Naval Action – the single player game.

[ulysse77]

I know they should start by finishing this game first, but I was just thinking yesterday of what a single player version of the game might look like. It came to me while I was playing Crusader King 2 and also reading the Kydd serie that a similar “relationship” gameplay might be intersting.

 Bear with me. A life of a naval officer in those days we`re greatly a question of connection, luck and day to day decisions that had nothing to do with the actual combat. This game would strictly be about naval officer, no trader, no privateer. You would start as a acting captain on your first command.  You would have information on who were your previous commanding officer and how they see you and how you see them. Same for  your lieutenant and petty officers and other captains.  You would get missions from you’re the admiralty:  patrol, dispatch packet, supply, escort, seek and destroy, etc. And how you accomplish them would change how your superior see you, give you access to promotion, missions with bigger chance of prizes . In your daily business you would be presented with decisions on the handling of your ship and your crew, you could micro manage your ship or leave some actions to you lieutenant.

 

How it would play? You main screen would be similar to Crusader king or Europa Universalis. You would plot your course on a overhead map and your ship would move in real time. You could accelerate time. If you want you could take command of the ship, just like we have now. Once in a while you would get decision regarding your crew, like if someone was caught drunk you would decide his faith. Those decisions would shape your character traits. And how other character sees you. You could manage your stores, crew and small detail of your ships. And when you get into combat the game would switch to what we have now for combat. If you are part of a fleet you could get where your stations would be in fleet engagement and how you score could be on how well you follow orders.

 

Of course it would be totally open ended. Your final score would be how far you manage to go. We would need thousand of characters since all captains and up would need to be created, but if CK2 can manage it don’t see how this can’t be done. The interesting  part to me would be to see how relationship develop, let`s say one of your lt became captain in the future, how it see you. That could even reflect in battle, does someone come to your aid or stick to his order?

 

Im still craving for a game where I could actually be a captain, with all the minutiae it require, and where actual action is rare but a thing to remember.  I found CK2 a great game for this, is nature is very dry and if feel like you don`t have much to do, but in fact you’re just one tiny spec on a grand scheme where you have little power, but when things turn you way, or don’t, it become rewarding.

 

[Ned Loe]

They already mentioned Naval Action 2 few times and suggested it could be single player game with HD storms, damage and even avatars? etc...Let's just keep dreaming and one day it might happen. All I know is it will sell well. 

[ulysse77]

yeah i know, but in my idea it would be more strategy oriented then action oriented. (I know East india company try something similar but with mix results, i`ve found)

[maturin]

I dream about NA with dedicated server and modding support. After most of the release/support cycle is concluded, of course.

[Werewolf]

I like your idea. However, NA without other players to gank and interact with would suck. This is the only online game I've played where the player base is reasonably mature. Still though, +1 for single player NA.... it can only broaden the audience it is sold to.

[Macjimm]

I would definitely buy a single player version of this game at more than the current price. If only for enhanced navigation/ weather and realtime with time compression.

[Oddible]

As a designer and developer what you're describing is a different game. It seems like it would be easy but it would definitely not. I'd prefer the devs stay focused on the game they're making and make it really great. This would be a huge distraction and consumption of resources and the main game would suffer. Adding storyline and quests would give you much of what you want and you could play on PvE if you wanted to not even think about other players. They already have personal instances.

Patrician III and Port Royale II are amazing games closer to what you're looking for (not the remakes after Kalypso bought Ascaron - those are flawed though have more modern UI).

[Macjimm]

Adding storyline and quests would give you much of what you want and you could play on PvE if you wanted to not even think about other players.

As a single player version I wasn't thinking of including quests or story lines. Story lines and quests get stale fast as they are too linear. Imagine the game as it is now with the addition of realtime sailing in OW (and time compression As in the Silent Hunter games.). I would also add back the ability to move the camera around the deck of the ship, improve the UI by adding a toggled compass and timepiece. Add some constellations and dynamic graphics (flags, national colour schemes) to identify ships from a distance. Weather that requires skill to avoid damage or loss would be a bonus.

There is truly so much potential in single player (or limited multi-player) that is unavailable in an MMO due the limitations of bandwidth and capacity.

[Oddible]

> and time compression

 

Can't work with the current game, an astronomically large distraction from their core game proposal.  The other things you mention are doable.  You're not going to get a single player game so look for what you want that is possible within the PvE experience - that retains their core game but gets you the features you're seeking.  

[maturin]

 

 

There is truly so much potential in single player (or limited multi-player) that is unavailable in an MMO due the limitations of bandwidth and capacity.

More than that: balance and fun is the main thing.

 

The list of features that can't work due to multiplayer is longer than my arm. All the features that are 'unbalanced' or 'not fun' or 'too grindy' become possible when you consider a SP game with saving and loading.