PB Entry Limitations

[Elouda]

Based on the issues in that tribunal, and subsequent similar issues, would like to suggest the following;

-Entry into port battle instances should be restricted to those of highest rank in a nation (Rear Admiral, etc.), and anyone in a group with someone of this rank.

This would prevent stray, clanless 'rookies' wandering into PBs accidentally.

[VictusB]

Sooo, port battles should only belong to the 'Most Elite' or be 'Clan only'?

I believe this has been heard before, and general response over time is: This issue affects both sides, and this is a MMO, dealing with/planning around scrubs is part of the challenge.

[Elouda]

I guess you didn't read the second part?

The whole point is that as long as you are grouped with someone that is permitted entry, you can get in. Therefore there's nothing saying you have to be part of a 'Clan' or 'Most Elite'.

For the record, I'm part of a tiny 3 man clan, so its not like I'm saying this from some ivory tower.

Regardless, its better than ruining the endgame content due to clueless 'rookies' taking up PB slots.

 

Of course, another alternative is to go to a BR based PB system which wouldn't be so open to abuse...

[Jeheil]

I think being grouped with a RA is certainly something worth talking about. I am sure (assuming no abuse) the two folks who entered recently at Savannah, one left immediatly the other sort of caused a mess, if they were new players just looking to participate then having some friendly helpers via a group wouldn't hurt.

And then again today at Salamanca where I understand with the Brit 1st rate fleet who SAILED to the port...having shed the screening fleet were just about to enter (14 minutes late) only to see 1 player (again lets assume no abuse) enter and then leave...causing the PB to close. Now lets assume all was a above board...and this person was new or ingnorant of how PBs work....well they just accidently undid the work of those who set the port up (this one was 50% war supplies 50% hostiltiy missions) and the 50 odd allied sailors and to some extent the Spanish first rate fleet waiting to do battle n port.

Now in other games, you cant just jump into 'end raid content' on your own...or into a groups 'instance' because it is 'instanced'. Now, I am not a fan of lobbies for NA Open World conquest...and I doubt we could have 'people' who authorise entry...so how can we protect the fun of the engagement while at the same time not being elitist. OR is the games INTENT that large conquest RvR is a clan based thing ? If so, then many solutions become easy. (not saying it is, but defining rules without knowing the design principle is difficult).

[Anolytic]

Getting to Rear Admiral rank is quite easy and that limit probably won't change that much. There's a Rear admiral in almost every group.

6 minutes ago, Jeheil said:

And then again today at Salamanca where I understand with the Brit 1st rate fleet who SAILED to the port...having shed the screening fleet were just about to enter (14 minutes late) only to see 1 player (again lets assume no abuse) enter and then leave...causing the PB to close. Now lets assume all was a above board...and this person was new or ingnorant of how PBs work....well they just accidently undid the work of those who set the port up (this one was 50% war supplies 50% hostiltiy missions) and the 50 odd allied sailors and to some extent the Spanish first rate fleet waiting to do battle n port.

I wasn't in Salamanca, but what I heard from the players who were there defending was that nobody entered from attackers before the battle ended. I haven't seen a screenshot of the tab-screen after Battle Over appeared, but if we assume that what is said is correct, then there is another reason. 

We know from Orinoco that if no attacker joins in 30 mins, then the battle is automatically over. But in Salamanca the battle was over long before 30 minutes had passed. So that is not the reason. 

While I don't know for sure exactly what happened at Salamanca, I do know for a fact that what happened could have occurred without any alts or noobs engineering it. On purpose or by accident. 

Back in the day when we had flags, there was lots of fake flags, and some exploits to go with it. An attacker could launch a flag, plant it and send 2-4 ships in. The defender could send in a full fleet and then the attacker would leave with their 2-4 ships and go to attack another port. The attacker would have all their players free for the other port, but the defenders had to stay in the battle till it ended after 90 minutes because if they left, the enemy could join, filling up the remaining 20 places and take the port with the defender having no way of getting back in. 

