Patch 9.97 - Events, minor crafting changes and other things

[Koltes]

1 minute ago, Hethwill said:

So you 'd go back to real time if a potential hostile player enters your "bubble" and both go into real time ?

Not sure I understood

[Hethwill]

Given your Fast Forward winds idea, how would a hostile intercept you ?

Our instances start with a Attack action and a timer running out.

It won't work with your system.

[Koltes]

1 minute ago, Hethwill said:

Given your Fast Forward winds idea, how would a hostile intercept you ?

Our instances start with a Attack action and a timer running out.

It won't work with your system.

It will work brilliantly mate. Make those travel lines shorter. You will have to sail a bit in between. This will allow to ambush if someone wants to. 

[Hethwill]

I am not visualizing it. The ambush, the forcing the prey into onshore wind, the trap against the land, ritual is the same regardless of trade raid or squadron trafalgars... unless the system immediately transfers the players into battle instance as they come close to each other, that's what I was saying when refering the "bubble" effect.

[Vernon Merrill]

My point being is that whatever ROE are adopted, there will ALWAYS be a player whose playstyle does not agree with it.....

 

And they will complain on the forums.

 

Again, the current ROE mixed with the available perk is an attempt at compromise.

[Wolfram Harms]

1 hour ago, Vernon Merrill said:

Yes!  Bring back the days of unlimited ganking!

(Because NOBODY complained about that incessantly on these forums........ a. million. times. )

i personally feel feel like the new "signal" perk is a decent compromise.  

The problem with an alltime-open battle would be modern technology: we can chat with our NATION via CHAT or TEAM SPEAK
and call others for help, with exact coordinates. After some time there would be gigantic sea battles.
(Not that I dislike big sea battles. But it would possibly ALWAYS come out like this)

Family tragedies might evolve:
"Arthur?! Are you coming NOW please?! Your food is getting cold!!"
"Yes, dear, in a minute - or half an hour... This battle is getting bigger and bigger, you know?
I only wanted to transport some Danish beer from La Mona to Port Royal, when these Pirates appeared...!"

They didn't have TeamSpeak and so it didn't happen.

So, I agree with Vernon Merrill - the SIGNAL perk is a good step to the better.
IMHO though, it should just be a general game part - not a perk that locks up a slot in my OFFICER perks.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Olham

[fox2run]

Well. Nothing bad would happen to try it out. In a gameplay perspective it is wise to make action easy to get if you want to get it.

Now there are something fundamental wrong with the game that lost some of the fun factor. 

 

Again: what I miss the most is that I take a ship, sail out, join a fight. Sometimes you get ganked or outnumbered and some times it is vice versa. But now it's like.... No option for this. And this downfall began when they cut timers due to complains. 

 

But lets face it. No timers or ROE would ever prevent risk of being outnumbered. This game rely on battles and if you can't have any... Players leave. It's simple in my world.

[Zoky]

Well something has to be done fast. Last night at EU prime time there was less then 500 people and during day ~300

[Hethwill]

It is all fine and dandy to hear from the dedicated war captains, that due to their choice are more interested in investing time in battle.

What about the peers interested in trading, crafting and smuggling ? They are being left on a corner because of war captains.

Other systems provide a lively environment where to proceed with trading and other similar economic activities with a good rhythm and as engaging as combat.

We miss a strong economic layer that can be a choice on itself and also support the war game.

At the same time I firmly believe there can be no evolution of economics without decisive loss. A outpost has, effectively, 25 ships. We have 8 outposts. That's 200 ships.

That's 200 days with a 5th rate choice and supposing I lose or surrender everyday.

Tell me that economy in game can stand 200 days without the bubble bursting...

[fox2run]

To open up for possible battles is not to left traders out of the game. 

This game need easy access to battles or it will die. 

When this was the case 2000 players was online fighting in broken ships with a less fine tuned battle mechanism. 

