SIGFTS

I like the data dumps. If you're new to json you can see it formatted on sites like http://jsonviewer.stack.hu/(no affiliation there). Load the URL to the specified file name in the "API" spec. I'm not convinced that making the data available, or even available in real time would negatively impact game play. After all, you can just ask in the forums what "iron ore" is selling at in Kingston/Port Royal and someone will probably answer. Maybe not for every port but I guess that depends on numerous factors that beyond the scope of this thread. I don't see stats on how many players are sailing from port to port every day to check prices or if the requirement to do so in order to get updated prices affects the time they spend in the game. However, why not try? Doesn't that sort of thing fall in line with testing? I'd like to see a real-time tool publishing the data from the database, or even in semi-real time like an update every 30 minutes and accessible via an easily coded open API like REST. If the server hit is, or becomes too much of a burden then data dumps could be made to a NoSql solution running on CUDA. You can process millions of records per second with a good GPU and not worry about performance as much as band width. These data dumps are cool. Thanks for sharing.

Ganking and its effects on the game are off topic. Please specifically address the topic of limited crew/crew refill in this thread. Thank you!

I like the concept but see a possible problem of this promoting ganking if crew capture is possible. And, in my opinion ganking causes a lot of game rage (translates to lost users?) especially for those who have not worked their way up through the ranks and have no chance whatsoever to win or run when attacked. If I read the initial post correctly: If I lose my ship I lose my crew. That's fine but I tend only to lose a ship in a port battle or when ganked. If my crew can be captured (mentioned as a possibility) than this further promotes ganking because it would be easier for a group of say 7 to gank multiple ships (especially my traders) to refill their ranks than to sail around looking for more crew, returning to a port (in the case where one is far from a home port) to gain more crew or waiting for their ranks to regenerate. In some cases it would promote ganking because in the middle of sailing from one end of the map to another the only way to regenerate crew after a battle would be through capture. It might also increase ganking right before port battles. Depending on how crew is assigned, there may be a surge of ganking to reduce a Nations' fleet just before a flag is planted. This may mirror the real world but I do not think that people will want to play much if they think whatever they do is useless or they can not grow because their crews are constantly limited or looted.