Fast Travel—are you a fan, how do you use?

[Brian Boru]

I use Fast Travel (FT) points to Slow Travel (@Zloth)—yes, really.

I avoid vehicles when possible, a large part of a game's enjoyment for me lies in wandering the world, on and off its beaten tracks. Drawback of that of course is it would take forever to get from one side of a big map to the other.

So FTs are essential for me to get me to the place from which I want to wander out during this session. Quite often, a play session's objective can be as simple as finding the next FT in that region—traveling across the local hills and rivers, looking for trouble and interesting places along the way. Nice way to play when not in the humor for a 'real' mission or quest.

I've played thru Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 twice so far. Main pain point is it's quite difficult to get around—massive cliff drop-offs and no grappling hook or aerial gear like parachute. So getting to the next FT can be a chore on foot. Next playthru I think I'll hop in a jeep and do a first run around the map to expose most of the FTs, before I start enjoyable play.

 

[Colif]

hmm, FT to me is classified as warp points, spots in map you can reach and get back to without having to repeat slog of getting there again.
So since I play arpg I would say I aim to collect them for the reason above. Time saved. As often in these games you have to go back to town or something to empty bags before going back out again

Torchlight 2, Diablo 2 & 3 all fall into that category. Often after finding a portal I would then explore
portal location in Torchlight 2 stages weren't ever in the same place so would need to explore zone to find them. Towns were fixed locations though.
Diablo 2 ones were more often in fixed locations, for the most part, I think some in D3 move around.
Sacred 2 is also in there as well, but warping around map was necessary as it was so big, and after finding portals you could explore. I seem to recall portals were in same locations every time but you had to do a lot of slow travel to get to them first time.

Its 10 years since I played sacred 2 so can't remember if you set a home location for town portals. So its possible only fast travel was once you found a portal.
No idea about Path of Exile, I need to play it again... its been about 5 years or so now. I played it in beta before it was released in 2013. I have no idea what its like now.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I definitely use fast travel a lot. I do like to explore. But there's a time for exploring, and a time for just getting there. If I just need to get to a place, I will always fast travel if I can. I'm never going to be one of those people who refuse to fast travel.

 

[Slasken]

I use it when I am on a mission to do a quest and don't want to get distracted, and believe me, I get easily distracted.
Half the fun of games is exploring, but exploring is for places you haven't been to a million times.

 

[Zloth]

I use it when I am on a mission to do a quest and don't want to get distracted, and believe me, I get easily distracted.
Half the fun of games is exploring, but exploring is for places you haven't been to a million times.

Or even three times! One of the first jobs in an open world game is getting as many fast travel points activated as I can. Never know when a quest is going to take you there!

Fast travel (at least the kind you can use from anywhere) can also be handy for getting yourself out of a stuck place, which will happen if you go out and start poking at the invisible walls around the edge of a game.

 

[Pifanjr]

It depends on how much fun travelling is in the game. In Skyrim, I made it a point to walk more at some point because I was missing out on all the content you can stumble upon if you travel by foot. But I would still fast travel back to town just to drop off the loot I had gathered, then fast travel back to where I came from.

 

[Brian Boru]

From replies so far: am I misinterpreting if it seems like there are some games where you can set your own FTs?

I've only played ones where the FTs are always fixed places, eg outposts or signposts at crossroads etc.

One of the first jobs in an open world game is getting as many fast travel points activated as I can

Yep, same here, that and just generally revealing the map.

there's a time for exploring, and a time for just getting there

depends on how much fun travelling is

Right.

 

[Pifanjr]

From replies so far: am I misinterpreting if it seems like there are some games where you can set your own FTs?

I've only played ones where the FTs are always fixed places, eg outposts or signposts at crossroads etc.

Morrowind already had the Mark spell that allowed you to set one location to return to with the Recall spell. No Man's Sky allows you to build teleporters to teleport between your bases and the space stations you've discovered.

 

[Ryzengang]

For bigger games in particular, fast travel is an expected feature at this point. I'll definitely do a fair amount of exploring and walking around, especially if I like the world, but fast travel is really nice when you just want to get somewhere quickly.

 

[mainer]

Using a fast travel option or teleportation varies greatly for me, and really depends on the game involved. For example(s):

In Skyrim, it just has never felt right to me to fast travel, as I love exploring in that game, and even if I've been through a certain area a hundred times or more, I just love looking at the world. With the day/night cycles, the variable weather, there was often a different look & feel to an area you've seen before. Great chances for screenshots, or random encounters, or a dragon attack, or maybe noticing an area I hadn't noticed before. Even if I get a quest in Riften that requires me to go to Solitude, I walk.

In Fallout 4, I use the same philosophy at first, but after I get some settlements built up (I'm always a Minutemen and build settlements, which is a huge part of the game for me) and the random attacks start, I do fast travel for those events, and they can happen frequently, even if your settlement has a good defensive system.

