so non-magic players could mark easily and from an early point in their career. However, recall enchanted items are a little harder to find, making one rely on the potions/scrolls/spell and therefore, having a limited amount of "travels."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the point of this suggestion seems to be to try and place the strategy back into planning one's journey.

I think the other suggestion floating around: stop at inns/ random encounters... does that, as well. But, I personally prefer your idea as I feel it is more immersive. Since you're actually physically walking to the carriage station, rather than just checking "carriage" on a window.

I would take it a step further and say that you should actually ride out the transport vehicle, with a small chance of being raided by bandits. Keep in mind: bandits usually attack trade caravans. Any bandit group that attacks a transport carriage is stupid and therefore, it should be a rare occurrence.

[Kortniie Dumont]

I'd like to suggest one small tweak:

Make it so that you have to mark someplace before you can recall to it. An amulet of mark could be a rather common item, so non-magic players could mark easily and from an early point in their career. However, recall enchanted items are a little harder to find, making one rely on the potions/scrolls/spell and therefore, having a limited amount of "travels."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the point of this suggestion seems to be to try and place the strategy back into planning one's journey.

I think the other suggestion floating around: stop at inns/ random encounters... does that, as well. But, I personally prefer your idea as I feel it is more immersive. Since you're actually physically walking to the carriage station, rather than just checking "carriage" on a window.

I would take it a step further and say that you should actually ride out the transport vehicle, with a small chance of being raided by bandits. Keep in mind: bandits usually attack trade caravans. Any bandit group that attacks a transport carriage is stupid and therefore, it should be a rare occurrence.

Morrowind Sppell Mark and Recall

Also, I loved the Oblivion fast travel system
Why should I have to travel a great distance back and forth from a city just so I can get all the loot to sell? You can argue RPG like many do. But M'aiq the Liar says it best
And you cant Argue with M'aiq

M'aiq the Liar: "So much easier to get around these days. Not like the old days. Too much walking. Of course, nothing stops M'aiq from walking when he wants."

Now, Seriously, why are so many people forcing the "RPG" feeling? "Nothing stop M'aiq from walking when he wants"
Its your game, if you think the fast travel is dumb? Dont use it, dont force it on others to play a harder game when they just relax

ITS OPTIONAL

And im going to see the fireworks so have a nice day.

[Jeffrey Lawson]

I would tweak the first post just a little. When you said that the scrolls should be around 100 gold, I would rather see those scrolls' values level with the player. I say this because later on in both OB and MW, I had tons of gold and I believe that players would begin to pour more and more money into the fast traveling scrolls later on in the game. But it is exactly at that point when the exploration factor is so critical in the enjoyment of the game.

[Dean Ashcroft]

I'd like to see Morrowindesque fast travel return, with travel by carriage, boat (to the east, to Morrowind ), guild guides, and the like for those (including myself, believe it or not), who prefer that system. But I also like Oblivion's system because it lets people who might not be willing or able to invest the time/energy to explore the world experience the bones of the Elder Scrolls experience, people who might otherwise not play the game at all because they're scared off by the "100+ hour adventure" tag. I think an acceptable compromise (not that there's anything particularly terrible about yours) is for Bethesda to build the world with the first group in mind, and then, after those systems have been implemented in a way that feels natural, add Oblivionesque fast travel as a concession to the second group.

[Steven Hardman]

Its your game, if you think the fast travel is dumb? Dont use it, dont force it on others to play a harder game when they just relax

ITS OPTIONAL

But alot of people who dont like oblivions fast travel actually want some form of fast travel, they just dont want it implemented how it was in oblivion.

I like your idea Hircine, seems like everybody would be happy, but saying that, i could see absolutely nothing wrong with how morrowind implemented it and would be more then happy to have that form of fast travel returned.

