Please Stop PB Log camping before it starts

[The Spud]

Small nations may now employ the alliance system to create allied waters under coastal guns spanning from the Gulf of Mexico to the Antilles.

 

In the mean time, port battle camping can be solved with logging in a fixed distance and a random direction from where you log out.

 

Unless all we want to do is whine about how unfair the game is and how we need a game mechanic exploit to be competitive...

 

The problem is mate, that this would cause a ton of possible problems (remember missions and join circles spawning on land or in shallows). And I'm sure someone will use this as an exploit somehow to get themselves out of a sticky situation. I still say no log off in enemy area (When it says for example cartagena in red, you can't log of in the area and need to sail couple of minutes to get to wider ocean).

 

All in all, I think we'll just need the devs to solve this. Cause it'll be a mud throwing contest every time it happens, and good players will either be frustrated and leave the game till its fixed or start exploiting themselves. Neither of these siutations will be beneficial. People talk about player numbers, the alliances need to cooperate and then numbers are irrelevant, thats part of the reason we have alliances.

[JollyRoger1516]

My point exactly. Devs, please nerf large nations or boost smaller nations!

The Danish Nation had 22 ships in the Port Battles+3 that got caught trying to get in + at the very least 15 screeners at Bermuda yesterday - combined with the fact that you ahve 3 allies you could actually easily outmatch our numbers just by bringing 30 each which isn't even your biggest possible number! Stop crying about the numbers - they are only unfair when you twist them first!

 

To the Devs: I would seriously like to see a list of numbers published. This is not to see whether your game is active or not as Steam Charts already easily covers that. For development ideas from the community based upon these numbers and for sensible discussions on the forum without completely made up number statements it would be imperative to release a set of numbers(players per nation, PvP engaging palyers, amount of PvP/PvE per player, people with a min of x gold gained a day on average by trade (to determine the traders), ships captured per person, attacks on nation ships/waters per day, etc.). Please release all these numbers to provide for us a good overview. Then sensible discussions can take place as to a possible nation balancing or whether it is actually necessary.

[ajffighter86]

Well, Jeheil called it before it ever happened. Kudos to that man. Now the question is, what will be done about it? I've seen a number of simple suggestions for changes to the mechanics that would improve it in the short term, but in my honest opinion, port battles need a complete overhaul regarding how they take place.

 

The hostility system is good. Keep that. But I'm talking about the port battle instance itself. Why do we have a separate instance involving a relatively calm fight where defenders try to run down the clock, and the total battle population is only 50, while outside, people are absolutely ripping each other to shreds as if they could care less about the port itself?

 

I mean, who had more fun today? The people inside the port battle itself? Or the dutch YOLO'ers outside who tried to chase their enemies around in circles with fireships and not giving a F***?

Edited October 25, 2016 by ajffighter86

[PIerrick de Badas]

DCing in front of a port is a viable tactic that is not forbidden and that will be uised by both party to avoid screening fleet.

It's as annoying as seeing people teleporing in port to defend it.

Why should defender use magic tric to teleport into a port that is surrounded by ennemy and join the port battle and the ennemy can't use magic tric to enter a pb surrounding by defender?

 

it's as bullshit botjh way.

 

an idea would be to :

- If a port is in in Port battle mode, don't autorhise anyone to teleport into this port

- If a region is in port batle mode, don't authorize people ot join special evet/PB until they enter a port.

 

=>

- Defender won't be able to magic tp just before the pb to defend the port jumping over the attacking fleet

- Offender will have ot sail back to a port to be able to clik and enter a battle (they can be put in pvpv if in the circle) but not able to clik on sworld to enter any instance

 

It will solve the bermuda issue as everyone will have to sail from far away to both/defend/attack the port 

It will solve any port battle issue as defender will defend the ports belonging to their nation (where they are usually) or choose freetown around to be able to sail from it to defend the port.

[JollyRoger1516]

DCing in front of a port is a viable tactic that is not forbidden and that will be uised by both party to avoid screening fleet.

It's as annoying as seeing people teleporing in port to defend it.

Why should defender use magic tric to teleport into a port that is surrounded by ennemy and join the port battle and the ennemy can't use magic tric to enter a pb surrounding by defender?

 

it's as bullshit botjh way.

 

an idea would be to :

- If a port is in in Port battle mode, don't autorhise anyone to teleport into this port

- If a region is in port batle mode, don't authorize people ot join special evet/PB until they enter a port.

