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Almost daily we have on global chat someone asking about a wipe coming up, the fear is great. Most people there agree they don't want to see their belongings, warehouse content, ships, upgrades, books, money, doubloons etc etc getting lost at that dreadful day known as "the wipe" coming up. What are the imaginable pros and cons of a wipe from view of a developer? I'll try to sum up: Pro - server reset, cleaned database, less storage on server (cost reduction?) - people have equalized chances when everyone has to start over again, together with new players, at zero (*) - no advantage by veteran players in perfected ships which frustrate beginners (**) - you can create new statistical material with wipe, as a starting point of a new era, about player behavior and progression, investigate for future improvements - renewed incentives for RvR, conquest, getting stuff from ports (***) Con - players are driven away from game as they don't want to do all their previous efforts again, feels like hamster wheel - players get angry because you take their beloved golden or purple class ships with rare upgrades from them (maybe upgrades which are in some specific pairing no longer possible) - motivation is sinking as players think, with having paid full price like for finished game, they have a right to keep what they have achieved in the pre-wipe period - time before a wipe is dampening activities as players anticipate wipe and calculate it's useless to play on, as the results are going to be annihilated anyway **** Some of those arguments do not apply for PvE peace server, or at a very reduced rate. I will elaborate: (*) The competition on PvE PS is not the same as on PvP War Server. We don't fight each other, the focus is on cooperation. Thus no well equipped player is enjoying an advantage over a badly equipped player, and this controversial relationship does not need to be reset by a wipe (with both of them being 'badly equipped for a while) for some fake 'equality'. I have to remind that admin himself said that two weeks after a wipe, all equality will be gone anyway. Thus the differences in equipment and related fighting value see only a short interruption by any wipe. We do trade material, upgrades, books as well on PvE PS, but still you often find people who are willing to give away stuff to beginners for free. How they can help and give away if their possessions are annihilated by wipe? They will see to their own, first. This is counterproductive for the cooperative spirit on PvE PS. (**) Lacking direct confrontation with other players in battle, people on PvE PS experience no disadvantage opposite veteran players using well-equipped golden and purple class ships. Unless the better equipment becomes a factor in competitions like the weekly events. But skill is the much stronger factor here. (***) No RvR and no conquest by port battles on PvE PS mean there does not need to be a renewal of incentives for such things. The map borders concerning national possessions stay always the same, at least at the present state of game. *** I see however all con-arguments valid also for PvE PS. Players took a long time to collect rare materials and books, not to speak of a golden class ship they have waited a year for. The impact of a wipe in terms of anger and frustration, when all will be gone and you look into an empty warehouse and dockyard, seems unmeasurable to me. We noticed a huge player base increase starting with the major patch last autumn and some precious words of devs showing appreciation of the PvE community. I don't want to see that progress destroyed again, by a wipe. What I do understand and support, though, is a wipe of old accounts which have not been used for a year or longer. If that dead load is a burden for servers, their setting back to zero is understandable. But you just don't cut living flesh with your knife. If the wipe is still impossible to impede, let's think of a way to make it easier and more exceptable for veteran players. Like cutting their belongings in two halves and let them keep one half. And by giving them the choice of 5 ships out of 30 with DLC admiralty connection, and 3 ships out of 20 without that DLC, which they handpick and will be allowed to be taken over into the after-wipe period. *** Please, folks, as I can foretell PvP WS players will comment here and shift the discussion over to their interests on War Server, let's keep this topic strictly PvE PS orientated and not get watered by your motives and arguments of purely PvP character. Consider opening your own thread for that. Thank you.

In conjunction with the universal message board every port would have (a public section and a section only visible to nationals) according to my earlier suggestion... ...here... ... by help of such message board I imagine our traders could hire compatriots for escorting them from port A to port B. The longer the distance, the higher the price. It does not stop at this: Not only could they offer their escorts money as payment, but the game will reward the escorting players with PvP marks for every merchantman which came through and arrived safely. Plus the PvP marks and combat marks escorts will regularly make when they fence off any interceptors and sink those. Merchant will not get marks, because his objective is met by his cargos having arrived at destination. So in this mission our fighters and our traders have to do something together which satisfies both (and maybe a successful enemy as well). So this is a more positive use of the PvP mark system, not only destructive. Gratifications for helping some guys bringing their valuables where they want them. I think they could even hire several escort captains if their cargo justifies the extra expense. Like it is an Indiaman full of upgrade modules, or a clan shifts its warehouse from one place to another, or transports full of copper ingots, cartagena tars or white oak. Ships loaded with gold and silver coins like a Spanish treasure fleet. Contracting merchant appoints a convoy commander (could be himself or one of the escort captains he trusts the most) which determines the route. If group is attacked on the journey it behaves like a battle group, so all ships get pulled into battle instance. However, convoy commander can decide to detach one of his escort captains (if they are several) and have him encounter sighted enemies, so the rest of the fleet can proceed without delay by the starting battle, leaving the unit behind which is busy with the enemy. I think it is best to give every participant of such merchant fleet escort mission his reward in PvP marks/combat marks, if he sailed only half way and went into battle (even lost it), or stayed until destination port was reached. So they won't quarrel who is doing what on the journey and facing disadvantages. Because priority task is, the merchant ships make it to port and the mission is accomplished. I imagine a thrilling hide-and-seek adventure for such merchant escort missions to happen. Spies in ports may get a wink what's scheduled and inform their nations where and when to strike. How many marks? Think of a multiplier distance + number surviving traders. If no trader arrives, no marks (except those individually won in combat): mission failed.

