Hubs worlds in the Sonic series

[Lange]

I like the hub world in Sonic Adventure. It was kinda fun to go around talking to people, seeing their reactions to game events, the little side story about the guy messing two girls around, the kid missing her dad... I think one of the characters asks Amy if she wants to go for a soda as well! I actually missed the hub world in SA2... the game feels more like the old Sonic games with going from level to level without the hub worlds, for sure... but still, it was a nice little extra. The only problems for me were going back to levels to get more animals for the Chao, or doing the Mission Mode.

The sort of hub world in Generations is a nice idea, too and as it's linear it's easier to find the level or challenge you want. However, as I am still getting used to the controls, Classic Sonic's especially... it can be a bit of pain getting to some of the challenges. I assume as I get better at the game, this will go away...

This

I loved the hub world in adventure too and the character interaction and just general exploration I really hope they bring a similar hub back in the future.

[-blank-]

I love hub worlds. I'd like to think they give the world of the games a sort of depth to them, making them seem more than a place Eggman tries to take over - they make it seem like it is actually, well, a world.

Unleashed I think did the hub worlds the best. I loved how the NPC's seemed to have some sort of personality to them and I felt the overall design of the hubs, representing the different cultures present in the game, were done very well. There was a sort of charm to them that I really loved - I enjoyed just messing around and talking to people to see what they were up to.

[Straw Hat]

Hub Worlds? I loved them in Unleashed and SA1. They were fun to explore and provided atmosphere. Talking to people was fun, the diversity of the Unleashed Hub Worlds and fantastic visuals made them complete eye candy. Also, it was cool how everytime you went back to the Hub Worlds and talked NPC's there was some sort of story going on throughout the Hub and among the characters. As long as it's done like either one of those or maybe a mixture of those, I'm fine with that.

Sonic 06's hub worlds, on the other hand, were to big, empty, had lifeless robot NPC's, stupid missions and your characters were painfully slow which made them a chore to explore. The 06 hub worlds, are what SEGA and Sonic Team should NEVER try to use or replicate.

Edited December 17, 2012 by AfroWarrior

[Jolt_TH]

Ok so im sure everyone here has played a sonic game with a HUB or in Sonic Adventure terms "Adventire Field". Given I can only think of 3 1/2 games that have a HUB, being Sonic Adventire, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations

I may be using the wrong word here, but when I say HUB I mean a place like Staion Square/Mystic Ruins/Egg Carrier where you get to run around between levels as much as you want.

Personally I like the HUB worlds (given I haven't really played Sonic 06) and I was sad that they did not feature in the Wii version of Sonic Unleased (as I have a Wii). I used to wander around when I was littler on Sonic Adventure and just muck around. Given I was younger, but i still liked the HUB worlds on Sonic Unleashed when I played on my friend's Xbox. Sonic Generations HUB Worlds weren't really the same thing, I'd hoped when it was announced about "White space" that the HUB would be a small section of say Green Hill Zone that you could run around in (although this wouldn't have worked for Classic Sonic).

Given my like of HUB worlds one of my favourite games Sonic Adventure 2, doesn't have a HUB world and instead a level select. I'm not saying every game should have a HUB world as for some it just doesn't work.

What do you think of HUB worlds, any favourites? Any ideas to improve existing HUB's? What would make a good HUB world?

[Blue Wisp]

I personally love HUB worlds like the White World, but personally it would have been better if instead of only 2D, it were 2D for Classic and 3D for Modern. Modern's could have been some kind of "highway" or path that you could boost through to get to a specific zone's entrance.

Unleashed's HUBs were good, but my only complaint are the loading screens and the fact that there wasn't a map (if I remember well).

[TheOcelot]

Hub worlds have always sucked and felt completely unnecessary in Sonic games, which are better off without them. I much prefer it in games like Heroes and SA2 where there are no hubs worlds, and you just go from act to act.

 

I am playing Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer right now, where hub worlds are used extremely well. They fit in with the exploration/slower pace style of gameplay perfectly.

 

Sonic games are about fast platforming, so there is no place for hub worlds. Hopefully one day Sonic Team will work this out.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Robin John Blake

[Dizcrybe]

I liked the SA1 hub worlds. They were open, but never without direction, and almost never a pain to go through.

[Vertekins]

Unleashed got the Hub world's right. They were utilized as a means of expanding upon the world the game was set in as they contained collectible items from shops that you could give to Pickle, were not oversized like '06's terrible hubs were and featured the most endearing and interesting NPC's the series has ever seen. They were like the apertif before the meat (The main stages), a way of easing you into stages. The hubs were a very prominent aspect of Unleashed's premise; A world adventure. They were the parts of the game that epitomized this next to the acts themselves.

 

'06's Soleanna hub was pretty terrible. City, Forest, Castle Town. All of them were drab and lifeless, much too large and had horrifically ugly unendearing NPC's. It's like the opposite of Unleashed.

[Jango]

Adventure mixed with Unleashed. Vast space with different areas, some mini-challenges and all the stage's entrances linked to it, but like this: I really liked how in Adventure 1 you feel like you made to that stage by yourself (exploring, adventuring!), and you're really getting inside it, like a part of the scenario, not just some random warp hole or teleporting pad. Wanna go to the Casino level? Go to town and get in the OWN Casino!

