Macjimm

I thought the invisibility and speed boost was the alternative to allowing players to log off after they had escaped a battle. It would help those players who wanted to avoid being dragged into repeated battles. Personally I would prefer to be able to quit the game after I have escaped and simply remove invisibility and speed boost. Logging off is preferred to teleporting away from conflict. But there should be some other alternative for players rather than; 1) being forced into endless battles each time they escape or 2) allowing the enemy to destroy their ship. I have not voted in the poll because it needs a 4th button. 4) remove completely and add option to log out of game after a successful escape.

Good response ... Also I think there are a bunch of players who have not left or quit. They are just waiting for early access to end. By the way, the game is not too hardcore. If we sailed in real time in OW, were not able to teleport, had banks, would lose gold that was on a ship, could die and lose our character, had crews that required food/water/medicine, required ships to be tied to a dock or buoyed, had limited room in ports for ships, had damage to ships from wind, waves, collisions, had rocky shores and reefs that caused damage, had currents and winds that caused ships to drift from the heading, had to wait for items to be crafted or grown, experienced pitch darkness at night, and were able to adjust sails realistically, perhaps that would be too hardcore. Game seems balanced right now. Players that are quitting because it is too hardcore may be more interested in an arcade style age of sail shooter ... like the upcoming Legends.

For myself: The enjoyment from the game has always been the sailing, interactions with players and the trading. But they are all connected and really can't be separated. I still like the game now, more than ever. I've always wondered if the combat would get boring for those who play primarily just to fight. The battles without some sort of purpose would perhaps become stale quickly. Glad you mentioned it cause I've suspected that many players who complain they want to have PvP continuously would eventually get sick of just having battle after battle , over and over.

Preble, because we have no wind or current drift in NA navigation is very easy. We can follow bearings with lazer accuracy. Some players enjoy that a small amount of skill is required to travel. It can be satisfying to arrive at a destination at the planned precise time . On the odd occasion that you are forced to flee from an enemy (or choose to chase one) and you are unable to follow your plotted course it is fairly easy to re orientate without returning to the land where you came from. The Caribbean is pretty small and it is usually not too far from land. Often during the chase you can still keep a rough idea of where you are. It takes practice. But if you do get a little lost, try one of the following suggestions: 1) make a estimate of where you are and set a course towards the nearest land. When you reach it use the port names or the topography to re orientate your new location (shape of the coast) to start a new course. 2) Use F11 to obtain your coordinates with a map to determine your position. (If it bothers you that the map (below) is not built into the game, pretend that when you Alt Tab to access the map that you are using a in game keybinding. If it bothers you that F11 is not an ingame sextant well ... sigh ... maybe someday. ) http://burningsail.com/ Great for quick estimate of time and direction http://justisdepartementet.org/naval-action-map Use F11 to get coordinates and then this map will give you a rough idea of your location http://map.licornes.eu/ Can obtain a very accurate location. https://namap.neocities.org/interactiveMap.html Very good map for obtaining accurate times of journey

Thanks Koltes, I like the way you explain details. You make yourself easily understood. And it is reasonable to consider using a notation with a ordinal direction preceding, when the direction is closer to it than the cardinal. Perhaps we should continue using the traditional winds rather than reconstructing the names. Vitruvius's latin names may be too detailed to remember easily, but the modern notation fits well. it is my understanding that the principle wind is used first. It indicates the cardinal as primary because cardinal supersedes ordinal. We might imagine that South is more powerful than SW and owns all of the points between SW and SE. The general (or primary direction) within the quadrant is southerly. Your suggestion of SWbW might fit more appropriately with the compass rose with more points.

I think that the Devs do not need to create the story for the players. In an MMO the players can create an intricate saga for themselves. But players need tools and a little help creating goals. The tools that would help with depth in game include ship's names, ship history or a ship's log. The lack of names and history for ships is disappointing. Who ever heard of a ship without a name? Buying or capping a ship and reading a rich history or ships log that is attached to the ship would be fascinating. Goals might include titles, medals, rare treasures like unique jewels. Title could be bestowed for performance or by vote by other players. Medals seem trite but they do create incentive and provide a target for some players. The rare treasures could be used as gifts or rewards from one player to another. Rare treasures might be one of a kind and can not be a players possession like gold or xp but would be at risk of loss in a hold or warehouse. The quest or search for a rare treasure can create a story by itself.

