Crew management update - discussion

[Lannes]

 ok then please can the devs give us some info on the numbers

is that hard?

Something is going on that the DEVS are not telling us about. Perhaps they are trying to sort out and fix this bug which makes the crew regenerate with a few players and not with the great majority. It's a good bug to have and we all should have it. Regeneration of crew to your rank level (e.g., mine is 650 men) for free.

I haven't been able to sail my 3rd rate becaue I have only enough crew for my Constitution, short of buying 200 crew at astronomical prices. Since I'm already trading, mining and crafting to help my clan, there is not much left in the kitty from missions, after I pay for repairs and buy some crew to top up the Connie.

Edited July 7, 2016 by Lannes

[Capitan Camuñas]

i going to lose all my crew for the cause 

to se how much refill at rank 8 

if it refills xD

 

tomorrow morning i will post the results 

Edited July 7, 2016 by Capitan Camuñas

[akd]

I tried this last night and can confirm it works as Boris said. I sold an old 1 dura Surprise that I had capped several weeks ago to the AI. Total crew (on ship plus available) was 796 out of a maximum pool of 1100. After selling it, my total crew was 1036 out of 1100. I think this may be a bug unless there's more rules to it other than "sell a ship to the AI and recoup the entire crew complement of the ship."

Yes, I observed the same, but it is definitely not the only circumstance where crew is replenishing. Hopefully replenishment by selling prizes is a bug. If intentional, then the whole crew thing is really meaningless.

[ivn]

Hello, everyone.
Just my thoughts about the game, particularly crew.

First of all, I think the presented mechanics of crew is shit (sorry), the game should be the simulator of sailing pirating and etc. Most of all about and around management of Ship.

At this moment the gameplay built around the management of crafting something. Really boring for me. And what we have now with crew seems not a system of crew, but just a part of crafting.

How I see this aspect:

- Crew hiring in the port and should be cheaper and limited more.

- Medkit has only one grade and just increase regeneration of crew. Should be cheaper to craft.

- Crew can be picked up from sunk/boarded ships. Depends.

- Crew can be saved and hired. Slaves can be sold. 

 

PS. Developers should think about removing lives of an officer. As my opinion, if ship sunk, the officer has to stay with player or return to the hiring system <with small chance> (maybe to the original port), but the price of hiring must be increased according to the lvl of office.

sorry, if something not for this topic.

[Hethwill]

Let's imagine if the regeneration would be tied ( this is all imagination btw ) to performance factors, like Br differences, win loss, and so on.Would it provoke the...it might happen for some and not happen in others...

 

Nah, nevermind it, it is not that.

 

Cannot check any anomalies as I rarely lose crew

[Knobby]

In theory crew DOES NOT regenerate, for anyone, above the MINIMAL level attached to his rank (40 for rank one , 300? to max rank)..

 

So if there is any bug , it is for the players who have them magically regenerated.

if devs were more forthcoming with how shit like this works, all this confusion could have been spared!

so we don;t even now what min crew is for each lvl?

[Enraged Ewok]

if devs were more forthcoming with how shit like this works, all this confusion could have been spared!

so we don;t even now what min crew is for each lvl?

 

Or the players could be observant and test, in order to notice things like what Boris, AKD, and myself mentioned. Also, free crew for your level is smack dab in the middle of the port screen. Nothing "hidden" about it.

[Hethwill]

.

http://www.artmarine.co.uk/Geoff_Hunt_PPRSMA/Ships_Company_of_HMS_Surprise/1051/34/default.aspx

[Stavinsky]

I will try to keep it friendly, but having tested that last "crew idea" I really feel like the game is going the WRONG way, at least in PVE servers.

 

First I must say I'm among those people who don't see a 'daily replenish' happen. And I have seen also 240 of my free crew being "wasted"

by the UI when it suggested that my "fully operational and maned" Le Gros Ventre needed a new crew while on sea (let's figure....).

 

So now, if I want to man my Frigate I have to buy a new crew already. 500 po for 1 crew ? Seriously ?

