How are you using the boat (not a technical question)?

[Cricketfoot]

I was just wondering how other people go about using the boat. Specifically, where are you putting the boat? 


Let's say you get the boat by a town and when you leave the town it's in the shallow water. You explore. You get back on land. You travel around and at some point you end up somewhere else in the world. At this point the boat is sitting where you left it at some other place in the world and you don't really have access to it. 


When you leave a town do you have the boat magically appear in the water near the town? Do you just leave the boat where it was? Do you create docks that you can launch your boat?


I'm just curious how other people are using it.


Thank you.

 

[Fermmoylle]

I usually left the boat where the player wanted... So if they explore a large portion of land, they will need to backtrack.


However, I'm thinking about an alternative: having multiple docks on the map with "boat-like" events (they use the same sprite as the boat). When the player interacts with one of those events, I set the boat to those coordinates, so it can be easily reached.


This will ensure the players can explore and there always another boat on pre-determined places. YMMV.

 

[Azurecyan]

A world map can help remedy that. The world map can have the coordinates of where you left your boat in the case that you are lost exploring. Otherwise using docks is more helpful since you'll know that docks are only the place to embark and disembark your boat.


Or you can have a magical portable boat where you can disembark and embark at any dock. Tales of Symphonia did this, but after you got your flying ship you couldn't use it anymore, unfortunately...


It's all up to how you want to handle the boat.

 

[Phonantiphon]

I'm of the opinion that a boat that is left somewhere should stay there and it's up the player to sort out how to get to, and from, it.


As said, a world map would help in that respect as the player could then see where they had left the boat.


It feels a bit... odd... to have magical moving boats that are always where you need them, rather than where you left them...!

 

[Alexander Amnell]

   I have it to where the player can rent a boat from any of three cities with ports along the main trade river. The boats will stay where the player left them but if left abandoned somewhere the player will be unable to rent another until they either track down and return the boat or pay 10 times the rental fee in restitution for the lost boat (this removes the boat from wherever it is in the world) and after losing track of three boats the price for renting boats is permanently doubled.

 

[jdub87]

I use the boat with a nautical-themed pashmina afghan ;D

 

[Authumbla]

I was just wondering how other people go about using the boat. Specifically, where are you putting the boat? 


Let's say you get the boat by a town and when you leave the town it's in the shallow water. You explore. You get back on land. You travel around and at some point you end up somewhere else in the world. At this point the boat is sitting where you left it at some other place in the world and you don't really have access to it. 


When you leave a town do you have the boat magically appear in the water near the town? Do you just leave the boat where it was? Do you create docks that you can launch your boat?


I'm just curious how other people are using it.


Thank you.

You could always give the player multiple boats! 


Fast travel is a really nice innovation in new video games - backtracking is busywork unless you're adding something new on the return path. Think about it: Imagine how annoying it is playtesting the RPG you're making and going through every section over and over and over again to make sure everything works properly. Do you really want to subject your game's audience to the horror?

 

[Maliki79]

In my game, the boat is magically linked to the party.


They can summon the boat to any "port" they want and they sail off to wherever.


The catch is there is a range to the summoning and if the party is too far from the boat, they have to pay a shipmaster to augment the summon to bring the boat to a far away area.


This was done to open "secret" areas to exploration and to serve as plot points where needed.  (We need to cross the marsh to get to the Demon lair, but the


shipmaster is in jail for attacking a guard!)

 

[Jazeeri]

The game I'm working on now uses boats throughout the canal system. I have them to find on various maps and one that they can use. Basically, the the whole game will happen in this city.