ETARC - A Brief History of the Forum and the Hub

The 1.58 update/patch, which introduced the first weekly event, came with this change to the ‘portal’ implementation. No longer can you build a base or use teleporters at Space Stations. You are now just a visitor after using a portal, with the portal being the only way of return. This change is however not specifically mentioned., but I do feel it has been an intentional change to the way portals work.

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So this will… drastically change hub-life for people from now on then… we are left with modding or the old fashioned warping, right? I remember back in Foundation I was crafting like 100 warp cells and went on crazy runs toward the centre! :smiley:

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I am back, will be on shortly. Sorry, the PC side is so corrupted, I am on Ps4. I think will biulded in a place I call Gruffham’s light and build a light/radio tower. IDK, just start and see where it goes. :upside_down_face::grinning:

edit: I am on PS4 normal, cna go creative if needed be.

Not sure it really changes hub-life, just back to how it used to be I guess. When they first introduced portals in Atlas Rises, everyone complained about not being able to use your ship. Then we found the claim base ‘trick’ to be able to settle and transfer to the location. This also allowed us to fast-travel anywhere and settle to continue regular play. In a way HG has listened to us … they found a way to use our ship, while further working on the ‘exploit’. I assume portal functionality is now as it was actually intended to be, allowing us to ‘visit’ distant locations. If you wish to settle anywhere, you will have to earn it by actually travelling there. Once you earned it, you can fast travel by teleport … I don’t see anything wrong with that. The change was expected to happen, just took a while … :wink:

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Can confirm that the ability to build a base on the ‘other side’ of a portal has also changed on PS4.
Met up with @Sir_oops on Edison (Etarcia) & found name of system & planet inconsistencies… & was unable to place a base computer (later).

Found my old comm in space with the others :grin:

I have reclaimed my old Uhashi ECSD system & located my old base approximate location, on what is now an ice world. I placed a mini-base there & it shall become my access point…which brings me to my next question.

If portal-relocation is no longer a viable option, should the Etarc Hub Is Open thread be edited slightly to reflect/incorperate these changes?

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As far as I know (and I haven’t tested this - so please correct me if I’m wrong), you can still join another player’s game by invitation.

So, if a player has a base in or near the hub, you can join them, and build your own base. Once you’ve done that, you can teleport there whenever you like.

It works just like the portal trick - in fact, it’s easier - but it does require the assistance of a friend.

In terms of building a hub, it may actually be better than the old method, since only people who’ve been invited can move there easily. Other people can move there, but it would require considerable effort on their part.

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Good point.
I’m not sure if the Base Computer is available in that mode but if it is, that solves the problem…& like you say; it makes hub residency more by invitation than by random arrival.

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I’ve only tried it once, early after NEXT launched. @bcatrek joined one of my games, and was able to build a base.

So I know it worked back then.

(edit)

Come to think of it, I think I built the base computer - then he claimed the base. If that still works, even better.

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I always felt achieving “free travel” would have been a perfect big end goal. In fact I think there’s now a really great way to (re)introduce that particular game mechanic that builds directly off of Atlas Rises & Next additions/changes.

The big three “goals” in the game have been to reach the center (the hard way), complete the Atlas Path questline, and since Atlas Rises, complete the Traveller storyline. Reaching the center, originally the hardest goal, is still very anticlimactic and pointless for most players. This is especially true since the Traveller questline completely undermines this journey. But maybe it can be reworked a bit to grant something more valuable…

Instead of the final warp just immediately transitioning to the next galaxy, have it warp to the Atlas just like the end of the Traveller story. The text could adapt depending on if you’ve finished that questline (fixing the issue of the Atlas claiming you can return though you currently cannot). If you have finished that story, you get the familiar choices again: don’t reset, choose a galaxy, or let the Atlas choose one which would just go to the next galaxy. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to leave, or submit to the Atlas’ choice.

In any case, you’ve completed the big Journey To The Center goal, and are granted a 3rd kind of red orb tech, like the Traveller Remembrance, and the Atlas Path Star Seed. And if you install all three you gain the ultimate prize, mastery of the galaxy - you can (once again) use portals to travel anywhere without restrictions.

So, what do y’all think? I’ve been considering sending this suggestion to Hello Games’ Zendesk.

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So here’s an idea:

Later tonight CEST (in say 7 hours time when we’re all home from work) I’d need one person present somewhere in the vicinity the Bezesi cluster (or at Edison itself) on PC/Normal. I believe @Polyphemus is there (and yes - there is nothing wrong with that system, it will not crash your save file, at least it didn’t for me).

I could then join that person’s game to see whether I can put down a base computer or not, and also check whether freighters and teleporters work as normal or not.

Do I have a volunteer that is present in the hub for tonight? :smiley:

Edit: come to think of it - in order to test the features themselves we don’t even need to be in the hub cluster - it can be anywhere!

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Just to confirm what polyphemus said, joining a friend who’s already in a hub will allow you to build, warp, save anywhere that you like and stay there. That seems to be the ideal way to get players into the hub, piggy back off other denizens. Which is why I freak out when Randys join, trying to sneak across the border into etarc star chain XD

Guys, I’m gonna build a wall. And I’m gonna make the Randys pay for it.

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No, I’m not. As I said, I’m staying away from the place for now. I’ve lost too much progress due to crashes caused by visiting the place. I didn’t even have a working portal address - although, from what you’ve said, that may have been fixed - but the way portals work now, it wouldn’t do me any good to portal there.

I’m interested to see the results of your experiments, though.

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Great to hear.
This also means starting a colony in any place is as simple as an invite. Good to know.
Also liking the various settings changes allowing ‘blocking’ Randies (or knowns) from messing things up.

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Would this kind of base layout be possible? The orange dots being a different players base computers, orange circles base build limit radius?

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Only one way to find out.

Now, do you have six friends who are all prepared to crash their game? :grinning:

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Is the eighth player in the basement? … :smile:
If it should prove impossible perhaps think in two groups of four, maybe linked by a walkway or something.

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I found base restoration frought with bugs at the moment but it can be rebuilt! Well I hope so.

Here’s a few pics I took a few days after NEXT landed of the creative base. It was impossible to relocate in the old location due to new geography. Eventually after several sorties I actually found comm stations buried and dug them out. Then they vanished for a couple days. Then they came back.

Anyhow the creative Mr Noodles base exists on the planet currently named on the galactic atlas so at least things are consistent if only for historical accuracy. It was fun digging for ‘real’ and finding the old monument.

I have left things as they are for now. Ladders are a nightmare.

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Did anyone on PC show up? I’m on what I think was the capital planet now. Its called New Elzebu, a paradise planet. Showing first contact for me.

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That is the correct planet. Im on PS4 so can’t meet you. If you are able to name tbe planet, try reverting back to the original name of Edison ECSD.
The system’s name was Etarcia.
You might not be able to fix it but worth a try…
It varies on PS4…

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Must be an issue with the online discoveries active/inactive, it is now showing Edison, discovered by poly, etc…and discoveries currently active. They were inactive earlier, showing undiscovered.

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