Campaign Timer

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

Is there any sort of campaign timer mechanic in the game? Like in the Pathfinder games by this developer.

[Kain]

I hope not. I hate that crap.

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

Originally posted by Kain:

I hope not. I hate that crap.

Same here. I like what I see so far in the previews. I don't mind the odd side mission here and there that you have to complete within a given time.

But if there is anything resembling a campaign timer, I am out.

[Balekai]

Nope, not in the beta at least.

Time progresses with starting main mission locations rather than time played or travelling. So no hard/soft time limit and no failures due to time "running out."

However, in some cases the order in which you do mission locations changes the encounters within them. In Act 1 there's about three initial locations you can choose to do in whatever order, but the order actually mattered and the other missions changed due to deteriorating situations.

Now in Act 2 this wasn't a thing in the Beta unlike Act 1. You could complete content in whatever way you choose without any time/mission changing repercussions. We will have to wait and see if Acts 4 and 5 have similar "time" mechanics as Act 1, and/or if release Act 2 missions are revamped to be more like Act 1.

Based off my Beta play. the best way to complete the Act 1 locations were in this order imo:



- Go to the space station which is hinted at being the most dire/time sensitive. Even though there isn't an emergency transmission like the prison planet. It's dead silent which tells you something really really bad already happened.

- Then prison/mining colony asteroid. Emergency Signal, unlike Minoris which still doesn't seem to have any big issues yet.

- Then Minoris the Capitol Planet. You will only figure out stuff isn't too good down there when you try to land. :D

You get the most rewards and VIPish NPCs alive this way.

More detailed spoilers for why you should go to which locations first:



- Going to the Space Station first gives you an option to salvage it. One option gives you an early Profit Margin boost and some valuable cargo.

- Going to prison Planet 1st or 2nd allows you to save a very important person If you go 1st he's unscathed. If it's the second location he's a bit worse for wear but still alive. If third he dies (or fourth he dies. Someone stated he was still alive if location was the third mission, which means the really crappy result may only come in after doing the second Mission area on Minoris. Better to do it second and be safe rather than sorry I guess).

- Going to Minoris last changes a fair amount, but not a lot that's actually important. Things have obviously deteriorated more than if you did this 1st or 2nd. Some fights are harder and a minor NPC is replaced with another. That's about it and narrative wise I liked it as the 3rd mission.

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

Thank you for detailed response Balakai. Sounds reassuring.

"However, in some cases the order in which you do mission locations changes the encounters within them. In Act 1 there's about three initial locations you can choose to do in whatever order, but the order actually mattered and the other missions changed due to deteriorating situations."

I have no issues with this actually. Sounds more like a gameworld reacting to your choices, or branching paths in a story. These are good for RPGs.

Unlike, say, game becoming unplayable or locking the player out of storyline or events moving on without the player because they spent "too long" exploring, trading, fighting in the sandbox (a.k.a. playing the game).

[Gnox]

Man... pathfinder had timers? The folks behind this studio seem to be dinosaurs in the industry, just about every designer by now knows that's a bad idea. Some creatures refuse to evolve though and think their *ideas* are more *fun*.

Folks over there need to learn cognitive dissonance 101 - how to avoid the unpleasant experience of being blindsided by mechanics you have not communicated to the player effectively enough. There's a hell of a lot of it in this game.

[Psycohitman]

Originally posted by Gnox:

Man... pathfinder had timers? The folks behind this studio seem to be dinosaurs in the industry, just about every designer by now knows that's a bad idea. Some creatures refuse to evolve though and think their *ideas* are more *fun*.

Folks over there need to learn cognitive dissonance 101 - how to avoid the unpleasant experience of being blindsided by mechanics you have not communicated to the player effectively enough. There's a hell of a lot of it in this game.

just play 2h of chaosgate and u will have no issue anymore because in chaosgate verthing has a timer. i relly hope we dont get any of that in RT.there are enough things that are off. u are a roguetrader with unlimeted money but u cant buy the good stuff till act 4 (like powerarmor) so some talents are locked into lategame but u dont know that because u dont get any hints for some stuff or if u can get it early.

[Sotanaht]

In act 2, what matters is when you are told a planet is under attack, you need to get your butt there ASAP. Time in act 2 onward is based on the number of warp jumps you make, so when you hear about an attack you should spend your Navigator Insight and go directly to the location. FWIW I'm fairly sure you can finish any tasks in whatever system you happen to be in without repercussions.

[illuviar]

While there are secondary objectives that can fail if you take too long, or find yourself too far when they trigger, that won't end the campaign. The same is true for at least one companion quest - Jae would speak to you if you take too long for one of her quests, or if you forget to speak with her on the bridge after completing it, which is either a bug or oversight, reminding you that you are running out of time. Going by what happens in said quest, if you take too long you might fail a secondary objective.

[glenn3e]

Originally posted by Sotanaht:

In act 2, what matters is when you are told a planet is under attack, you need to get your butt there ASAP. Time in act 2 onward is based on the number of warp jumps you make, so when you hear about an attack you should spend your Navigator Insight and go directly to the location. FWIW I'm fairly sure you can finish any tasks in whatever system you happen to be in without repercussions.

What quest is this?

[D-Black Catto]

Originally posted by Sotanaht:

In act 2, what matters is when you are told a planet is under attack, you need to get your butt there ASAP. Time in act 2 onward is based on the number of warp jumps you make, so when you hear about an attack you should spend your Navigator Insight and go directly to the location. FWIW I'm fairly sure you can finish any tasks in whatever system you happen to be in without repercussions.

when this happens you are 2 jumps away from your planet

I just tested it. it doesn't matter if you arrive that in 2 jumps or one forced jump. no need to waste navigator points for one jump.