People have often complained: I don't like Fast Travel, but I will be tempted to use it. Here's my Idea.

What if there was fast travel, but not as we know it. What if you could only fast travel between 2 places. Hear me out here.

Let's say I can only fast travel BACK to the point from where I had FIRST fast traveled from. For example, (Let's just use Oblivion Towns for familiarity) I fast travel from Chorrol to Cheydenhal. Now let's say that I got what I wanted in Cheydenhal. So I want to head back to Chorrol. So I then utilize the fast Travel button, to go back to Chorrol, but I can't Fast Travel anywhere else EXCEPT Chorrol, because I had just come from there. There is only a link between these two places I've been.

This system would force players to explore and travel by foot but at the same time save time. As you can see this isn't easy to explain. If this isn't understandable please tell me and I'll try to clarify things.

This is actually a brilliant idea that could work. It can be useful for when you are at X and need to get something from Y and then go back to X again.

It's just to force the player to sometimes actually walk.

No idea is a bad one.

With free fast travel we can do whatever we want. It's no use changing this system because we can introduce the system we want ourselves. Same with saving.

I think the most simpliest thing to do would be to allow fast travel just in between the cities and only if your in a city to start with.

I like MW's fast travel option the best, but I tell you what your idea sounds very interesting. It reduces the crazy "Going from one side of the earth to the other and from there to anywhere I'd want to go" idea.
This is a great compromise, in my opinion.

Yeah, especially as it forces you to walk from the major towns and back. I'd love to have the teleport/silt strider idea back in action, but seeing what happened to FO3/NV, it seems unlikely

Still with the fast travel thing? Unlike Steam , the game doesn't force the player to use the fast travel feature; it is something that requires the player make a choice to purposely use it. If anyone's will is so weak in that one hates the fast travel feature but will be tempted to use it if it is there, well, one has other issues.

I don't get this "force the player to explore" mentality. I thought the idea of games like these is to let the player decide how the player wants to play the game.

how about this system?
you can pay to be transported via ship/horse carriage/transport etc, from city to city.
but you also can set a Waypoint at where you currently are, and fasttravel to this waypoint from anywhere you want, and back to your position you fast traveled (but only from the waypoint).

this way, it costs something if you want to go somewhere, and you have to plan ahead with the waypoint if you want to return. the waypoint could be a magic item you get for a quest.

TES is about that, only about the in-game issues mostly. If you're making a fast-travel system you can't not use while developing the game, great distances should be crossed and the devs are counting on you to fast-travel. No one here wants -no fast travel- but just another system to satisfy everyone. While you're OK with OB's fast travel system, about half the fans of TES games are not so thrilled themselves. You have an option, but those who'd like the game's fast travel system to be more like past TES games don't have one.

Anyway, this topic is not about the issue of "don't like it don't use it" hated discussion. It can only develop a flame war here and we all don't want that. This thread is about if the OP's idea is a good idea enough so it can be a good compromise for both sides, that is ALL.
*And to suggest new ideas or develop the first one for a good and better compromise.

Hey mate, for sure, this is a genius idea. Not only does it promote exploration and good use of Bethesda's hard work, it also let's players get to and from where they want to go without the whole laziness aspect. Keep it up man

You have show some creativity here, but the system is too easy to ignore. With old system: fast travel to point B, then C, then D... Your system: fast travel to point B, then A, then C, then A, then D... It only adds one step each time.

Anyway, I like your approach, maybe if you (or another one, no need to make you do al the tinking) works a little on this idea, it could lead to a better solution .

Still prefer Morrowind style. Every major settlement/town has some form of travel, so you can generally get from city to city pretty easily. You might have to jump off the Silt Strider, hop a boat, and then walk a small ways, but it's still far more interesting than GPS enabled teleportation.

I am going to have to call you out on the "half the fans of TES are not so thrilled" comment; of that, you have no idea. And actually, I am willing to bet the number is pretty small. Anyway, why am I getting into this, I don't know... I'll just leave and I let y'all keep on scheming.

