Portals

[Lord Shinobai]

I know this topic has been brought up in many forms before but I figured I'd add yet another.

There are obviously many ways, reasons and such that players have suggested ways to change or alter the current portal system depending on the issues that each individual has. Some have also suggested blanket changes that vary in size of change.

Peronsally I'm ok with the current portal system for the most part, the only issue I have really ever had a problem with is portals that just don't seem to have destinations that make sense.

I'll use Last Stand as an example. This is a settlement, and is listed portals with other settlements when settlements are included in that portals list of destinations. Some of these settlements, such as last stand, also have a portal and not just a landing pad. The part that doesn't make sense to me is that Last Stands destinations are not to other settlements, as *I* would think it should be, but to CP and guild communities.

This is just one example of a portal which has thier destinations set in a way that seems to not make sense.

Long attempt at a point made short, is there a reason why there are portals that, again seem, to not make sense, or would it be possible to see a change if say a list was provided of portals which are set up this way.

I, for one, would be willing to compile such a list. A list of portals in settlements that have guilds set as destination, a list of portals in guilds that have settlements as destination, etc.

Shinobai - Chaos Shard

[Shian]

Last stand is a hub and one of the few places that have the place I need to go as a destination.
I would be very sad if it was changed without having the destinations also listed elsewhere.

Portal destinations I frequently use:
Last Stand: Goes to BOTH guild communities I live in: Back Bay and Carmo. These are usually listed on separate portals and with the portal a step away from the pad, I use this every time I can't find my destination. (The clearport portal guild listing from Bris is rarely listed)

Baker: Listed from Mahagra, it's the only way to get to my Winter's Peak lair without Bris attunement. Also contains all the settlements to get everywhere else. Like Last Stand.

Parsinia: contains all the "odd ball" ports not found in settlements or guild portals: AI, Acul, Kirignat etc.

Portal destinations I don't use:
Harro is quite possibly the best portal in the game. It goes literally everywhere, but it's so far away from it's pad, it's positively useless.

Heather. Yes, I know this one is popular because it's free. I find other destinations with the portal far closer to the pad with a negligible fee. As I'm pulling a cargo disk 80% of the time, speed is more important than money.

Though, yes, you are right. There are a number of portal destinations that make no sense whatsoever.

The only way to get to Parsinia from Kion is to be attuned to Bris, something a full tier above you So why bother doing the quest to attune to Parsinia? By the time you make it to Bris, you've out leveled any content that might be there.

[Frith-Rae]

Now that you've brought it up - HOnestly it doesn't make any "sense" to me at all that all portals don't lead to all other portals - or at least to all portals in a certain "miles" from your location.

I don't even attempt to figure out, nor remember, where various settlement and other portals go to XYZ other portal or not. It makes no sense to me when I run up to a portal and not only does it not go to any "local" main cities, but it goes to no other portal I have any clue about.

To me all portals should be going to all other portals.

And if that's too much to ask. At least make all portals lead to portals on their part of the world. So at least I can look at a map and go "ok I need to get to the other side of the world, this portal will take me part of the way, but then the portal there will take me the rest of the way."

The fact that random portals lead to random places (even if its guild to guild or settlements to guilds or settlements to other settlements) is just...annoying.

[AmonGwareth]

To me all portals should be going to all other portals.

And if that's too much to ask. At least make all portals lead to portals on their part of the world. So at least I can look at a map and go "ok I need to get to the other side of the world, this portal will take me part of the way, but then the portal there will take me the rest of the way."

It is too much to ask I'm afraid. There are simply too many destinations.

A portal revamp is much like a loot revamp, perhaps even bigger. Not in terms of work, but in terms of impact on players. No matter what change is made, there are going to be very unhappy people.

We've actually done a work-up of a revamp two or three times now. We just don't have a fully satisfactory solution. The way its setup behind the scenes is messy and that complicates things. Easier to tear it all down and rebuild it than to tweak it.

[Lord Shinobai]

It is too much to ask I'm afraid. There are simply too many destinations.

A portal revamp is much like a loot revamp, perhaps even bigger. Not in terms of work, but in terms of impact on players. No matter what change is made, there are going to be very unhappy people.

So since we've seen a loot revamp, multiple times, can we hope, or expect, or whatever feeling, that we will see one in the future?

We've actually done a work-up of a revamp two or three times now. We just don't have a fully satisfactory solution. The way its setup behind the scenes is messy and that complicates things. Easier to tear it all down and rebuild it than to tweak it.

Again, maybe i'm reading too much into this when I think you might be eluding to a possible "overhaul", but any chance on a more concrete reply as to whether we'll be seeing something, no matter how far into the future?