Outposts and Teleporting

[AngelLight]

I understand that after certain missions, you gain access to smaller Outposts in the game world, and that you can use them as stop points for some missions.

My question is this: Are you able to always keep access to teleporting to the outposts at any time? Perhaps they can use this as a way to provide vendors that can sell higher level items then the normal hub towns? If so, would they be only 6 ppl instanced towns or would they be like the hub towns and open to anyone at any time so long as they've reached it before?

[DarK-SuN]

In the Beta you could only access them after getting to them with each time you played (if you logged off you'd lose direct access to them, you'd have to reach them once again).
This might change in the final game though, since maybe they did this to ensure everyone played every area several times for proper testing, but no one knows yet.

[AngelLight]

I hope they dont reset it each time you log off....that will make the overall grinding really unappealing to alot of players......They can do so much with it having the smaller towns and outposts serve as mini hubs and locations of rarer materials for crafting and such, in the same vein as Guild Wars does it. Though they are different games, they have alot of things in common I'm seeing at least so far.

Besides, if they used to outposts as mini hubs it could provide a place to easily know if someone was up to your level and progression of certain missions or not.

[DoctorShasta]

I don't want this game to be like guildwars. I loved PSO I want it to be like PSO with new elements. But yea I understand what your saying it would be cool if you didn't have to travel everytime to get there however I think that is how ST wants it, if you want to buy those rarer items you have to work for it everytime so you don't just casually stop by every trip you make to that outpost is planned out

[PandaMasterX4]

On 2006-08-03 08:10, DoctorShasta wrote:
I don't want this game to be like guildwars. I loved PSO I want it to be like PSO with new elements. But yea I understand what your saying it would be cool if you didn't have to travel everytime to get there however I think that is how ST wants it, if you want to buy those rarer items you have to work for it everytime so you don't just casually stop by every trip you make to that outpost is planned out



The only aspect that I don't want it like PSO is, 4 dungeons only. I'm glad they actually made the worlds bigger instead of 4 tiny dungeons.

[Ryna]

The purpose of the outposts is just to serve as a quick place to refill your mates/traps/PP and as the jumping off point for the next mission. In the PSO sense, you think of it as a mini-rest stop between levels.

After you log off, you loose the ability to instantly teleport to the outposts. However, if you want to join a team that is at an outpost, they can remotely invite you. You can then talk to the appropriate NPC to warp there.

[AngelLight]

But yea I understand what your saying it would be cool if you didn't have to travel everytime to get there however I think that is how ST wants it, if you want to buy those rarer items you have to work for it everytime so you don't just casually stop by every trip you make to that outpost is planned out


I can understand that, but I just feel if they made the outposts a lil more then just pit stops...that they make them as living environs, that it could open up alot of possibilities in missions, item collecting, and just overall online story. It doesn't have to be exactly like guildwars, but what's the harm in taking some small pieces from other ideas and putting your own spin on them (short of blantently ripping ideas off of course). And I know that others said this, but think about this: With no ability to perform world wandering like some had asked for, you'll be stuck doing the same missions over and over again eventually....but even PSO had hidden side quests hidden in the hunter missions (which in and of themselves were side quests) now, whouldn't it be great to actually have to get them off the beaten path over just grabbing as much as you can in just the hub cities?

[Saner]

the hub cities are HUGE! with multiple sectors!

the lobbies no longer feel like prison blocks like they did in PSO DC. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

ya maybe people want more planetary exploration that doesnt involve 'dungeon run-throughs", but I think the outposts is a humble and good step towards something like that, sort of. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[AngelLight]

Without seeing it, huge can be seen as a subjective term. But I suppose that question will have to be answered by seeing it....

Be that as it may, I believe for now, I have an answer, so thank you very much for the prompt responses everyone.

[Saner]

you haven't seen all the videos and beta videos they shown of the cities???

[AngelLight]

No I have not, but truth be told a video can't always convey enormity quite as well as getting "your hands dirty" with exploring so to speak.

[Saner]

ya that's why I'm saying they are HUGE because I seen videos of Guardians Colony and Parum's city and like like they didnt show everything and even what they showed ARE huge!!!

so that means the full version's cities will be HUGE! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif


well of course not 16 square miles huge but still larger than you realize. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Saner on 2006-08-03 17:50 ]</font>

[Numnuttz]

yea the cities/lobbies are pretty big when you see the trailers which are online. In these trailers not all of the lobbie is shown either. At most times its only shops and main buildings. But ive also seen parts that are plants, chairs,and other smaller buildings in these trailers. well in the end all i can say is im looking forward to them because its a PSU game with huge cities to explore.

[TonyDaemon]

The big cities will be quite nice, or they could go horribly wrong and end up too big.

That is if there is a such thing as too big.

