Burca

Sounds interesting but it will make less pvp to happen as you'll be sailing all the time back to a port to refill your crew (and you'll more money/farm because of this) and also more ganks will happen as after every fight your grp will be undercrewed :/

This is making the 3rd rate quite useless. She can't go to the mid tier not to the top. Maybe OW but there the Consties are much better. I've read many times that 80% of the ships in the big battles were 3rd rates but I guess it won't happen here. I do undertand what the purpose of this is but I think you should rather come up with a system where there is a cap for each type of ship or maximize the battle rating. I know it's complicated but yea, ppl will always try to bring the biggest ship they can. Wouldn't you? Or capturing a port would build up from several battles which have ship type limitation. The winning side of these battles would gain important advantages for the main battle like less/more (powerful?) towers for the defenders, better wind, AI help, more spot, whatever. Or simply best of 3. If you win 2 of these battles then the port is yours. (ofc gathering 75 ppl could be problematic for small nations but here comes the diplomacy or the battles should not happen at the same time)

Please don't. Going out for patrol with my group and not being able to join a battle due to BR difference is more annoying than getting surrounded. Not to mention that if somebody cannot join the battle then he can be ganked easily. This 1,5 BR diff provides more ganks than preventing imo. I would prefer the old system then.

This will push ppl to use only crafted ships, what is not that bad but we already do not have the labour hours to keep building them. You won't risk your crew, just like you don't risk your exceptional upgrades on a 1 dura ship. So not sure how many ppl you can hire after you've lost your 1st rate or captured ships but you might end up without crew so what can you do then? Just leave the game for that day because you do not have the crew to sail? This might be tricky. What if I teleport to another Outpost. How much is coming with me? And if I sail in a cutter to another port? will I have enough crew for my ship there or I'll have to hire there aswell? And the rest stays in the previous port so I'll have to go back for them or what?

I just wanted to post screenshots of that. Actually this way you can also bring the flag safely to the contested port.

Tiphats guys. Nice fights yesterday around Plymouth.

Did you give up so easily?

I'm wondering if there will be a wipe at all. Is there any official statement for that?