No battle/Reinforcement timer, BUT only join if already at sea.

[The MetaBaron]

Been bouncing this idea around, hear me out, and I'm open to suggestions. Lastly remember anything we do is a compromise, it's about finding the best way of dealing with this issue.

So the basic principal is to completely remove the reinforcement timer, and the battle timer as well, meaning you are free to join the battle indefinitely. However the only ships that could join would be ships ALREADY at sea. In other words, no swapping to a larger ship, no teleporting across the map to reinforce, no hanging out fishing in a trader expecting to join, etc.... etc...

The second limitation is a captain could only join once (more on why next)

It would drastically affect the feel of battles, no longer would they be artificially isolated duels, but now they could go on all day as ships escape and join the instance hour after hour. Helping to remove that odd feeling of isolation created by havining instances within an open world (tech limitation I know). You could start to have realistacally organic battles play out.

Next, there would be an edge to the combat map (though it would still be fairly large), that if you sail outside of you are dropped into Open World. Combine this with removing outright the results screen, and people can try to hide/retreat behind an island but they could still be run down and sunk (the option to escape into OW remaining). This way it keeps players "in the game", while still offering ways to evade and not get "counter tanked" by a fleet waiting outside.

Problems I see with it is those with multiple accounts could get around this, however they are few and their joining would hardly disrupt the function of it.

Edited October 17, 2016 by The MetaBaron

[mirror452]

There is a huge problem with that, and that is the time compression in OW.

[_Masterviolin]

That wouldn't help. It would just transform every battle into a potential 25v25 fleet action over time...

[Sir Texas Sir]

There is a huge problem with that, and that is the time compression in OW.

I think a lot of folks aren't understanding this part of it and why it's only folks in a certain area that should be able to join. 

[The MetaBaron]

That wouldn't help. It would just transform every battle into a potential 25v25 fleet action over time...

Yes but not in the way you are implying. With reinforcements arriving and leaving from different directions, over extended periods of time, this would massively break up the way we are used to a std 25v25 battle playing out. It would be much more like if open world allowed combat, with ships heavily spread out unless already carefully grouped.

Part what makes battles repetitive feeling is this, you start on your side I start on mine idea. With a constantly growing, shrinking and evolving battle it would play out very differently.

[mirror452]

Would also be insane because people could flee when they are shot up, repair and join the battle again. You'd have everlasting battles with unlimited respawns of the same players.

[Enraged Ewok]

Yes but not in the way you are implying. With reinforcements arriving and leaving from different directions, over extended periods of time, this would massively break up the way we are used to a std 25v25 battle playing out. It would be much more like if open world allowed combat, with ships heavily spread out unless already carefully grouped.

Part what makes battles repetitive feeling is this, you start on your side I start on mine idea. With a constantly growing, shrinking and evolving battle it would play out very differently.

 

The "you start on your side and I start on mine" is going away with the new ROE though, since the only players in the battle will be those that were in the pull circle to begin with. OW position is then translated to the battle instance. So the dance in OW to get the upper hand before the tag timer runs down is still an important part of the combat set up.

[Jacob Elston]

I like the isolated battles.

 

It would be unrealistic for a naval battle right out of sea to attract over 20+ other ships, while the isolated instances allow for those 1v1's and give a more "open" sense to the game, the great expanse of water.

 

Not only "realism and immersion", but it's also not practical.

 

You say that it would be more dynamic and that it would not just turn into a 25v25, but we know that it would.

 

If about 7 Pirates jumped a British merchantman outside of KPR, they would very quickly find themselves against 25 people who undock and join the fight, what is worse is that even if those Pirates managed to take out 1 or 2 British ships, more could easily jump in.

 

I believe that the new ROE rules should be good, but battles in close proximity to a port should have a short timer on it before it closes while those out at sea are instantly closed.

[The MetaBaron]

I like the isolated battles.

 

It would be unrealistic for a naval battle right out of sea to attract over 20+ other ships, while the isolated instances allow for those 1v1's and give a more "open" sense to the game, the great expanse of water.

 

Not only "realism and immersion", but it's also not practical.

 

You say that it would be more dynamic and that it would not just turn into a 25v25, but we know that it would.

 

If about 7 Pirates jumped a British merchantman outside of KPR, they would very quickly find themselves against 25 people who undock and join the fight, what is worse is that even if those Pirates managed to take out 1 or 2 British ships, more could easily jump in.

 

I believe that the new ROE rules should be good, but battles in close proximity to a port should have a short timer on it before it closes while those out at sea are instantly closed.

I think you missed the part that only ships already at sea could join, no undock/teleport/switch to a bigger ship