Cetric de Cornusiac

This 'dragon' had already a fine start today in French national chat. And I say that in all irony. I will have a look on their conduct in the next time, the insights here are self-explaining. Reputation follows the man where he goes. We may be not allies in game, but feel free to hand me any information you further have on these gents.

Sure, if you don't find anyone else than the low rank player, you chose him before you just sail around for fishing... I have nothing against it. But: Meanwhile, you still have to do some calculations in the back of your head: will your hull repairs you have with you (in limited quantity of course because you need to be fast in your hunter ship) last enough if you use it up on a number of low-pvp-rewarding newbies, or better spare it for the big guy you may come across in half an hour? You never know. You set your prime objectives. If you use up your repairs for a series of low reward battles and then get ganked by the other veteran, you would wish you had prepared better... So the difference in battle reward outcome will become a logistic problem. Not that we did not have it yet, but it will get an interesting new touch.

No, I think it will change something. The pro's go for maximizing their "food" a.k.a. PvP marks. Like you find them now always in the patrol zone of the day, because PvP marks earning is maxed there. Give them fatter meat and they will sink their teeth into this. Why don't you want to see it tested before you shoot out your anticipation, which is based on... wait... on which it is based actually? Other than opinion?

Please, gentlemen, let's try to be constructive. The main idea behind my suggestion is to shift away hunter attention from new players to veteran players, as it will become more rewarding. How this is measured and what math model would be the best working, I leave to the devs or you commentators. A system which accurately measures one rank against the other, in relation, should fit the best. But it is not my task to present a ready-to-go math formula for this. Just triggering the idea.

One golden thread or leitmotiv is running through this forum: we need to protect new players from being 'farmed' again and again by veterans, else they rage quit and the player base of Naval Action is suffering... In this context I present to you the following idea: Let's connect PvP marks as rewards for player kills to the rank of the victim. Effect: veterans will strive to find and fight other veterans and ignore "low mark" opponents more likely. This is especially true for the pro players who know no other fun than killing others in large numbers, which is expressed by this terrible term "farming" noobs. Meaning, you get low PvP reward for a beginner's rank victim and a maximum PvP reward for top ranks being sunk by you. Like for example: Midshipman: factor 0,07x present PvP marks Ensign: factor 0,15x 2nd Lt: factor 0,3x 1st Lt: factor 0,5x Lt.Cmd: factor 0,7x Master and Commander: factor 1x Post Captain: factor 1,2x Flag Captain: factor 1,4x Commodore: factor 1,6x Rear Admiral: factor 2,0x This system would need to partly remove the anonymity in OW sighting, because you need to detect the enemy rank for estimating if he is worth your time in regard of obtainable PvP marks. Pros: Protective effect on lower ranks Veterans fight more other veterans new players are more likely to stay in the game Cons: you need to show your rank in OW and this occasionally allows to identify you (like when you are the only rear admiral around) not good for your ego when you are beginner and are eager to fight This could evem be spiced up by special PvP mark rewards if the low rank is so audacious he actively seeks the challenge of attacking high rank veteran players. In this case he will hardly have to complain and quit the game altogether, it will be his free choice. However, if he is really lucky and sinks the veteran player, we give him a bonus together with his PvP reward. Like: (two ranks higher) factor 1,5x (three ranks higher) factor 2,0x (four ranks higher) factor 2,5x (five ranks higher) factor 3,0x (more than five ranks higher) factor 5,0x. Again: this applies for a voluntary attack of a lower rank on a higher rank. If you want to encourage people to step out and get bloody noses. And make veterans not feel too safe all the time...

Clearly too late in the history of sail to be of interest, this was a late 19th century ship type. But we could talk about East Indiaman and West Indiaman, this would fit the picture. They are different in size. What we have now I consider a West Indiaman.

That has to do with the time zone difference and occurs in every nation where clans are many hours apart in usual playing time presence. However, we are trying to keep tensions of that kind low within the French nation.

For example we have good relations with Spain and Netherlands (except one clan there who seems to think Swedish beds are so comfortable...).

Wrong. Completely wrong. The call to arms to screen for you Prussians was not done under the name of a clan or two, but to "French" thus the whole nation to volunteer for you, for sake of diplomatic ties. And we did, regardless of clans. Including me, I was there.

Banished Privateer may kick people out of his clan, if he is the boss (and this contradicts basically him saying 'everyone with us is free and can do what he wants', and 'we don't have a king or queen'), but how does he know what the clan members do or don't do behind his back against what he estimates is right for Prussia? So - no control over clan members except the last consequence, to kick them out in a totalitarian, royal act of dismissal. Which will happen as late as everything being already burned up.

And that earned you the reputation to be mercenaries. Is it worth being seen as not trustworthy? And we even did screen for you recently, at New Smyrna... so here is the use of nations and diplomacy, just to remind you.

