Free town changes - Important

[Anolytic]

Based on the feedback, it seems that some of the additional FTs aren't actually needed. The more FTs the more easy PvP spots, but since the number of outposts is limited, the more FTs the less players in each one. Also, since the number of FTs is probably to be decreased in the future, there's no need to add many more in the september patch. Thus those ports will actually not get the FT status in the september patch:

• Beata (which will also be removed as a new port)
• Barranquilla (which will stay as standard port as it is currently and be included into the Santa Marta province)
• Gracias a Dios (which will stay as standard port as it is currently and be included into the Royal Mosquito province)

Updated map: http://imgur.com/a/ijzWn

 

Also OP edited.

 

Sorry if any players had already started moving stuff to Barranquilla or Gracias a Dios.

Is Beata going to be dropped as a new port entirely?

[Barberouge]

Is Beata going to be dropped as a new port entirely?

 

 yes, it had been created just for the possible FT spot

[Twig]

Swedish Capital

(The S was already taken for Spain).

 

Edit: Going to repost the map legend I made:

Orange lines: Region outlines

Red circle: Capital

Orange star: Regional Capital  (1st rate port battle)

Yellow pixel: Port location

Yellow line: Port entrance with direction of inlet

Blue circle: Shallow water port

White line(on blue circle): inlet to shallow water port

White circle: Freetown

Striketrough text: Pacific ports not open until release

 

Map letters: (Indicates historical ownership)

N: Neutral

P: Pirate

D: Danish

S: Spanish

W: Swedish

UP: Dutch

B: British

F: French

US: United States

I: Indian/Native

 

USC: US Capital

SC: Spanish Capital

DC: Danish Capital

WC: Swedish Capital

UPC: Dutch Capital

FC: French Capital

BC: British Capital

B - PC: Pirate Capital, historically British

B - NC: Neutral Capital, historically British

UPRC: Dutch Regional Capital

SRC: Spanish Regional Capital

FRC: French Regional Capital

BRC: British Regional Capital

Why is spain: "S" and not : "E / ES" ? like in the normal world??? Doesnt make any sense!

[DeRuyter]

Las Tortugas has a horrible entry and exit due to shallow waters.     Historically Key West was a trading town and Las Tortugas was a fortress so...I don't undertand this move at all.   

There is no reason to change key west.

 

Actually "Las Tortugas" was made up of several small islands or Keys - The fort was built in the 1850s so after our period. The whole area was used by pirates and privateers to raid shipping.

[DeRuyter]

Time will tell. btw Who is Pete and what does he has to do with this topic? It clearly sounds like you are his biggest fan and trying to advertise him here or maybe there is something else...? 

 

You don't know Pagan Pete!?!   He is a pirate generally sailing solo and often on the US coast hunting traders. Relevant because you were concerned about gank fleets using the extra free towns. My point being that the free towns make privateering play styles possible, which is a good thing.

[EL LOCO]

Thus my stinking point.  Las Tortugas was a pirate haven but no town.  Go there and see for yourself.    Trading was done in Key West and still is...So.. Why....  no really..Why change historical fact into fiction to fit within your ideals of a Map.   

[Guest]

In one of the Ports that will become a Free Town I have a 4 buildings lv 3 (fully upgrades). It's not that cheap, will my buildings be moved to the port it exchanges location? For example Aransas FT changes to El Rancho. Someone has buildings in El Rancho, will his buildings be moved to Aransas?

 

Admin explained that already in this thread before

 

resource production buildings will all be destroyed during reset

compensation will be provided in monetary form.

so if you have invested 1 mln in production buildings you will not have buildings but will have 1 mln on account.

[Sir Texas Sir]

In one of the Ports that will become a Free Town I have a 4 buildings lv 3 (fully upgrades). It's not that cheap, will my buildings be moved to the port it exchanges location? For example Aransas FT changes to El Rancho. Someone has buildings in El Rancho, will his buildings be moved to Aransas?

You will get a redeemable of the cost for those ports and the upgrade.

[Mrdoomed]

Removing freetowns completely would be a smart move. If they remain pvp will be reduced greatly and gank will prosper. Ex. we spent so much time preparing for a fight , but enemy escaped into a free port and remained there. Disappointed we logged from the game. (some group in chat).

P.S. Looks like US got 2 free ports and one right in the middle of Econ ground. Not sure why devs did it, but it surely will hurt traders and kill population if gank squads settle there, but they know better what to do.

How I see it. Come out gank go back in free town.

I think you are loling but im not sure.

[VonVolks]

so Bensalem stays the same?

[Sea Archer]

ok, let's try it. when can we expect the map reset to come?

