Development plans prioritization - proposals and feedback

[admin]

Hello Captains:

 

Continuing our open development tradition http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/1350-development-priorities 

 

We would like to use this opportunity to gather your feedback on the priorities and ask you to vote for them. 

 

Here is the list of proposals - please pick one option that you think should be done first.

If you feel we missed something please add your suggestions on the issues of key importance in the comments - we will pick some as wildcards

[B4NGSPL4T]

No option for improved economy/crafting?

[Tief N Tote]

honestly i just want to see larger trade ships atm

[SteelSandwich]

Trade ships are due soon, several are already finished and awaiting implementation.

[Bart Smith]

Since i think resources distribution is weakest part now my vote went for production buildings.

[admin]

 

honestly i just want to see larger trade ships atm

 

ships are a separate thread

 

 

No option for improved economy/crafting?

 

production buildings and improved trading are those options

[OlavDeng2]

Personally, id love to see land in port battles(and soon after that, all battles with any luck), second vote if i could would be production buildings as i like upgrading buildings

[BungeeLemming]

Gimme back the Mortars!

And I hope in a very neat way;)

[Powderhorn]

I'm pleased to see officer and crew management doing so well in the polls. I know I've had some ideas we've discussed at length earlier this year.

[Red Jack Walker]

My vote goes to crew management and officers. They will add a lot more depth to the game, becoming precious assets for captains and making "surrender" a plausible option for players. In one shot, more realism and depth for the game.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Captain Foster

[William the Drake]

While there's a lot on the list that I'd like to see, the issue of Pirate's mechanics is just that; an issue that needs to be resolved (especially with the recent conflicts arising from the current system that is being abused) So I say iron out pirates first.

But of course I'm biased.
 

And just to be clear, I'm not simply having a whinge here; I've voiced quite a few of my own suggestions on the topic:

• An Approach to Piracy
• Notoriety, Infamy, "Heat," and Bounties
• Pirate Havens, Port Security, and Trade Regulations
• Pirates and 3-Sided battles

Edited December 25, 2015 by William the Drake

[akd]

As we approach EA, I think the absence of the beautiful land (and shallows) we see in the open sea from our actual battles may prove the greatest disappointment to new players, and a huge limiter on tactical depth and variety. I know it will require some tricky procedural generation (or some such voodoo) to translate the OS into the battle instance, but if it can be done, it would the single greatest leap forward for the game.

However, if land / shallows in battles are random and not based on the open sea map, then I would put it at a much lower priority.

[Bart Smith]

For me and my experience from PotBS and other games player driven economy is a base for good RvR enviroment since we all will be in need of new ships, modules and most important - gold. Thats why i voted for production buildings - i think current system is not friendly to players and can be frustrating sometimes. Nice and clear rules about how many and for how much i can gather resources would help plan long term economy plans.

[LeBoiteux]

I voted for Exploration in order to have a new gameplay and more various things to do, beside crafting, trading and fighting.

OW is big enough for exploration tasks (and it could also be expanded some day).

For newcomers' information, here is Admin's post about Exploration : http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/1534-exploration-gameplay/

Edited December 25, 2015 by LeBoiteux

[Macjimm]

I spend most of my time in OW sailing.

I would love to see:

1) Options to toggle (turn on or off) the text over ports and the text the displays the port battles information . Perhaps it could all just go away with when Ctrl H is pressed for a third time.

2) The addition (in OW) of a spyglass, compass and chronometer (toggled with key binding).

3) Markings on ships (paint scheme, flags, pendants etc) that indicate the nation. (For OW)

I would like to see:

A) Weather with effects (like ship damage, speed change).

Fishing.

C) Birds.

D) Reduction to sailing/combat/reload performance commensurate with crew losses.

[Nathaniel]

If i could i would have voted for both port investments and production buildings. Both very important priorites, as long as port investments do NOT make the fort nearly invincible (only more profitable) so to not turn conquests into a PvE fest or a port who nobody comes to fight and as long as new production buildings are NOT allowed in free towns (so to actually contribute to the advantage of port holding). My deep conviction is that the current port system needs not so much technical tweaks as a lot of additional incentives to both aquire great empires and try to hold your ground and fight back when cornered. Right now it's to easy to say "damn it" and go on a holiday for a few weeks with your ships and production capacities pretty safe in a free town.