[vitius137]

i would hate it if the cities got too big. I dont wanna have to travel for five minutes (i'd get lost or hit a few dead ends) to get from the shops to the warp zone.

[Kyuu]

On 2006-08-04 21:45, vitius137 wrote:
i would hate it if the cities got too big. I dont wanna have to travel for five minutes (i'd get lost or hit a few dead ends) to get from the shops to the warp zone.

There is no "warp zone," I don't believe. Once you've joined a party, you can teleport to their mission from any of the little cubes floating about everywhere. At least, that's my understanding. Someone who knows can correct me if I'm wrong. >.>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Kyuu on 2006-08-04 22:13 ]</font>

[Phaze37]

he only aspect that I don't want it like PSO is, 4 dungeons only. I'm glad they actually made the worlds bigger instead of 4 tiny dungeons.

PSO Episode 1&2 and PSO: Blue Burst had more than 4 dungeons.

Big cities aren't always a good thing. Sometimes the trip from the medical building to the shops felt long http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Kyuu]

On 2006-08-04 22:15, Phaze37 wrote:

Big cities aren't always a good thing. Sometimes the trip from the medical building to the shops felt long http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

You'll only be shopping in the cities when you're not in missions. There's no going back to town during a mission, and the checkpoint midway through is probably nice and condensed so there's not much travel time between the PP-recharge station and the item vendor(s). You'll only be shopping in the cities at your leisure, and they're not that big.

[Saner]

you thought the trip from the medical building to the shops was long in PSO?!!?!? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

lol that distance is shorter than the length of 3 city buses. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

besides from what I seen, Guardian Colony is not bigger than Bastok. although its areas are stacked as multiple floors.
SO IT IS much much bigger than say, Mhaura and Selbina combined. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

I think oShojino made the Guardians Colony tour video.

I would of liked to see a Parum city tour video! Parn showed like 2 sections of it, but there's definitely more to it. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[DrewSeleski]

And something important to note if you've seen the Guardian Colony video it looks like it's designed so that the higher floors contain the less often used shops and places than the lower floors.... but I haven't actually played the beta so I wouldn't know.

[Sinue_v2]

I don't particularly mind the idea of resetting the trip meter everytime you log off. In a standard offline RPG - you typically don't just auto-travel to any desired way-point you happen to feel like visiting. Each trip means you have to travel the whole distance, expecially when there are dungeons in between. While it will hinder rare hunting a bit - it will also cut down on the raping and pillaging of certain "EXP" or item hot-spots. Granted everything is instanced now, so no need fear campers and trainers.. but it will, IMO, lessen the impression of a continual "grind" .

Besides... you can't free-roam in PSU. Everything is mission based. PSO, in a odd sence it seems, had more of a certain type of freedom in that you could just warp to the ruins and do R1-Falz runs for hours. PSU will be like always being on Soul of Steel, Heart of a BlackSmith, Retired Hunter, Garon's Treachery, ect... and it would be a bit of an imbalance if you could simply pick and choose your starting point. If you're in a RA skill building quest - it would provide players with a cheap way to gain fast XP by simply choosing the closest span to the boss and endless "R3 to Falz" runs (in a manner of speaking).

[PrinceRhys]

I think it will be nice for the outposts to be accessed only by going through a mission. That way, hopefully there will be less people sitting around in these outposts because they can't just start there--they have to get to them first. Besides, if I remember correctly from the an account from one of the beta testers, sometimes "missions" are just to get from point A to point B. So it will be just like a regular RPG where you have to get to such-and-such outpost by going through some other area.

[AngelLight]

Honestly, I just disagree with the stance of not letting the outposts be living, breathing towns in their own right with special things associated with them since I feel that it would add alot to the game world and the feel of it(As in, ppl who live in the country and the small towns vs. the Mecropoli of the planet; different attitudes and opinions)...and yes I've played PS for a VERY long time so I know its not been like this before in the online incarnations....but again this was more to answer a question and not about opinions....

Still....glad this topic sparked a good talk about in game stuff and not the usual system fanboy debates or the fluff pieces. In that regard "Mission Accomplished" ^_^

[Saner]

how big are these outposts anyway? what are the barriers?

[Ryna]

On 2006-08-07 10:59, Saner wrote:
how big are these outposts anyway? what are the barriers?


The outposts are generally small in size. The closest PSO-size equivalent that comes to mind is the big lava foundry room from Caves 1.

[therealAERO]

Yes the towns are really big, and you have to walk your ass off to get to one place to the next, especially on Parum, and the Colony. Yes you can leave your mission and come shopping and than go back to it.

There are crystals in each area of the mission. You have to activate them, and when you do you can use them to go all the way back(its not like telepipes, but it helps)

Also its better to earn the hub than always get to teleport there. Basically if you did that you would be skipping a mission everytime, and that would cost you job skill points.