Test event changes.

[admin]

OK. Here is the hint from me how to make your event work 100% as you want

When the player grabs Deadman's Chest, there should be a marker updating every few minutes with his location and nationality on the map. You will get real PvP then. Whole fleets will try to get that person and his friends will try to escort and protect him. Otherwise it will be only looking for a needle in a haystack combined with grab n' run. Also if you can, disable for player and option to logout from the game if he carries the Deadman's Chest (if it's not already done)

 

flag takes long time to code.. we will add flag in 2-4 weeks

right now the ship is the flag

if indiaman/LGV/Trader brig is sailing from the location event - it might have something.

But beware. organized clans will have fake indiamans sailing to hide real carrier

 

logout WONT WORK - chest is timed! you have limited hours to bring the chest to port

it also cannot be destroyed at sea - so the trader cannot deny the goods to you

[Nukenin]

But beware. organized clans will have fake indiamans sailing to hide real carrier

 

Isn' t this actually a good reason to NOT add a flag? Why add an option that will ruin the good bluffing?

Edited August 31, 2016 by Nukenin

[Brogsitter]

Good day to you captains

 

To give advance time to adapt we are deploying a patch tomorrow that will provide the following changes to the special event that have been tested over the last 2 weeks.

1. Deadman's chest weight have been increased to 2500 loads. To help with identification of potential targets and to reduce the number of chests 1 person can take.
2. Number of shipwreck ships have been reduced slightly to allow more distance between individual ships of the wrecked fleet.
3. Loot quantity increased
4. Crafteable upgrades won't be in the loot table (with the exception of some very popular upgrades like pumps or improved magazines)
5. Timing of fleet arrival hints changed. Event will happen some short time after the hinted time to simulate the spreading rumors that the ship did not arrive to the destination. Previously captains had to deduct that if ship is arriving at 4 it must be intercepted earlier. It was deemed unhistorical because suspicions about fleet loss would appear only after the fleet have not arrived at the expected time. This will also give more time to prepare. 

Expected behavior to maximize the outcome for your group/nation

• Organized groups have an advantage and should have an advantage as it is a server based event. You can get something in the event solo, but if you nation or group acts in unison you will maximize your result.
• Captains should arrive to the suspected event location early.
• Groups who have three dedicated roles will have more chances. Interceptors, combat ships and carriers
• Interceptors/Scouts: Before the event they operate on the potential routes to the event and deny entry to enemy trading vessels. After location is known and enemy vessels got the chance to loot something Interceptors should board the traders and bring the treasures home. Interceptors also stop enemy fast frigates and brigs. Interceptor captains should try to predict the return routes of the enemy trading ships if they got to the spawn faster (they will still have to return back to ports). Interceptors must take precautions and take medkits to recover crews after boarding.
• Combat ships: destroy enemy fleets in the area allowing safe passage to trading vessels. 
• Carriers: carry the loot, and try to escape safely. Carriers should be fitted for combat and maybe even boarding combat.

Basically by the time event marker pops up your group should have already done the following

1. Cleared the area,
2. allowed allied heavy trading ships into the area,
3. destroyed enemy trading ships
4. provided safe passage back home

In this case you will pick up everything.

 

High populated faction will have a big advantage, simply due to the numbers they can bring to the event. For the good of the game, get rid of this events completly - this mechanic will never work properly.

[admin]

High populated faction will have a big advantage, simply due to the numbers they can bring to the event. For the good of the game, get rid of this events completly - this mechanic will never work properly.

 

When i played WOW i leveled only in Battlegrounds. I hated raids. They never worked properly in PUGs, someone was slacking, healers did not heal, tanks did not hold aggro. Hated them.. But i never asked Blizzard to remove the raids. 

[Random]

When i played WOW i leveled only in Battlegrounds. I hated raids. They never worked properly in PUGs, someone was slacking, healers did not heal, tanks did not hold aggro. Hated them.. But i never asked Blizzard to remove the raids. 

Never played WOW, does it have conquest mechanic that can be influenced by loot gained from raids (that seems to be the large concern of many players)?

[Anarcke]

no

AI fleet is going to sit in battle and only 25 people will see it.

I'm not sure if i understand correctly. Where will we see AI fleets? Because if it is when attacking a player, on the PvE server it is going to be a race again, with just a limitation on how many chests one player can carry. (sorry, i'm a pve player only, and tend to speak only about the pve server).

[Bubba Smith]

I guess this event won't apply to PvE?

[Brogsitter]

When i played WOW i leveled only in Battlegrounds. I hated raids. They never worked properly in PUGs, someone was slacking, healers did not heal, tanks did not hold aggro. Hated them.. But i never asked Blizzard to remove the raids. 

 

 

Difference between raids in WoW and and this game:

 

WoW - limited to i.e. 25 players from your raid group, while every one is on the same page

NA - no limitation, every nation / player is trying to get as much as possible.

