Allow ship deliveries between outposts

[Marc Crass]

i think its a kind of cheating/disbalancing. With such opportunity man can have huge amount of all classes ships and send them to the war theater. Then we will see what is tried to be eleminateed in this patch - full stacks of 3d lines. Moreover it sighnifically lowers riskies for owner of the ship and rises ones for pirates. Ive voted "no".

[Hugo van Grojt]

We will see what the general attitude towards this topic is in a couple days, now that AI traders seem to be pretty much extinct

 

I get it that a delivery system would help in setting up fleets for war, but haven't people been complaining already about how difficult and time-wasty it is to find good PvP already? Why make even setting up for PvP a time grind?

 

I am still voting "yes" - ship deliveries could be very time consuming (real life time) or prohibitively expensive (gold sink). That would be fine by me, just give people the option.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Hugo van Grojt

[Reckiario]

Every delivery should create an NPC solo ship or fleet actually saling on the desired path, and being able to be killed by players or npcs (patrols) on the world map.

[Jean Ribault]

...now that AI traders seem to be pretty much extinct

 

....

 

 

I can't agree with you for PVP2.  I see them everywhere and attack them all the time.  I have a fleet of Trader Snows placed throughout many outposts.  I can't keep anymore so I just steal the loot and sell them at port.  If I am logged on at certain times of the day then I tend to see no end to them.  They are everywhere, for me at least.  I have seen this discussion about lack of AI traders, so I don't doubt it for you, must be an imbalance somewhere amongst the servers.

[surfimp]

The devs made a hotfix and the AI traders are back in plenitude, including those carrying contraband. It was a bug.

[Jean Ribault]

That's a gracious move on their part, very cool.  For me it was seamless then, never saw a difference.  I'm glad for others whose gameplay was hindered.

[Volcanus]

I'd like to add my two cents.

Make it so the ship is visable on the map. So that it becomes an AI vessel which then moves towards the outpost or town. So on transit it could possibly be destroyed. This could be the downside to doing it. Or you can do mass ship sending and you can escort them but they won't fight with you in the battles so they can still be destroyed or taken as prize for beating you in battle while you are escorting them. So the more you take with you, the higher the risk of dying.

[charognard666]

Teleporting ships must go. You want bring victory fleet to the front ? Just sail it with escorte and take all the time needed.

You want move resources, sail it.

You dont like sail and haven't time, can't do anything for you...

[Jean Ribault]

Teleporting ships must go. You want bring victory fleet to the front ? Just sail it with escorte and take all the time needed.

You want move resources, sail it.

You dont like sail and haven't time, can't do anything for you...

 

Charo, your assessment seems dismissive at first glance, but really I tend to agree with you.  Like everyone else I've taken advantage of teleporting (read as: "magic") in order to cheat the laws of the universe and up my game, but if the devs want to make this a closer simulation then the teleporting does have to go.  Moving ships and resources into position as you pointed out is a strategic and calculated move.  Teleporting shortchanges that.

 

But ships should be able to deliver between outposts in order to make them more viable as outposts.  And if teleporting still exists then those deliveries become less valuable, not to mention that the teleporting risk is essentially zero versus a delivery risk which is tangible.  Doesn't seem to add up.

[Slamz]

I'd love to see the "send to outpost" only let you choose the nearest outpost. 

 

There might be some deeper concept of a "blockade" that could be done instead.

 

You build an outpost.

Before you can send ships there, your team has to do something to the port, which takes about 24 hours.

Enemies can see this and thwart it, thus preventing deliveries from being set.

(That outpost would say "BLOCKADED" and would not be selectable. Only the capital can never be subject to a blockade.)

 

So technically you can send to any outpost but there is some enemy action (some way of attacking the port and destroying docks?) that prevents it from working.

 

 

I actually think the "port battle" mechanic should be used for things like this. Winning a port battle doesn't flip a port, it just stops some things from working (like "send to outpost"). The actual flip mechanic is something entirely different.

[Random]

There might be some deeper concept of a "blockade" that could be done instead.

 

You build an outpost.

Before you can send ships there, your team has to do something to the port, which takes about 24 hours.

Enemies can see this and thwart it, thus preventing deliveries from being set.

(That outpost would say "BLOCKADED" and would not be selectable. Only the capital can never be subject to a blockade.)

 

So technically you can send to any outpost but there is some enemy action (some way of attacking the port and destroying docks?) that prevents it from working.

 

 

I actually think the "port battle" mechanic should be used for things like this. Winning a port battle doesn't flip a port, it just stops some things from working (like "send to outpost"). The actual flip mechanic is something entirely different.

Perhaps if "raiding a port" mechanic was introduced where the port wouldn't flip but docks and other buildings were damaged, the raid would preclude deliveries (since the port would be considered unsafe) until the port was reinforced by manually sailing an X BR of ships there? Some sort of a cooldown timer for the "unsafety" of the port could be introduced as well. 