You also don't have the power to control your own clan. People lacking discipline or the big picture will do as they want. And many uncontrollable clans just mean more chaos compared to a few 'uncontrollable' nations. Which... aren't as uncontrollable as depicted here at all. Which makes me favor the nations, altogether...

This post has been written in someone's suggestion thread, among the answers, so I think it is staying there rather obscured and I should repeat it in a topic in its own right, for getting more attention. Let's give tools to the owners to turn their ports into attractive places for visitors, no matter if to their clan members or others. How could this be done? By upgrading ports by a selection of buildings there, which produce advantages the visitors want to enjoy, or buy special things there due to those buildings. And with every turnover by visitors, the port becomes more profitable. The port becomes meaningful and deserves to be defended when it is unique for some reason. Examples? - clan offers dockyard places in addition to the ones the player owns. so he can have more ships and park them in this port for a daily fee depending on size of the ship. - clan builds a special wharf which, contrary to player-owned wharfs, can add additional upgrade slots to an existing ship - for a good price of course. Boy, how they will flock to that port!! - clan can produce rare resources, at a low rate compared with original spawning areas (for example crooked cedar outside of crooked islands), in buildings only available to them (not players). They set up auctions for achieving the best prices, which are announced up front and require people actually go visiting the port for bidding. Needless to say, those auctions have nice fees the clan will earn. Player A buys 100 copper ingots for 520 gold a piece, clan adds 20 % provision, makes 52.000 + 10.400 gold for the port-owning clan. And outside the port, some vultures will wait to intercept the precious acquisitions... - clans do some research efforts in experimental facilities in their ports, where built. Certainly eats ups money first, and the outcome is (random generated and thus) unpredictable, but once the research would be successful, a new upgrade named after that port would be generated in the game, with slightly different statistic values compared to the normal upgrade it is based upon. For example, a Bovenwind Refit which gives 1 % more speed than the standard Bowenwind Refit, by the name "La Tortuga Bovenwind Variant" if invented in that port. And it could only be produced in this port and nowhere else. Or the contrary: a slightly less efficient variation which requires a bit less raw material for building, like four Nassau fencers instead of five. And of course it is sold there and flushes the treasury of that clan... - clans build large amusement quarters in town which allows cheaper crew recruiting compared to other places. Again: the clan earns with every sailor being hired in their amusement quarters. Question is, if each port with a special building can only have one of them or several. A port equipped with special clan buildings will become very precious and of course other nations want to conquer it. But... there is some risk the special building(s) will get destroyed during the fighting. It could even get connected with the actual port battle. The bloodier and the more ship losses in PB, the higher the risk special buildings(s) will burn to the ground. Then the winner has to build new ones from scratch.

The answer to that problem in my opinion is to give tools to the owners to turn their ports into attractive places for visitors, no matter if their clan members or others. How could this be done? By upgrading ports by a selection of buildings there, which produce advantages the visitors want to buy. And with every turnover by visitors, the port becomes more profitable. Examples? - clan offers dockyard places in addition to the ones the player owns. so he can have more ships and park them in this port for a fee depending on size of the ship. - clan builds a special wharf which, contrary to player-owned wharfs, can add additional upgrade slots to an existing ship - for a good price of course. Boy, how they will flock to that port!! - clan can produce rare resources, at a low rate compared with original spawning areas (for example crooked cedar outside of crooked islands), in buildings only available to them (not players). They set up auctions for achieving the best prices, which are announced up front and require people actually visit the port for bidding. Needless to say, those auctions have nice fees the clan will earn. Player A buys 100 copper ingots for 520 gold a piece, clan adds 20 % provision, makes 52.000 + 10.400 gold for the port-owning clan. - clans do some research efforts in experimental facilities in their ports, where built. Certainly eats ups money first, and the outcome is (random generated and thus) unpredictable, but once the research would be successful, a new upgrade named after that port would be generated in the game, with slightly different statistic values compared to the normal upgrade it is based upon. For example, a Bovenwind Refit which gives 1 % more speed than the standard Bowenwind Refit, by the name "La Tortuga Bovenwind Variant" if invented in that port. And it could only be produced in this port and nowhere else. And of course it is sold there and flushes the treasury of that clan... - clans build large amusement quarters in town which allows cheaper crew recruiting compared to other places. Again: the clan earns with every sailor being hired in their amusement quarters. Question is, if each port with a special building can only have one of them or several. A port equipped with special clan buildings will become very precious and of course other nations want to conquer it. But... there is some risk the special building(s) will get destroyed during the fighting. It could even get connected with the actual port battle. The bloodier and the more ship losses in PB, the higher the risk special buildings(s) will burn to the ground. Then the winner has to build new ones from scratch.

Meantime it has been answered ingame, help chat. I was looking for the Tab key. How to do screenshots I know. Thanks to both of you for stopping by.

People keep posting screen shots of battle results. What is the keystroke to get that screen?

Anything distracting from that real world "world cup" of shame in Russia is welcome.