 

The whole concept REEK of trial to handle a PVP problem and it really kill any fun you can have on a PVE server.

 

Now about the TP system. As much as I can understand the problem on PVP server, again on a PVE server where

people want to be 'casual and just enjoy a good game of Sailing and fighting', why in HELL should I be forced to sail back

to port just to get that last prize dismantled for the material as I'm a crafter ? 

 

Being a crafter, but also a CASUAL player, I really don't have that much time to waste in useless sailing around.

 

Now, about the whole fishing idea to build med-kit. I can understand the idea, but why in hell can't we have module, 

and why is the whole business so SLOW that you are almost forced into AFK fishing while doing something

else and even then the thing take too darn long.

 

And that's without counting the astronomical needs to build 1 consumable. Again the whole system reek.

 

I don't mind that people want PVP servers, but please DEVS don't ruin the PVE servers with solutions that

are trying to solve a PVP only server issue. 

 

 

 

Now I don't have any solutions for the PVP issues, but on the PVE servers, sending a ship back to port

after a capture should be at least an option (if you really want to make it cost something, make it something

like 1% of the ship value that way a crafter who take time to capture ships will be able to at least make a profit

out of them). 

 

The whole Medkit, doctor and such idea could be cool to limit the cost after a battle, but replenishing

a crew pool should not be something that will prevent a player from just PLAYING. I'm not here to play

"farming the sea simulator 2016" just to have a new crew. I'm here for some NAVAL ACTION with friends.

 

 

Sorry if I do sound angry, but it's exactly what I am as I really wish this game to be a real good game.

But as a casual player, with no interest at all in PVP, I really don't want to see the PVP side of the game

ruin the PVE side. 

[Vernon Merrill]

I feel that exact same way, except in reverse. Rules made just for CASUAL players are ruining PvP...

See what I did there???

[ivn]

more ideas how to improve the situation with a crew:

1. The crew has 

Experience level (Exp lvl) and Type

 

* Exp. lvl
1.The higher lvl of crew cost bigger and more rarely to find to hire

2. The Exp lvl growing up as long player use the same crew (exp lvl dropped down in percentage if lost a lot of experienced and hire low-grade crew)

- the I level of a crew is free to hire anywhere. this type of a crew gives a penalty -1-2% for sailing/shooting/fighting or no bonuses at all

- the II lvl of a crew is cost like 50g for one sailor = gives +1-2% as a bonus of sailing/shooting/fighting

- the III lvl ....+...%

 

 

* Type of crew

1. All crew has to be divided between sailors, soldiers, gunners

2. Player can choose what crew he/she would like to hire

- Sailors give a bonus to operate with sails (quicker open/close/turn/bonus for speed) if I am a Trader, I will have a better chance to run away from Gangsters...

- Soldiers give a bonus to fighting on board (shoot muskets, mile attack, use grenades, disengage quicker) also use the hooks to pull the enemy ship

- Gunners give a bonus to shoot (load guns quicker, shoot more precisely) also give a better chance to hit the modules or make a fire/explosion, demast

 

in addition, could be one more type of crew as the carpenters, who improve the survivability and give a bonus to repair the ship and prevent fire/explosion/demast

[Hethwill]

Please please... let's not go roller coaster with all that combo and wizzardry mumbo jumbo.

 

IMO anything that detracts a combat situation from being resolved by the player attention, of total ship control and direct effect of the skillful use of the ship, wind, position, is not needed that much.

 

Values of 1% to 4% should be more than enough to provide that light-rp feeling that your crew or ropes or poop deck are actually going through a "story" and evolving.

 

Read again what you wrote please, bonus to shoot and damage and precision to blast modules and fancy errol flynn swashbuckling chandelier flying boarding parties that sway all in their paths... sure, that's exactly what Naval Action does not need.

[Stavinsky]

I feel that exact same way, except in reverse. Rules made just for CASUAL players are ruining PvP...

See what I did there???

