I know this isn’t strictly related to patient gaming, but I think it fits the ethos of this community and I can’t think of a better choir to preach to.
The director of Dragon’s Dogma II made the following statement regarding limiting or removing fast travel
Just give it a try. Travel is boring? That’s not true. It’s only an issue because your game is boring. All you have to do is make travel fun
I think this is fairly compelling. Though I will say, I don’t think the answer is to limit fast travel. The real limitations developers should be placing should be on filler quests that have you traveling from point a to point b and then back with some slight pretext as to why you’re doing so. It’s not fast travel that’s the issue so much as mission design and the manners in which the player is compelled to cross the game world.
Metroidvanias are a great example of how to allow for fast travel while still making traveling around the game world compelling. The latest Metroid, Metroid Dread, was really fantastic in this aspect. You have this sense of progression and exploration even as you’re backtracking.
Would removing fast travel from Metroid Dread have made it any better? I don’t think so. The inclusion of fast travel feels thematic. You have to work for it so it feels like an achievement to unlock. It augments the game.
So in short, I agree with some of the sentiment expressed, with regards to lazy gameplay design being boring. I disagree with the opinion that fast travel necessarily is boring, or causes lazy desing.
Dragon’s dogma 2 is shaping up to be an absolute masterpiece.
But on topic; i think the usual systems of fast travel undermine entire games and we all know humans are very bad at enjoying things (‘players will optimize the fun out of everything’), but people don’t usually bring up the impact it has on game design. A simple fast travel system allows for much worse and scattered design. Generally a good game would keep most quests in an area limited to that area, with a smaller number meant to introduce new areas. A fast travel system encourages Bethesda level shit where a quest can leave you going to the literal opposite side of the map and back.
100% with your thoughts here and here and actually elucidated some of what I was trying to say. The player shouldn’t be corralled into one place but the quests they should for the most part explore that particular area unless the quest is of a journey type.