[James Shaw]

I'd like to suggest one small tweak:

Make it so that you have to mark someplace before you can recall to it. An amulet of mark could be a rather common item, so non-magic players could mark easily and from an early point in their career. However, recall enchanted items are a little harder to find, making one rely on the potions/scrolls/spell and therefore, having a limited amount of "travels."

I assume you mean a Morrowind style Mark? I don't think that would work in placement of fast travel ala Oblivion. One mark at a time wouldn't be good for getting around, and multiple marks would get messy. While Mark and Recall should still stay, and they would have thier uses, it shouldn't be in place of a fast travel service.

Now, Seriously, why are so many people forcing the "RPG" feeling?

Because it's an RPG?

Making it optional isn't a chocie for Morrowind players. As you can see from my list, there are many problems that would still be in place. I'll add this to the first post.

I think an acceptable compromise (not that there's anything particularly terrible about yours) is for Bethesda to build the world with the first group in mind, and then, after those systems have been implemented in a way that feels natural, add Oblivionesque fast travel as a concession to the second group.

That would be nice, but it isn't that simple. One can't simply add in a whole different style of play. It takes programming and scripting, and all that crazy stuff to get it done. It all needs to be done befre design, hard coded into the actual engine.

[Dark Mogul]

Its your game, if you think the fast travel is dumb? Dont use it, dont force it on others to play a harder game when they just relax

ITS OPTIONAL

I don't want to walk everywhere. But I don't want to use Oblivion's fast travel, but it beats walking across Oblivion's boring landscape. It's not really optional. It would be optional if there were boats, caravans, mages guild teleports, mark and recall plus Oblivion's method, but until then - it's NOT optional.

[x_JeNnY_x]

I don't want to walk everywhere. But I don't want to use Oblivion's fast travel, but it beats walking across Oblivion's boring landscape. It's not really optional. It would be option if there were boats, caravans, mages guild teleports, mark and recall plus Oblivion's method, but until then - it's NOT optional.

I agree, but I don't think we'd actually have good alternatives, if Oblivion's fast travel method is at hand in such an obvious way.

[Gen Daley]

ITS OPTIONAL

You see, whenever someone says this, all discussion of Fast Travel breaks down.

Cool your hats and argue politely. Give us reasons WHY it is optional, don't just yell that it is, people will get offended and angry.

EDIT: Changed the quoted name so as not to name names. Yes I am a sweatie

[Andrew]

Morrowind Sppell Mark and Recall

Also, I loved the Oblivion fast travel system
Why should I have to travel a great distance back and forth from a city just so I can get all the loot to sell? You can argue RPG like many do. But M'aiq the Liar says it best
And you cant Argue with M'aiq

M'aiq the Liar: "So much easier to get around these days. Not like the old days. Too much walking. Of course, nothing stops M'aiq from walking when he wants."

M'aiq's a liar.

So what he meant is that there's not enough walking and that the lack of directions stops him from walking whenever he wants.

Man, stop trying to rouse so many rabbles.

EDIT: @Hircine, no I mean a multiple mark... infinite marks and a window to cycle through them like the Morrowind mod

[Etta Hargrave]

ITS OPTIONAL

That's the Problem. I believe it has been said often, now its my turn to say it again.

Oblivion's fast travel system is not optional at all. It would have been, if
1) quest wasn't designed around FT
2) you had other means to travel besides feet (or horse, which was strange anyway)
3) you had a landscape that was worth traveling through

If Morrowind had a FT-system like Oblivion then it would have been optional.

[Eilidh Brian]

EDIT: @Hircine, no I mean a multiple mark... infinite marks and a window to cycle through them like the Morrowind mod

I just think that would be a bit messy. Perhaps having multiple marks, but not in placement of FT. Imagine having 20 marks for every town/village in the province? Imagine if you wanted to mark dungeons? That was why I came up with my spell system. I thought about Mark, but it seemed very impracticle.


This thread seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Fast travel can't be optional. If we can comprimise to give fans of Oblivion's fast travel a service they'd like, surely you can at least try?

