I registered an account just so I could reply to this topic. With about 140hours in Naval Action so far Im not the most experienced player of the game. But I do have some experience with games and MMOs in general.
I had to comment, I simply had to because the proposed changes are terrible. Let me explain. We already have problems with large 25 ship 1st rate fleets, this patch will not change that. In fact it might even aggravate it. With less ports to capture and defend (regional capitals) the Santisima fleets will experience much, much less attrition.
Now that AI captures are impossible at least the national and clan crafters need to work day and night to supply these 1st rates. With less attrition rates, the Santissimas will become even more common and prevalent in the game and everyone will sail one, people will even bring them out to PvE (happening already).
As it is now, at least 2nd and 3rd rates can fill in the missing Santissima slots, and with less organized defenders they frequently do (for example during the recent Port Morant defenses against Xhemko).
So every single (and future) 2nd and 3rd ship of the line will be delegated a PvE role primarily. This can not be good for a game that prides itself on its PvP.
A secondary problem is that Constitutions and Ingermenlands will become the mid tier Santissimas. These ships already fill a pretty robust role, 4th and 5th rates already do great in wolf packs, gank squads, whatever you want to call them. Now they will become the big ships for 3/4 of the map, and you will have 1st, 2nd, 3rd rates screening for them. This is not only completely a-historical its also hilarious. The balance of the game will be tilted on its head.
Please do not impose such artificial limits. Or at least not in this way. Thank you.