 

Once more: I really like the ideas of big events, but this mechanic is not gonna work. It will always benefit the high populated nations. Just imagine: Spain brings 20 players, Britian brings 100 players. Take a guess how many loot Spain will get. The answer is simple as obvious: 0.

[admin]

Never played WOW, does it have conquest mechanic that can be influenced by loot gained from raids (that seems to be the large concern of many players)?

 

 

There was a time when we only had a cutter and HMS victory in testing, some content was missing but it did not matter long term. We have said multiple times that there will be other ways to obtain those BP.

 

The fact that we are testing events now and how we do it has no influence on the long term conquest mechanics, especially knowing that ports will reset by end of september + will be reset again on release of the game. 

I guess this event won't apply to PvE?

pve server will have to wait for the AI fleets in the future Captain. For PVE server it is an Indiaman race event  now.

[Skully]

• Interceptors/Scouts: Before the event they operate on the potential routes to the event and deny entry to enemy trading vessels. After location is known and enemy vessels got the chance to loot something Interceptors should board the traders and bring the treasures home. Interceptors also stop enemy fast frigates and brigs. Interceptor captains should try to predict the return routes of the enemy trading ships if they got to the spawn faster (they will still have to return back to ports). Interceptors must take precautions and take medkits to recover crews after boarding.

It is not in the interest of a fleet to have their interceptors/scouts tied up in battle before the event has started. Rather they would start fighting after the event has started and go for potential carriers.

Clearing the area will probably prove too large a task, so Mexican stand-off is more likely.

Carriers should not be able to hang out for more than 5 minutes on the Battle Screen not be able to log-off. If they do that the chest should go back to the wreck.

I still think flags on carriers will make sense to ensure PvP will happen. Although an escorted carrier is also a marked target.

[admin]

Carriers should not be able to hang out for more than 5 minutes on the Battle Screen not be able to log-off. If they do that the chest should go back to the wreck.

 

 

 

Changes to BRS will come in september. (battle result screen)

Right now they CAN theoretically sit in the battle screen for 1-2 hours. But then they will still have to exit and get to port. 

[Anarcke]

pve server will have to wait for the AI fleets in the future Captain. For PVE server it is an Indiaman race event  now.

Do you have an estimated timeline for this, please? Just to know.

[Brogsitter]

A possible solution:

 

The introduction of the "Treasure Fleet"

• NPC fleet out of 25 ships (20 1st and 2nd rates, 5 Indiaman) 
  
• each Indiaman will give 1-2 tresure chests if he was captured
  
• Only 1 fleet at a time
  
• Location of the fleet will be revealed to the players throug letters
  
• Letters are part of the loot table of normal NPC traders (1% drop chance)
  
• Letters will have a text like: A huge treasure fleet was spotted at Coquibacoa 20 minutes ago. Heading West
  
• Once the fleet is engaged by player, the locatoin of the battle will be revealed to ALL players
  
• The Battle will stay open for ALL players until the last NPC ship is defeated (or only one ship is left - like in a Death Match battle)
  
• once the fleet was defeated a new fleet will spawn.
  

 

This is a quick an dirty one, but it will encourage ppl to join the battles and try to defeat the other players. It will be flexible, due to different spawn locations AND a moving target on the OW. Any feedback on this idea is highly appreciated.

 

PS: @admin pls read your pms - this solution was sent to you about 5 days ago. The only question is: is this easy to code?

[admin]

Clearing the area will probably prove too large a task, so Mexican stand-off is more likely.

 

 

 

Groups of players who are interested in pure pvp will have most fun during that mexican standoff. 

[victor]

When i played WOW i leveled only in Battlegrounds. I hated raids. They never worked properly in PUGs, someone was slacking, healers did not heal, tanks did not hold aggro. Hated them.. But i never asked Blizzard to remove the raids. 

 

Uhm, besides in WOW - at least starting from TBC expansion - players have a crapton of different activities (and some of them soloable) that - with patience - grant rewards absolutely comparable to the raid loot.

 

Wow started hard core and huge groups oriented (I started raiding in the first Naxxramas 40 men, in the eastern plaguelands, and it was a kind of event affordable really just for big guilds) but - to save its playersbase - with time the game became more and more solo friendly.

 

In order to balance the game, I suggest therefore to add in the near future also some other acrivities/events (solo friendly) that give comparable rewards.

Edited August 31, 2016 by victor

[Sir Texas Sir]

Last weekend my clan had pretty much this set up.  We had a bunch of Frigs to SOL's set up to escort Large traders and was ready  but in the wrong spot it seems.  We had a bunch of light frigates to scout too.  Over 20 players ready to go and we get the global message and it end up being a bit off from where we expected.  Head that way and find out half way there every thing was grabbed (we only had 5-6 squares to get there and was only 2 or so from it.)   This sounds good and will put the rewards into the hands of the Organized big clans for this event.  Sorry solo guys your time will come later.  

