The Grind!

[Bloody 9]

The grind is a part of most games.  Does naval action have too much of a grind, or too little?  Will it be a turn off or a turn on?  What would be your recommendation if you were developing the game?  

 

Inquiring minds would like to know...

[Capt. Rice]

well its only been a month and people are already maxed rank....what i believe is they need more to supplement this over all rank system but hey this is an alpha after all. 

[xAzDKr]

A "grind" exists only if you make it a grind. There is plenty of fun to be had on this game without having to "grind" and I have always associated "grinding" to something negative. This game has endless possibilities for diplo, pvp, etc. if you want it, but there is also the player type who wants to grind up to the top and tries to "win" the game (see: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/11958-finally-got-to-max-rank-have-biggest-sol-biggest-frigwhat-now/ for an example)

 

The game is what you make it. 

Edited March 17, 2016 by xAzDKr

[Grundal]

I do a variety of different things to keep it fresh.

 

I trade, I raid, I PvP, I do the occasional port battle and I do missions.  Sometimes I just sail around in circles and explore and enjoy the beautiful scenery. 

[[MCC] Die Antwoord]

IMHO new captains have too much work on their plate to get to thier first significant uograde... Hoping in a full crew snow should be a 2 hour job for the average doofus.

Other than that I can't say the overall pace is bad but they need to add more intermediary ranks and make it so there is progression within ranks. For example the level where you get 650 crew has two ships which have dramatic crew differences (Connie vs 3rd rate/Bellona) and the same applies to the one before (Frigs vs Trinco).

IMHO your allowed crew should be tied to XP not rank. Make it so getting to that 650 crew level gets you 450 crew.... And more crew as you progress to that level so that you can finally fully crew a 3rd rate by the time you get 50/75k instead of giving it away straight.

This would make the grind less painful and ship choices more progressive.

[Long Beard]

IMHO new captains have too much work on their plate to get to thier first significant uograde... Hoping in a full crew snow should be a 2 hour job for the average doofus.

 

 

TBH I disagree. By the time I got to snow level I'd learn so much about the game. What I learned before snow was invaluable. Getting in a snow after two hours would simply mean very inexperienced players sailing a bigger ship with no idea about cannon types, manual sails, upgrades etc.  Getting to Cerb to Surprise felt much longer but I think once you get to that level, you can play with the big boys and the 'grind' to next level seems not so important.

[Narfi]

overall i think the ammount of exp needed is fine.

(as someone playing alot, and beeing used to grind i could handle some more aswell)

 

what i would find alot more intresting would be more ranks in between. 

For example a rank between suprise and Trinco, with 300 max crew.

Or another rank between 350 and 650.

 

This is not only thinking about the current ships, it would also add room for new ships.

And players like smaller goals aswell, grinding twice to 20k and 30k exp probably feels less like a grind compared to 50k at once.

[Ramon Luna]

This game came out way before it should. Its so barebone that relies almost entirely on the combat part. Time zone issues with conquest don´t help either. Maybe in a year it will be ready to be played, if player base is not burnt out...

Edited March 17, 2016 by Ramon Luna

[Slamz]

"The grind" implies that you must get to max level to have max fun. In an MMORPG, it may imply that the leveling content is dull but the endgame content is exciting, so everyone "grinds" through the boring content as fast as possible so that they can get to the fun stuff.

 

Naval Action does suffer from this. If you want to participate in deep water port battles (and in many cases, open world PvP), you need to be as high rank as possible, so you must grind through boring content rapidly.

 

By comparison, Planetside 2 has 100 levels but there's very little sense of "grind" -- there is no content that requires high level and there is no single thing in the game you can't get very early on. What PS2 leveling up mostly does for you is grant you the power of diversity -- access to weapons that are different but not better. So leveling up is nice, but it's not necessary to enjoy the full spectrum of the game and therefore I think most players would agree that PS2 does not have a sense of "grind". You can log into PS2 right now and kill a rank 100 veteran within the first hour, 1v1. No way you're doing that here if he's in a level appropriate ship.

 

 

MMORPGs also attract grinders and keep them by constantly adding new levels and new content to move through. How is Naval Action going to do that??

 

 

I do think Naval Action has an identity crisis of sorts. Grinding up through levels only to reach an absolute flat end means that grinders will grind through and then get bored, and non-grinders will just get bored at the start and never reach the end.

[Capt. Rice]

When it comes to planet-side 2 they have an amazing payment method where all player start with basic guns but have to either grind to get the specific style of play they like or pay to skip that....also tons of customization but thats for Fps

So there is still a grind and let me tell you that the grind is real with out boosts.

 

 

See what NA needs is more the just rank system.  They need Prestige/Honor.    Crew skills that lvl up.   PVP Specs for your ships beside the upgrades they have now. .Heck,  upgrades can start basic but the more you use them the higher rank they get. its the feel of completing something in the grind that keeps players but more then just one grind kinda thing.

[KuroNyra]

if there is one grind, it's definitly going from Cerberus to Surprise.

[Lord Roberts]

I don't think the grind is all that bad to be honest, if you went hardcore and grinded it out each day it would take roughly 300 hours to get Admiral, I think that is good as getting to max rank might deter some players.

if there is one grind, it's definitly going from Cerberus to Surprise.

