Ok, we need to talk about highways.

[Zetoss]

While you'd be unlikely to find someone who thinks dogs rear ends are beautiful dogs wouldn't work without them, they'd actually die. Bit like the highways, even if they're not all that attractive doing away with them in any way is not an option and I'd argue even changing how they work is a bad idea for so many reasons I can't be bothered listing them....

Dogs don't have an alternative to their rear ends. But there are alternatives, and good ones, to highways. Didn't need them in all the games prior to Rebirth, so I don't know how you can say not using them isn't an option.

Just like my comparison is sort of entertainingly wrong yours isn't right either really. Their purposes have been stated numerous times, just because a multiple decades old engine couldn't be adjusted to allow them doesn't mean the previous games didn't suffer because of the lack, the whole universe back then had to be sorted and divided into cramped little boxes to allow travel between gates because there was no good way to get around fast. Saying we were totally fine without highways is like saying people survived fine without health care thousands of years ago and lived to a ripe old age of 36, it sort of seems to have a point at first glance but it's really a bad argument.

The second purpose the highway serves is to bring ships together so the player can more than once in a blue moon see a whole lot of them at the same time which makes the universe feel enormously much more alive, instead of just randomly spotting occasional ships in the distance going in random directions. With the introduction of the alternative to boosters we would be more mobile than ever but also even less likely to enjoy the sight of ships around us out there. I don't know about you but I really like seeing other ships around and if I want a moment of loneliness I can just go 200km away from the pack and sit in empty space like a loner, also just because the highways will exist in a few places doesn't mean you can't simply Not Use Them if you hate being around other ships that much.

[MPX10L]

+1
Love the idea of highways, but not the visuals.
From what I've read so far I would like something like this:

- more accelerator rings (maybe even exclusive entry at those rings)
- no more low-poly stretched'n'mushy texture tubes. Instead, use a very subtle distortion effect like the one for the windows.
- a nice shiny shader accompanying active rings
- long engine trails and/or shockwave effects to visualize presence and direction

I don't need a hud representation. The map is 0 to 1 button presses away.

[Buzz2005]

can I just suggest no sharp turns and cuts
I mean the highways are ugly anyways but why the sharp turns and cuts? Thats even more immersion branking for me
And there is plenty of space to strech them

[gbjbaanb]

Have to disagree with the fake ships idea. There's no way it won't lead to completely immersion-breaking, ridiculous scenarios.

All ships in the universe should be real, with a purpose to exist.

So just like X3 where the heavily used trade routes were populated with ships going somewhere. There's no reason X4 trade lanes can;t be the same. And I would vote to get rid of the stupid tube texture in favour of just having ships zipping along.

[Fenhris]

Disclaimer: This may not be completely in sync with Science. But I am thinking, we just want things to sorta look real'ish and just function gamewise?

I allways found it plain wrong that this energy field could twist and turn on its own (think others adressed it in this thread too), so thinking no twist or turn without some kind of structure. For super highways too in my opinion.

Zones that have highways, should have structures like the ones seen in X3 (the ones in the Albion sectors under construction) build around the highways. If the highway changes direction within the zone, the structures would have bends to bend the energy field. The structures would be where the highways are visible in the zone, where masstraffic, small freighters etc. would enter and leave the highways. The highways them selves are invisible (possibly with some of the effects other more capable people described in many other posts here).
This would leave the empty zones actually looking empty except the ships that may woosh through at high speed.

You should still be able to enter the highway from an empty zone, but may find it hard to find it if you dont have the approiate HUD upgrade.

Fenhris.

[ajime]

The thing about highways for me is that it cuts down piracy play, which i find fun. Well sometimes slightly annoying if your trade ships are on the receiving end, but hey i'm not complaining. There is no longer bottlenecks which symbolizes "oh this is a pirate system" which grants quick access to your routes but slightly riskier without proper escort.

[Tomonor]

The thing about highways for me is that it cuts down piracy play, which i find fun. Well sometimes slightly annoying if your trade ships are on the receiving end, but hey i'm not complaining. There is no longer bottlenecks which symbolizes "oh this is a pirate system" which grants quick access to your routes but slightly riskier without proper escort.

