Passengers

[Angus MacDuff]

With the goal of increasing OW travel, how about a cargo option of passengers?  The way I see it, these passengers could either be a straight cargo option or some form of mission.  Unlike other cargo, a passenger wants to go to a specific location and is willing to pay a higher price to take him there.  With different professions and values, there are different classes of passenger.  Military passengers (fat Admirals) might be willing to travel on a warship.  Lower class passengers would accept travel on smaller traders, but the Quality will only take passage on an Indiaman.  They'd pay the highest tariffs, of course. 

Because the passenger requires different ports, players would be transporting them throughout the Caribbean/Gulf, generating PVP opportunities.  Capturing a ship with one or more passengers would have interesting options.  Set them free (get a reward (some form of book/skill)from a grateful home nation), Ransom them (big money), or kill them.  If you kill them, you'll receive some form of reward suitable to an evil bastard, but you will be marked for a period of time and other players gain more PVP for killing you.

[Hethwill]

NPC passengers missions  

[z4ys]

I like the concept. But I wouldn't restrict it to traders. 

The intention should be to give people a meaning to be in OW and during their voyage to be able to fight and therefore experience additional content.

(Personally I always sail on a combat ship even I could use a cutter for a sail. Reason I want always to be able to experience content aka player vs player. Restricting yourself by sailing on a basic ship just lead to lost opportunities) I am happy I could at least convince @Palatinose 

[Capt Jubal Early]

Could give us for the small ships like yachts. Lording around on pleasure boats with some beautiful ladies.

[seanjo]

23 hours ago, Oberon74 said:

With the goal of increasing OW travel, how about a cargo option of passengers?  The way I see it, these passengers could either be a straight cargo option or some form of mission.  Unlike other cargo, a passenger wants to go to a specific location and is willing to pay a higher price to take him there.  With different professions and values, there are different classes of passenger.  Military passengers (fat Admirals) might be willing to travel on a warship.  Lower class passengers would accept travel on smaller traders, but the Quality will only take passage on an Indiaman.  They'd pay the highest tariffs, of course. 

Because the passenger requires different ports, players would be transporting them throughout the Caribbean/Gulf, generating PVP opportunities.  Capturing a ship with one or more passengers would have interesting options.  Set them free (get a reward (some form of book/skill)from a grateful home nation), Ransom them (big money), or kill them.  If you kill them, you'll receive some form of reward suitable to an evil bastard, but you will be marked for a period of time and other players gain more PVP for killing you.

Shades of Elite Dangerous...

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

Great idea. Give the passengers some individual (random) skills which could help you, regard it as temporary 'ship knowledge' addition.

Before someone comes and tells me this could be exploited by never leaving the passenger ashore again and bind him to the ship: let that skill only work as long as you follow roughly the route the passenger asked for to get to his destination, and if you take too long time, let the passenger rage quit after given number of days he did not arrive...

[Sella]

I remember that in Port Royale 2, when sailing from point a to b, you could find castaways in the ocean. You picked them up and for a small reward you dropped them off at their hometown

[Capt Jubal Early]

Could contain the opposite mission as well. If player A sinks/captures player B he can loot his passenger and ransom them back to there respective country apon delivery to nearest free port. Looting the passenger starts mission.