i absolutly like the whole idea and will go a bit more into a detailed scenario:
a Flag is choosen, now the Admirality creates a support chain with orders from the nearby ports. Missions can be choosen by traders, each mission got also 2 slots or more for small battleships to protec the supports.
For 7 Days there will be an amount of support missions, to craft the flag, if the minimum level of supplies is reached, the port battle can be started with a limited time window, if the support level end after 7 days with a factor like 2 or more you get additionel time to attack the port
Those Supplies are no goods nor can one buy those in the shop. Those can be taken as admiral missions and hve to be fullfilled in a limited time frame
With such a suply chain the fresh players can play also a very usefull role for each faction
Additional one can get also XP and some gold running those mission. So you also can level up as a trader!
once the flag is crafted and the portbattle is won, those suply chain trades will get an additional amount of gold and XP fee as a bonus so you will be motivated to run more supply missions over the week
The system behind that idea can be integrated at the mission menu. Once one started the Flag crafting, those admiral support missions will be displayed as convoi mission from a to b. You can accept those missions as a team with minimum 3 up to 6 Players and such missions must be fullfilled in 90 minutes realtime. than the race will be started. interception fleets will raise up to defend , and protection fleets can be additional part of such a scenario
Imagine how this would be. We would see all kind of smaller and faster ships like the Brigs surprises and renomees in usefull roles.
And no port steamrolling anymore. A captured port will be a national or at least a squadronwide effort to reach!
Snappy Salute
dhyran