 

My dream for a perfect hub world is the entire freaking Angel Island, with the Sandopolis' desert, the Ice Cap's frozen caves, the jungle, the marble ruins. Just thinking about it in glorious 3D, HUMMMMM.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Undead Jango

[SenEDDtor Missile]

It really depends on the game and it's premise. In Unleashed, you were on a world adventure, so having hub-worlds made sense. Now if the game was based on a frantic race against time otherwise the villain wins, then hub-worlds would seem rather out of place.

[LATER BUDDY]

While I don't really mind it that much, I'm more of a fan of the "here's a map and level select" option.

 

This is why I kinda liked Unleash's attempt. They provided small concentrated hub worlds for the main story and still accessible for any person that wanted it, but post game, when you didn't want to deal with that, there was always the option of just the easy global map. I'd personally like to see this attempt again because a variety of options like that seem like a good idea in games to me.

 

But yeah, I much prefer that global map from Unleashed, SA2's artsy map, Color's "look at the amusement park! You are here" map (at least what I got from it LOL), and so forth. It's quick and easy to jump from level to level without having to slog through a bunch of beginning levels if you wanted to play one that's a bit later into the game.

 

That said I don't mind if hub worlds came back, just as long as they were interesting, easy to navigate, and had clear and easy paths to the main levels.

[Diogenes]

I think hubs can work fine for Sonic, but I don't think any that they've done have been particularly good. The main problem is balancing being straightforward enough for people who aren't interested in fooling around in them, while still being significant enough to justify their existence and entertain people who want to explore them. This is exacerbated by Sonic being so fast; he needs large areas to work with his abilities, meaning hubs require more work and important elements tend to be spread out more.

[JezMM]

I really like hub worlds and wish something could be worked out to appease both people who like to take in the game world and connect to it before blasting through it in a level, and people who would rather they didn't exist.

 

I still think an optional (on by default) Crazy Taxi-esque arrow that just points the player exactly where to go to continue the story in hubs would be the best choice for people who just aren't interested in even giving hub worlds a chance and hate them on the policy that they are not standard Sonic gameplay.

 

I'd also like to see Sonic Colours' marathon challenge mode be a series mainstay.  In a game with secret non-story acts, they could be optional in the marathon mode, and quick save could be avaliable too.

 

 

 

 

As for stage sizes, I think about the size of Unleashed's (town and entrance stage put together) are about right, and I do think there should be about that amount to do in them.  Sonic 2006 was downright offensively empty, but even SA1 had too much empty space in my opinion.  I'd also like exploration to be rewarded with more worthwhile content.  I hated that ALL the unlockables, town mission items, and medals were like, super tucked away and tricky to find in Unleashed, while all the REALLY cool stuff... i.e., the secret acts... were sitting out in plain sight for anyone who bothered to venture more than a few yards off the path to the main Act 1 entrance.

 

 

 

 

Oh, finally I think if they keep the Zones with Acts structure, a hub world entrance should lead to all mandatory acts in a row, so players can enjoy them uninterrupted.  You shouldn't have to return to the hub after Act 1 and then have like 30 seconds of gameplay locating Act 2.  Even with a Crazy Taxi arrow that'd piss off "Sawnick should be fast" players.  Save exploration for extra act entrances.

Edited January 14, 2013 by JezMM

[Vertekins]

Interestingly, normal form Sonic's speed was cut down to a jogging pace in Unleashed's hubs. I think this is a pretty clever touch if it was included intentionally for the player to have greater control over Sonic and/or it was intended to make the player be more inclined to take things slower and look around.

[LATER BUDDY]

Oh whoops, thought this thread felt familar, merging with the old topic.

[azoo]

I think if they would've connected the slow-walking segments and "Entrance Stage" segments of Unleashed's hubs, while removing the speed cap and opening it up just a bit more, it would've been the best thing ever for hubworlds. And yes, I think hubworlds are great too. They give room for more atmospheric stuff in the game like interesting NPCs, awesome visual set pieces, some tidbits of world culture and slice-of-life for Sonic's world, and something a bit more interactive than choosing certain things on a world map.

 

Although don't get me wrong, having a world map is cool too, especially if it's for wanting to jump into a stage immediately rather than taking some time to run to it.

[KHCast]

I really like the way Unleashed had executed Hub's. They didn't to me really feel particualy forced or confusing. You could breeze through them quite easily. getting to interact with NPC's lives have always been something I like to do. being little bonus pieces.  That being said, having a arrow or something point you where to go like people have said wouldn't hurt.  The only thing really I'd like changed is the portal to the entrance stage. Get rid of that, and connect the two pieces. Unlwiished hubs though.......yeah no.

 

I did also like generations hub mixing elements from the game. I would like that kind of stuff to return.(but in 3d for a 3D game)

Edited January 14, 2013 by Riku

[JezMM]

Interestingly, normal form Sonic's speed was cut down to a jogging pace in Unleashed's hubs. I think this is a pretty clever touch if it was included intentionally for the player to have greater control over Sonic and/or it was intended to make the player be more inclined to take things slower and look around.