...parting shot: you know, you could get the game for PC and mod whatever fast travel you want.

Yeah this sounds better than OP's way of doing it. OP's way is good too though.

Still, the problem according to me does not lie in the "temptation" to use fast travel. The problem lies that Oblivion's way of fast travel has no explanation and does not have any restrictions, both of which a good travel system should have in my opinion.
Your (OP) idea restricts fast travel. Good.
But it still doesn't explain fast travel, more than clicking on the map and says "want to fast travel to...?". Therefore, I think Darktimes proposal is a bit better. It gives you an explanation. A magic item is an explanation. A spell could also be one.
Moreover, transportation systems is an excellent explanation with restrictions. Transportation systems is very logical to exist in a world like TES (and in our own world...), and they have done so before.
The best way is therefore to only follow Morrowind's transportation system idea, but because there are people who like to fast travel (as in not using travel services), an idea with waypoints or teleportation spells could also be good.

It would kind of be like a reversed mark/recall spell. You mark the place you want to go to, then teleport to get there. Of course, a normal mark/recall spell would be very suitable as well.

No no, that really wouldnt work when you think about it. Then its a hastle, it would just make players go from one city back to the other, only to go to a new one. Its an uneccissary step, an annoyance. It wouldnt force people to walk, itd just put 2 more loading screens in front of them to get them where they want to go. Fast travel as is is the best way to do it. I know some people dont like it, well its one of those situations where one just has to be told "then dont use it". Skyrim and Oblivion are mainstream titles. Now mainstream doesnt mean dumbed down or too easy in this case, but it means what was done in Morrowind wouldnt mesh well with alot of the audience. I LOVE RPG's and generally use all the eating, drinking, and sleeping mods I can find for them, but forcing what is more of an annoyance on a player is just not a good idea at all. Its not forced, its not impossible to ignore completely if you choose, the fast travel system as it is is the best way to do it, id even say undeniably

So it's like mark and recall?

This is definitely my favourite option. Between cities is fine, but not in the wilderness. This means people get around to the places most quests are set fast, but must travel to get to other locations, creating a need for exploring.

RsTxDeathang3L, your Idea could be improved making the link last a given time. In that time you would fast travel between both points as much times as you want, but you wouldnt be able to fast travel to another point. Immersion wise, it could be a temporal portal.

I personally like having the option to fast-travel whenever and where ever, though I do usually prefer a better in-game context for fast travel (boats, carriages, teleporters, a spell). I can, however, understand why people don't care for Oblivion's fast travel system. I don't really understand why those people can't just, you know, not use the totally optional system, but whatever. Weak willed maybe?

What I would suggest is enabling open fast travel between all the major/minor cities/towns, possibly via hard methods (Morrowind), though preferably with as few 'steps' as possible (no need for 5 loading screens to get from one city to another, even if they are far apart). Add to that the ability to fast travel via spell (Mark/Recall in Morrowind) or 'GPS' (Oblivion) between any two [explored] points, or any one [explored] point and any/one city/town. Then you keep ease of travel between cities, have a system in place to facilitate looting and any back-and-forth quests, and lack the 'instantly jumping anywhere' that a lot of people dislike.

Really though, everyone needs to remember that having an open/friendly fast travel system will make the game more approachable to people don't want to have to walk someplace every time as well as more casual/busy people who don't have the time to spend hours just walking place to place. They could always just have a fast travel on/off option, or not include fast travel in a possible 'hard core' mode.

No, A fast travel system should remain in place IMO. Not having it will simply scare away all the non-hardcoe players.

To change it into a system like RDR och GTA would probably be good however.

If it ain't broken, fix it until it is :bonk:
I think the best travel system was in Morrowind.
I want that one back.

Agree.
Mark & Recall spell prevents back tracing with a resonable price.

I Don't Like the idea tbh

Too many people will whine about this.

I think that there should be more than 2 places. Perhaps in each of the 5 big cities. And that's it. You have to go to a dock, or caravan of some sort, and fast travel there. Not random fast travel whenever you want.