Azzak Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) Hello there people, Having played for 2 small playerbase nations since the EA release, here are some thoughts and suggestions (attention long text) : DONT READ SINCE PEOPLE GET BUTTHURT XP Progression - Due to a smaller playerbase, it's harder to win fights. Ganks happen more frequently. That isn't a problem per se, but victors get more XP than losers, and losers tend to be on the small faction side. Resulting in the small nation players having issues to keep up the pace with the others. Note, that this is perfectly normal, just stating a fact. - There are also comparatively more "active" players in big nations than small nations, (that have bigger ships), which is crucial in decisive battles (let it be ports or flags interception). - Also, small nation players will get more often raided during mission farming than the others, hindering rank farming. Resulting in bigger nations having both bigger ships and numbers, which tend to not end well on the other side. Craft Progression - Small nations have the starting advantage that they can get ressources for a much cheaper cost than big nations and in bigger quantity. - This starting advantage start to lower as they lose ports, until they can not get an essential ressource in ship crafting. - On the long term, money is not a problem, ressource availability is, thus small nations are at a disadvantage (as they should) As a result, small nations might still get rolling in basic constitutions but not more. Is it very detrimental ? I'm not sure, but it's a disadvantage nonetheless. Port conquest - The big problem about port conquest are windows timers. Small factions can't attack or defend a port at 4am. There are chances that big factions have some very active members that can play during weird hours. Suggestions for balance MAKING A MORE INTERESTING GAME In any case 4 things are needed first IMO : - Diplomacy. There are many threads about it so I won't expand more about it. - Incentives to join small nations. Makes people butthurt A bonus XP/Gold would be enough. It would both make progression easier so small nations can keep up the ranks grind, and it would allow them to get more players. - One server per continent That alone would solve a lot of issues regarding small factions, that are too divided in 3 servers to be effective. But of course, this is not a short term solution due to the costs. - Port window capture set to normal hours. Like 5 to 12pm at the actual regional time, depending on europe or US. These 4 3 very important improvements are however not enough, we need a conquest overhaul. Right now, a faction can be defeated quickly but without any means to recover. Players would lose interest quickly and quit. That's not what we want. (even though it seems a lot of people wants that but eh) I see two possible overhauls : either we go full persistent OW route, which means there is no victory conditions and reset. Thus factions SHOULD NOT be able to be defeated and be allowed to be active even though they lost most of their ports (and the objective of the game is not conquering capitals). OR we go for victory conditions and port resets from time to time when one faction dominates the game. Full persistent OW - Better starting positions and slower conquests Make each faction begin in a corner of the map, with a few ports only, and isolated from each other by poor neutral ports and free towns. Make the center of the map neutral but rich in ressources. It will make other factions concentrate their efforts in the map centre, and not toward faction capitals that bear very little rewards for high risks. Double objectives : That would allow small factions to get ready for the big fight (as of today, some factions are nearly defeated yet it only has been a month or so since EA release) and make factions converge toward the center instead on other capitals. - Safe haven near capitals Area near capitals should be patrolled by hostile AI fleets that actively engage and pursue enemies. Why ? Because that's the only way factions with few players still able to play while they have already "lost" the conquest game. Extremely well defended ports should be placed close to the capitals, which means new players can still do missions and enjoy the game without being ganked. Ideally, these ports should have the ressources necessary for crafting ship, but a very low amount. This means it can NOT sustain a big playerbase and they NEED to expand to have enough ressources, but can sustain some crafters so players can still have some fun. - Pirates can be (nearly) a nation as all the others. In a fully persistent OW there is no need for a lot of special rules for pirates, unlike in a victory game. They shouldn't get access to diplomacy and they might not get safe havens with AI fleets but otherwise can stay the same. But eh there are a lot of discussions about pirates mechanic so I won't get into it here. Victory game - Each faction is assigned objectives : capture x amount of ports, and some specific regional capitals. When this objective is fulfiled, the ports are reset. All ressources/ships players had in resetted outposts are transferred in the faction capital. - There is no need for safe havens : factions can be defeated and should be. Three choices for losing factions : When that happens (lose every port excluding the capital and maybe one or two), losing factions are considered to have surrendered to their conquerors. They can not attack each other anymore, but still can wage on the others. "Vassal" factions can then still play while being forced to ally the nation that conquered them. It is then a viable tactic for bigger factions to conquer small ones in order to get allied and secure fronts. Vassal factions can be conquered by any other faction, and thus switch their allegiance multiple times. They can also, if some strict conditions are met, declare war on their "lords" and regain full independance. Another solution is that they become pirates. The