IndianaGeoff

Every time, every server when a nation is camped for a significant period of time, pop levels drop and many never come back. Every single time. It happened to Global US. It happened to Global French. It more recently happened to Global Pirates. This is one of the things that kills this game. People like to fight. But not every night and defensive duties are a total bore. When you are defensive night after night, it is a killer. I think the 2 minute join timer is the main problem. It makes defense impossible and gives every advantage to fast invaders.

I'll be staying with the nation I started with. You know, exactly what you as suggesting people do. Work on building something up, even if it's down, instead of jumping ship like a Mexican Jumping bean. And I know full well I am going into a nation that is really down on that server. So we will see what happens. I'd sell you guys some redeemables if you were able to sell them. I have them all.

With the EU pirate nation being down right now, I am sure they are quite excited about all the Global Pirates who will make them a power again. Oh wait, you said Russian and French, two nations already on ascendancy on EU. Nevermind.

And there are nations on EU that are already tired of Global clans who claim they need all sorts of give aways to "join" a clan.

Just because a nation is not putting up ads, doesn't mean it is giving up. Play for who you want. And since redeemables are handed out like candy, switch if you don't like it.

Yup. I for one like having them in some places but not everywhere. They were a huge time and hours sink, but being able to stock up and sail out works. There is also opportunity for a new player to sail them to PvP ports and sell them. I would expand it to regional capitals too. That would not be game breaking and would reduce sails. And reduce the use of them in battles. Make the battles shorter.

The wind changes will result in a more crashes. That's a good thing, if you don't want to crash, then stay clear.

So you guys are finally done Polishing the Whales?

I don't think upgrades make that big a difference. A lesser skilled captain is not going to win on upgrades. It's just that the best players also have the best upgrades and don't lose them often. It is a gulf widening issue more than balance. This game does fine with zero or easily obtained upgrades. It is an unnecessary mechanic.

See that is the rub. I can start on the new server with nothing and grind up to a million or so or... I can grind with my existing character, existing trade routes and crafting goods and build for the merge. I don't see any value in playing an hour for a hundred thousand when I can earn millions in that same hour up to the actual merge. Just give me some heads up so I can get ready for it in time. It does me zero good to grind exp on the new server since I am max in rank and crafting. After the merge, I'll be in my best ships and ready to go. I have buds who are moving over (I hope) so we will clan up together. The new port battle scheme is not in place so doing hostility is useless. My plan is to land with a full port of solid ships, enough cash to build my crafting network quickly and if crafting goods move, I'll be set up in hours to make what I need. That's best done where I am already set up.

We do need a good notice ahead of the merge. The short notice that happened recently was too short.

Man, that is gonna be a lot of redeemables. If they are all in one big redeemable, I don't have enough inventory slots at any port.

You are already seeing that. With the Pirates having been the top dogs on global since the wipe, instead of bolstering a weak EU Pirate nation, they are shopping for something stronger for a more sure win. And don't confuse "ruin" for change. Yes, it will change. Ruin is up to the players. But I highly doubt that he merge will be 1+1=3. It will probably be 1+1=1.3. The reasons for declining population is not fixed in the merge. Trade missions are not fixed. Raids are not being put in. Server events are nonexistent. Player progression is not improved. About the only change since Hardmode has been safezones and port based RvR. Both good, but not nearly enough.

I have a character on EU and on Global. They have 2 different names, EXP, Redeemables. How will all this be reconciled? Will we be able to combine it all and rename?

What do you mean by resources moving over? Does that mean we will get all our crafting goods? Will Marks move over or should the be "spent"? How will you handle names? Some names will be the same (just guessing). Will you be able to rename. I would like a small tweak.

Clearly Legends is going to be your game. That is OK. Just the way it is. Not good or bad.

Yes, that is 100% correct. What does not work is unrestricted seal clubbing and zero safe ship bashing as some seem to be wedded to. We tried that. It failed.

Yea, player numbers are down. Can't count on a response for any port battle these days.

I agree. They simply need some mechanic to have a small group fight that can happen in a hour or two. Something with a reward/penalty large enough to generate a defense response. The port battle mechanic is better now, but with a 2 day cycle... it is not spontaneous. And while I don't want to see 25 vs 25 1st rates battles as the only port battles return... it would be nice to have them every now and then.

They might come back and try the game after the next and last wipe (if it is). But they are not coming back before. They moved on, found something else and may never return. Devs screwed up big in the hardmode era. Any change they do that effects the grind needs to be mathed out. Go out find out how long it takes to level or reach a goal and multiply it by the number of those you have. I don't know the exact hour mark where players say screw it, but hardmode was way over that line. Rather than slowing all progression, this created an unbridgeable gulf between the 6 hour a day players and the 1 to 3 hour, 2 or 3 nights a week guys.

Yes, but the old players have come and gone. Lots of new players got frustrated and quit. They might come back after Beta or release, but they for sure are not coming back before. Once bitten twice shy. Some of them are quite chewed up. In the end, a man who worked his way up to Rear Admiral and want's to sail the bigger ships, is not going to grind for weeks to get a ship he can't afford to lose.

Sometimes you just say damn the odds, let's fight.

I play when I can. A lot of nights I have an hour or two so if I find quick Defense duties, Hostility or other PvP, I do it. If I don't find it quickly, then I'll PvE or craft/trade run. I save big blocks for Port Battles when I can, but I don't make them all that often. We have been on opposite sides and you will recognize my name if you see it. Not that your point has any relevance. I play the game the way I enjoy it. I am not sorry if it does not meet your standards.

I have said all along, you don't have to reward PvP. It happens on it's own. You certainly don't need to have best in game upgrades come from it. This is a game of skill. Have basic upgrades and let skill decide it. When you take skill and add top tier upgrades that lower level players won't get... well that is a recipe for disaster.

This Mort/LaT gankfest keeps up, it is a repeat of the Charleston gankfest that took server pop levels to 80. It is no fun defended night after night. Defenders quit and pvp crashes. Interestingly, it fired up right after substantial PvP rewards were introduced.