The grind from Post to Flag is the worst if you do not have a Trincomalee, I had to go from Master and Commander to Flag Captain using a Reno because no one could craft anything higher...

[KuroNyra]

I don't think the grind is all that bad to be honest, if you went hardcore and grinded it out each day it would take roughly 300 hours to get Admiral, I think that is good as getting to max rank might deter some players.

The grind from Post to Flag is the worst if you do not have a Trincomalee, I had to go from Master and Commander to Flag Captain using a Reno because no one could craft anything higher...

Hopefully, won't be a problem for the since I am part of a clan that has the ressource to do a Tricomalee.

But the Cerberus is a pain in the rear. A guy on my clan when asked about it answered just four word: It is a Cow.

[Lord Roberts]

Hopefully, won't be a problem for the since I am part of a clan that has the ressource to do a Tricomalee.

But the Cerberus is a pain in the rear. A guy on my clan when asked about it answered just four word: It is a Cow.

Yeah I agree, but once you are done with it you don't have to go back to it ever again slug it out xD

[Nalyd]

"It’s All about the Journey, Not the Destination"

 

If the process of leveling up was more/as entertaining as the end game, people wouldn't talk about grind.

And in the case of Naval action, there is a real lack of content on that matter and many power creeping game mechanics that promote the "grinding".

Edited March 18, 2016 by Nalyd

[Mrdoomed]

I just have fun in whatever ship in able to use. I dont do missions, i dont only do port battles, i just do a bit of pve , trade ship attacks, alot of pvp and a bit of trade runs. I never get bored ive made it to lvl 7 i think ( raider) and never tried to .

Hell i dont even sail my biggest ship usually. I just hop in a snow or cerb and head out with friends looking for pvp.

I think a grind is a mindset. Just have fun.

[Long Beard]

This game came out way before it should. Its so barebone that relies almost entirely on the combat part. Time zone issues with conquest don´t help either. Maybe in a year it will be ready to be played, if player base is not burnt out...

 

The game is out? When? There was me thinking it was an alpha.

[Quineloe]

well its only been a month and people are already maxed rank....what i believe is they need more to supplement this over all rank system but hey this is an alpha after all. 

 

Uh, it's been two months.

[Capt. Rice]

Uh, it's been two months.

My bad sorry it only been 2 months with various patches and some content already..... but still that fast for just game that been out for  2 months....its alpha not full release......that what people dont understand

Edited March 18, 2016 by Capt. Rice

[51st Highland]

It depends. 

 

I first started out on PVE 1 to learn the game without worrying about getting ganked by pirates. Got lots of money and some XP, and then decided to try PVP. At the same time PVP3 had just been released to deal with PVP1 being overloaded, so I tried that. Back in the cutter, I did missions and captured traders to get enough money to get back to the level I was at before (a snow with about 100-200k in the bank). About a week later the system for kicking idle players was introduced to deal with severs being overloaded, and as there were only about 100-200 players on PVP3,I made the move to PVP1. So I was back in the basic cutter again. Fortunately I had a Niagara to redeem which I'm now using, but nothing else. At this point the grind is very off putting and I wish there was a better variety of ways to make money for players who don't have the time to invest in the game required for most clans. Trading doesnt seem to work well for me, I have never, ever, found a selling price that was more than the price I bought it for. Maybe I've just been doing it wrong.

 

Anyway I understand this is just the way I ended up playing the game and people who started on PVP1 probably have had to do waaaay less grinding than myself.

[Admiral 8Q]

This is a game, not a job. Why would you "grind" it?

[Wilson09]

One reason is, that no-one can take part in PB (only 3rd rate, rest stay outside).

The community is driven to biggest ships. That´s why new players feel "pushed"

to grind....another reason is PvP. you simply cannot go to enemy wateres on Snow,

unless you are well organised and persuade clan mates to have fun and sial with

10 snows....

[Mrdoomed]

One reason is, that no-one can take part in PB (only 3rd rate, rest stay outside).

The community is driven to biggest ships. That´s why new players feel "pushed"

to grind....another reason is PvP. you simply cannot go to enemy wateres on Snow,

unless you are well organised and persuade clan mates to have fun and sial with

10 snows....

I not only go into enemy waters with a snow or smaller i sit in front of their capitals and beg them to challenge me.

I win often.

[Billy Ruffin]

I'm in roughly the same position as you except I'm in a Mercury. I've been wishing quite a lot recently that exp came as easily as gold! I have the money to buy a pretty good Cerberus but I'm still just under 2000 exp short of having the rank to command it! It's a right 'ol grind so 'tis! ????

[HarryButpain]

I'm in roughly the same position as you except I'm in a Mercury. I've been wishing quite a lot recently that exp came as easily as gold! I have the money to buy a pretty good Cerberus but I'm still just under 2000 exp short of having the rank to command it! It's a right 'ol grind so 'tis!

 

I got 32lb Carronades on my Cerb and smash through frigates on MnC missions in no time. Did you try Merc with 24lbs to fight NPCs?