[waznewz]

ok, let's try it. when can we expect the map reset to come?

Yeah, 15-25 days OP said, but surely this can be narrowed down a bit by now?

Also by my calculations 25 days would mean that the September patch will be deployed in October, so we can possibly look forward to 2 patches in October?

[Elric]

I notice there are no freeports on the pacific side of the map.  Is that intentional, or an oversight?  Without a freeport, it eliminates any nations from trading or attacking on the Pacific side until they take one of the regions that have both east and west coasts.

[Anolytic]

I notice there are no freeports on the pacific side of the map.  Is that intentional, or an oversight?  Without a freeport, it eliminates any nations from trading or attacking on the Pacific side until they take one of the regions that have both east and west coasts.

First. The Pacific side isn't going to be open till release anyway. By then most free towns in the Caribbean might have been removed. Second. From what has been said, the Pacific is going to be a PvE area. So it's not going to be contested.

[CptEdwardKenway]

What about moving the goods and ships from the 4 removed free ports to the next possible free port?

I have stuff in one of those 4 ports and getting this stuff into the next port will cost me alot if time and alot of gold since I need a new outpost before I move my ships out if those ports.

[Sir Texas Sir]

What about moving the goods and ships from the 4 removed free ports to the next possible free port?

I have stuff in one of those 4 ports and getting this stuff into the next port will cost me alot if time and alot of gold since I need a new outpost before I move my ships out if those ports.

THis is why they give folks heads up.  You have had plenty of time to move them and prob still do have plenty more time unless the patch is this Thursday when I hope they do it.

[Jean Ribault]

THis is why they give folks heads up.  You have had plenty of time to move them and prob still do have plenty more time unless the patch is this Thursday when I hope they do it.

 

 

This is so true, plus if you run out of time to move your stuff just give it up, it's all regenerative and it's all gonna get wiped eventually anyway so who cares?

 

Of course, if you have 3 alts in addition to your main account, then it will take 4 times as long to move your stuff.  Accept that 4 accounts takes that much more maintenance.

[CaptVonGunn]

Hello Captains

 

Four types of change will be done to the free towns in the next patch within 15-25 days:

 

1. Free town status and free town assets exchanged switched with another port - to save players time.

The free town status will switch from a port to another. All the player assets (outpost, ships, warehouse) of the ex -free town will be transferred to the new free town. Also, all the player assets of the ex- normal port will be transferred to the new standard port. This change concerns those pairs of ports:

• Island Harbour  -  Hat Island

• Plymouth  -  La Désirade

• Caño Macareo  -  Guayaguayare

• Canalete  -  Dariena

• Victoria  -  Santa Ana

• Tordo  -  Tamiagua

• Aransas  -  El Rancho

• Barataria  -  Saint-Malo

• Key West  -  Las Tortugas

• Cabo Cañaveral  -  Cayo Biscayno

• Sunbury  -  Saint Marys

If you had assets in one of those free towns (on the left), you will find them in the corresponding new free town (on the right). If you had assets in one of those ports on the right of the list, you will find them in the new port on the left of the list.

 

Example. You had assets in Las Tortugas. It became a free town. To save players time we moved his assets to Key west. 

 

2. Free town status and free town assets moved to a new port

One free town will be moved to a newly created port. This change concerns only:

• Île-à-Vache  -   La Navasse

If you had assets in Île-à-Vache, you will find them in La Navasse. The port of Île-à-Vache won’t exist anymore.

 

3. Free town status added to a new port

Some standard ports will receive the free town status. This type of change concerns those ports:

• Salinas

• Little River

Those 2 ports are new ports, they will start empty anyways.

 

4. IMPORTANT Free town status removed from a port

 

4 ports will have their free town status removed without any other modification. This type of change concerns the following 4 ports:

 

• Crown Haven

• Little Isaac Rocks

• William's Bay

• Vieques

 

If you had assets in one of those free towns, they will stay there but the port will become a normal port and its ownership may change. We advise players to move the assets out of those ports before the patch.

 

Reasons for changes

New positions for free towns are required to support the hostility mechanics - they have to be placed on the borders of regions (preferably). The overall free town mechanics is under review and their number might go down before release. 

 

To support the changes of the regions system 14 new ports will be added

• Ocean Bight

• La Navasse

• Hat Island

• Sandy Hill

• Cul-de-Sac

• La Désirade

• La Moussette

• Salinas

• Tamiagua

• Guacata

• All Saints

• Little River

• Wantlands Ferry

• Rum Cove

 

Edit 14/09

 

Those ports will actually not get the FT status in the september patch:

• Beata (which will also not be added as a new port)
• Barranquilla (which will stay as standard port as it is currently and be included into the Santa Marta province)
• Gracias a Dios (which will stay as standard port as it is currently and be included into the Royal Mosquito province)

Updated map: http://imgur.com/a/ijzWn

 

Sorry if any players had already started moving stuff to Barranquilla or Gracias a Dios.