But avoid to force newbies to follow certain mission strings. Make all that you proposed voluntarily accepted content, not mandatory. Me, for example; I am a player type who really hates to follow predefined tracks how to do things. I want the most of freedom. Sandbox type of games are therefore perfect for me, tunnel levels and scripted stories my nightmare. People like me would get annoyed. The gamer type who needs a storyline, missions and carrots in front of his nose - otherwise complaining he has no motivation in the game to do things - he may have no objection to missions strictly imposed on him.

I smell some great potential in this idea which could get implemented in PvP server just as well. Make it so, that new players of the lowest ranks always have the choice to accept or dismiss an attack by some veteran player, no matter if the latter joins an AI fight or seeks PvP conflict directly. This could prevent "seal clubbing" altogether and quitting of frustrated new players. If the newbie accepted, he cannot be angry at the game afterwards because it was his decision and he was no helpless victim. Could have said no. So I see here a way to keep new players in the game by avoiding ruthless situations for them, if not agreed upon. Just to make this look good to the experienced players as well, add a ransom fee payable by the otherwise ganked newbie to his potential attacker if he says no - not too much though. So it will be like the newbie gave some money for being left alone. 10.000 gold maybe, should not bankrupt anyone. This while he has no such choice if confronted by another player of the same rank. For example, if two newbies of lieutenant rank meet, they have to fight it out. And of course if a lower rank attacks a higher rank. The protective function fades out after climbing on the career ladder.

Great idea. Give the passengers some individual (random) skills which could help you, regard it as temporary 'ship knowledge' addition. Before someone comes and tells me this could be exploited by never leaving the passenger ashore again and bind him to the ship: let that skill only work as long as you follow roughly the route the passenger asked for to get to his destination, and if you take too long time, let the passenger rage quit after given number of days he did not arrive...

Communication in various forms is an asset in any online multiplayer game. I already proposed more means of communication in form of grouping (chats) for various tasks beyond clan, nation and trade chats which all have their limitations. Now this proposal here is about building a 'message board' in every port where everyone can leave a notice, which will expire after number of days. He may even chose how long it stays alive and have to pay a fee to the port owner (clan) for messaging. Like 1 day: 10.000 gold, 2 days: 20.000 gold... 9 days: 90.000 gold. Option to determine the price if you are that port owner. Message purposes are for advertising ships they may have on sale in that port (or warnings not to buy them, as they are meant to be "parked"...), arrangements to meet there with certain other players, offering merchandise before actually putting them into the shop (market studies...), asking for a shipwright to buy certain ship type, ... and many other topics, some of which you would find now in the local trade chat, but would need a longer time of visibility. Even enemy captains visiting on a smuggler trip could write stuff here. Imagine this to be the message board in the local sailor-frequented tavern, if message entry is public. If the author can chose to whom his message will be visible, imagine you gave a tip to the barkeeper for handing a paper to someone you expected in this place soon. Pros: - More useful communication, lasting longer - More income for port owners by paid fees - Deals of all kinds and annotations to offers made easier - you learn who has been in port when and what for, if he leaves a note to those to whom it may concern for whatever reason... Cons: - Possible abuse by pointless communication? - Who moderates this? Maybe port owning clan - (also a pro argument, depending on which side you are on:) coded espionage messages enabled

I regard a letter of marque mechanism as something different from "changing nationality every 30 days". More like a contract thing. And only for pirates. They can chose lifestyle and jobs. Either stay plain pirate and attack anyone (from their secret hideouts), or offer themselves or their clan as contract mercenaries to nations, which hire them for an appointed period and negotiated price. Only then they are privateers with letter of marque. Contract ends and they lose status as privateer for that nation which took them under contract, they return to the plain piracy mode. This has nothing to do with the DLC changing the nation. In my concept pirates would not become "french" or british" or else but still be pirates, just on temporary truce with the nation which hired their clan and working for that nation.

Don't like the visibility to everyone. Right now sealed bottles are a good way not-so-veteran players get something of value or even opens up an upgrade for them they otherwise could not achieve. You know who will retrieve most wrecks once they are plainly open visible - the veterans again. Because they are patrolling areas anyway in search of victims.

Playing for combat marks or even PvP marks? Now that's what I would call risky. What about giving to players of crowns + anchors the choice in what currency they want to bid? From gold to combat marks to PvP marks.

We could give another purpose to Pirate clans as a sort of mercenaries (if they chose so). Nations can hire a clan for supporting them on a given goal, for example as screen group at a PB. Or for raiding the waters of a specified enemy. In a table somewhere on your map window you could check the status for Pirate clans (not a Pirate 'nation', as it would be dissolved and turned into a loose clan structure system) and see, for whom they are under contract at the moment - turning them into a privateer clan for the time the contract works, with right to enter ports of the nation they work with and get ships equipped and repaired there. After contract is expired, they turn into general Pirate clan again and can be hired by someone else. Lots of dynamics this way....