 

That's exactly why I wish they would do things on the PVP server that stay ON the pvp server, and leave the PVE server with rules

for the PVE server. 

 

Right now they are adding rules to the pvp server that spill on the PVE server and ruin it. 

 

 

And if possible, have rules that can be used in both places WITHOUT ruining both places.

 

 

One idea about the capture would be to have NPC ships being able to be sent to

port through TP for a Gold cost (1-5% of the ship cost) and have player ships

capture being mandatory to be sailed back to port. 

 

That would solve the issue for both servers.

 

The same kind of idea could be applied. If the crew replenishement is an issue on PVP server

then let them have a "fixed free crew" at each level and then have ways to fill the crews

(through fishing and such) and give PVE server a 'daily replenish'.

 

That way both servers users are happy.

 

There are ways, the only need is for the DEVS to do what is necessary for each type

of servers so all their customers are happy, both the ones who want some hardcore

pvp on a pvp dedicated server, and more casual players on pve servers.

 

As let's be honnest, PVE server are going to attract more casual players, where pvp

will attract more dedicated ones. So both servers need rules that let the community playing

on it be happy, and not being forced into rules that are made for another kind of players.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Stavinsky

[Skully]

You get crew back by selling ships. This means that a mid-level captain doing mid-level missions (non-SOLs) can make this exercise profitable by doing at least 1 capture.

 

Note that there is a bug in it. http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15117-exploit-free-crew-for-everybody/

 

[edit] Moved to development forum.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Skully

[BorisDemontford]

You get crew back by selling ships. This means that a mid-level captain doing mid-level missions (non-SOLs) can make this exercise profitable by doing at least 1 capture.

 

Note that there is a bug feature​ in it. http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15117-exploit-free-crew-for-everybody/

 

[Lannes]

You get crew back by selling ships. This means that a mid-level captain doing mid-level missions (non-SOLs) can make this exercise profitable by doing at least 1 capture.

 

Note that there is a bug in it. http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15117-exploit-free-crew-for-everybody/

Yeah! 'Sorry, we couldn't find that!'

Edited July 9, 2016 by Lannes

[Skully]

Oops, Henry missed that link. I'm not allowed by admin to disclose the bug. Devs are working on a fix, once that is in I will retell the tale.

 

Meanwhile, buy my Medkits! 

[Lannes]

.

http://www.artmarine.co.uk/Geoff_Hunt_PPRSMA/Ships_Company_of_HMS_Surprise/1051/34/default.aspx

Yes! to uniforms for our mariners!

[Skully]

Oops, Henry missed that link. I'm not allowed by admin to disclose the bug. Devs are working on a fix, once that is in I will retell the tale.

 

Meanwhile, buy my Medkits! 

It's official: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15216-basic-cutter-crew-replenishment/

 

There goes my Medkit production (for now).

 

Basically high level missions give you money back for captures. But this left mid-level and low-level captains in a fix. So as a non-high-level captain you should always capture the last (AI) ship in your mission. Then bring it back to port and sell it.

 

Problem is that you can also buy ships and sell for crew. Even better is splitting them up first as Fasti was saying.

But the exploit I noticed was even better, buy Basic Cutter, sell Basic Cutter. (Rinse... etc...)

[Bramborough]

In this and other threads (as well as in-game chat), I've seen repeated references to high crew costs.  For all the folks bemoaning such, I have to wonder if they've taken a close look at the $$$-per-LH return of the revised-lower-cost production buildings, particularly the new hotfixed Tobacco & Sugar Plantations.

 

It's true that there has been a significant money sink added to the game, immediately apparent to all of us.  What fewer seem to realize is that there has also been added (alongside the more apparent fish & shipwrecks) an "easy-button" income-generation opportunity which outright dwarfs that of Patch 9.7/9.8 compass-farming.

 

Whether such is a good idea or not, I don't know.  Just saying that it's easier than ever to generate a lot of cash with minimal effort....at least as far as I can tell, way more than enough to compensate for crew costs.