That's where sabotaging a highway would be a nice feature to have.

[MPX10L]

The thing about highways for me is that it cuts down piracy play, which i find fun. Well sometimes slightly annoying if your trade ships are on the receiving end, but hey i'm not complaining. There is no longer bottlenecks which symbolizes "oh this is a pirate system" which grants quick access to your routes but slightly riskier without proper escort.

That's where sabotaging a highway would be a nice feature to have.

+1

[Karvat]

Highways are ok if kept in small quantities and in the main areas of the main sectors

[ajime]

The thing about highways for me is that it cuts down piracy play, which i find fun. Well sometimes slightly annoying if your trade ships are on the receiving end, but hey i'm not complaining. There is no longer bottlenecks which symbolizes "oh this is a pirate system" which grants quick access to your routes but slightly riskier without proper escort.

That's where sabotaging a highway would be a nice feature to have.

then we're back to freelancer's tradelanes which i enjoyed while it lasted.

[MPX10L]

Just gently placing the LT warp rail bit here ...

https://youtu.be/0tPdbLe3zx0

Warp rail section starts at 4:10, if you dare to skip the beauty

[Fleabum]

Thanks for that Adrian.

Wow, Limit Theory's take on 'space lanes' is very, very nice.

I had never heard of this game before, will have to keep an eye on it. It might end up being a really good 4x space game.

Regards
Flea

[thrangar]

Thanks for that Adrian.

Wow, Limit Theory's take on 'space lanes' is very, very nice.

I had never heard of this game before, will have to keep an eye on it. It might end up being a really good 4x space game.

Regards
Flea

Well it seams now that it might be actually be finished at some point...but for the last half decade I never thought it would be

[Skeeter]

Wow limit theory's implementation is alot better than es tunnel tubes methods, it looks cleaner it looks sci fi and is minimalistic and does the job great. Es please do a similar effect and implementation please. Don't say no cos u hate copying from other games because you always are, as good ideas are good ideas and should be shared, just look at x4 docking it's easily a copy and paste of elites docking even with the landing graphic to level ur ship when landing, amongst many other space game features.

[adeine]

Seems a bit too magical to me, not really in line with X games' aesthetic.

[Skeeter]

Tubes are more magical than LT sci fi looking one imo. Would suit X games more imo. Tho then again X games haven't really evolved gfx wise in looking like a space game in years, a little better lighting and models and textures but the way modern games have made space look far nicer makes X games look dated, even x4 reveal the gfx showing the universe doesn't seem as smooth and detailed as say LT or elite or SC etc. Dunno if the render engine or not enough shaders or not using deferred lighting (not sure if it is or not but I assume not) or just the way the way it's been built but space could look far nicer using a decent engine.

[adeine]

Tubes are more magical than LT sci fi looking one imo. Would suit X games more imo.

Oh, yes, I don't like the magical swirly noodle tubes either.

I'd just rather it be more mechanical looking and in line with pre-existing lore, like the accelerators, gates, etc. I still think one of the best implementations to "steal" are Freelancer's trade lanes, both visually and in terms of gameplay opportunities.

[Skeeter]

Could just turn limit theory's balls into a structure and turn the blue particle lines into a more of a beam. That would keep the two functions but tweak it to X universe. So the structure is a controller between points and the beam could be a gravity beam that pulls ships close and forward along it at insane speeds.

Whatever happens the tubes have to go and keep it simple and visually minimal so it doesn't look stupid like the tubes dotting about a system.

[Miniding]

Have to disagree with the fake ships idea. There's no way it won't lead to completely immersion-breaking, ridiculous scenarios.

All ships in the universe should be real, with a purpose to exist.

Totally agree!

In X3 every single ship you saw was real. In XR, when you enter Highways, there are many ships you never see outside and that never even enter the highway and it's not very immersive, IMO

[Ranix]

I don't really have a horse in this race - I don't care what the highways look like as long as they feel good and are immersive and believable in the game world.

The minigame in X Rebirth where you hop around behind other ships that seem to be generated out of thin air would be absolutely unacceptable in a main sequence X game, and I do not expect to see that in X4