Idle zones and vehicles

[phunqe]

If I remember it correctly, zones go down in "sleep mode" when there are no players in the zone. A side effect to this is that vehicles without drivers in them are not returned to the depot unless there are at least one player in the zone for the duration of the despawn timer.

If possible, how about having idle zones poll themselves now and them to return any abondoned vehicles?

Poll 1: No vehicles.
Poll 2: New abandoned vehicle found in zone.
Poll 3: New abandoned vehicle still there, despawn.

[Jodo]

Yes please. It's not fun when a noob loses his only vehicle in some random swamp. It feels like a punishment for exploring the wastes.

[William Antrim]

Can you make it so that when the vehicle owner zones out of the zone the vehicle is parked in the depot?


(you could even charge us for this privilege?)

[Torg]

i think all we need is to get the vehicle back eventually. even if it takes (RL-)hours. loosing your first ride forever is surely disappointing (and should be avoided), but having to wait some time to get it back is fair punishment for driving into a mudpool, under whatever influence.

[Jodo]

Can you make it so that when the vehicle owner zones out of the zone the vehicle is parked in the depot?


(you could even charge us for this privilege?)

Hmm, not a fan of that. What happens if you FRE or somesuch? Does that count as leaving the zone? I don't mind waiting for a short time.

[Izeo]

I remember losing several vehicles in NC1 when I was new due to dying or syncbugging on a zone line, etc. Previous post(s) are right, in that losing a vehicle feels like a punishment for exploring. Phunqe is bein careful when he says this periodic poll should only happen to *idle* zones - zones without players in them, and he's even being careful in suggesting that the vehicle is removed on the SECOND poll, or else there is a small chance the vehicle COULD be returned instantaneously. i.e. you crash, or you abandon your vehicle intentionally to the next zone, and the poll occurs just after you left, causing the vhc to return. So, having it done on the second poll is smart.

The only thing I don't like about this idea (and I hate to even mention it) is; what if a player intentionally parks a vehicle somewhere where they assume other players won't come to activate the zone (or destroy the vehicle). Such as, driving a vehicle to an entrance of a cave that people NEVER level in. You'd assume it's safe to leave the vehicle and may not want it to automatically return.

That said. It would be super if the "DISMISS" function worked globally. This way you could manually recall your vehicle from any vehicle depot, even if it's lost somewhere. Problem solved?, unless anyone can think of a downside to that idea.

[Doc Holliday]

@ william. it should have a timer on it that starts after the vehicle has been left idle or something similar.

otherwise i like izeos idea. global despawn to get it back. probably the simplest way.

[Ivan Eres]

unless anyone can think of a downside to that idea.

There's none. Wonder why there is a despawn restriction at all. Maybe the implementation of the zones is the reason.

[hatmankh]

I like parking my vehicles in zones, like parking them outside a cave while I'm inside levelling. I don't know if there's some techincal reason for vehicles having to despawn after a set time or if its purely there to help runners when they lose their vehicles.

If it really is only there to help us when we lose our vehicles, why not have the despawn timer started manually by runners if they lost their vehicle and want it despawned, the timer could be the same duration it is now (Half an hour?) and it could be started either by adding a new button to the ASG interface, an option somewhere on used vehicle keys or simply a new chat command.

This way we get the best of both worlds, parking vehicles anywhere you want indefinitely and having them despawn when you lose them somewhere, its not really abusable since it takes the same amount of time, the only advantage is you don't have to sit afk in the zone you lost it at if its an empty zone.

[Jodo]

I like parking my vehicles in zones, like parking them outside a cave while I'm inside levelling. I don't know if there's some techincal reason for vehicles having to despawn after a set time or if its purely there to help runners when they lose their vehicles.

If it really is only there to help us when we lose our vehicles, why not have the despawn timer started manually by runners if they lost their vehicle and want it despawned, the timer could be the same duration it is now (Half an hour?) and it could be started either by adding a new button to the ASG interface, an option somewhere on used vehicle keys or simply a new chat command.

This way we get the best of both worlds, parking vehicles anywhere you want indefinitely and having them despawn when you lose them somewhere, its not really abusable since it takes the same amount of time, the only advantage is you don't have to sit afk in the zone you lost it at if its an empty zone.

Have a look through the rest of the thread. You don't seem to understand the issues.

That said. It would be super if the "DISMISS" function worked globally. This way you could manually recall your vehicle from any vehicle depot, even if it's lost somewhere. Problem solved?, unless anyone can think of a downside to that idea.

I would like to know the original reason for being unable to de-spawn you're vehicle regardless of the zone it resides in. (If any of the staff can even remember). If there's nothing substantial, then I agree, implementing that solution would be the best choice.
We could always beef up the story to it if that's an issue. In a future patch there could be a NEXT story-line, setting up towers in lesser used zones to boost the range of ASG's. Not many, maybe five across the wastes in total. It would be great if these towers were gigantic like the WB statue.

[Chuck Norris]

Easiest way would imo, just add ASG's to like every open wasteland sector

[Ivan Eres]

Easiest way would imo, just add ASG's to like every open wasteland sector

Are you sure that the easiest way is to change all wasteland sectors?