[Matt Terry]

I just think that would be a bit messy. Perhaps having multiple marks, but not in placement of FT. Imagine having 20 marks for every town/village in the province? Imagine if you wanted to mark dungeons? That was why I came up with my spell system. I thought about Mark, but it seemed very impracticle.


This thread seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Fast travel can't be optional. If we can comprimise to give fans of Oblivion's fast travel a service they'd like, surely you can at least try?

So, do you mean having mark and recall plus a fast travel spell?

Not sure I'd actually like that, since the fast travel spell would kind of make the mark spell useless.

I mean, being able to teleport to a place you've already been to technically fits the lore, so I guess I'd be content with one or the other. But I guess I prefer Mark/Recall because it adds more micromanagement, and that's always been one of my favorite aspects of RPGs.

[x_JeNnY_x]

But I guess I prefer Mark/Recall because it adds more micromanagement, and that's always been one of my favorite aspects of RPGs.

The point of the thread is to come up with something that fans of Oblivion's fast travel would appreciate too. Personally, I'd be happy with plain ol' Morrowind's method, but that's a distant memory, now.

Mark and Recall wouldn't nesseccarily be useless. If I want to, I could mark to my home. Saves me the extra walking time when I teleport to a city. Or mark in the end of a dungeon I need to frequent. Or mark at a quest giver. Perhaps Recall would cost less than the fast travel spell? Cheaper alternatives are always great. If you have a 50pt open spell, and a 100pt open spell, you'd use the 50pt to open a 50pt locked chest. Less mana is conservative.

[jennie xhx]

I'm thinking traveling services, as well as maybe tying fast travel to mounts, of course with a chance of encounters. Then there's the thing with fast travel linked to roads or road signs. I'm really not against anything specific.

I'm partial towards tying it to mounts, because that would be the most available, but still be reasonable. Then we can discuss how available mounts should be and whether different mounts have different chances of encounters.

When I'm talking fast travel, I talking specifically that kind of fast travel where the player jumps in time, but the character doesn't. For example, I don't find spells to be fast travel, teleportation or mark and recall. Of course they should still be in, they have an obvious advantage against fast travel, no random encounters/portable from anywhere to anywhere, while fast travel could be limited to specific places. Spells can also be used under danger, while fast travel shouldn't.

[CHANONE]

"Friendly fast travel thread" is an oxymoron......

[Jeneene Hunte]

I just came up with an idea, pretty random and not sure how pratical it would be but still I thought it deserved to be posted.

Most of the time the player would have to walk and explore Morrowind style. The only time he could fast travel was through some sort of a taxi system,

i.e on every city and some major settlements there could be wagons (sorry if mispelled) and you could run into an occasional one on the roads, that would take you to where you wanted to, through fast travel. But if you wanted to go to a dungeon perhaps the guy who was "riding the wagon" would leave you near the dungeon because he knows it's a dangerous area etc...

P.S: It would also make perfect sense if Mages Guilds or other arcane settlements would have teleport pads. Of course you could only travel to another teleport pad and not into the middle of the forest.

[Abi Emily]

I've been playing a lot of Fallout 3 Wanderer's Edition, and I use the built-in alternative fast travel. Now, because I'm poor most of the time, I don't have the caps to pay the caravans for traveling, and I can't find enough supplies to make fuel for my motorbike, so I'm stuck running to and fro to get anywhere.

I freakin' LOVE IT! I don't think I've ever had so much fun with FO3 until I was actually blocked from traveling quickly. I get to see new places, fight all sorts of things, get more interesting weapons. Granted, I can get stuck out in the middle of no-where for a long time, but that usually leads to a new adventure.

So yeah, Morrowind travel all the way. Your suggestions were tops.

