Feldon A few years ago, travel within EQ2 was only slightly arduous. Players often had to travel to Nek Forest, Thundering Steppes, or Moors of Ykesha to then bounce off to places farther afield. EQ2Wire even published a World Travel Map (and gave away copies at Fan Faire) which suggested the easiest means of travel.
Then over time, recast times on Guild Hall and Call Home spells got shorter, and travel restrictions lessened. Then came a major streamlining which eliminated all bells (and carpets) in favor of a single universal World Travel Bell on almost every dock which will take you almost anywhere in Norrath.
Eventually, players were able to purchase stacks of five Portable Globe of Swift Travel that allow us to summon a World Travel Bell anywhere. If you thought the streamlining was finished, you’d be wrong. It looks like those portable globes are about to undergo “point of need” streamlining. On Test, you can now click on your Map and travel, for a fee.
From the EQ2 Test Forums:
Greetings Testers,
Today’s Test update brings instant travel! You can now click on your map, click on the Quick Access Teleport button in the upper-right corner, and choose where you want to go.
This feature will cost Station Cash once it hits the other servers but it is currently free for you to check out on Test. Please play around with it and give us your feedback!
Thank you.
EQ2Wire Comment: Undoubtedly, the introduction of this feature will coincide with the removal of those Portable Globes, so I’d stock up now.
UPDATE from Ahma:
To clarify this, instant travel will only allow you to go to existing travel locations (druid rings, wizard spires, and bells). Beyond those, you will not be able to choose a specific location within a zone.
The title should inclued for SC only. Not great at all, look more like a trap.
I changed the title.
Link to the ‘world travel map’ isn’t working.
Fixed.
Looks like Smokie wasnt kidding about slowly folding SC consumables out of the store, and into point-o-need UI buttons. Too bad the researcher is the only useful one yet.
I’m still waiting for them to unhide the self-rez one on the death screen. Its been in the UI files for weeks. That one I might actually use (on purpose) from time to time depending on the zone and distance to revive point.
(oh, and if you ever update that travel map, you need a dotted quick-connect across all 3 “lines” in Enchanted Lands, since the spire and the ring are actually close to each other then the spire to the bell)
I made some screenshots and there is no price on this new feature on test server yet.
I am guessing 500sc for this item?
Smokie never kids about SC, ever.
Good point about stocking up on travel bells … listen to Feldon, kids.
Is this new instant travel in essence a point of need portable world bell? Has anyone been on test to confirm?
The post on the forum was not clear – but it had the potential to be open the map and go *anywhere* (for a fee). Ie – straight to where a contested raid mob spawns – not just a world bell.
If it is *anywhere* – I’m not so happy with this change. If it’s just basically a point of need portable world bell – then ok… (though /roll eyes at SOE)
If this feature makes it possible to go to the exact location of a contested mob, there WILL be big trouble ahead – as 15 people pop onto the location and start arguing over who gets the mob, who gets the loot. I hope that it does NOT go to that level of “convenience”. Also, if the SC cost of this service is on a “per use” basis, I know I can’t afford it! They better not eliminate the world bells! I must travel free of charge, and I can live with the minor inconvenience of finding a bell, or a gryphon, or a carpet. I use my guild hall bell, and My house door to the guild hall all the time!
Hope they realize this isnt good for PVP. Or remember to disable it in use for pvp.
Good point on the contest mob issue! Pretty game breaking. I assumed it would be port to someplace the travel bell is, so it takes away one step of guild hall/bell/fly somewhere in the zone.
If it’s just appear anywhere, well then, that’s another story altogether.
Testers, how does it work?
Just what a game that has instant free travel to just about anywhere needed, faster travel that costs you cash per usage to make the game world seem even smaller and less interesting. At least you won’t have to do those pesky 1 minute runs/flights to get where you want to go anymore…
Breanna said:
phukn lol if you think SOE would have any sense to be mindful of the consequences for some of their moronic RMT decisions…youch.
i fear for EQNext with phukn Smokejumper the brand Producer or whatever the phuk kind of phukkery is getting phukt about with.