[Skully]

http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15054-crew-prices-are-too-damn-high/?p=282274

[Cmdr RideZ]

Selling a captured ship, getting fame and motivated crew.

 

Maybe the bug could be turned in a feature as well.

[Jerome]

more ideas how to improve the situation with a crew:

1. The crew has

Experience level (Exp lvl) and Type

* Exp. lvl

1.The higher lvl of crew cost bigger and more rarely to find to hire

2. The Exp lvl growing up as long player use the same crew (exp lvl dropped down in percentage if lost a lot of experienced and hire low-grade crew)

- the I level of a crew is free to hire anywhere. this type of a crew gives a penalty -1-2% for sailing/shooting/fighting or no bonuses at all

- the II lvl of a crew is cost like 50g for one sailor = gives +1-2% as a bonus of sailing/shooting/fighting

- the III lvl ....+...%

* Type of crew

1. All crew has to be divided between sailors, soldiers, gunners

2. Player can choose what crew he/she would like to hire

- Sailors give a bonus to operate with sails (quicker open/close/turn/bonus for speed) if I am a Trader, I will have a better chance to run away from Gangsters...

- Soldiers give a bonus to fighting on board (shoot muskets, mile attack, use grenades, disengage quicker) also use the hooks to pull the enemy ship

- Gunners give a bonus to shoot (load guns quicker, shoot more precisely) also give a better chance to hit the modules or make a fire/explosion, demast

in addition, could be one more type of crew as the carpenters, who improve the survivability and give a bonus to repair the ship and prevent fire/explosion/demast

Where does this crap come from? 18th century sailors had to literally run from rigging, to port guns, to starboard guns, to rigging, back to guns, and then stand by to repel boarders. Other than a handful of marines there is no gunner, sailor, soldier differences. Edited July 15, 2016 by Jerome

[Lannes]

Selling a captured ship, getting fame and motivated crew.

 

Maybe the bug could be turned in a feature as well.

 

I found the bug, too. Buy a basic cutter and sell it and get 40 crew for nothing up to your level each time.

[ajffighter86]

That's exactly why I wish they would do things on the PVP server that stay ON the pvp server, and leave the PVE server with rules

for the PVE server. 

 

Right now they are adding rules to the pvp server that spill on the PVE server and ruin it. 

 

 

And if possible, have rules that can be used in both places WITHOUT ruining both places.

 

 

One idea about the capture would be to have NPC ships being able to be sent to

port through TP for a Gold cost (1-5% of the ship cost) and have player ships

capture being mandatory to be sailed back to port. 

 

That would solve the issue for both servers.

 

The same kind of idea could be applied. If the crew replenishement is an issue on PVP server

then let them have a "fixed free crew" at each level and then have ways to fill the crews

(through fishing and such) and give PVE server a 'daily replenish'.

 

That way both servers users are happy.

 

There are ways, the only need is for the DEVS to do what is necessary for each type

of servers so all their customers are happy, both the ones who want some hardcore

pvp on a pvp dedicated server, and more casual players on pve servers.

 

As let's be honnest, PVE server are going to attract more casual players, where pvp

will attract more dedicated ones. So both servers need rules that let the community playing

on it be happy, and not being forced into rules that are made for another kind of players.

 

I think that's a reasonable compromise. The question is whether or not the developers are up to the task of creating two different systems for the two types of servers, but I do not want to ruin your gameplay and you do not want to ruin mine, so at least we could agree on that.

It's official: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15216-basic-cutter-crew-replenishment/

 

There goes my Medkit production (for now).

 

Basically high level missions give you money back for captures. But this left mid-level and low-level captains in a fix. So as a non-high-level captain you should always capture the last (AI) ship in your mission. Then bring it back to port and sell it.

 

Problem is that you can also buy ships and sell for crew. Even better is splitting them up first as Fasti was saying.

But the exploit I noticed was even better, buy Basic Cutter, sell Basic Cutter. (Rinse... etc...)

 

Hopefully this will be fixed soon.