Port Battle/Screening Idea

[Cmdr RideZ]

What if a port battle would have screening phase and port battle phase.  Everyone can join port battle lobby, and if there is enough players for all roles, each player may be in one role.  If there is not enough players, players may join 2nd role after battle.  You play 1st the screening phase (could be even multiple).  If you win, there will be another match that will be the port battle.

It would be possible to create different kind of port battle screening scenarios as well.  For example:  (You have to win majority)

1. 25vs25
2. 3x 5v5
3. 10vs10 + 3x 5v5
4. 9x 3vs3
5. 10vs10 + 5x 3vs3
6. 2x 25vs25

Screening fleets would be for smaller ships, frigates, max 4th/5th rates for example.  Port Battles then for big ships, SOLs, min 4th rates for example.  Or BR limited, or rate limited, or BR&Rate limited.

Development would be pretty simple, as you only need a lobby for this.  There can be countless of different screnarios.  No issues with ROE, or with things like small/big nation etc.

Current screening mechanism could be then used for Raids and/or Flags.  We would have 2 different systems, maybe richer PvP offering as well.

 

About the night flip:  Times for battles could rotate, for example in steps of 4 or 6 hours.  Everyone will have their night battles/flips.

[Celtiberofrog]

In same stream of idea :

==> Suggestion to be criticized & adjusted together in order to possibly Test it assuming it could be coded by Devs.

The below proposal might offer a solution for NIGHTFLIPS as well as ALLIES limitation for PB events:

 

Number of Primetime per one NA day?

Primetime to sort out PB from xx:xxh to xx:xxh ?

Maximum number of PB per faction & per day ?

 

New Hostility system proposal:

1 PB is built up with 3 steps

 

Step 1: BLOCUS PHASE day one, during Primetime window.

1. Attacker must exchange 1 “blocus order note [BON]” against a targeted Enemy regional port. (similar to old system), from that moment the PB process starts, it is announced & it enters In PB list.

2. Each “BON” is only useful for the player that collected it (only activated by him from any national Faction port). The BON owner and his ship cannot be identified by any other players (neither enemies nor allies/nationals) in open world and in PVP battle.

3. The BON is active for only 40min, that time is important as it will allow limited war projection from friendly/national Ports.

4. The blocus area can be visible in open world & map by global player base, it’s a large circle around a selected attacked port.

5. In that circled area attackers & defenders have PVP, (screening fights).

6. The BON owner ship must reach blocus area (can be sunk accidently before).

7. From the instant the BON owner ship penetrates into the defense circle zone, it is publicly announced “Blocus event started”. This Blocus phase last 40min.

8. A maximum attackers war ships must manage to enter the Regional port gate (Crossed swords as it is today) during that 40min Blocus phase.

9. However, a Minimum BR must be reached by attackers to allow PB process to carry on = ex. .3500BR depending on Port size type.

10. During that first PB process 40min + 40 more min the whole defender Faction cannot be attacked by any other Factions, (means the Defender Faction hostility is entirely closed for a maximum of 80 min). The hostility switch on again as soon as Blocus phase has ended, all enemy Factions can launch PB process against that same Faction and same region.

11. However, from Step 1 starts to Step 3 ends, that targeted region hostility remains closed for the Faction that launched the attack.

 

Step 2: 24h COOL DOWN PHASE.

12. Minimum attacker BR has been reached.

13. Attacker must exchange 1 “Port attack order note |PAON]” against the Blocated Enemy regional port (it validates the PB for day two). Information updated into PB list.

14. Each “PAON” is only useful for the player that collected it (only activated by him from any national Faction port, like old flag system).

15. The attacker ships that entered the PB are kept in a specific “attacking War queue” in the enemy port (the attacker list is frozen during the cool down). This “attack war queue” grid will allow players (without his ship) to leave/enter by TP to/from any friendly port or capital.

16. The PAON owner must be included in that “attack war queue”.

17. During cool down phase the frozen “attacking War queue” BR is shown in PB List, the PB defense organization is therefore relying on BR data (not on ship numbers).

18. Whatever the BR of attackers have managed to enter the Port, the defenders will have the possibility to even that BR or to present a lower BR fleet of their choice.

19. During cool down the defenders must choose PB defense participants and enter them in a “defense war queue” that will remain adjustable and the defense war queue list will become final (frozen) instantly after 24h cool down (PB start).

20. The “defense war queue” grid will not allow exceeding the attacker BR value.

21. To avoid spying! it will be recommended to finalize the Defense war queue list at the latest moment.

22. Only after PB starts the “defense war queue” will be viewable by attackers it will reveal the number of ships defenders have decided to show for the PB.