Going a bit overboard with this whole Station Cash thing in my opinion..
Wow, so Sony has taken an idea that’s offered for free in a newer game that has no subscription fee after buying the base game and implemented it as a fee based service on top of their subscription based game?
I mean, Guild Wars 2 isn’t really the game I want to play but I can’t believe how poorly Sony is managing their games. I hope things get better for the sake of the EQ communities.
It seems like the way they’re monetizing things will cause a lot of long term harm.
Update from Ahma:
a friend tells me that dragon profit beta is set up like this though with travel and instanna rez’s the rest of the smed shop not set up yet
What I want to know are the current bells going to still be available. If not then this is a gross way to push station cash on us. I can still remember it costing 32 silver to get from freeport to nektulos forrest.
Big difference in costing 32 silver to get from Freeport to Nek Forest than $0.50.
I liked it when world travel cost game currency, it just made sense.
One thing that is guaranteed though the point of use globe feature will cost more than the per unit cost of the globe.
Just like the repair costs, and the equipment unlocker.
Wouldn’t shock me one bit at this point to see these people remove wizzy portals, druid portals, take away the special druid ring and wizard spires we earned as well. The SC stuff is just too much in your face.
I pay a sub, unless I press ctrl+L and enter the station cash shop I shouldn’t have it waved in my face.
This is not just an extreme case of dumbing down the game it also assumes that the people demanding this method of travel can read a map. I’m sure they also are requesting a huge YOU WANT TO GO THERE and BIG BLUE ‘X’ as well.
Seriously, most players are more cognizant of travel in Norrath than the social media intern in that Jack in the Box commercial. Why on earth did the team waste time developing this? (rhetorical, I know)
If Smed and Smoke want/need SC that badly put the freaking Call of the Veteran on the Marketplace. That will more than make up for the time wasted on yet another instant travel choice…for Station Cash.
For the love of humanity please kill this idiotic idea.
If they aligned more with other PoS, erm PoN driven tin cup MMOs, then they’ll reintroduce nuisance charges to the game (like play to travel) and give you the option to use SC of you prefer.
I really wish the “many” transaction model would mature into something sustainable, more affordable and something much less annoying. I’m starting to have doubts it’ll happen in my gaming lifetime. Every Flexible-Total-Price MMO I’ve tried I’d equally as annoying with their business model. There is a huge lack of creativity.
I agree with Betony on this one. Add Call of the Veteran to the marketplace. I would definitely buy it (with the station cash I receive for free because of a recurring sub). My character is almost as old as the game itself, but I don’t have CoV because I transferred him to a new account 🙁
What next?
SC for click to cure?
Third vote for CoV on the marketplace! I have a second account that isn’t as old as my original one, but I would certainly like CoV on it. Or how about a legacy item for second accounts if you have it on one character? I know, I am sure that would be exploitable….
Anyway, just sell it already!
More and more we r faced to a premium paying customers with full ads… perhaps time to put some rule to not cross… Most of other business model (other than mmorpg) do the exact opposit. Ads are here for make freebe to pay. And obviously pay mean the company will stop to tease you. But no game industry keep teasing even if you pay. I wish some country will put some law on this…
I wonder if DDL site (and all others) would have so many customer if they was still flooding ads and add some waiting time just for more ads and more cash.
The whole thing is wrong. I m paying customers, remove the ads.
If Everquest was very well updated with LOT of working content… That is not. I see more marketplace feathure than game one.
But people asking for marketplace item will not help on this. People will always want thing… But there is diferent way to do it, and marketplace is the badest one (or at last the most annoying for gamer)
I really feel i pay a team that destroy my loved game everyday, and every day they want more cash, for destroy it more.
Meh, I liked the old travel system, where you actually had to, you know, travel. The world was big and you couldn’t just insta-bell everywhere, instead you actually had to decide if you really want to go from Qeynos to for example Commonland now or maybe go later, when there was something else you had to do there.
All those bells destroyed the world and made it feel small.
You kids have it easy today, but back in my days… *shakes cane*