assets of the players are transferred to any free town of their choice. Those who want it can recreate a defeated nation if they manage to capture the capital and nearest ports from the conqueror. Pirates then have the choice to join that faction or stay as pirates. A last solution would be an offer to join any other exising faction. Their assets are transferred to the capital of that faction. Those are just quick suggestions and that would require a lot more reflexion of course. - At the end, a ranking is done according to the number of ports conquered. All faction members receive a medal commemorating their participation in the war and the result (with the condition of having at least participated in one pvp battle for example). You can check medals in their in game profile. Victors also gain special ressources, upgrades and ships. Then the game resets, and we we can have a go again. Shoud player be offered a change in their original faction or not, that is left to debate. - Pirates need a full overhaul in this kind of victory game, as they should be at war against all other factions at anytime and shouldn't be able to be conquered. - Better starting positions as said in the OW persistance could also be used there, although it would be less necessary. What do you think about it ? Edited February 20, 2016 by Azzak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BramtheDutch Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I don't agree, small nations should have a hard time due to firepower reasons. Also I don't want a victory just a open world that goes on forever. Benefitting the small nations is unfair to the bigger nations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galileus Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Benefiting smaller nations is unfair to the smaller nations. I am willing to bet 90% of players playing small nations are fine playing that nation and want none of your crutch bonus XP - not to mention don't want nation jumping individuals, joining them only to farm free XP bonuses of the week... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siegfried Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Benefiting smaller nations is unfair to the smaller nations. I am willing to bet 90% of players playing small nations are fine playing that nation and want none of your crutch bonus XP - not to mention don't want nation jumping individuals, joining them only to farm free XP bonuses of the week... I agreed. If you give one underdog nation advantages in farming, all people will play this nation and when they are admirals they change at the natural faction. Would be very bad for the game. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aetrion Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 XP is not a good point of attack for faction balance because people already simply go to the PvE server to grind XP, it won't make them play in underpopulated factions on PvP servers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirror452 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Why do we need to balance anyway? Is it not great to have differently populated nations? Imo it makes the game a lot more interesting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzak Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) Well even with a +20% bonus XP people won't switch factions to make them totally balanced, thus all my conquest overhaul below. And if it keeps going on players in small factions would simply stop playing, I fail to see how good it is for the game. Anyway there won't be any small factions anymore if it continues. besides, games like this usually have an incentive to make factions balanced, without balance... where is the fun hmm ? But OK, let's suppose there is no bonus XP since it seems like everyone is bitching about this single suggestion. What about the rest of my post that takes for 99% of it uh ? Have you guys even read it or just read the title and came to complain loudly like fat drunken men ? Edited February 20, 2016 by Azzak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manne af Orust Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 NO! balance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzak Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) Ok maybe I will change the title so people will read a bit more. Ok I can't change the title. Now let put faction balance away and just read the conquest overhaul please. Edited February 20, 2016 by Azzak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galileus Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 But OK, let's suppose there is no bonus XP since it seems like everyone is bitching about this single suggestion. What about the rest of my post that takes for 99% of it uh ? Have you guys even read it or just read the title and came to complain loudly like fat drunken men ? Because that was a terrible suggestion, and starting off with a terrible suggestion is a bad way to invite people to the rest of your post. I felt bad for a moment, then read the insults. Decided not to feel bad and not come back to read the rest. Insults are also terrible way to invite people to the rest of your post. There's also the problem your ideas are not new... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Bart Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 just nope with pirates.. pirate nation need a total makeover, making them more neutral, iff attacking ports the port turns to a free port... unable to craft bigger then 4th rate ships.. the game presents "pirate nation" to be VERY hard.. and there is no easy-very hard in this game.. all are equal... pirates need to get a BIG nerf so its hard and more realistic.. -% to trade crafting ?? and +% to sailing speed or boarding ! i wanna be a pirate, but shit no atm as they are the biggest nation on every server... and are just a nation like the rest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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