 

=>

- Defender won't be able to magic tp just before the pb to defend the port jumping over the attacking fleet

- Offender will have ot sail back to a port to be able to clik and enter a battle (they can be put in pvpv if in the circle) but not able to clik on sworld to enter any instance

 

It will solve the bermuda issue as everyone will have to sail from far away to both/defend/attack the port 

It will solve any port battle issue as defender will defend the ports belonging to their nation (where they are usually) or choose freetown around to be able to sail from it to defend the port.

I'd actually support the idea to some degree - if you would disable the teleport for the entire day it would only lead to grief port attacks that never occur but block the ports. However to lock it 60mins prior to the battle (maybe even 120) would require people to prepare for battles and eventually split forces if ports are attacked shortly after one another. I could live with more then jsut get ship in preparation being required. However I think it is a bit of a complicated solution. I don't actually mind the Danes and their supporters logging out near bermuda to be ready for teh port battle and not ahving to fight it after 2 hours of sail - however being granted insta pb is jsut shite so a simple 2-5min timer would solve it ofr everybody. - Please bear in mind that as soon as the Danes ahve a few attackable regions and Britain has lost a few (and I'm only talking 4  here) the situation will turn around and you will be open to these amassed attacks - you wouldn't want us to tp into the port battle either!

 

@ajfighter: Screens are way more fun - for the fact alone that you don't look at 50ships that are all the same and same build. The wild mix of the open world is way more fun with 5th rates flanking and tagging and supporting and 1-3 doing the heavy lifting in side to side engagements. Good rake can even prep a 1st rate for boarding by a 5th or 4th rate - you'd never see that in a port battle and I tend to more and more just let others have my spot in those.

[Grundgemunkey]

the problem is the length of time it takes to sail to some ports ..it is not fair to expect a fleet to sail to an area such as bermuda  and then have to fight a port battle the time involved to do so would make the place invulnerable ....it is also unfair that they can log off at the dock  then return log on and be able to  join the port battle without giving a screening fleet time to intercept ... if this is continued to be allowed it takes away a huge part of the game ..for lower ranked captains who cannot crew 1st rates a huge fun part of the game is been involved in screening fleets ...indeed some screening engagements are far more fun than the port battle ....

 

while the game needs to be changed to prevent  the use of this mechanic ...you also need to protect those that are logged out on game crashing ..why should someone who sails a 1st rate all the way to bermuda be sent to a freeport or nearest home port just because the game or pc crashed

 

my solution would be  that each port has a zone similar to the green zones at nation capitals ....maybe a blue zone ....the blue zone extends maybe a minute or two sailing time around each port  ....anyone who logs off in the blue zone either on purpose or due to game crash upon log on will appear at the nearest  point outside this zone upon log in

 

 

for those that are complaining about you did this you did that in the past ...the game changed last week and anything before that is irrelevant

Edited October 25, 2016 by Grundgemunkey

[PIerrick de Badas]

potbs has this system but people were tping inot the pb.

Now the problem is attackers fleet have to sail to the point. The pb will start ith or without offender aqnd it's far too easy for defenders to grief to not sunk and make the br limit a win.

When lands will be into pb it can be easier for attacker to attack the defenser but right now it's far too easy to flee for defenders.

New pb with area to control may solve the problem.

 

Waitinf for that, attakers have to leave their own ports and anticipate how many times they need to join the port waiting the pb to open.

With screening fleet, tjhere is no way to join the pb.

People has just to go out the port and tag you before hte pb sart. It ca ,nbe done by groups of 5 defender any time.

If 50 defenders, your pb fleet can be grief to inifnite, why to attack then?

 

On bermuda, you got 50 pelple that sped hours to join the port in Sol to find people just teleportig 1 min before with ship that they teleport...

Noone is sialing aournd bermuda, there is just people trading in.

Is it normal to attackers that spend hours to fa ce a fleet that magicly tp in?

No more than defenders to face a loogin fleet.

 

both roblem has to been solved together or none has to been fixed.

 

Btw, the idea of an area that "reject" the log out to teleport the log in captain to the nerase t login point is not so bad

The TP into defnesive port has to be stop or limited in number of player to prevent this kind of behavior

[Cmdr RideZ]

I think ships could even TP in the port from certain distance, so that it is hard to stop the fleet attacking the port.  Why?

 

Hostility creation should have a meaning.  Defender should not be just like, "We do not care about hostility, we just win the Port Battle".  OR "We just create impassable net before the port battle, from rest we do not care".

 

You have to defend against hostility, this is the right moment to go and sink them in OW.  Not be lazy and just wait port battle.

 

 

edit...

 

The enemy was able to already win you in OW -> Hostility won.

