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So just had a battle that a LOKI popped in. After he disengaged from boarding while I was dealing with the other AI he ran and escaped. I heard that they been doing this a lot along with surrendering to deny a fight. Should this be allowed?

Ahoy there! After much studying of the ships' various speed profiles, I realised that I could use these, together with their default speed values, to calculate how best to escape enemy ships attempting to pursue you. It turns out that almost all ships can escape almost all others, or at least outrun them rather competently on at least one point of sail. Here is a link to the Escapomatrix; my attempt at illustrating these points, unfortunately only going so far as to include the ships available at Master and Commander. I will add more as I progress.

I have seen a couple of times people using the log off when being chased or searched as an easy get away: they vanish from open seas and can log in anytime later for continuing. I regard that as an exploit of a game mechanic which should be made impossible to some extent, or be punished. You can get disconnected because of a terrible lag or when your internet connection fails, or a computer related problem (lately I sometimes get a frozen picture when in OW and only restart helps), so the game needs to be able to differ between technical issue and player decision to exploit the exit possibility when things are getting hairy for him. Make it so that logging off is impossible (without sanctions) as long as an enemy ship is in visual distance (both see each other) or in a radius of 10k to enemy player positions on the map. Logging off in ports would not be touched by this. Without implying a technical prevention there is still the possibility to sanction a logg off which is done as exploit and matter of escape. Like a fee payable in PvP marks and, if these are not existing, Combat Marks from account of the exploiter. When someone is not willing to fight and wants to stop being chased, he may still simply surrender to interceptors and the battle is not necessary. His ships is confiscated by the chasing party. Pro: No more exploit of logging off, targets remain legitimate targets, actions have more consistent consequences without the backdoor of vanishing from the map when it is convenient. There is no more magic reappearance later when the search has ended and the raider can just continue from where he left. Con: Difficulty (?) for the program to decide when the log off was due to technical problem and stays unsanctioned, or was done voluntarily, as an exploit.

I find it really injust that if you manage to run away from your enemy (trader example) succesfully, or have to flee after causing major damage to enemy but also take fatal damage to your self that there is 0 reward for this. After you have given your very best and fought till the end you should get reward! It is frustrating that after 30mins of fight you might need to run and get no rewards at all, its not often this happens but when it does its like wet rag to your face. Also there is no xp for traders that are bullied / chain pulled to battle that they escape succesfully. There should be rewards for those. Just my thought, didn't find thread of this yet. If there is one please move my comment there.

I would like to see more battle options for when ships are successfully boarded. All dependant on a suitable amount of crew available to carry out the task, condition of the ship captured and physically reducing your current battle crew appropriately. Scuttle You remove boarding party and prisoners and sink the enemy ship with a ball through the hull. Full damage xp as if sunk with cannon fire and possible future gain from prisoners. Head bounty etc. Secure Prize An absolute minimum number of your crew on the prize to guard the subdued crew. No crew available for fighting or sailing duties. Probably basic repair to remain afloat. (In effect what we have now) Secure and sail prize away Larger prize crew, large enough to man the sails and guard prisoners. You give the prize crew a heading to sail away from battle on. Your national flag flies over the captured ships flag as ai sail to the horizon while you continue the fight and probably guard your prize as it escapes. When prize reaches a reasonable distance from the fight a message "Prize has escaped" pops up and you can disengage knowing you have done enough to gain the prize even though enemy ships are still present. Secure and man for combat. Only if captured ship has a minimum of damage(20% ?). You decide to add the prize to the combat group as an ai. you have to be able to crew it sufficiently to keep a fighting crew both on your own and the captured vessel. It acts as a hired combat vessel. Secure and exchange. You decide to move your entire crew into the new ship and leave a prize crew behind on your own.(What we have now if you 'X' capture during battle). You choose one of the above options for the ship you are moving from. *Scuttle, Secure Prize, Secure and Sail prize away, or Secure and man for combat(Your own ship becomes the ai). * Why would you scuttle and exchange I hear you ask. If your own ship was unable to survive but transferring your crew officers etc into a less damaged ship to continue the fight or flee, whilst guaranteeing the enemy could not capture your own ship. this is why you might contemplate the scuttle order.