Marlinspike

Hi Felix Where do you get the port battle data (attacking clan and date/time of port battle)? I'm assuming you get it from the API, but I don't see that information in the ports data or items data.

Felix -- you kindly provided the formula for calculating trade prices in this forum: https://forum.game-labs.net/topic/12052-public-api-for-naval-action/ but now it is inaccessible to me ( I get "You do not have permission to view this content.") Can you repost that formula here? Also, perhaps you can prevail on the gods to open that forum thread about the API.

Nevermind -- It's that mystery source of @qw569😳

What is the source of this data? I don't think it comes from the API.

Just wanted to give this a bump, hoping for an answer.

My understanding is that soon the empire will have to defend itself from NPC port attacks. Perhaps that will create some openings.

From where do you get the data that you send out via Twitter?

@qw569 - fantastic! May I ask, how do you get the data that Mishka publishes? My guess would be that you are reading the data from the game client. If you have to be discrete about your method, I understand and don't expect an answer. Have you considered pushing the data in other ways than Twitter (e.g. a json feed)? I am particularly interested in getting clan warehouse log data (money log and resource log) for clan accounting purposes. Any suggestions?

Hi Felix -- I bow down to you -- the work you are doing with this map is phenomenal. I am tinkering around with the Naval Action API data and I have a question (I am developing NavalGaming.com for the US). It appears that you have access to real-time data, like port hostility levels and port battle results. From where do you get that data? Also, where do you get port timer data?

Don’t forget the tools. Some prefer to place the academy where tools drop.

I see that the Russians are attacking Pirates at Morgan's Bluff. What are the strategic implications of this? Looks like it cuts off Pirates in the Bahamas.

Here's a printout of the "low res" image -- looks great! Printed out at Staples for $36

Pandora is DLC.

Where does this data come from?

Since this community and its experts have been around a while, it's pretty easy to assess expertise by simply looking at a long history of posts on a given topic. I am wondering if there is a way that we, as a player community, can give some sort of formal recognition to these people, both as a gesture of gratitude and as a reward to encourage them and others. I'm thinking a system of nomination, vetting, voting, followed by some sort of insignia. This may or may not be a good idea -- we need an expert on the topic of online gaming communities to chime in.

NA has a fantastic player community -- I am continually amazed at the knowledge and passion the community has for this game. Given the small dev team and attendant resource constraints, in addition to the niche nature of the game, the player community and its quality will be a huge contributor to the success of the game. I have two questions: 1. How is the player community currently organized? I see some players with Staff tags in the forum. How is player staff selected? What are the roles/responsibilities of player staff? 2. How can the player community organization be improved? There are players with clearly established expertise in certain areas -- historical, game mechanics, game economy, strategy, tactics, etc, Is there a way that the community can formally recognize our experts?

It sounds like you are asking a question that cannot be answered by the player community, and "expect a sincere reply" from Game-Labs directly. If that is the case, then I would suggest that you send a private message to Admin to get the answer you are seeking.

After losing a battle with a pirate privateer off Cayo Romano on the north coast of Cuba, I find myself in Santa Maria on the south coast of Cuba (I suppose as the crow flies, it is the closest neutral port). I'm going to say that after losing the fight with the pirate privateer, myself and my crew were imprisoned in Cayo Romano, held for ransom. But due to the long-standing policy of the US government to refuse ransom payment to pirates, it looked like our days were numbered, so we plotted an escape. Thanks to a little help from local villagers, we made our escape and after several days walking, we arrived in Santa Maria where I am negotiating the purchase and outfitting of a new Lynx.

+1 In addition to simple wind variation, it would be awesome to include wind in relation to land features, such as a lee shore, or the wind shadow of an island.

I'm a casual player, so I'm not able to put many hours into gameplay. Also I chose to play US. This means that a lot of my game time is spent just travelling. Since I am in my lowly Lynx, I search for unarmed traders to sink. This means I am doing a lot of searching and running. I would like to suggest an increase in the number and variety of low level NPC, so that I can spend a little less time just sailing. I don't mind the exploration component, but I would like to encounter more targets that I can engage in my Lynx with a reasonable chance of success. Part the the problem is the low number of US players on at the hours that I play, and simply the low number of players, relative to the map size and location of the US capital. I could switch to UK, but I would rather play US. I would like to suggest more traders, specifically around Havana, which I understand was a major port back in the day. I also suggest smaller traders; currently the unarmed trader brig has a crew of 60, which outnumbers my Lynx crew of 40, making sinking my only option since grape from my 4 pounders is ineffective against the brig. I would like to see unarmed and/or lightly armed trader Lynx. It would be fun to engage an unarmed trader with an armed escort. An hourly (in game time) latitude/longitude fix in OW would helpful. Currently when I lose my bearings in open ocean, I am using the X/Z coordinates in F11 to get back on course. Kinda breaks immersion. It's fun to be this early in the game development cycle! Keep up the good work!

I found a couple of trader brigs near Cabo Florida. I just finished one off Nassau. Currently operating out of Mimbres. My advice to newcomers is to play fast and loose with your Lynx. You have nothing to lose when sunk, but will learn.

I think we need to clarify categories of ports, because not all ports are the same, therefore they should probably have different capture mechanics. Currently in game we have: Capital Ports -- uncontestable starting points, spawn point, teleport destination, one per nation Flagged Ports -- belong to nation to the exclusion of other nations, open to neutrals Neutral Ports -- open to all Deep Water Ports -- could be any of the above; any ship can enter Shallow Water Ports -- could be flagged or neutral; only shallow draft ships can enter Currently, the only advantage of a flagged port is that it denies entry to other nations (am I wrong? are there other advantages to a flagged port?). Do we want port battles for the sake of battles? Are ports serving as badges of honor, where each nation/clan/faction is competing for the most badges? Or does a port battle have to serve some strategic purpose, such as controlling territory/resources/wealth?

Isn't everything going to be wiped at some point before release? Maybe even several times before release? I feel bad for people who don't understand what Alpha testing means. Good to keep reminding us players frequently and kindly, even when we are grumpy about it.

To be durable, a side would have to be more organized and skilled. The side has to be organized to man the blockade with sufficient force defend against the counter attack. You are correct that the most durable will win if there is no counterattack. We can do whatever we want with our playsessions; we don't have to participate in a blockade if we don't want to. A player can decide to devote some time to manning a blockade for his nation a little or a lot. And there is always the chance that there will be a battle in the blockade if the other side decides to have a go. I see your point. Successful nations will be 24hr operations, which means recruiting players across all time zones. I think this is the nature of an open world. I need fellow team players in Asia/Australia/Europe/Africa/Americas. Blockades and blockade breaking, which are battles.

Port capture should not be a function of a single instanced port battle because of all the problems it creates, as described. Port capture should be a function of a blockade, say, 24 hours (or more?) as suggested by MikeDaBike This requires the attacking nation to have the wherewithal to assemble a fleet of players that can stay on station for the duration of the blockade. I imagine shifts being organized to make sure the blockade is manned. There will be times when the blockade is weaker because not enough players can cover a given shift. When a port is blockaded, a general announcement goes out stating "nation x is blockading port y with a force of z that will be completed in x hours." The defending nation needs to assemble a fleet to break the blockade. Thus we have a battle when the defending nation tries to break the blockade. I also think that port capture should be two phases: 1. blockade that renders the port neutral 2. settlement -- the nation that has the most outposts in the port determines how the port is flagged.