 

So why they are not allowed to enter the port?

Edited October 25, 2016 by Cmdr RideZ

[Hethwill]

Now that's food for thought RiderZ.

[Kloothommel]

The Danish Nation had 22 ships in the Port Battles+3 that got caught trying to get in + at the very least 15 screeners at Bermuda yesterday - combined with the fact that you ahve 3 allies you could actually easily outmatch our numbers just by bringing 30 each which isn't even your biggest possible number! Stop crying about the numbers - they are only unfair when you twist them first!

 

Those numbers are incorrect.

[Grundgemunkey]

I think ships could even TP in the port from certain distance, so that it is hard to stop the fleet attacking the port.  Why?

 

Hostility creation should have a meaning.  Defender should not be just like, "We do not care about hostility, we just win the Port Battle".  OR "We just create impassable net before the port battle, from rest we do not care".

 

You have to defend against hostility, this is the right moment to go and sink them in OW.  Not be lazy and just wait port battle.

 

 

edit...

 

The enemy was able to already win you in OW -> Hostility won.

 

So why they are not allowed to enter the port?

 

 

agree to an extent ..but it means that port battles  will only ever involve 25 vs 25 .. the same 25 from each nation will be effectively become port battle experts the rest of the nation will be traders and pve ... no one needed for attacking screen ..no one needed for defending screen ...will become a very small game

[Hethwill]

Yes. But maybe captains have to prove themselves, with Admiralty Points, to be eligible to serve under a Lord Nelson fleet ?

 

Maybe ratio of hostility can be used for port battle balance of force ? e.g. not always a 25v25 but relative to TRUE activity in the region ?

[Batman]

Here I see a problem with the points. I myself had 2316 for comayagua and yet I was told to wait Outsider omoa. In the meantime only 8 of our ships could join the battle. Rest had no points genereated and yet they wanted to participate in the port battle. Seems generating hostility is a very unthankful because the actual PB is a much more glorious thing.

[Hethwill]

Here I see a problem with the points. I myself had 2316 for comayagua and yet I was told to wait Outsider omoa. In the meantime only 8 of our ships could join the battle. Rest had no points genereated and yet they wanted to participate in the port battle. Seems generating hostility is a very unthankful because the actual PB is a much more glorious thing.

 

Odd... but thank you for sharing the information.

 

I was being dragged through mud for being a troll when I was talking about PBs requiring scores

 

Thought it would be just placeholder.

[ajffighter86]

Here I see a problem with the points. I myself had 2316 for comayagua and yet I was told to wait Outsider omoa. In the meantime only 8 of our ships could join the battle. Rest had no points genereated and yet they wanted to participate in the port battle. Seems generating hostility is a very unthankful because the actual PB is a much more glorious thing.

 

Being outside is the most glorious out of all of it.

 

BERMUDA 10/24/16:

 

52 players in a mixed battle of 5th through 1st rates in a battle instance outside of a port, while inside, 40 or so players were chasing each other in a shrinking circle until time ran out  It's a shame that the battle is determined by what happens inside. The battle in the bay with the real forts and fireships sounds a lot more interesting to me.

 

And say what you want about numbers and boo hoo bigger fleets, guys, but if the battle had been determined by what happened outside, the Danes would have Bermuda now.

Edited October 25, 2016 by ajffighter86

[victor]

I can't continue playing this game (OK Testing HARD) when the effort I put into building Victory after Victory and Santi after Santi is WASTED because some fellows decide that winning a port over to them is MORE important than their HONOR.

 

The British nation will muster upwards of 100 Captains to screen and block their port from capture - the RUS exploiters need only 25 to take the port in an evenish (25 v 25) fight.

 

This is not right - it SHOULD be harder than an even fight to wrest a port away from a nation willing to gather 100 plus Captains to defend it.

 

---

 

Why do you think Gibraltar is STILL British IRL?

 

Uhm ... sorry but you somehow called for it: are you maintaining that putting down a 100 vs 25 force (due to a massive advantage in population vs your enemy) is "HONOR"?

 

Arguable ... at least.

Edited October 25, 2016 by victor

[Batman]

Odd... but thank you for sharing the information.

 

I was being dragged through mud for being a troll when I was talking about PBs requiring scores

 

Thought it would be just placeholder.

Seems ist true that you have to wait a certain time of you have no points. But for some reason nobody was listening to me when I explained that I had nearly enough points to let the whole fleet in (because first rates first). 102 points were needed to join for omoa if I remember correct.

[SteelSandwich]

Guys, why not make the entry to it like a mission?

