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captain_andrey

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Posts posted by captain_andrey

  1. For the sake of argument, let's assume that the fates smile on my suggestion and the optimal configuration turns out to be roughly historically accurate; a few 1st rates, a majority of 3rds and large frigates, and a supporting smattering of speedy frigates and of mortar brigs. Let's also assume that you're right, and the same format is brought to every battle.

     

    1: It'd be more historically accurate than 25 santis.

    2: Even though the fleet composition would be the same each time, what each player gets to sail won't be; get bored of sailing a 1st rate and you can sail the next battle in a speedy frigate.

    3: Turning up to the battle in a smaller ship won't be an automatic sentence to screening.

    4: Someone joining in a cutter won't automatically keep another player out of the battle, stopping that particular trolling method.

    5: Nations on the back foot would still be able to fight back; they may not be able to sail the optimal mixed fleet, but in the event of an emergency they could swarm a large fleet of smaller ships and fight a last-ditch battle that actually has a hope of winning.

    This will never happen, the optimal set up will always be made of similar ships, ships that are able to sail together. Diverse fleets will get split up, the slow ships will get kited and the fast ones will be primaried. A homogeneous fleet composition has the advantage of running away from anything bigger than itself or destroying anything smaller than itself.   

  2. Why not just do as others have suggested; replace the 25 player limit with a BR limit? BR limits are already used in other areas of the game. Not only could this allow more variation in fleets, but might also encourage it; if you know your enemy is going to burn their whole BR limit to send in eight first-rates, your side might elect to send in 15 frigates to swarm them...which might then encourage the enemy to diversify their fleets the next time around to defend against that sort of tactic...and bingo, the game ends up tending towards fleets of varied ship sizes, which improves realism and improves inclusion; players who turn up in smaller ships are no-longer seen as screening fodder, but now can be useful additions to the assault fleet.

    A BR limit just like any limit will produce an optimal set of ships to bring to any battle, the current optimal set is 25 first rates, a br limit will produce an optimal set that people will bring over and over again. And if I am going to sail the same this every day to PB it might as well be a 1st rate.

  3.  

    I don't think anyone really enjoys 'map painting' uncontested battles for long but as long you are forced to bring your maximum force it is going to happen. For example SORRY could bring far less 1sts and more lower rates but that puts them at risk of an opponent showing up with all 1sts since there is no assurance they will be meet with a similar restricted force. 

    I dont think you realize how many ex EVE players are playing this game. Yes I am very interested in map painting. Showing up with organized and unstoppable force that steam rolls your opponent because they are too scared to even undock is why I want to play this game. Nobody ever won a war by winning a close battle. You want to show your opponent that you have organizational skills to bring exactly 25 firsts in the battle, not one more or one less. You want to show them that you have industrial muscle to be able to replace those ships when they are lost. You dont just want to win and sink a few more ships than the opponent, you want to crush them until they dont even want to login the next day to defend. Thats how you win wars. 

     

    Also all this talk about these or any other changes the devs could make would make anything more accessible to casual players. Why should it be? Why does someone who only logs in on a weekend and can barely crew their ship feel entitled to participate in a battle that was planned for days and weeks by dedicated players, players who play together every day, practice their lines, their communications, their fire focusing just for a chance to be able to show off their skills against a equally well prepared opponent. Any additional limits placed by the devs on top of existing 25 player limit will only serve to alienate the casual players in the eyes of the organized clans even more. Line battles with 1sts are very easy even for unskilled player to be effective in. Sail in line, dont crash into the guy infront and fire every now and then. Winning a frigate battle is a completely different story, skill will come into play a lot more. Skill that the casual player just doesnt have. Why should this player get in the battle ahead of skilled captain? There are plenty of things that a casual player can do in this game, but I dont think participating in port battles should be on the top of that list.

  4. you are talking about the outside

    i am talking about the inside (once battle started)

    inside the battle with all other things being equal you need 25 first rates right now to win (if both sides have equal skill)

    and your proposal "if you want frigates to be viable then make them viable" is ridiculous and does not belong here on the forum!

    I AM making them viable creating a greenhouse - space for them where only frigates participate. You on the other hand propose NOTHING to make them viable.

    Here is a challenge for you

    Propose 3 ideas to make frigates viable in a port battle consisting of 25 first rates, without limiting the entry rights, without talking about depths and without creating additional goals done specifically for frigates (because it is not going to make them more viable it will just force people to pick frigates as they wont be able to win the PB without them.

    No i am talking about inside port battles. For any major offensive there will be more than one simultaneous port attack. Not many clans or nations can field multiple 1st rate fleets. Many ports are still being taken with 3rd rates or even connie fleets.

    And what is with the obsession with not having 25 first rate battles? If two opposing forces have the ability to field such a force why not let them? Even now it is not sustainable to field a 1st rate fleet every day as the losses can not be replaced by crafters. Look at Aves. British held it for a week but had to endure a daily attack. The losses were piling up on both sides and it was no longer possible to field a full first fleet.

    With proposed crew hiring system such losses would be even more catastrofic. You have to let the game reach a natural equilibrium of risk vs reward for fielding big ships instead of bringing in artificial limits. Even the 25 player limit seems rediculous unless the servers cant handle any more. Let the game balance itself out instead of using bandaid features to limit gameplay. Other bandaid features were tried and failed to fix anything (1.5br anyone?) and the same will happen to this one. Players will find a way around the restrictions and will turn them to an even bigger advantage. Oh i see you brought 25 connies to attack my port. Here why dont you try to get through my 25 santi screening fleet first. You should have brought 25 santis of your own. Oh you did, thats cool.. remember when we had these fights in port battle instead of open water. Yeah but i like open water better at least we have land in it...

  5. Yes and it is better than to only have First rates. .

    Captains who deny that - do not understand that it has already happened: Deep water port battles consist of 2 ships already. Santisima Trindiad and Victory (but mostly santisima trinidad).

    Well that is just not true and if you really beleive what you are saying here then you are making game mechanic changes based on false information. If your nation or clan only plans to take one port in the time slot then sure they bring their best ships. Most major offensives would involve multiple attacks and screening battles where lower rate ships are very well used. If you want frigates to be viable in the port battle itself then make them actually viable instead of forcing people to sail ships they dont want to sail. On top of this 4rth rates are currently disposable ships with connies being aquireable from the ai shop. The scafters are being shafted again. Why would anyone use crafted ships costing 4 high level notes when you can have virtually free ones. This will be disposable 3rd rate spam all over again only these ships will have 4 dura.

  6. A nice solution would be to let people vote on flag purchase. Only players in geographical proximity of the target port get to vote. A vote succeeds if after 30 sec more people voted yes than no or as soon as 10 people voted yes.

    This will also bring the need for at least 1 player of the attacking nation to be in proximity of target port, making buying 10 simultaneous flags much harder to coordinate yet still possible.

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