[Rude Gurl]

• Oblivion's fast travel causes no need to create interesting and unique landscapes
  
• Oblivion's fast travel causes no need to have random encounters, such as quests, along the roads

I totally reject the premise that there is cause-and-effect relationship between Oblivion's fast travel and the need for interesting landscapes and random encounters. I also totally reject any premise proposing that Oblivion's fast travel results in less interesting landscapes or in less interesting encounters. I believe that fascinating landscapes and encounters come from designers and artists wanting them. No travel system is going to negate that want.

I think and plan with Oblivion's fast travel much the same way I think and plan with Morrowind's ships and silt striders. In both games, if I want to reach a location that is not a fast-travel destination, I find the fast-travel destination most convenient to the location I want and I fast travel to it.

My preference for fast travel is that it varies cost, speed, and safety according to player choices and character skill (which, if I remember correctly, is how I have heard Daggerfall's system described). Ideas such as the ones in http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?showtopic=1095751 make me happy.

[Dan Stevens]

Oblivions fast travel system really dumbed down the game for me. I don't care if it's optional; it's still a choice, therefore dumbing the game down.
Yeah, I'll admit, sometimes it was nice being able to wisk yourself off to anywhere you wanted at no cost to yourself whatsoever. But that really takes away from the depth of the game, and you've already mentioned all the reasons it does in the OP, such as not encouraging exploration, no need for random encounters, etc.
My suggestion for the travel system in TES:V is:
-Morrowind style travel between cities; carriages, boats, etc.
-Spells that take you to certain places you've visisted, via Mark/Recall
-A teleport system worked into the Mages guild. Members of the guild get free passage; All other people must pay a fee, similar to that of a boat fee or carriage fee.
I pretty much think that's all there needs to be. And someone who isn't educated in the magical skills of those spells shouldn't be able to use them, ie Warriors etc shouldn't be able to teleport themselves. That's just stupid.

[Brιonα Renae]

Oblivions fast travel system really dumbed down the game for me. I don't care if it's optional; it's still a choice, therefore dumbing the game down.
Yeah, I'll admit, sometimes it was nice being able to wisk yourself off to anywhere you wanted at no cost to yourself whatsoever. But that really takes away from the depth of the game, and you've already mentioned all the reasons it does in the OP, such as not encouraging exploration, no need for random encounters, etc.
My suggestion for the travel system in TES:V is:
-Morrowind style travel between cities; carriages, boats, etc.
-Spells that take you to certain places you've visisted, via Mark/Recall
-A teleport system worked into the Mages guild. Members of the guild get free passage; All other people must pay a fee, similar to that of a boat fee or carriage fee.
I pretty much think that's all there needs to be. And someone who isn't educated in the magical skills of those spells shouldn't be able to use them, ie Warriors etc shouldn't be able to teleport themselves. That's just stupid.

Yeah that's pretty much how I hope it is. Only I think warriors should also have the ability to teleport at the Mages Guilds due to the help of the mages....

[Rusty Billiot]

Yeah that's pretty much how I hope it is. Only I think warriors should also have the ability to teleport at the Mages Guilds due to the help of the mages....

Oh yeah of coarse, I think everyone should be able to use the Mages Guild to teleport, just Mages Guild members should get it free.
What I meant with the Warrior thing, I don't think Warriors should have self cast spells that let them teleport to certain places. They are Warriors, not Mages, and should have the Mages Guilds help if he chooses to teleport.

[Shianne Donato]

Oh yeah of coarse, I think everyone should be able to use the Mages Guild to teleport, just Mages Guild members should get it free.
What I meant with the Warrior thing, I don't think Warriors should have self cast spells that let them teleport to certain places. They are Warriors, not Mages, and should have the Mages Guilds help if he chooses to teleport.

Oh ok. I still think however warriors should be able to cast magic, per example , paladins are known for using magic to destroy evil. But perhaps they couldn't perform high level spells like teleportation, or atleast they would have to use lots more magicka and maybe even drain their health a bit due to the effort. While mages would do it easily with no penalties.