simply put, the fast travelling map is divided up into safe zones and hostile zones if you're in a safe zone (which you can check by flicking a switch on the map which turns on a colour coded or stylized indicator) you can travel safely to any other location you've found within that safe zone. for example, the whole of the main city of new vegas is pretty much a safe zone as you don't encounter any creatures there. you can't fast travel if it involves passing through a zone the game deems hostile, and you can't fast travel if you're in a hostile zone. simples

this is pretty much how i play the game anyway!

I'd actually prefer something like the original Fallout 1 and 2: The moment you start travelling on the world map, there's a chance for a random encounter along the way that will drop you out of fast travelling.

I would like this too.

+1
Awesome concept.

Fo1/2 random encounter would be great. Actually I'm not sure why it isn't in the game...maybe they thought it would be hard to do? Because they have to drop you into a 'real' place instead of "Stock Random Encounter Location 3"?

I like this idea... it's very reasonable... but i also like the F1&2 way with random encounters

It would be awesome if you could "make" safe an area... by cleaning all the enemies and then reporting to the NCR (for example) and they could issue patrols and guards! This would change the world and make it dynamic... but i'm guessing this would be too much trouble to make!

+1 here

Now that I've discovered every discoverable, 'official' place on the map, I do fast travel a lot. However, I would rather have 'safe' spots to travel to, and then walk to a nearby 'unsafe' destination, than fast travel right into a swarm of Cazadores. Trust me...it svcks.

Dragon Age, which you have to fast travel every where, does this. Hostile encounters and merchants drop you out of fast travel. It's a good idea.

It's been a while since I've played it, but I seem to remember this happening to me in Oblivion a couple of times. Maybe I'm misremembering.

I'd rather not. I can be a less than hospitable person when I'm mad, and if I have to deal with that style of system when Im irrate, I might throw my PS3 out the window. :cryvaultboy:

Make it Optional and make everyone happy. (@ FO1/2 encounter idea.)

I have an hour maybe 2 a day for video games. I don't have time to walk everywhere. Fast travel wins.

There is a mod trying to simulate that for fallout 3. Just drops you into an isolated worldspace for those encounters.

I would be very happy if there was a chance for a random encounter, especially if the odds went way up when going from corner to corner. The only thing that bums me out about it, is that damn dwarf trader in DAO was freaking stalking me. All the time here he is. If it had a bit of variety it would be stellar.

I want another random encounter like Fallout's 'STAMPEDE!' encounter, that one made me laugh for 2 minutes xDD