Duke makes a very good point. My understanding of MMOs is very limited so I am the last person to try and champion MMO culture but ... is there some way (incentive) to create options for players to assist newcomers.

Gosh, I remember when we had no spyglass in open world. I'm glad the Devs added it for our pleasure. Thanks Devs!! As the risk of sounding spoiled .... It would be very cool if all ships had some type of national identifier (static flag, paint scheme, emblem etc) that could be seen more clearly with the spyglass. But if would only really be a benefit to those of us who turn off the hud or don't mouse click on ships.

The points you have shown are named West South West (WSW) and West by South (WbS) respectively. I think that this creating new names for points will cause confusion. If we are using a 24 point compass I suggest that we use the nomenclature intended for the 24 points. Keep it simple. Vitruvius points: Tradition: Although there are many similarities between the age of sail and the Caribbean there are also many differences. I've reconciled the 24 point compass by accepting that the map and naval action environment is a unique creation for it's own sake. Loosely created after history and current geography. But it is a fantasy virtual world. The 24 point compass is part of that world, even though may not have been used in the 17th century age of sail.

EDIT: If I could make a change it would be to add a toggled compass that allows me to measure the direction to objects ...rather than a only a compass fixed to the direction of the keel. When I first started sailing with the 24 point compass I thought it was a little strange. But I have become accustomed to its use now. I have grown to like it. It may be old fashioned but it works well now that I understand and remember the points. Each point is 15 degrees. Descriptions between points are simple. Vitruvius or Vitruvi or Vitruvio This compass could have been invented by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c. 80–70 BC, died after c. 15 BC), He was a Roman author, architect, civil engineer and military engineer during the 1st century BC. His 24 point rose was not widely adopted (as evidenced by the widespread use of the traditional compass) but it is handily drawn with the convenient 15 degree divisions. Later in the 16th century Vitruvius's 24 points (and names) were expressed again. I do not use the wind names (Latin). The notation is very simple - panning North (N) to East (E) yields N, NbE, NNE, NE, ENE, EbN, and E. Other quadrants follow the pattern. For more accuracy one can designate a subdivision between the points by using a hyphen. Example: halfway between North by East (NbE) and North North East (NNE) would be an abbreviated point of NbE-NNE. Vitruvius wind names The Chinese also used a 24 point compass for astronomy and astrology, although it has absolutely nothing to do with the age of sail in the Caribbean.

I have very limited time. Usually play for an hour or two a few times per week. Speeds are okay as is. Some would prefer slower speeds. Some higher. We need to have a balance, not push the mechanics to the extreme margins. EDIT: The map size should be much bigger ... not smaller.

I thought the same thing, but have heard an explanation that this is an MMO. Players should coordinate and protect fellow nationals. People who like sailing should choose safe areas and safe times. Players should work together within their nation to make it difficult for the hunters to patrol inside the borders of a capital region. If I wanted to sail without any risk I would only use the PvE server and avoid the PvP server. OW Pvp hunting and chasing creates a certain excitement and anticipation that is missing on the PvE server.

Cheers to you lad. Stepping up and making an effort to build a better world. Can you suggest more specifics? Where are the regions? Who are the Active and Dead nations? Where are the pressure points? When will we decide? When will this begin?

But this is an MMO. The content is very much what the players create for themselves. If we had the will we could create our own rookie areas. Losing a Trader full of profitable cargo should be disappointing, if it doesn't matter at all the game would be dull. But one does not have to sustain big losses. First off it might be smarter not to invest all of your gold in one trade voyage. Don't risk what you can not afford to lose. Spend some time in a basic ship or a small fast one. Explore the ports. Chat up some fellow sailors from your own nation and get to know them,. Check out prices and learn what stuff will yield a good profit. Cap a trader and make some trade runs in a free ship. Don't spend all your money on one run. Keep some for a reserve. You can do this alone but it works better if you build some trust and provide stuff for other players that are fighting and in need of material and/or resources. You can find some mates to sail with, to provide your trade vessel with an escort, or help you fight the pirates or enemy. It would be a mistake to build more barriers to game play. Rank restrictions would be a step backwards. You can play for years and not get promoted higher than 2nd Lt. It's still good fun. There are so many great personalities here if you let them shine through. EDIT: Rather than restricting all of us low rank players from PvP perhaps it would be simpler for those who don't want to take a chance to use the PvE server to gain the competence in battles, and come back to the PvP server with the NA bug bites.