[Jean Ribault]

...or if not a complete blockade, or 100% unsafe condition, maybe a drastic increase in the "risk factor" which surely must be introduced if the whole trade mechanism is fully developed.  Normal risk factors might be considered 25 to 40% (all dynamic and game state dependent), but an unsafe port route might be 80 to 85% risk factor if not completely blockaded.

 

...that is, if thinking out loud.

[charognard666]

I m desapointed to see there are more casuals players than harcores sandboxe mmo gamers in NA...

[Eishen]

The system you propose is better than the currently implemented (board an  a trader to use it to teleport instantly). ...

 

but any option is a patch until teleport outpost/capitals are redefined.....  if we can not send cargo (and we should not in my opinion) then teleport to capital must de redress.  

 

Any way no movement of cargo should be allowed under any option (teleport capital or between outpost) , with the only possible exception of  free port deliveries 

[Hugo van Grojt]

As always, it comes down to balancing enjoyment/gameplay experience with realism.

 

I do not consider myself a casual player of Naval Action, but I do find that unnecessary time sinks lessen the enjoyment of Naval Action. We already have players complaining that sailing to and from PvP takes too much time in this game. Now add sailing every single ship you own around just because you need to close a certain outpost. How much fun is that? I agree that traders should at least be sailing around extensively if they want to make money - spending as much time earning their money as a typical mission runner would.

 

I own a total of 2x Frigate, 2x Surprise, 2x Renommee, 1x Trinco, 1x Connie, 1x Bellona, 1 Belle Poule, 4 Le Gros Ventre - forcing me to sail each and every one of these ships manually just because I want to use it in a different location is just making me not want to play the game. And I repeat - I am NOT a casual player.

 

But fine, traders are back and people can return to using the "send to outpost" system for something that is not intended while we have one possible money sink (ship deliveries) less in this already completely broken economy...

 

/endrant

[Hethwill]

Too many ships is the disease of many.

 

Crew management ( allowance, supplies, prizes and half-pay ) needed.

 

Free Ports spaces in docks should be hired with continuous pay for stationed ships.

 

Teleport with anything in the hold ? Nope.

[DeusFox]

I think that it is a bad idea.

It is a game about sailing ships. Imo. You should only be able to tp. Your self between ports, and Even then at a hig cost and with a 2 hour cooldown. If you give ppl. The option to tp. Ships between ports it would be a nother exploit where ppl. Would tp. There first rate to either a port the want to defend in port battles, or into safty in a nother port. The game is all about Naval battles. And making it posible would make waters more empty than it all ready is.

[DeusFox]

I think that it is a bad idea.

It is a game about sailing ships. Imo. You should only be able to tp. Your self between ports, and Even then at a hig cost and with a 2 hour cooldown. If you give ppl. The option to tp. Ships between ports it would be a nother exploit where ppl. Would tp. There first rate to either a port the want to defend in port battles, or into safty in a nother port. The game is all about Naval battles. And making it posible would make waters more empty than it all ready is.

[Banana_Joe]

Make the ship deliveries happen in realtime. So it would replace the AI-shipping partially. Maybe reduce the Crew while they get transferred as well.

If you could decide to smuggle "Contrabant" it would be even nicer.

[Jean Ribault]

....If you could decide to smuggle "Contrabant" it would be even nicer.

 

 

I like the idea of that conscious decision in gameplay.

[Skully]

I voted "no" on all questions (except the last), because the poll does not take the option of hiring NPC captains into account.

[haemol]

The ship delivery should be possible. Why?

 

because it already is: simply hijack a trader cutter with your current ship, then swap ship and send your current ship to the desired outpost.

 

it is already possible... so why make it more complicated than it has to be?

[LeBoiteux]

moving assets is just a time sink with very little positive effect on the gameplay experience.

 

One very positive effect on gameplay is providing OW PvP by populating the OW.

Ship deliveries don't have to be costly. They must be risky.

So no teleport. Ship deliveries only by OW.

Players must move their ships to outpost manually or (possible new feature) may rent the services of a player/AI captain (by issuing ship delivery missions).

 

Remove the "send to post" trick. Let's make the captured ship the ship that is automatically sent to outpost.

[Banana_Joe]

I would be against teleporting with ships. Only allow it once a day, so you can quit the game if the real life calls you.

But I would be for sending out my ships to different outpost with an Ai captain and crew (which I would have to pay of course) This could partially replace the Ai-traders in OW.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Banana_Joe

[Old_DAT]

Something like this needs to be done.  I fail to see why I should have 1 captain and 1 crew while a dozen ships sit idle in port waiting for my only crew and captain to complete their mission.  It's just not logical.

 

A suitable delay algorithm could be easily added.  Nothing is free.  I get that.  But it just does not make sense to limit my fleet to only one crew.  Does it?