Commisions

[BeeTee]

I don't know if this has been suggested elsewhere, but how about the possibility of taking a commission from your government to do something?

Could be a way for players to get to sail in a ship provided by the government and e.g protect commerce. Could be a nice way to add variety and more pvp action into the game. Could make things more interesting for the pirates too perhaps.

[Skully]

The trick is finding players who hand out commissions. Doesn't happen very often, but usually leads to lots of fun.

http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15623-pvp1-august-3rd-the-french-émissaire/

[BeeTee]

Well, I was thinking more along the lined of making something that would:

1. Put some useful tools in the hands of the national governments to get certain chores done with a proper incentive to do them, like the chance of sailing with a ship virtually risk free as it was ownee by the government. This could well be stardardized types, like brigs, frigates etc... Smaller ships perhaps. Could be scouting, commerce protection, convoy escort, patrols etc... In the open world. To earn XP and gold without risking to lose ones own ship.

2. Put more variety into the missions available.

3. Players could then perhaps also, when they needed goods brought from a to b hire a ship to do it (ai trader) and if desired request an escort which would then go into the pool of available missions for players. If this is to work then the player should nok know what was in the cargo to prevent abuse. So thus is provided a mechanism for players to get resources from a to b without sailing themselves, with a risk, but risk should be part of the game. This should of course cost money, and an escort more money.

4. Raiders would then also potentially get more variety of play because they would have to deal with the escort, which also would be more inclined to fight when appropriate because the risk to the player is minimal.

Arrgh, long and winded, but you get the idea.