Keep travel dangerous!

[einexile]

I was unhappy to see a Whompa added connecting Borealis to Last Ditch (i.e. Stret West Bank). This was an interesting, fun, challenging trip to make at low levels - and not all of us level to 30 in a week or two. When I read of a Whompa under construction in Bliss, my heart sank.

I don't think it should be this easy for people to get around Rubi-Ka.

Yes, after a while the trek on foot loses its charm, and it is proper that Funcom separate their game from other MMOGs known for endless overland running - but I disagree with creating easy access to remote locations for people who could not get there otherwise.

I don't say this out of contempt for new players, but because I spent a few months at low levels and remember what fun it was to discover Last Ditch and Bliss for the first time. Likewise Sabulum, Wine, ICC HQ, Hard Luck, Home.

It meant nothing to discover Borealis or 20K as they were handed to me for free.

I am not against fast, convenient travel about Rubi-Ka for those who have earned it, but I think providing it unearned promotes boredom with the world and contributes to obsessive leveling by removing a meaningful goal from the game.

What I would like to see is fewer Whompas and more Grid access terminals. In this way, fast access to an area can be limited to players for whom getting there on foot is a non-issue and a waste of time.

At level 20 I found it quite difficult to reach Bliss. Today, at level 73, it is still difficult for me to reach Sabulum. Are we not without Whompas to places like Sabulum in order to preserve the experience of traveling there? A game like this has to refuse quick gratification but instead demand achievement in return. It may be frustrating at the time, but it brings a satisfying reward.

That experience of achieving a remote destination can be preserved at lower levels by placing Grid access terminals at these locations instead of Whompas, with requirements roughly matching the mob levels. The player is then spared a boring trip, but only *if* the trip is boring. If the journey on foot would be a challenge, he has to meet that challenge.

I have always been a little disappointed with the way the Grid is set up and think a greater number and variety of access points would make a good first step in turning it into a serious, interesting part of the game rather than the uninspired footnote and minor irritation it is today.

[assassimon]

You know...they don't remove the option to walk/run there, they just add another option.

You can run all over the world, but people that don't think it's fun to sit and see the toon running for 20min to get somewhere will have another option now.

[______________Rejpal]

And take into consideration the future expansion of our game world - when - ok, if - it's gonna happen, then the Bliss whompa station is a logical point where to start your exploration expeditions of western areas. Kapar for example.

[einexile]

Originally posted by Azzazzimon
You can run all over the world, but people that don't think it's fun to sit and see the toon running for 20min to get somewhere will have another option now.

I think you misunderstand me.

I suggested Grid access replace Whompas precisely so that the game *will* distinguish between those who merely sit and watch themselves run and those who have to be careful.

Are you really talking about merely sitting and watching, or do you mean being chased by aggro mobs and killed?

Again: Once you are strong enough to run through a zone without being careful, Grid access there should be within your Comp Lit skill. The player is spared a boring, uneventful trip once the trip actually becomes boring and uneventful.

[Stratah]

Erm, I notice that many people have not followed AO throughout it's development...

We currently have maybe 20% of the mass transit/fast transit options that were part of the original game concept.

There were originally supposed to be The Grid (was originally fixer only btw) the Whompas, AND a subway system.

Adding more fast travel options is just a step in fulfilling the original game concept. The whompa system we currently have is *miniscule* compared to the original whompa plan, as is The Grid. The subway plan has been scrapped now, which means the Grid and the whompa systems will need to be even more extensive than originally planned in order to provide mass transit to the areas the subways were supposed to be.

This is the high-tech future people!
This planet was built by a super corporation in the far, far future! Hell, even medium present-day cities have a more developed mass transit system than the futuristic cities of Rubi-Ka do! Sheesh!

/me wonders what game description some people read before buying Anarchy Online.

Mass transit doesn't take away the ability to adventure...I ran (on foot, no car at the time - was relatively low level) from Borealis to West Athens/Athens rather than whompa just to explore and learn the layout of the land. I also drove in my car from the Broken Shores whompa to the city of Home just to explore, even though at the time, I met the BS/Home grid requirement. Now that I have a Yalm, and can grid to almost everywhere, I STILL go adventuring sometimes rather than just whompa or grid, just to see what's out there.

If people want to explore the land/adventure, they will.
Adding transit does not take away this ability.

[Destractor]

The easier people can travel, the more they will disperse.
This is a good way to reduce the load on some of the servers.

[Phinger]

Actually they can just add grid places....and keep the comp lit up there....So newbs still walk and players who have worked and spent the ip now get the luxury of zipping there.

Still get to see the country side as a newb.....

and as for high levels ...been there done that...I just to get there now.....not in 30 mins.

Phinger 179Nt

[WhistlinJoe]

Gotta Agree with Azzazzimon. If you like exploring, then the new whompas don't hinder you from doing so.

IMO, there should be a whompa or grid point to every zone in the game. Course...Im lazy as hell.

Joseph

[unayoq]

Originally posted by L1V1D
The easier people can travel, the more they will disperse.
This is a good way to reduce the load on some of the servers.

They'll all still go to Newland City for their mission assignments, though.

If it's easy to get to, there's no sense of accomplishment. Hop on the tour bus, see the sights. Yawn.

[Greenhawk]

People will travel even if the whompa is there... I ran a level 6 clanner all the way to Omni-E to switch sides (and somehow made it). I'm proud of having made that trip way back when... and if I were to want to switch sides with another of my lowbies, I'd do it the hard way again, because it is cool.

[__________Windrunner]

I have no problem exploring.. I find it a lot of fun.

I also don't have a ton of time to play.

So when my Adventurer at level 25 was getting missions in southern Clon**** and Andromeda, I decided "this is stupidity."

The -only- reason I have no problem with new whom-pahs being added is because the mission generator gives such random zones as options. A level 20 character has no business going inside the restraining fence in Galway County, nor does a level 30 in south Clon****.

Difficult is fine... impossibly hard is something else entirely.

[XtroXtreme]

It is the mission placement that is screwed up. You should get missions in areas which is not dangerous (relativly speaking) if you do 50% missions.

I personaly think that we should be allowed to choose what area we want our missions without having to spend houres mission camping to get one in a place we can survive getting to (that is if we don´t have Yalmas, which take that problem away).