In Elex 2, it's a bit different, as you have to discover teleportation pads to teleport to that location. You can teleport to any pad at any time, but only once you've discovered it. Later in the game that becomes a huge benefit, but early on I avoid using them, as exploration is really a large part of that game.

In an ARPG, like Diablo 2, fast travel is critical for survival and selling off the loot you find. Keeping a stack of teleportation scrolls in your inventory is crucial, so I always use fast travel in a game like that.

I avoid vehicles when possible, a large part of a game's enjoyment for me lies in wandering the world, on and off its beaten tracks. Drawback of that of course is it would take forever to get from one side of a big map to the other.

I agree, though there aren't many games that I've played that make use of that option. There were horses in Skyrim of course (if a horse can be considered a vehicle), and I've tried them briefly, but stopped for the same reasons I listed above for Skyrim; and a horse just inhibits the exploration options.

One vehicle that I remember using a lot was the Nomad in Mass Effect Andromeda, but that was really more of an essential for survival, as many areas had environmental hazards that would kill the player without it (similar to the Mako in ME1). There were areas that you could traverse without it (and more opened up later in the game), but the open world structure of MEA's exploration was designed around using the Nomad, it really wasn't optional.

 

[Johnway]

For the most part i don't quick travel, so that i can see, explore as much as possible. but that said by the end of the game, i switch to fast travel especially if the distance is too far away/tedious/awkward to reach.

i mean when did simple convenience become so hated? i'll cut out the tedium of real life to maintain my enjoyment in a SP game i damn well do it.

 

[Frindis]

@mainer Green is cool! Reminds me that I have to use colors more, it's actually a great thing! "One does want a hint of color", as Albert in the movie Birdcage would say:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIKixd8Q0fM

In MMOs, I do use quick travel a lot, especially when I have discovered an area and basically only use the area for backtracking or grinding materials. Occasionally I do walk, especially if I want to get that nostalgia high like I did the last time I visited vanilla in WoW. There is something special about walking slowly from Stormwind and all the way down to Westfall.

In Skyrim, I use quick travel sometimes, but I also like to use my own horse or just walk around.

In Elden Ring, I use the horse much more than I fast travel. It is fun to use the horse as It moves great and you get to places really fast and it also makes me pause a little more and take in all those beautiful vistas.

In Dying Light, you can fast travel between the two parts of the Harran; the Slums and the Old Town and I use that fast travel system. I don't think there are any other fast travel points, but it is not needed as far as I can tell. The grappling hook that you get later on is just bloody brilliant for moving around, it is so far my favorite tool to use and definitely on the top 10 list of the best way to travel around.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

As for vehicles, I normally avoid them, too. I prefer to go on foot. In Breath of the Wild, one of the hyped mechanics was the horses. It was a big deal to catch and train a horse, and that they're pretty intelligent. They dodge stuff and you don't have to continually control them. But I preferred going on foot, and rarely used a horse.

I hated horses in Skyrim. In Halo games, I hate most vehicles. I do like Ghosts, though, because they're really easy to maneuver, and the gun is unlimited. But generally, I'll go on foot in most games...except Forza Horizon. Lol

It depends on how much fun travelling is in the game. In Skyrim, I made it a point to walk more at some point because I was missing out on all the content you can stumble upon if you travel by foot. But I would still fast travel back to town just to drop off the loot I had gathered, then fast travel back to where I came from.

How do you fast travel back to some random point you came from in Skyrim? As far as I remember, you can only fast travel to towns, and maybe farms.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I tend to only use Fast Travel on first play throughs when learning a game and it's features and terrain. It's also for diversity sake to keep each play through feeling fresh, as I like to add more challenge as I scale up in difficulty settings on subsequent play throughs.

I actually enjoy using vehicles and even feeling the immersion of having to travel covertly on foot to maintain stealth. I avoided fast travel altogether in my walkthrough of Ghost Recon Wildlands on Extreme with no HUD or upgrades, save for one mission which would have taken far too long traveling switchbacks through a non hostile area of a mountain, to be able to squeeze into a 20 minute ShadowPlay Instant Replay. I also avoided fast travel entirely in my Halo Infinite Legendary walkthrough with no upgrades. The game I just played once again, Days Gone, doesn't even allow fast travel on the Survival II difficulty, which I just beat again, this time with no upgrades save for using silencers the first part of the game.

So in short, Fast Travel to me is useful for a quick first play through when getting to know a game, but something off putting I avoid when stepping up difficulty.

 

[Pifanjr]

How do you fast travel back to some random point you came from in Skyrim? As far as I remember, you can only fast travel to towns, and maybe farms.

You can fast travel to any point of interest on the map and the map is absolutely filled with them. Plus you're most likely to want to go back to town to sell stuff right after you have visited a point of interest, so you can return exactly where you left off afterwards.

