Port Timers Suggestion - Let's reverse it...

[Wyspa]

Ok I know there are a lot of discussions about this topic. However from what I read (notice: i probably read only small part of players ideas on this forum) most people are focused on timers set by defender or server. However my idea is the one when you get rid of timers completely... let's sum it up:

 

What is the current situation:

• Defender sets timer
• Attacker have two hour window to craft the flag

This leads following problems to:

• Defender can set timer to unreasonable time for both sides in hope that no one will show up for battle anyway
• Attacker can set up fake flags when couple of ports have timers set at the same time, scattering defending forces
• Defender have to spend time staying ready for attack idle each day, regardless of the fact if the attack will even take place
• When defender sets port timers so attacker cannot attack couple of ports at once they have to stay in defense almost whole day or hope that attacker will not attack
• Once the attack/defence is broken and one of the forces gets scattered it opens up an opportunity to steamroll whole nation in one day taking unreasonable amount of ports at once.

What is my proposition to counter that...

• Attacker crafts the flag for any port battle no sooner than 24 hours beforhand for the time of their choosing (so if I craft flag at 19:00 on monday I can attack no sooner then at 19:00 on the tuesday and enemy will be noticed about the  attack)
  • This way defender have at least 24 hours to prepere, even if attacker choses strange time for attack (like in the morning)
  • No multiple ports can be attack when the defence/attack is broken since by the time you craft next flag enemy will probably manage to regroup
  • Even if you decide to attack multiple ports at once, defender will know of it and it will be basically a gamble for an attacked (and one that costs a lot)
• If port defense will be broken and port taken, port is contested for 24 hours, in those next 24 hours previous owner can counter attack at any time they chose but with 1 hour notice (so if I craft flag at 19:00 I can attack no sooner then at 20:00 and enemy will be noticed about the counter attack)
  • This is to counter any enemy attack that is happening at time defender find unable to defend because it is unreasonable for the player population in that nation

This system should have extra benefit of making steamrolling basically impossible and should slow down contest of smaller nations by bigger ones. At the same time it should allow any players to attack/defend regardless of time zones since for each conquest you have two opened slots to attack/counter attack, so even is someone will attack at time that is dead nigh for most players in one nation this nation can still retaliate during this 24 hour contested window and it should be responsibility of an attacker to counter that and keep newly acquired port in their hands.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Wyspa

[Hethwill]

It is also a good suggestion.

 

I like the way of looking from the other side of the issue, the attacker timer versus the defender timer, which sparked the following.

 

What if a flag could only be crafted in a port during that port timer ?

 

Port timer at 20 - 22. Sure, you can craft a flag on that port in the 20 - 22 interval.

 

Planning ahead would become easier for nations at war at all times.

[Captain Alexander]

good luck attacking port against 25 victories and another 50 3rd rates outside

[Wyspa]

good luck attacking port against 25 victories and another 50 3rd rates outside

It will slow down conquest and make it significantly harder, that is true. However given how easy it is to crush a nation right now I consider it to be a good thing. Conquest should not be easy in my opinion, to conquer and keep enemy port you would have to assemble significant force to overwhelm the enemy.

 

It should keep battles fun for the players since insead of waiting hours for any PB you can just plan ahead and log in to participate without any significant delays. Also geopolitical situation would be quite stable since significant border changes will not occur over night but in days or even weeks.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Wyspa

[Hethwill]

good luck attacking port against 25 victories and another 50 3rd rates outside

 

Better a honest battle than a empty port conquest. My opinion.

[Wouter]

I really like your suggestion.

[Marcomies]

While I do completely agree that taking ports is way too fast and easy as it is, port battles with this long warning would rely too much on the size of the nations and remove any real chance for diversion tactics. Every port battles would probably be a full port with as many and large ships as possible from both sides, small nation would probably not even be able to get their ships into a port of a larger nation when attacking no matter how remote that port is from the home waters of the defender.

 

Lets say for example that small nation has enough players to get 30 ships into a port battle. They would try to take back a port right next to their own capital which would be "defended" by a large faction which can get 80 ships into the port battle. Since there's 24 hour warning period, during which the defenders can take their time to get into and around that port, the attackers would then have to try and fight their way first through the blockade and then be faced with, in an unlikely best case scenario, a 1:1 force ratio battle plus the towers. Ports would rarely change hands, and the ability of small nations to take ports (no matter how close to their capital they are) would suffer the most.

 

Surprise, distraction, distance and time it takes to get to a port should not be made into a complete non-factor like it would be with the 24 hour warning. Their effect should merely be reduced so that a teleportation to outpost with ship waiting would not the only realistic way to save a moderately distant port.

 

I do strongly support the idea of adding counter attack mechanic to port invasions. It's also part of my suggestion for port battle mechanics, not going into details here but here's a link to it: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/7858-port-battles-roadmap-discussions/page-8#entry233788

[Dumu]

It could just be so that you reduce the time to buy the flags to 15-30mins, not every port could be set to same window and the windows would be like 2 or 3 hours away from each other. Attackers would have a chance to request attack flag for a different timer for a very expensive price so that no fake flags would be bought (10xoriginal price?). And make the flag expire timer only count down while in a port or open waters. If you can sail through the enemy blockade and survive you should be able to plant the flag no matter how long it takes to get there. And remove the stupid 2min planting time.

 

For the port battles the ring should shrink alot sooner to give attackers a fair chance, if you have 1xBR in the start and you just try to kite as long as possible you pretty much always win with the current ruleset. And the ring should sink you after 2 minutes, not 5.

[Diggled]

8 hour windows & 24-48 hour notice depending on the size of the town or attacking force!

[CaptVonGunn]

Huh?  How would this stop buying of distraction flags? You just buy a couple a day early instead of a hour early