(English translation in second post) Octroy voors compaignie heeren neegentien (XIX). I. De Staten Generael der Vereenichde Nederlanden, allen den genen die dese jegenwoordige sullen sien ofte hooren lesen, Saluyt, Doen te weeten, dat wy bemerckende den welstant deser landen ende welvaeren van de ingesetenen van dien, principalyck te bestaen byde scheepvaert ende coophandel, die van allen ouden tijden vuyt deselve landen geluckelyck, ende met grooten zegen gedreven is geweest op alle landen ende coninckrycken, SOO IST dat wy, dan met gemeene vereenichde macht vande coopluyden, ende ingesetenen deser landen, ende dat tot dien eynde opgerecht sal werden eene generaele compaignie, ende daertoe te voorsien met behoorlyck octroy, ende met de privilegien ende exemptien ter eksploytasy vuyt dese vereenichde nederlanden, nochte oock van buyten deselve landen sal moegen vaeren, ofte negotieren opde custen ende landen van america, ofte westindien, ofte andere straten ende passagien, daerontrent gelegen, aan ten meest neegentien heeren uyt den gewesten gestaene voor de princen, welks bestuyr vorm geeve ende sal bestaen uyt ten minst tien hoofde ende voors limiten dese compaignie geaccordeert naer ten meest neegentien hoofde, ten aendele worde verpant één miljoen gulden per hoofde in ‘t bestuyr, ten kleinst aen participanten in grootte hondertduizent gulden denwelcke kapitael ten start tien toe neegentien miljoen gulden sal bedraagen. II Dat voorts de voors compagnie op onsen naeme ende authoriteyt, binnen …….. [Etc.etc.etc., the actual real historical octroi on which above text is based upon goes on for a good 11 pages and numerous articles!] link to the historical scans of the octroy: http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/archief/inventaris/gahetnascan/eadid/1.05.01.01/inventarisnr/13/level/file/scan-index/1/foto/NL-HaNA_1.05.01.01_13_01/fotouuid/211fe400-b64b-5406-0abd-e62dab0ef0e2 ---------------------------------- (loose translation into English) Octroi for the business endeavour for seventeen (XVII) merchants/lords. I. The State General of the United Provinces, to all who will see or are expected to read this, is greeted. In the importance of the welfare of our lands, that exists in principle because of shipping and trading, which since ancient times from the same lands are fortunate and blessed to be connected to other countries and kingdoms, IT IS DECIDED, that we, the united power of merchants and other citizens of these lands, are served that a general company shall be founded, backed up by a proper octroi, and with the privileges and exemptions to exploit from out of the united provinces, but also are allowed to sail beyond its borders, and may negotiate the coasts of the americas, named westindies, and other routes and passages in that area, and granted to at highest nineteen merchants/lords from the provinces, loyal to the prince of orange, who themselves shall form a board of at least ten persons, acting within accord of the limitations of the company towards a maximum of nineteen persons, who require to acquire shares of the amount of one million guilders, and are allowed to employ normal participants within the company with shares of one hundred thousand guilders, at the start of the company, generating starting capital between ten and nineteen million guilders. II. That furthermore the granted company in our name and authority, within …. [Etc.etc.etc., the actual real historical octroi on which above text is based upon goes on for a good 11 pages and numerous articles!] link to the scans of the octroy: http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/archief/inventaris/gahetnascan/eadid/1.05.01.01/inventarisnr/13/level/file/scan-index/1/foto/NL-HaNA_1.05.01.01_13_01/fotouuid/211fe400-b64b-5406-0abd-e62dab0ef0e2