One of the exciting features coming with Halas Reborn is the revamp of the travel system. Salim "Silius" Grant has made travelling throughout Norrath smoother and took a few minutes to explain in detail some of the changes that adventurers will see.

What is the purpose of the travel revamp?

When evaluating travel we identified several issues with our travel system and the purpose of this revamp was to resolve those issues. As a result the new travel system has done the following:

  • Provide players with a sense of where they are going.
    • The drop down list just presented a bunch of location names without providing the player an idea of what that place was about or where in Norrath it was. The new travel map gives them an idea of where they are going by letting them see the big picture and giving them some feedback on the areas listed when travelling from one zone to another.
  • Standardize the way players travel.
    • Travel was presented in two distinct ways and we wanted to make travel selection universally the same. Once again, as listed above, using the map for both inner and zone to zone travel allows the player to see where they are going on the map. When a player goes to travel now they will understand the mechanic regardless of the type of travel it is.
  • Streamline travel.
    • In general we really want our customers to spend less time travelling and more time playing the game and having fun. That’s not to say that travel and exploration is not fun for some people, but not everyone enjoys having no choice in the matter. The curious player will still explore and discover if they wish, we have not taken that away. We have however made it easier for the various modes of travel to get people together requiring as few zoning screens as possible.
  • Removing unnecessary roadblocks
    • Over the years many of the roadblocks of travel have become more a nuisance to new players then an enjoyable experience. Realizing this we decided that, from a gameplay point of view, these roadblocks did not need to exist. In the case of quest requirements we simply made the quest an option so that the player does not lose the flavor or potential reward. Over the years we think the griffon towers have received more than enough eggs so they do not require you to bring them any, but they certainly won’t turn down any donations should you decide you want to collect some. 

What changes were made to smooth out travel?

The way the travel system works now you should use less hops to get to any given location. This was accomplished by adding some new teleportation locations for druids, placing spire teleporters in locations that previously did not have one, and linking the bell network together.

What will happen to the mariner's bells?

The mariner’s bells are now just a function of intra-city travel for Qeynos and Freeport. The global bells have been replaced by a new invention called the “Globe of Swift Travel”

How does the Globe of Swift Travel work?

It is fairly simple and similar to other means of travel. You click on it just like you would any other object. When you do this a map is displayed showing your travel options. Mousing over an option will display a tooltip that gives some information about the area in the form of the level range and background text. Double clicking the location will start your journey to that location.

Will the globe cancel out bells or other forms of transportation?

The globes only replaced the bells that were used for zone to zone travel.

What happens to the guild hall amenities?

The guild hall amenities have all been altered to function the same way as the new travel globe. We debated removing the extra bells/carpet but decided instead to give each its own look. Hopefully this will allow them to fit any theme a guild may be going for.

African or European swallows?

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