Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I don't know if something like this is possible but here's the idea:

This is what currently happens when switching systems:
1- Turn invisibleish
2- World around you vanishes crudely
3- New world springs into existence magically
4- Turn visible again

This is what I propose:
1- Player activates stargate
2- Player enters warp to a set location (set by devs, way out, just to get the ship moving) in the direction the stargate is pointed.
3- Warp tunnel turns opaque (player cannot see anything but tunnel giving the illusion of motion)
4- System vanishes outside of opaque tunnel but player still sees animation of ship in tunnel
5- New system loads outside of opaque tunnel, player still sees same tunnel animation
6- Warp tunnel fades into transparency allowing player to see into new system
7- Player warps in from far outer edge of new system to the arrival star gate.

This would allow players to change systems fluidly while keeping the loading disguised. The length of the loading/warp animation could be adjusted to allow as little or as much of the system to load as the devs desired.

The exiting and entering of the systems could happen behind the opaque wall of the animation. This would allow the player to spawn / despawn in the system stationary and then enter / leave warp from / toward their destination without being able to see that they were not moving (b/c the warp animation would still be playing, again giving the illusion of motion)

Now I realize this would probably be alot of work, for what amounts to aesthetics, but I think it would be a huge step in making the universe feel more connected and real, as opposed to a bunch of separate circular rooms.

judging on how I take it, he wants a cinematic style zone change.

1) Cinematic would work as long as it keeps up the illusion of being the players view.

2) Considering the current system is pretty much instant (not counting the second or so it takes everything to become responsive) , anything different will take longer. No, I didn't mean for the player to actually warp way off somewhere, just give them that impression. If the whole change took 10 seconds I don't think it would negatively impact anyone to more than a minor degree.

Yes, it could add a few minutes to someones trip but I doubt 98% of players could not spare an extra 10 minutes spread over their entire session.

On the other hand I'm sure someone would complain that they lost that time for something that doesn't have any direct advantage to them.

In my opinion it's an easy trade. Someone else may believe those 10 seconds will ruin their life.

As long as the cinematic has the same time duration as the system change now than I'm all for this. +1

It don't need necessary to add any time. It just need to add an animation to those few seconds that take for the system to load...

Also if you start this animation with the session change timer trigger, you will also have the benefits to know exactly the moment that you get safe in the stargate-hads, without needing to keep spamming the JUMP command. depending on the server load you can get 3 or more seconds of animation....

Ditto. As a replacement to the current 'zoning' this sounds prettier, but the time frame still needs to be the same. Haulers will curse your name for all eternity if you make their trips longer

This would raise an interesting mechanic: if we appear zoning in to the gate from a distance in line with other gate, could this be used in conjunction with Bubbles for more interesting gate camps?

I don't really see how it not taking longer than normal is a possibility. Assuming we are talking about something that for all intents and purposes appears as if nothing has happened. Even if each step only took a second it would take longer than normal.

I've been trying to come up with reasons for why a 10 second "jump" would be a bad thing, and I can only come up with one
1- Someone that makes a lot of jumps might complain that their 10 minute trip took 11 minutes. (as someone that uses courier contracts to make money I would probably lose a half hour or so a day to it)

If anyone can think of a good reason why a few seconds to each jump are a terrible game-breaking, slit your wrists, thing please mention it.

Yeah I'm being dramatic, but really I can't think of any reason not to aside from mere preference.

streching of your ship would be a cool jumping effect. i really love the wazy bubble effect and sound of wormholes. disstorted ship would be a cool extra effected to that

Congratulations!!!! Feature now in game!!!!!

and its going to get SO FREAKIN REPETITIVE, after like, 5 times. im just glad i live in wormholes adn wont have to deal with that 800 times a day