23. Also, (in case the PB occurs in low active player numbers timing) defenders will be able to drop purposely their defense fleet to a Minimum of 5 ships (that attackers will have to match), if defenders cannot enter these 5 ships into “defense war queue”, the battle will proceed anyhow with 5 attackers. In case of zero defenders the battle is won.

 

Step 3: PORT BATTLE day two, during Primetime window.

24. If PB has been validated by PAON owner before end of cool down, then follows:

25. “Port battle start” is publicly announced.

26. The “attack war queue” players can get into PB setting. This means that the PAON owner player must be included & active into that war queue and takes his mandatory slot into the PB attack fleet, in all PB cases including a minimum PB situation with 5 ships.

27. The PB starts after 3min PB setting (as it is today) with matching numbers of belligerents & presence of the PAON owner.

28. During these 3min setting the attacker team must choose the participant (whatever the BR) in order to match the defense ship numbers (by ticking into ship/player list) that will be revealed only at this time, if attacker team still exceeds ship number after the 3min time, then the ticked list is not taken into account and attackers number will be automatically & randomly selected always preserving the maximum BR for attackers (including PAON owner).

29. This mandatory player/ship selection (by choice or automatic) means that players that participated to Blocus are not guaranteed to participate to Port battle.

30. In case, for any reason, the attackers cannot show a minimum of 5 active ship/players out of the war queue after the 3min, the battle is won by Defenders (without fighting).

31. In case, for any reason, the defenders cannot show 1 active ship/player out of the defense war queue after the 3min, the battle is won by attackers (without fighting).

32. The PB is fought same way as it is presently. It lasts same time.

 

The possibility for Defenders to purposely reduce Fleet size down to 5, allows that system to involve both sides ALLIES to help on screening Blocus phase ONLY. No ALLIES are allowed into Port Battle (into Attack or Defense War queues) but only the 2 Factions Attacker Vs Defender.

 

Conditions that can make PB abort:

33. BON owner cannot penetrate blocus area within allowed 40min.

34. PAON owner cannot enter targeted port (Attack war queue list) within allowed Blocus phase 40min.

35. Attackers have not added minimum BR into Attack war queue.

36. PAON has not validated the PB during cool down period.

Conditions to win PB:

37. Battle are fought as today

38. Defenders win automatically if Attackers are not showing enough active selected players (to match with Defense number).

39. Attackers win automatically if defenders are showing zero ships into PB.

40. Defenders win if PAON player is not "active" in PB setting phase.

 

THE WAY TO COLLECT “BLOCUS OR ATTACK ORDER NOTES” : To be defined

40. Can be collected only by players with maxi Craft XP and/or maxi Rank level

 

Edited January 29, 2017 by Celtiberofrog

[Christendom]

A multi-stage battle wouldn't be a terrible idea.  If a lobby system is implemented like the OP suggests, I'd like to see that lobby generate only after a player sails into that zone.  I shouldn't be able to join a port battle down in Jamaica from Charleston.  

[Corona Lisa]

My solution:

Step 1: Put a PvP zone around a region. It is used to generate hostilty and its used for screening. When your alliance dominate the zone (has more BR in there) or you sink enemy ships you will get hostility. You will have to gain it to a certain limit and when you can reach it the PB will be set up for the next day (24 hours later).

Step 2: PB will be lobbybased, people who gained the most hostility can join first (like it is now). Its basically the final of a long fight of the day before.

 

Additional rules for the 1st phase:

To make it fair and fun for all sides, limit the maximum BR per battle to 3000BR (there can be ofc multiple battles at once). This way pure numbers alone wont win you this phase and it also promotes to use a lot of different ships.

Kills gain a lot of hostility compared to just having dominance in that zone. This way fighting gets promoted and sitting in the zone and avoiding combat is not a good option.

Why BR and not number of ships in that zone to gain dominance? Because otherwise you could pick fast ships only and avoid fighting.

 

Its easy to understand, it promotes fighting and everyone can get involved.

Edited January 29, 2017 by JonSnowLetsGo

[Cmdr RideZ]

As there was this new guy joining a PB, and took one slot from it, as he wanted to just see and take part to RvR.  I think PBs should be designed so that new guys do not fail the game by just joining to have fun.

I was thinking that the BR limited system probably could be one good option for this.  Those would not be any more just 25vs25.  If a new guy joins in a frig to see what that is, he is only using BR from 170.  It may not be optimal, but he only "ruined" it by BR 170.  Also, really easy to have really many different PB BR limits, could increases versatility.

Also having that limit for higher rates could make sure that there are some guys who know what they are doing, and will define the most.

Also...  If the game gets more popular, will there be enough PBs for everyone who are interested from it?