Another port battles proposal

[Stilgar]

With risk of repeating/echoing other comments, a few thoughts on port battles

 

Port battles are certainly a key feature of the game and it is important to get them right. In their current state port battles have little to do with reality and are often messy affairs, with numbers and budget a nation can field at a given time being often the decisive factor.

 

I will not discuss all the issues with port battles: they have been covered extensively in various threads on this forum and seem to cause quite some distress recently. Instead I'll focus on proposals for improvement.

 

Port battles:

1. in RL conquest and war costed money, men power and resources. So, port attacks should be costly. Then, flag spamming should be discouraged, e.g., by making any additional flag made on same day increasingly  expensive, as compared to the first (each new flag twice as expensive as the previous?). Additionally, larger nations could get perhaps additional penalties on flag costs, depending on number of town they already control (to represent corruption and inefficient resources management )

2. flag bearer creates group and invite players (large group, up to 25 players); the group then sail to port and remains invulnerable but visible until they enter the port.

3. the max number of ships that can enter remains the same (25 per side now, I think). However, there should be a BR limit put on each side. BR limits per side could be tweaked per port, depending on it's importance. Nation capital and perhaps key starting ports will give sensible BR advantage to defender (to help all the nations to stay alive).

 

I think points 2 and 3 might solve quite a few issues and could help making port battles special and memorable events, for it will be about preparation, strategy and battle skills of the participants, rather than luck or numbers. Players will focus on improving their ships, battle skills and tactics. With port battles augmented with recently-announced land-in-sight feature, this could make port battles even more special events.

 

P.S.I haven't covered the options for defender, but I suppose it is clear that fewer port battles per day (see 1) would make it easier to organize the defense. Furthermore, there should of course be options for calling AI reinforcements, if defending side cannot fill their RB limit with ships commanded by players.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Stilgar

[Vandarix]

1. flag bearer creates group and invite players (large group, up to 25 players); the group then sail to port and remains invulnerable but visible until they enter the port.

 

Stopped reading here. Battles can and should be able to be resolved before the port battle even starts.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Vandarix

[Galileus]

1. Encouraging one flag per day is just promoting  top-heavy battles with all best ships in one battle, it removes the element of mind games and it makes any coordination night impossible as 100+ players will rush the one nad only port battle to try and get in.

 

2. No. Just no. Interception needs tweaking, but it needs to be there. It also shouldn't be closed up - it should be an even for the nation, NOT a closed up friends-only party.

[Stilgar]

1. Encouraging one flag per day is just promoting  top-heavy battles with all best ships in one battle, it removes the element of mind games and it makes any coordination night impossible as 100+ players will rush the one nad only port battle to try and get in.

 

2. No. Just no. Interception needs tweaking, but it needs to be there. It also shouldn't be closed up - it should be an even for the nation, NOT a closed up friends-only party.

 

1. Valid point, but I do not mean to encourage 1 flag per day, but rather to discourage 3-4 flags per day.

As for "promoting  top-heavy battles with all best ships in one battle", please note that BR limit would not allow for best-ship spam. Attacking side will have a BR limit to create a balanced/suitable for the mission fleet and they will face a fairly balanced opponent.

 

2. Some sort of sensible interception could be implemented I suppose (interception flag ?), but mosquito ships/groups  drugging disproportionately large groups in battle is just nonsense. All you need is just numbers and a bit of coordination, but not a true strategic defense or mind game.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Stilgar

[Stilgar]

Stopped reading here. Battles can and should be able to be resolved before the port battle even starts.

 

I see what you mean, but I propose to focus on the event itself and less on "foreplay", particularly if it is difficult to get the latter right. With this said, some options for interception should perhaps be included, but a more organized one, not mere blob attacks.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Stilgar

[Galileus]

2. Some sort of sensible interception could be implemented I suppose (interception flag ?), but mosquito ships/groups  drugging disproportionately large groups in battle is just nonsense. All you need is just numbers and a bit of coordination, but not a true strategic defense or mind game.

 

I've theorized a system where flag carried to port starts the battle instantly and the flag carrier and his escorts (any ship that was within carriers tag range) need to be tagged for 60-120s. That way to actually intercept a carrier you would need to catch him on the way with his fleet, not just wait for him to dock at port. Current port camping is terrible from fun standpoint and makes it impossible to "ninja" a PB, which - IMHO - should be possible.

[Stilgar]

Galileus, thank you for your feedback. I must admit that main shortcomming of my proposal is that it is to some extent in contradiction with MMO aspect of the game and many casual players or beginners might not be able to regularly participate in port assaults. Therefore, I would like to explore the options for phased port attack.

 

How about this?

 

New event - the port blokade - is introduced as the first phase of a port assault. Port blokade would basically be a PvP event just outside the targeted port and will be an open for all battle with no flag required. I would still impose sensible BR limit on both sides to prevent big-ship spam and make it a closer affair. Now, if attacker wins, the port become susceptible for a full assault for a period of time (1-2 hours), which means that port-assault flag can be created for that particular port and port can be attacked in the matter described in the first post.

 

These port blokade event should also be limited to prime time, but be less expensive. So, multiple blokade attempts are possible. This would certainly require participation of a large group of players (so MMO aspect is back!). Succesful blokade would open 1-2 hour time window to make flag and assault the port.

 

Intuitively, this approach would introduce additional strategic options and would streamline the whole conquest process. For example, the defending side can opt for interception (just fight blokade off and port is safe, allies can help as well) or use time to gather for the forces to fight off the final assault. Or adopt a mix approach.

 

P.S. Not trying to "rock the boat", just thinking aloud and hope anything of this would be of use to devs.

 

Cheers!

Edited February 14, 2016 by Stilgar