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Feedback What if flags were replaced by one-shot teleport beacons?

Discussion in 'Starbound Discussion' started by Ludovic, Jun 10, 2016.

  1. Ludovic

    Ludovic Giant Laser Beams

    Basically something I've been musing a bit lately, and seeing recent threads about flags again it seems like I'm not the only one.

    Ultimately, the core difference for many people between the flag and teleporter is about 3000 pixels and the ability to teleport "from" underground. The later is not to be underestimated admitedly but do run in perhaps one issue:
    a permanent teleporter is not -that- useful when few people build underground in the first place. And no one is going to spend 3000 credits just for a "throwaway" planet they are digging into only for ore.

    And the people who -might- want teleportation ability of a sort for a dig? Will just do the throwaway vertical mineshaft with a removable flag at the top they plant and remove as they will.

    Compared with this, teleporters start really being useful as a way to save "clicks" for the people with colonies on multiple planets that already generate the credits to fund such a network. Many others might still feel that isn't worth the investment.

    So I was thinking about a solution again: Make flags purely decor again. This way people will be able to think of them as a decor to adorn their villages and cities with again. But keep it's functionality to a certain degree: one-shot teleportation beacons.

    Basically, take a leaf from Diablo and similar games:
    If teleporters are to be the static "waypoint portals", the new beacons would become the one-use "town portal scrolls".

    You plonk them on the ground wherever you need to go back to. Using them from the planetside might even allow you to teleport back to your ship as needed.
    However, teleporting TO the beacon should instantly destroy it. Like a Diablo town portal.

    Make it something more mechanical, like the original distress beacon in the game. Something that could warrant using stuff like either copper+iron ore or iron+tungsten ore depending on where you want it to sit in the tier tree. Something that wouldn't be too costly to make but would still take some dedicated effort to make in actually useful amount.

    It would answer a lot of the current issues with the "flags" system to make such beacons "one-use" only, and free the later as a simple cosmetic again.

    In later tiers, it might even become the basis for something like a permanent "Landing site beacon/rerouter" which wouldn't act like a teleportation beacon accessible from the teleporter network, but instead "hijack" the "beam down" command to it's location on the planet currently being orbit. It could be used as either convenience or even "trap"(of sort) laid for other players.
     
  2. phichikapparho

    phichikapparho Subatomic Cosmonaut

    While that is a fair compromise to the arguments on the other thread, and a good suggestion...

    I see no reason why you had to make a new thread to talk about it.

    But I can definately see that as a way to make all 4 of the people who voted yes in the other thread happy.
     
  3. Ludovic

    Ludovic Giant Laser Beams

    I was hesitant to, but I was afraid of hijacking their thread and/or the point either being lost in the replies potentially. Plus, I probably should have more directly posted that in the suggestion subforum ^^;

    But really, I feel like a "Starbound town portal scroll" equivalent might be a good replacement to flags and interesting mechanic. Since the concept of a tech-based beacon also already fixes the issue of "how is the teleporter homing on this" quest of immersion.

    If anything, "flags as teleport location" always felt a bit almost like a stopgap feature, meant to answer those who wished for a mean to teleport to a location without the investment of an actual teleporter. At least to me personally, even if it was never meant in a "stopgap" sense and were indeed a "finalized" feature.
     
  4. TheMumbles

    TheMumbles Space Hobo

    The cost of a flag is still a bit much unless you farm plant fibre like there's no tomorrow.
     
  5. DJFlare84

    DJFlare84 Spaceman Spiff

    Alternatively, if you get real lucky and find a flower biome, the giant flower-trees there drop loads of plant fibers instead of wood, and saplings so you can grow more. Start farming that!

    Also, go to ANY JUNGLE planet and just wave a spear around. I swear you'll never go hungry for plant fibers again.
     
  6. korda

    korda Pangalactic Porcupine

    Biggest problem with teleporter is that it is too expensive for players who just started (15 diamonds + 3000 pixels). Since it's very possible for someone to build first 'base' on starting planet/system, there should be easier way to bookmark that location.

    Though in fact I wouldn't mind if placing flag bookmarked planet for teleportation instead of specific location on planet.
     
  7. STCW262

    STCW262 Heliosphere

    Another possibility would be for Flags to only work if either the player is orbiting the planet where the flags have been placed or if there's a Teleporter in the planet.
     
  8. Dander.1981

    Dander.1981 Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Found an Apex Rebel camp and spotted huge security hazards on top of their 2 perimeter watch towers. Wanted to tell them -"Guys, you should move those flags to the outside of the perimeter and surround them with traps. Because that is where the miniknog attack will appear."

    I'm all for the flag being all decoration again with some artistic improvement. While a device as the OP propose replaces it. With an added detail to the feature. Upon activation, a teleport beacon is placed but you are not automatically transported. Because whenever you are about to enter a dungeon such as the Glitch Fortress, it is nice to have a "spawn in" point closer. Dying and loosing most of your items, knowing that you'll have to run halfway across the planet surface while dying some more times as the dropped items included your bandages! Is less fun.

    In case you were unaware. You can bookmark a planet for ship travel, in the navigation panel.
     
  9. korda

    korda Pangalactic Porcupine

    I know. But while bookmarking is free ship travel takes time (and lots of fuel if it is interstellar travel) and is therefore quite useless as means of early back-to-my-base transport.
     
  10. Dander.1981

    Dander.1981 Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Hire an engineer or two as ship crew. Ship will eventually run purely on their tears. And fuel can be bought cheap from the outpost. Travel animation could use a skip button. But these are temporary inconveniences as you soon enough find or buy your first teleport core to install as a "permanent" teleport gateway to your starter settlement.

    It is called player progression. As you play you discover new items/techs that remedies previous inconveniences that threatens to overstay their welcome. And give you something to look forward to.

    Giving a new player access to everything right away with no progression to look forward to, will only be unprofessionally overwhelming. *shudders at the short first impression and only memory of the Space Engineer game"
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2016
  11. LilyV3

    LilyV3 Master Astronaut

    wouldn't this make the entire survival mod way too easy?
     
  12. korda

    korda Pangalactic Porcupine

    Requiring player to get that 3000 pixels and chests (to find a core) at beginning of game is also unprofessional (especially if they happen to die a lot at beginning).

    Yes I know 3000 pixels or getting an engineer doesn't sound like hassle for us, who know the game and know how to get there fast.
     
  13. LilyV3

    LilyV3 Master Astronaut

    the only issue is the game will take you longer on th first planet than on all the others. the progression is like 40% initial planet 10% each other kind, done.
     
  14. Dander.1981

    Dander.1981 Subatomic Cosmonaut

    I knew nothing about having ship crew and never the less what the engineer does/exist prior to the 1.0 release. But I picked it up in the pace the game introduced it to me, not feeling rushed or wanting.

    How ever as an EA veteran I did know about the cores, diamonds and that you can BUY fuel for pixels. But all these is presented to the player early as the shops is unlocked at the outpost. Which they are before you even leave the first star system.

    If anything chucklefish devs could fix related to progression pacing is when you get access to the pixel compressor. Come on devs, the pixel compressor at the durasteel tier when pixel loss is less nerve wrecking? Can't you at least, install one at the outpost? Common do eeet! ;)
    (For you who do not know what the pixel compressor is; it is the starbound answer to pixel banking/storage)
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2016
    STCW262 likes this.

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