So we got a fix to that. The fix was that after 5 minutes was gone, if the last attacker escaped, the port battle was ended. This rule also applies if no attacker actually joins and escapes. If no attacker joins, the battle is over after 5 minutes even if there was no attacker to trigger it by leaving. But the rule only gets activated if there is a state change in the battle instance. One defender leaving the battle counts as that. 

I don't know if it's currently 5 or 15 minutes, but if there are no attackers in the PB after that time, any defending player leaving triggers the port battle to end. That player who leaves is technically leaving before the battle is over, so he won't get any loot from winning the port battle, but the for the rest of the defenders the port battle is over and they can leave to collect their loot.

This mechanic is not good in my opinion. Especially now that delaying an attacker by 5 or even 15 minutes is so easy it's ridiculous. It is jet another mechanic that grants defenders a default win. 

[Tenakha Kan]

8 minutes ago, Anolytic said:

I wasn't in Salamanca, but what I heard from the players who were there defending was that nobody entered from attackers before the battle ended. I haven't seen a screenshot of the tab-screen after Battle Over appeared, but if we assume that what is said is correct, then there is another reason.

I was there, this is correct.

[Jeheil]

I was online when the message went up to say attack failed. It was 15 minutes after the PB was scheduled to start. We asked several players in the port in global to send us a SS of the empty screen as clearly its bugged or someone came in and left. We have all sat in PB's and our foes havent made it in. Happened at Orinoco just last week. But in the past it was longer !!

[Jeheil]

2 hours ago, Tenakha Kan said:

I was there, this is correct.

But it wasn't 30 mins was it ? Maybe it was ?  So either the timer bugged or someone jumped in and out. If anyone has an end battle SS we will know.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Jeheil

[Neverdead Ned]

I think if someone has helped grind up the hostility in a disputed region, they deserve an opportunity in the PB regardless of rank, or clan.  Just as long as they meet with the ship requirements for the port in question.

[Tenakha Kan]

6 hours ago, Jeheil said:

But it wasn't 30 mins was it ? Maybe it was ?  So either the timer bugged or someone jumped in and out. If anyone has an end battle SS we will know.

It was about 15-20 mins more or less, unfortunatly I didn't took any screenshot

Edited November 30, 2016 by Tenakha Kan

[elite92]

i quote myself from another suggestion topic:

now that port battle dont happen so often and they are also announced by system i will prefer:

1- port battle start in 15 min: server announce on the screen and players from both nation involved can join the "port battle lobby" from any NATIONAL port without the need of selecting now the ship.

2- in the first 5 minute players with higher hostility points ( let's say from max points to X points) from both nation can choose their preferred ship among the 25 slot available (something like: 2 1st rate, 3 2nd rate, 5 3rd rate, 5 4th rate, 10 5th-6th rate).

3- after the first 5 minute others players with X to Y hostility points do the same (they obviusly can see which slot are free and which are already taken).

4- the last 5 minute are for all players with low points or no points (from Y to 0) and its their turn to choose their ships.

 

-all players who have failed to join because the PB is full(if it happens) can return to play in ow or do their business without wasting any more time.

 

-port battles truly become a national affair in which everyone can participate regardless of their distance and the free time available to them, because Naval Action is first and foremost a GAME and should be FUN.

 

-MERITOCRACY: more you play in the region concerned by the port battle, and more slots you'll have to play with your favorite ship, both in attack and in defense

 

-end fleet of screening, as anachronistic and not at all funny; have the courage to face the enemy in real battle and not intercept him before cowardly through exploits and magical apparitions.

 

as the admin wrote a few days ago when the defense did not generate hostility in the region it will have less of the attacking faction slot because, in fact, it was not interested at all to the defense during the days preceding the port battle.

 

discuss

[Hethwill]

I like that it promotes 2 things:

- meritocracy, as linked to the "route to PB" actions

- attrition on the OW leading to the PB

It is a wargame.