[Konali89]

Great changes, Looking forward to test it. We will prepare our fleet and sail off and most likely be too late, but we will organize, try and test, and most definitly kill on sight:)

[Jack Brennan]

This sounds like a lot of fun and an exciting step forward.  Thanks!

[Junth]

In the despite of the fact all my negative feedback posts about these events, I think this is a step in the right way (+1 devs).

Only one point to clear: The location of the event is not more important than enable pvp battles, isn´t?
So... why don't point it clear for everyone, and dont let it under some kind of arcane knowledge of "triangulation not triangulated" or that kind of s***?

The only thing could ruin the event again, is (the same) any nation players  taking all the loot and flying before any other players could arrive to the right place...

[Random]

There was a time when we only had a cutter and HMS victory in testing, some content was missing but it did not matter long term. We have said multiple times that there will be other ways to obtain those BP.

 

The fact that we are testing events now and how we do it has no influence on the long term conquest mechanics, especially knowing that ports will reset by end of september + will be reset again on release of the game. 

I fully understand the point of testing the event and I am actually looking forward to a complete reset of all assets (and hopefully XP as well) as I greatly enjoyed the initial few months of Steam release with all the opportunities to explore and grow within the game. I am merely trying to draw your attention to the fact that this event has raised several concerns among the community and playerbase of this game. While the exclusivity of some ships does not have any long term effect on conquest mechanics (due to a reset of ports that is coming, and future means of obtaining same rewards), it can have a real and tangible effect on player morale if he/she feels that they lost a battle simply due to not having access to the same tools as their opponent. I am glad that other means of obtaining these "special items" are coming and I am looking forward to seeing them in game and testing them. Perhaps better communication regarding the goal of this events, their testing, as well as some kind of a preliminary plan for different events could go a long way towards reminding the community that we are testing the game and that their concerns are not being ignored and will be addressed with other events. Right now the game is already in a highly polished state and many forget that it is still incomplete, so an occasional reminder wouldn't hurt. With the focus on the Deadman's Chest event in the last few weeks, it seems that the very possibility of other events has been forgotten and has not been discussed or presented to players. This might have contributed to the negative feelings towards this event (which could be replaced by eagerness to test it while waiting on other events to be developed). I know that communicating plans that are far from being concrete is difficult, but a simple line of "we are also continuing to brainstorm and work on other events" in an occasional post would help to alleviate a lot of negativity towards this particular event and maybe even promote its testing.

 

All the best and good luck with the event to all testers this time around. 

[Jean Ribault]

...

logout WONT WORK - chest is timed! you have limited hours to bring the chest to port

it also cannot be destroyed at sea - so the trader cannot deny the goods to you

 

 

What's missing in your statement here is: why can't I log off and lose the chest myself also?  In the spirit of, if I can't have it then you can't either.  It doesn't sound like this is prevented?

 

 

 

...

Clearing the area will probably prove too large a task, so Mexican stand-off is more likely.

Carriers should not be able to hang out for more than 5 minutes on the Battle Screen not be able to log-off. If they do that the chest should go back to the wreck.

...

 

 

I tend to agree with both of these statements.  And Skully's suggestion to go back to wreck would prevent what I mentioned above in this post.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Jean Ribault

[Hethwill]

Ah ! As usual family banquet will take precedence over naval formalities 

 

Have fun and hope to hear great tales.

[admin]

What's missing in your statement here is: why can't I log off and lose the chest myself also?  In the spirit of, if I can't have it then you can't either.  It doesn't sound like this is prevented?

 

 

 

You can attack a bot and make them kill you too. If you have a chest - you can do whatever you want with it. 

You can log off at sea too - safe logoff timer is 2 mins. If there is a ship on the horizon it will get you. Then your log off will not help. 

If you don't have ships on the horizon - you can of course waste the chest by logging of until tomorrow. 

[admin]

 "we are also continuing to brainstorm and work on other events"

 

 

Yes. Other events are coming. 

[Jean Ribault]

You can attack a bot and make them kill you too. If you have a chest - you can do whatever you want with it. 

You can log off at sea too - safe logoff timer is 2 mins. If there is a ship on the horizon it will get you. Then your log off will not help. 

If you don't have ships on the horizon - you can of course waste the chest by logging of until tomorrow. 

 

 

For the massive war effort it would take to mobilize and accomplish what you have envisioned in your original post, I would think that creating the mechanic to prevent loss of the chest would be wise.  OR....(humor me?)..... if the chest is lost by logoff or maybe even the bot kill you suggest above, then maybe that chest gets respawned somewhere randomly in the game.  Then it essentially could never be lost to the NA community.

 

 

Edited to add: ....but I do understand that potential loss of the chest (permanent loss) might also be considered a game strategy-maker to some of us.  So may also have merit to lose it.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Jean Ribault