Edge of a system

[Shakari]

Anyone have any idea what's going to happen at the edge of a system? Will everything be linked together so you can bounce from one to the other (like WoW's area system) or will there be an invisible boundary that your ship will hit and stop at? If there is that invisible wall, does that mean that there is only one entrance to a system, or will there be multiple in's and out's?

This brings up another question: will there be 2 or 3 axis? Will all planets be on the same plane, or will we be able to fly over AND around them?

[ramjam380]

Given the vast voids within and around systems, I don't think we'll see whole systems modeled and connected in the way you seem to be imagining. Cryptic has made a distinction between tactical and long-distance navigation in STO, and I expect that there will be some kind of map interface for warping from points in one system to points in another.

We haven't seen anything about warp being restricted to certain areas, and in Star Trek there is generally no problem with going to warp provided there are no obstacles in your path. Systems are not connected to one another in the manner of Babylon 5, although the inclusion of "transwarp conduits" that would speed travel along certain spacelanes has been hinted at by the devs.

Still, long-range navigation remains one of the big "ifs" right now in gameplay, along with what kind of activities will be available while the ship is at warp.

[jagerbolt]

From reading the interviews it seems that once you reach the edge of a system it will bring up the Stellar Cartography screen where you then pick which system you wish to warp to, and using the trans warp hub it warps you there instantaneously (or as fast as your PC can load it.) Now whether the trans warp hubs mean that only certain systems are connected together, or if you can warp to any system you wish, who knows.

[HyorD]

From the Game Informer article, published last year, we know that STO is divided into different scales: Galaxy, sector, system and planetside.
In the galaxy map, you choose a sector and travel instantly to it. Well in the sector map, you get a tactical overview of that sector, probably with your ship being represented with some sort of icon.
Once in a system, you control your ship in 3D. It was specified in the latest Ask Cryptic that "When traveling within a system, you will not be able to travel at warp". I'm guessing that this means that you can't just fly off at warp in any directions you choose, although you can probably warp to different planets and other objects of interest within that system (as otherwise it would take hours going from, say, Earth to Pluto).
This means that - if they want to - Cryptic can put an invisible barrier around each system, as long as they make sure to put it a few light hours away from all the objects within the system, and nobody will ever run into this border unless they're really intent on it. I'm guessing, though, that if you ever were to head out to the border, your ship would probably start to turn back towards the system, rather than actually running into the wall; that's the way it's been done in games such as Bridge Commander.

[Shakari]

Lol, perhaps I was thinking that your ship would hit the "edge" and start bouncing along the inside of a sphere or something. Thanks though, those did clear up my questions. Guess I'll go read that gameinformer again.

[Loekii]

From reading the interviews it seems that once you reach the edge of a system it will bring up the Stellar Cartography screen where you then pick which system you wish to warp to, and using the trans warp hub it warps you there instantaneously (or as fast as your PC can load it.) Now whether the trans warp hubs mean that only certain systems are connected together, or if you can warp to any system you wish, who knows.

Sounds like a decent idea.

What I don't want to see is a 'wrap around' map (ala 'Asteriods'), nor a 'hard edge' where you ship hits an invisible wall.

I would even be happy with you bridge crew notifying you that further progression is restricted by code BetaDelta Banshee, and that they are powering down until an approved course is selected.

[Azurian]

I'm guessing that this means that you can't just fly off at warp in any directions you choose, although you can probably warp to different planets and other objects of interest within that system (as otherwise it would take hours going from, say, Earth to Pluto).

No, they said there is warping within the system, it's just it will be instantaneous from planet to planet or you could take the longer way via impulse.