All nice but I have a suggestion to go with this...   Since I havent seen it mentioned...  How about restricting the ships allowed in a Free Port to 4th rates and below and Trade ships . EXCEPT for the nation the Free Port is aligned to, Then that nation.faction and only that one can dock anything there...

 

 by this restriction I do not mean no docking for supplies and repair.. I am talking about leaving the ship there in an outpost while the player goes some place else on the map...

 

 

  Just an idea that would add a little more strategic planning and thinking to the game

[Stilgar]

...  How about restricting the ships allowed in a Free Port to 4th rates and below and Trade ships . EXCEPT for the nation the Free Port is aligned to, Then that nation.faction and only that one can dock anything there...

I like the idea, but without exceptions pls. It is funny to see 1st rates fleets popping out free towns just like that; like that is a military base or smth.

[CaptVonGunn]

I like the idea, but without exceptions pls. It is funny to see 1st rates fleets popping out free towns just like that; like that is a military base or smth.

I get that.. but think of it like today even... British Navy based in Spain due to old deals in place,, US Navy can dock in Cuba ect... That is how I see the Free Port alignment being used. 

[Jean Ribault]

All nice but I have a suggestion to go with this...   Since I havent seen it mentioned...  How about restricting the ships allowed in a Free Port to 4th rates and below and Trade ships . EXCEPT for the nation the Free Port is aligned to, Then that nation.faction and only that one can dock anything there...

 

 by this restriction I do not mean no docking for supplies and repair.. I am talking about leaving the ship there in an outpost while the player goes some place else on the map...

 

 

  Just an idea that would add a little more strategic planning and thinking to the game

 

 

 

So what happens if you have 10 warships and are reduced to 1 port?  Like a few are now?  Does that mean those players have to sell their warships down to 5?  Or just lose them?

[Juan Alfonso]

So what happens if you have 10 warships and are reduced to 1 port?  Like a few are now?  Does that mean those players have to sell their warships down to 5?  Or just lose them?

 

They could hold said ships in their fleet slots; however that would present the problem of a possible loss of valuable upgrades and so forth.

 

IMO we need a sort of dry-dock building so we can house ships say for a daily/weekly fee

[Sir Texas Sir]

This is so true, plus if you run out of time to move your stuff just give it up, it's all regenerative and it's all gonna get wiped eventually anyway so who cares?

 

Of course, if you have 3 alts in addition to your main account, then it will take 4 times as long to move your stuff.  Accept that 4 accounts takes that much more maintenance.

Yah that is something I think is funny when you see folks complain about things like this.  I actually want a complete wipe of even levels when the game goes live to be honest.  That is what every beta/alpha game I ever played tested did before they went live.

[Chijohnaok]

Yah that is something I think is funny when you see folks complain about things like this.  I actually want a complete wipe of even levels when the game goes live to be honest.  That is what every beta/alpha game I ever played tested did before they went live.

 

I've only been playing this game since February or so, so i have not experienced a total wipe (which includes rank and XP).  I suppose that I could live with having to re-earn XP to rank up again.

But there are some players (some in my clan for instance) that have been playing this game for around 2 years (going back to Sea Trials)  and have had their ranks/XP wiped 3-4 times in the past.  They are (understandably) tired of grinding for rank/XP.  Some of them would simply leave the game were they forced to do it once again.  It would be sad to see people that have put this much time and effort testing and contributing towards making this game what it now is just to see them leave due to another total wipe.  

[Bramborough]

I don't think I'd be terribly upset about having to grind up ranks again, because progress speed is wholly dependent upon the player;  Amount of gameplay time, and the efficiency with which how that time is used, are 100% controllable.

 

Leveling craft back up to 50, however, is a different story.  Sure, one can map out an efficient path, augmented by Labor Contracts and intelligent use of perks.  But ultimately, crafting progress is limited by the LH generation rate, and beyond a certain point there's little the player can do about it.  Unlike actions for rank XP (i.e., battle/travel)...every player, no matter how efficient their plan, reaches a daily point defined as "well, that's all the crafting I can for today...have to wait til tomorrow to continue".  

 

I understand why the craft system is like that, and am not advocating that it be radically changed (at least, not from a level/XP perspective...BP acquisition is a separate topic).  Am just saying I don't want to have to level up crafting again.  Rank XP reset probably wouldn't prompt me to consider quitting NA.  Craft level XP reset might.