 

 

[Zoky]

5 hours ago, Hodo said:

Partly wrong, partly right.

The best and most active PVP games I have seen has had a good PVE/Trader component. 

Look at EVE, it would have died YEARS ago if there wasnt a good economy to keep PVE and Trader oriented players around.  These players provide easy PVP for PVPers who hunt these types.  I think Lord British called it the "wolf and the sheep".   Some players are naturally wolves and some are sheep, others are sheep dogs (protector types).

There can not be a good PVP environment that sustains itself without a good PVE or Trader economy to keep those potential targets around.  While most PVPers say they want to fight other PvPers, after awhile they want the easy wins, and the thrill of the hunt.   And some PvErs and traders want the thrill of being hunted, the risk vs reward type feeling.

 

I completely agree, but currently everything is stacked against pirates. Between AI fleet, forts and towers, increase in OW speed and shity ROE (from pirate perspective)  you have to be special snowflake to get pirated

 

Only good thing was removal of coward perk

 

[Angus McGregor]

3 hours ago, Hodo said:

Just have the second ring only pull in players NOT NPC ships/Fleets.

• It may be time to try this. It's not my 1st choice, but why not give it a shot to either show it improves PvP activity without completely hosing the tradesmen, or it makes no real difference and we move on. IMO this is the only way to resolve this particular endless argument. I'd throw one caveat into it though which would be to increase the size of the 1st ring as a compromise to no NPCs from the 2nd ring. 

That will fix a lot of these problems with OW tags.

• It'd definitely make pirate/privateer tagging near ports easier.

Switch NPC fleet ratios around.  Reduce the number of NPC war ships by half, and replace them with NPC trade ships and unrates.  ALL 6-7th rate ships will have cargo regardless of type.

I'm really scratching my head over there still being so many NPC patrol fleets with massive BR ratings. Everyone and their dog has been complaining about this for months. C'mon devs - this is an easy one. If you have adjusted it - it was by so little that no one noticed.

Hostility missions (against pirates?) wouldn't be necessary if it was a reasonable proposition to ambush enemy NPC patrol fleets. That is a natural and easily understood hostility concept. (resonance and piggy-backing)

Then the combat missions could go back to insta-close for the PvE inclined crowd, especially in National capital regions.

2 hours ago, fox2run said:

To open up for possible battles is not to left traders out of the game. 

This game need easy access to battles or it will die. 

When this was the case 2000 players was online fighting in broken ships with a less fine tuned battle mechanism.

Once again you equate NA's popularity after EA release (players online) to the battle mechanics in place back then. Your argument says if the NA code was rolled back to exactly what it was then - the player population would skyrocket again. Do you really believe that?

I'm not saying you're right or wrong about the always open battle instances - I never experienced them. But they don't sound good for action anywhere near a port so I doubt the RoE haters would like this either. (see Hodo above) Just sayin'

Edited December 7, 2016 by Angus McGregor

[Vernon Merrill]

and the devs have added mechanics for easy PvP multiple times..  The latest being the OW PvP tournaments multiple times/day...  If so many people jut want PvP, then those should be wildly popular, no?

[fox2run]

Well. Let me repeat: I enjoyed to sail out in my warship and find myself a battle I could join.

For me it was fantastic to do this and I loved the game.

Now I play something else. It's not complicated.

[Angus McGregor]

I will say that I personally will hate always-open battle instances if the ships that join later drop into your lap like they do now in the Hostility missions. If the Johnny-come-later's don't spawn into the battle instance at a distance, don't bother.

 

3 minutes ago, fox2run said:

Well. Let me repeat: I enjoyed to sail out in my warship and find myself a battle I could join.

For me it was fantastic to do this and I loved the game.

Now I play something else. It's not complicated.

Gee Vernon - what's that quote from you I see in another's signature all the time? Oh yeah...

"The tools are there, people just cant be bothered to use them."