 

That being said, mortar brigs would be welcome - anything that makes port battles more equal without incentivizing defenders to fight.

 

P.S. And, yes, a disclaimer i probably have added from the start. Not only is the game a dream for every disgruntled PotBS veteran, it has also greatly improved in the course of the last 9 months, to an incredible degree which i would not have expected. I see your "big experiments" approach thus as fully validated. Keep up the great work, so that in another 9 months we'll have a conquest meta that suprasses anything EVE and consorts have to offer

Edited December 25, 2015 by Nathaniel

[Magnum]

All of the above ...... iow:

 

Love what you have done so far.

 

Please just keep following your dream, we will most likely love it as well.

[Wetworth]

A bunch of ideas here I'd like to see, but I voted for Exploration and Delivery missions. I have seen more than a few new players struggling to advance from the starting ships, and providing these will award experience, this may ease the fustration some people are feeling.
 

[maturin]

Officers, pirate gameplay and econ buildings are all critical to future game balance.

HOWEVER, the lack of land and shallows in port battles will garner NA dangerous amounts of bad press in EA. This is a very important first impression. I don't care how crude the land is graphically, it just has to be there.

[Schuetzengel]

we really go early access without any reasonable antiganking protection?  then there should be a warning on the steam page

[Powderhorn]

With some very good ideas kicking about, is there anything we as the player base can do to streamline or expedite the process? IE - Is there anything you can delegate out to committees?

['Sharpe]

I voted for Pirate mechanics, for a very important reason:

There needs to be a precedent set as soon as possible for Pirate gameplay. Every day we get scores of new players choosing Pirate, and the more players that get entrenched as that faction, the more difficult it is going to be enact any changes without MAJOR whining.

And the Pirate gameplay mechanic is nowhere near workable now. So this needs to be a highly prioritized fix, so the legions of new Pirate players can feel on the ground floor of the new Pirate gameplay, rather than feel like a drastic change is imposed on them later.

A side bonus is that the trade economy OW play immediately becomes more fun and robust with Piracy disrupting shipping lanes all over the map, etc....instead of Pirates as "just another faction" based arbitrarily and exclusively out of Mortimer Town.

[Macjimm]

I spend most of my time in OW sailing.

I would love to see:

1) Options to toggle (turn on or off) the text over ports and the text the displays the port battles information . Perhaps it could all just go away with when Ctrl H is pressed for a third time.

2) The addition (in OW) of a spyglass, compass and chronometer (toggled with key binding).

3) Markings on ships (paint scheme, flags, pendants etc) that indicate the nation. (For OW)

I would like to see:

A) Weather with effects (like ship damage, speed change).

Fishing.

C) Birds.

D) Reduction to sailing/combat/reload performance commensurate with crew losses.

 

I should have mentioned early.

1) in addition to removing the port text, and information text about port battles, would love to be able to remove the battle swords. 

 

4) Would love to see a default view from the deck of the ship (in OW). Currently the view is partway up the mast.

5) Would love to see the view restored in an instance where you can look up and see your own pendant.  Which is very useful to get an accurate wind direction.  Currently it is very difficult to look up at the top of the mast from the default view (part way up the mast).

 

Would also like

E) The option to toggle off the ship lights.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Macjimm

[B4NGSPL4T]

Aren't Port Investments/Production Buildings one in the same? I suppose Port Investments looks specifically at defences etc.

I would love to see Port specific buildings in general (Mines, Lumber Yards, Shipyards, Fortifications etc). However I would also love to see land mass during battles (both open world and port battles).

[Charles Caldwell]

This is a difficult choice, I really want to improve the diplomatic options for nations however I feel if its a case of priorities we should work on the crew of the ships with Officers first.

 

Always build on a strong foundation....