 

[Zloth]

I really like the Divinity series' fast travel. You get a couple of pyramids that let you teleport between them. Plop one down at the store and keep the other with you. When you want to sell, put down the other one, pop back to the store, cash in, then pop back to the dungeon or wherever. Some of the games will give you more than one pyramid. It ends up being a little mini-game where you plan all your teleport points out yourself.

I hated horses in Skyrim. In Halo games, I hate most vehicles. I do like Ghosts, though, because they're really easy to maneuver, and the gun is unlimited. But generally, I'll go on foot in most games...except Forza Horizon. Lol

I mean, the Mako in Mass Effect 1 wasn't very fun, but walking over all those mountains....

 

[Brian Boru]

Some of the games will give you more than one pyramid

Sounds interesting. Wouldn't work so well in some games where you need to revisit areas for a quick quest—eg back to the Rhino patch to get 4 more rhino skins so you can do the 3rd upgrade to your wallet… true story dat

except Forza Horizon

I guess racing and flying games are just one big FP—maybe they need Slow Travel Opportunity Points… aka STOPs

 

[Zloth]

Sounds interesting. Wouldn't work so well in some games where you need to revisit areas for a quick quest—eg back to the Rhino patch to get 4 more rhino skins so you can do the 3rd upgrade to your wallet… true story dat

In Far Cry, right? I think I did that, too.

 

[Brian Boru]

Far Cry, right?

Yep, FC3. I tried taking 'em down with arrows—for double skins—but it was too much like work.

That was the game with the freakin' radio towers to climb. While the FTs were only in the outpost safe houses, the towers also served as an alternative respawn point if you died.

 

[flashn00b]

I guess it all depends on how a game is designed in terms of making me wanna explore the game world. If there isn't much to do beyond grab collectibles across the map, then of course I'll just fast travel between areas.

I think The Witcher 3 handles fast traveling the best, since you HAVE TO use road signs in order to travel, which I guess makes sense to follow those signs rather than just instantly teleport from the middle of nowhere to a road sign. From a gameplay standpoint, it's also a nice balance between exploring an already traveled area in case you missed something and minimizing the amount of time wastage.

 

[Brian Boru]

makes sense to follow those signs rather than just instantly teleport from the middle of nowhere to a road sign

I agree it makes sense. However, I get great value from the middle of nowhere facility. Some play sessions I don't want to do any particular game objective, but instead say see if I can climb to the top of that mountain or check out if there's a different route to somewhere else. If a wingsuit won't work, it's great to be able to get back to civilization with a click.

 

[Withywarlock]

I guess my first experience of fast travel was with Spyro the Dragon: you could exit the level from the pause menu without losing any of your progress (gems, dragons and eggs necessary to beat the game). Because I enjoy taking my time navigating the levels right up to reaching the end portal, that means the quick way out isn't - nor does it feel - mandatory.

However as I play games today I almost feel the use of fast travel is an admission of failure, that the world simply isn't interesting enough to travel on by foot or whatever vehicles are present. On the other hand there's only so many times I can do the same route in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to fence off stolen goods or pawn off the items that simply make too much money to miss out on.

The compromise between the two is to stop creating such oversized worlds with means of travel which are sluggish for reasons that feel more necessary than enjoyable. Easier said than done I realise, but it has been done enough times for designers to get their acts together. It's up there with hiring an editor to rip out thirds of story-heavy games' scripts.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I mean, the Mako in Mass Effect 1 wasn't very fun, but walking over all those mountains....

Haha. I think you know that the Mako is exactly what drove me to quitting Mass Effect.

 

[Sarafan]

Usually I use fast travel frequently. Modern open world games are so huge that I can't imagine skipping on this feature. It would take ages to progress quests in Skyrim or The Witcher 3 without using fast travel. This is one of the reasons why I didn't decide to pick Hardcore Mode in my last playthrough of Fallout 4. It adds some nice features like hunger and thirst, but also disables completely fast travel which is beyond my level of acceptance.

There are some exceptions however. In Cyberpunk 2077 I used fast travel only two or three times. Somehow driving through Night City was very relaxing for me. People often criticized the driving model in this game, but it didn't bother me at all. Probably on my second playthrough I'll do the same.

 

[ZedClampet]

So FTs are essential for me to get me to the place from which I want to wander out during this session.

That's basically how I do it. But there are some games like Valheim and V Rising that won't let you take certain things through teleporters. So in V Rising, I empty my inventory except for my weapons and consumables, which are the two things you can take, and use the teleporter to get as close to where I'm heading as I can, but the trip back has to be the long way because the stuff I went to get can't go in the teleporters. It's actually kind of a great system. Coming back the long way is often very dangerous, so it adds some excitement. Are you going to make it back with your loot? The toughest is when you are escorting a human who is under your influence. I won't do that alone. One of us has to clear the area ahead so the person leading the human can get them through in one piece.

But, yeah, I love fast travel.