That's the spirit lad. But for those that are having a lot of difficulty finding action. The solution of shrinking the OW to increase PvP is short sighted. 1) You will alienate all of the players that like the open ocean, islands and option for longer sails. 2) It will require adding more size to the OW if the population increases. The solution is a player problem not a map problem. It’s an MMO players can create a hot spot where they can find fighting. Use the forums and chat to advise players where the conflict can be found. Work together to create battles in a focused area. The other option would be for the devs to create areas that offer more incentive for PvP. Higher rewards in identified areas for PvP. Dynamic resource sites that players can fight over. Or restructure the ports so there are more of them in a smaller area. These areas could be the hot spots with increased player traffic and congestion. Scatter some ports in the outlying areas to provide content for those of us who value navigating and some sailing.. These may be a stupid suggestions, I know very little about the complex balance in competitive sandbox gaming. So many ideas sound great to me but I’m told they are exploitable. Explore options to encourage PvP, rather than forcing it, by shrinking the little world we have now. It's really small as it is.

The open ocean, various islands, coast lines and the feeling of sailing is appealing. The Carribean is but a small portion of the Atlantic and a tiny spot on the globe. Having a little room to roam is important. Reducing open world to a lake and clumping us together like bunch of angry rats in a barrel would not improve the game. And if the population increases a pond sized map would be insufficient. For all those who want a tiny world where everyone is forced into pvp battles, all of the time, over and over , just be patient. Naval Action Legends is coming.

If this is implemented please put it a toggle in the options. To turn it off. Personally I do not want to see more notifications in game.

Thanks Vernon. Good point. But a fast ship should not need a perk to hold a slow ship in an instance. And slow ships should be able to be re tagged indefinitely.

I have no idea what that means. And what I was trying to say in my previous post was that I don't understand the intricate and complex mechanisms that will allow balanced PvP in an MMO but ... if I have a very fast ship and am prepared to sacrifice size and strength I should be able to flee and get away. Unless I am in an area with a vast number of enemy that are distributed evenly. I'm sympathetic to the challenge that the Devs have, but I hope there is some solution that will allow the really fast little ships to escape slower ones. And visa- versa - really slow ships should not be able to escape

Speed buffs, invisibility, teleportation ... It all seems so gamey and convoluted . If I have a faster ship, have the wind and am paying attention I should be able to escape, regardless of how badly my opponent wants PvP. Unless my opponent has enough ships (players) to cover a vast area. Slower ships should not be able to escape by magic even if the captain wants to take a break. I'd like to test Kote's idea.

Great information. Now i know and can act accordingly. So complicated for the Devs to balance game play in a competitive open environment.

Thanks Prater. How long am I invisible for and is there details about the speed buff that will help me? (How much faster is the speed buff? Is it affected by the points of sail?)

I searched the forums and could not find an answer. I remember players asking for some sort of game mechanic to allow us to leave the game after we had escaped. Some wanted to be able to teleport from the battle end screen to a nearby port. Some (like me) would have be content to just exit the game from inside the instance. It seems we have neither. I just tested it and if I exit the game from inside the instance my friend told me my ship did not leave the game. Is there any way to avoid being pulled into a battle repeatedly? Or can a group of hunters keep engaging me indefinitely ... or until they sink (or cap) me? If I have posted this in the wrong place or if this has been discussed and resolved in another thread please merge ....

Should be able to test any match of BR. Anything else would be too limited. Key word here is "test". Perhaps we need dueling and testing. With some type of reward or leader board for duels and none for testing.

Sounds like a great idea. Having a place where players can fight in Naval Action. This seems like a very simple fix to the big complaint that some players make "sailing is boring". It would also be a fine place to test or learn from a more experienced fighter. The idea that we are not allowing duels because we want to force players into OW PvP is distasteful and counter productive. We will not let players just battle because we want them to look for a fight. Wonder if the Devs have records of how much the duel feature was used previously ? Allowing duels until Legends is complete seems reasonable, heck allow duels even after Legends is complete