[Hugh Latham]

Obviously access to PvP is not solely what drives the population since there has always been easy access to PvP in small and large battles as well as duels. I like PvP, but don't like the artificial stage of those formats. For me those fights are just- arm ship with carros; charge; bang away; sink. What fun. For me the mix of trading, crafting, and PvP in the OW RvR context is truly fun. Oh, and did I mention exploration?

[Hethwill]

1 minute ago, Hugh Latham said:

Obviously access to PvP is not solely what drives the population since there has always been easy access to PvP in small and large battles as well as duels. I like PvP, but don't like the artificial stage of those formats. For me those fights are just- arm ship with carros; charge; bang away; sink. What fun. For me the mix of trading, crafting, and PvP in the OW RvR context is truly fun. Oh, and did I mention exploration?

Oh you mean a game that simulates, to a point, the age of sail in the west indies and that also has awesome combat ?

We have the best combat mechanics, let's do the rest

[fox2run]

Like making joining combat easy. If you like to avoid battle, sail in remote areas.

[EL LOCO]

No point in holding Florida anymore.  No point in having buildings anymore.  No point in transporting fine woods anymore.  No point in game.   Ouch.   I am back to making and selling a 1st rate everyday as I have 2 shipyards full of 10k of everything.     No point in PVE to gain hostility as it stands.   No point in hunting as I don't need anything.

No point in this game.   This patch really sank player count.    Ouch.

[Fastidius]

So you finally got round to fixing the things that were obviously an issue with something after months and months of complaining.....nice...or about time maybe.  Good work i guess.

Hopefully i get back on to have a look at the events soon.

 

[Fastidius]

6 hours ago, Vernon Merrill said:

and the devs have added mechanics for easy PvP multiple times..  The latest being the OW PvP tournaments multiple times/day...  If so many people jut want PvP, then those should be wildly popular, no?

 

maybe, there is a certain amount of press button receive loot about it tho....part of the game was the hunt i guess but it should be a step towards something better if it isn't quite there yet.

[Fastidius]

1 hour ago, Hodo said:

It is BETA, when will people understand that it is still in testing, this is not release, this is not the final version.  And not every little patch kills the population because it isnt what you wanted.  

If you feel that there is no point anymore, then shove off and be gone till release.   

 

waves from other games......1000 hour+ player here waiting for it to get closer to the goodness from 8 months ago......some of the things patched here were suggested 8 months ago + so maybe if they patched the things that were wrong 6 months earlier rather than letting the wounds fester then we could have saved the leg.....

 

 

[Pada]

Can we get rid of the 2 min can't join battle timer? It's useless now right because we don't have any battle timer?

[Mrdoomed]

On 12/6/2016 at 9:41 AM, Wraith said:

 

[Mrdoomed]

12 hours ago, Zoky said:

Well something has to be done fast. Last night at EU prime time there was less then 500 people and during day ~300

Many of us that have left have said this also and it fell on deaf ears.

Sadly myself and other players who where called names for warning that listing to the vocal minority would kill this game.  Instead we got no cooldown teleports , missions just minutes from port, captains able to grind from 1st to max level in just a short time in one of a million free sols everywhere and do this without ever leaving the capital waters. We got more easier to get xp,gold,rewards etc to ease the " horrible grind" and the list goes on for ever.

They did exactly what we said they would. they catered to the weakest 1% and ran off the 99%. To much " testing" has been done since the decline started to ever go back so now the only chance this game has at release or survival is to make it cross platform and f2p so all the 11 year olds can play and keep it afloat.

There were so many great ideas submitted and suggested and they were from some pretty dedicated players begging admin and the gang to not go down the theme park road but they were all ignored . 

Hopefully this post wont be removed because its negitive but it should remind people to be careful what you wish for because you might get it. The call of " have fun playing with your 20 friends in the entire server" is comming true.

Very sad to see this. i though this was gonna be a game i could play for 10 years like eve.