You have your entire hostility mechanic like now, except that only an hour ahead of the pb you can 'accept' the conquest mission from port.

Either freetown or nation port, it doesnt matter, should be able to reach any port within the hour. Therefore effectively takr away the offline parking posibility.

Mind you, to accept the mission one obviously doesnt need hostility points.

I think this effectively covers everything. Everything stays the same, you only need 'admirality permission' before joining the pb.

[Sir Max Magic]

Can you please put in a pre-emptive fix before the BS begins.

 

I suspect that some players / clans may park outside target PB's then login as soon as it becomes available.

 

Currently you simply couldn't stop them.

 

Very simple fix. When you login you CANNOT join a PB for say 3 minutes if you have been logged out for more than say 30 mins (so if you crash...)

 

If this happens, can you at least pre-emptively rule that you will return the port to its defenders should a fix not be put in in time (via a tribunal).

 

 

100% agree !!!

 

 

Best example that a fix is needed ASAP, was the Danes campaign against British hold Bermudas the last days...

 

 

What an EPIC battle it would had been, when, like in reality, a HUGE Danes Armada had first to cross half of the map to get to those ports on the port battle day !!!

 

What would had happened:

 

1. On whole way, the Main Danish Fleet could get attacked to prevent them to get to their destination

2. To prevent this, the Danes had to deploy whole Fleets of Screeners

3. To counter this, the Brits had to deploy Screening Fleets for themself, to pull the danish screener in battle, to get the Main Danish Armada in battle and hopefully decimate them

 

---> This way, we would have EPIC battles all over the map, in which much more than just those choosen 25 First Rates on both sides could participate

 

 

What had happened in reality:

 

The Danes sneaked in unaware at times with low server population...and just logged out ---> booooooring

 

 

I think, this PB log camping defies the initial idea by the devs of strategic warfare and careful planning of attacks by all means

[victor]

100% agree !!!

 

 

Best example that a fix is needed ASAP, was the Danes campaign against British hold Bermudas the last days...

 

 

What an EPIC battle it would had been, when, like in reality, a HUGE Danes Armada had first to cross half of the map to get to those ports on the port battle day !!!

 

What would had happened:

 

1. On whole way, the Main Danish Fleet could get attacked to prevent them to get to their destination

 

And you can stop there mate. They would have never reached bermuda waters: too much difference in numbers against the british/US/dutch coalition. The allied screening flots would have simply wiped danes forces on the road.

 

Danes cannot field 100 ships in a single operation, while the coalition can. Nuff we said

Edited October 25, 2016 by victor

[Guest]

Or more likely, not 100 guys who would be willing to dedicate 3-5 hours most of which would be mindless sailing, while the defenders can just port there 10 mins before the PB starts to screen for it.

 

The deck is already heavily stacked in favour of the defenders both inside and outside of the PB, to add 3 hours of sailing time on top of that just makes it ludicrous. At least with the flag system there was some leeway (1 hour timer +/- travel time, interceptions e.t.c.), but with the new system you either get in right when you have to or get boned because of a single interception battle. At this rate I doubt we will see very few map changes once the empty reclamation PBs have ended.

[Blackbrook]

I think the simple solution works well enough. I suggest two changes: 1) move the port battle location farther away from the port (maybe about 1 minute sailing time from the port) and 2) add a timer which prevents joining the port battle after login or sailing from port (perhaps 2 or 3 minutes). This forces both sides to sail to the battle and and use some kind of screening support.

 

Perhaps the the system could select a random location from a set of predefined possible locations (2-5 per port) so that no one knows the exact location before the battle starts.

 

I think this would work well even after we get the new port battles, unless there is something better in the development.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Blackbrook

[Kloothommel]

The deck is already heavily stacked in favour of the defenders both inside and outside of the PB, to add 3 hours of sailing time on top of that just makes it ludicrous. At least with the flag system there was some leeway (1 hour timer +/- travel time, interceptions e.t.c.), but with the new system you either get in right when you have to or get boned because of a single interception battle. At this rate I doubt we will see very few map changes once the empty reclamation PBs have ended.

 

This sums up my view on the current situation. Zerg will determine the map. GG map reset plox.

[Grundgemunkey]

the game is the same for everyone ...wonder what reactions will be when Brits use this tactic in the future

[victor]

the game is the same for everyone ...wonder what reactions will be when Brits use this tactic in the future

 

the game is same for everyone, that's true. But you cannot reasonably expect that people react in the same way when David exploits game mechanics against Goliath and when Goliath uses the same mechanics against David.

Edited October 25, 2016 by victor