 

Yeah I think that was intentional.  Only occurs in the "town" sections though, he handles normally in the entrance stages.

 

 

I agree with Azukara that I'd like to see them connected though.  I think a speed cap just between Unleashed's town and regular Sonic could be used everywhere for hubs.  They could also have some sort of subtle "lock on" system that intelligently tries to deduce if you're deliberately running towards an NPC or item of interest that can be examined and forcibly slows Sonic down as you approach them if so.

Edited January 14, 2013 by JezMM

[Diogenes]

Interestingly, normal form Sonic's speed was cut down to a jogging pace in Unleashed's hubs. I think this is a pretty clever touch if it was included intentionally for the player to have greater control over Sonic and/or it was intended to make the player be more inclined to take things slower and look around.

To me that says the correct solutions would've been to make Sonic control better in general and to make the hubs interesting enough that the player would want to explore even when they aren't forced down to a jog.

 

 

I think if they would've connected the slow-walking segments and "Entrance Stage" segments of Unleashed's hubs, while removing the speed cap and opening it up just a bit more, it would've been the best thing ever for hubworlds.

Still too small, especially for a boost game.

 

[KHCast]

To me that says the correct solutions would've been to make Sonic control better in general and to make the hubs interesting enough that the player would want to explore even when they aren't forced down to a jog.

 

 

Still too small, especially for a boost game.

And exactly how big does it have to be?  Cause with a stage like Shamar,  that's pretty big.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Riku

[Tara]

I really like Adventure Fields/hub worlds.  I think it provides a more interesting and in-depth look at the world the characters reside in.  Although they don't really do a good establishing that in any game, in my opinion, but I'd like to see them continue to be improved and expanded upon in future games.  Also, I liked the idea of finding upgrades and such within the Adventure Fields.

 

Especially that rod upgrade for Big.  I mean, that was so well hidden and not at all blatantly revealed in the very first cutscene of his story arc.  Really felt accomplished when I found that.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Akito

[Diogenes]

And exactly how big does it have to be?  Cause with a stage like Shamar,  that's pretty big.

Not that big, really. I think the Mystic Ruins jungle would still be bigger, and that's only one part of one of SA's hubs (probably the biggest part of the biggest hub, granted). That's probably a decent size to aim for, the Mystic Ruins jungle.

[Blue Blood]

I adore hub worlds, and I can't think of another platforming series where I'd be happier to have hub world to explore. 

Ideally it would be something like this:

• A single, seemless playing field with all the features you'd expect from an action stage, including platforming, enemies and loop-de-loops. There'd be numerous secrets to unlock, including Red Star Rings.
• No invisble walls- if you can see something, you can go to it.
• NPC characters providing completely optional missions in the hub world.
• Gates to each zone dispersed across the map, but...
• ... once you've beaten a zone for the first time, it can be accessed at any time from the start menu. You can ignore the hub entirely later on.
• At the results screen, you can opt to go back to the hub or to the next stage (ala Sonic 4)
• Working through the story, you return to the hub after each zone. The hub plays like the main gameplay albeit with more freedom, and you're guided in the right direction.

The worst thing about every 3D Sonic game since and including SA1 is lack of freedom. Come Unleashed, Sonic Team decided that the best way to make them better was by removing as much control from the player as possible. That's why I'd really, really love an open hub world. One where you still feel like you're playing a Sonic game, but you can kick back and do whatever the hell you want with Sonic's abilities. It would offer a real 3D experience to the players for the first time in a long time, without taking away from the lauded boost gameplay that people have fallen in love with since Rush and Unleashed introduced it. 

 

If I could have it totally my way, I'd ditch the boost gameplay in favour of something akin to SA1 and '06, but I'd be very happy with a decent hub world to explore. 

Edited January 14, 2013 by Blue Blood

[Pawn]

While I like the idea of hub worlds, the way they have been designed in the past has always left something to be desired. Adventure's were pretty empty and in some cases a bit confusing (like the jungle), while Unleashed's felt too tight and restrictive (and Generations? That was just a glorified level select). Having NPCs to talk to is great, but at the same it would also be good to include some longer stretches of land where you can freely test Sonic's abilities.

 

Speaking of NPCs; why not include some of the main cast in that? Oh, and have them do more than just stand there. Let them interact with the environment, whether they be human or a recurring character. Say if it was a beach; then Amy could be swimming, Big could be fishing and Cream could be playing in the sand. Maybe the Chaotix are spread across different hubs, searching for clues to solve their latest mystery, and you're given the option to help in their search. I also think it's important for NPCs to react accordingly to whatever is happening in the story, rather than concentrating on building a career or relationship while the world is literally falling apart.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Torture Pawn

[Jango]

They could add some badniks as NPC, no? Or some animals just for the lulz. But I'm more interested in exploring rather than talking, save for SOME Sonic's friends.

 

But Blue Blood nailed it, this is exactly what the hubs should be. Just like a regular level, but wider.