Nation's Ports and Free Ports

[Hethwill]

• National & Free Ports.

I suggest the following to the Ports to be reviewed IF they fit the roadmap as established by development in accord with the overall Open World gameplay for the future. Some of there might even get fused with the Production & Manufacturing mechanics.

Free Ports docks should be reduced to 1 ship as the traffic in free ports was immense with little interest in keeping ships stationed there. They should be primary international trading centers, and smuggler's dens, and not navy bases, as they are Free from any obligations.

Free Ports should be free from European National Trade and should not produce themselves any type of resources and be the true player driven trade hubs free from AI trader pressure.

Not all ports had dry docks and even less with shipbuilding capability. Although the Historical list for the 18th century is quite reduced to the geographic region we have, it is imperative that a compromise is reached for the sake of gameplay.

So my suggestion come to meet this and provide variety to ports, where some are prime Trade hubs others are important Shipbuilding centers ( also rated ) with dry docks sizes ranging from the cutters and sloops up to the top 3 which would be built in Europe through the Admiralties. ( until the placeholder for Admiralty these ships could be built solely in the Capital or any other choice is it is more correct to the historical background ).

The variety here would be exclusive in some cases, as a 4th rate dock would be an expensive enterprise and wasted investment if used to build sloops. All ports would provide kits for repairs but not all would have repair docks for all rates, in a similar fashion as per the shipwrights.

Capitals can be moved to another port if itself gets conquered.
_______________________