Under Pressure: a new port flip mechanic

[Slamz]

Thinking about marks and mechanics, here's the problem I see right now:

There is no particular pressure the game puts on anyone to attack. Maybe I want more marks but I can get them next week just as easily as today. We're going to sit back until we have 537 First Rates and then we're ready.

What we need is war pressure. I need to attack you today. Today, with this half built fleet and store-bought Surprises. TODAY. NOW. READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME.

 

To that end, what if ports generated contention against each other automatically? Neighboring areas just contend with each other all the time simply for existing. It can be influenced by players through various means (particularly to adjust the time it's going to land) but even with 0 player activity, ports A and B are putting contention on each other.

So the British and the French didn't really want to fight over Haiti. They weren't quite ready. Only 487 First Rates built up, not time to attack yet. But now there's a port battle scheduled because of automatic contention generation and any couple of random British newbies who blunder in there are going to take the place over unless some French defend it. And, you know, here's this small British clan who wasn't much into RvR or contention flipping but you know, since the port battle is right there, just inviting them in, why not give it a go? Better bring more French defenders now. And who wants to leave those poor British fledglings by themselves? Might just bring a few first rates, just for a show. So the French better bring some too....

The game basically pushes us into port battles.

This is also a mechanic for upsetting alliances.

You'd better have 100% of your team on board with that Pirate-Danish alliance because when natural contention generates a port battle between them, it's not going to take much to turn that into a flip....and then maybe another flip....and another. Sooner or later someone is going to have to take real action.

 

Conquest marks encourages defense.

I think we need generated pressure to encourage offense.

[Slamz]

Related idea B.

Enemy ports do something to your ports, if they are too close. Maybe their mere presence cuts down on trade good generation. The best trade goods come from areas that have no enemy ports anywhere near them.

Getting those enemy ports out of your back yard is imperative for money making.

Maybe an enemy port that has been unmolested for a long time generates a really big area of disruptive influence. Eventually we'll need to attack those deep British ports because they're just so old and they bother everyone else on the map....

[Hodo]

Option C-

Handle it like WWII Online.  

Nominate a Admiralty for each nation, you will be granted a limited number of Attack Orders per day/week (what ever works best).   These attack orders will open up regions to gain hostility, thus focusing your efforts in that area.  IF you manage to get enough hostility you will trigger a port battle in 22hrs from that point.   This way you ALL know where the target is, and where the fighting is.   

Conquest marks will be awarded to those who defend or attack the port in the port battle (as is now), AND a smaller number will be awarded on a 1pt per PVP victory in the region on top of the PVP marks you would gain in that fight.  

If you fail to generate a port battle in the allotted time you will have to place another AO and try again.  But you will only have 2 AOs per nation.   

Thus again focusing the PVP and the efforts of everyone in a limited number of regions.  New missions will be generated for merchants, these missions will be smuggle war supplies or bring reinforcements (counter war supplies).

Just a idea.

[Bjerg Bjergsson]

33 minutes ago, Hodo said:

Option C-

Handle it like WWII Online.  

Nominate a Admiralty for each nation, you will be granted a limited number of Attack Orders per day/week (what ever works best).   These attack orders will open up regions to gain hostility, thus focusing your efforts in that area.  IF you manage to get enough hostility you will trigger a port battle in 22hrs from that point.   This way you ALL know where the target is, and where the fighting is.   

Conquest marks will be awarded to those who defend or attack the port in the port battle (as is now), AND a smaller number will be awarded on a 1pt per PVP victory in the region on top of the PVP marks you would gain in that fight.  

If you fail to generate a port battle in the allotted time you will have to place another AO and try again.  But you will only have 2 AOs per nation.   

Thus again focusing the PVP and the efforts of everyone in a limited number of regions.  New missions will be generated for merchants, these missions will be smuggle war supplies or bring reinforcements (counter war supplies).

Just a idea.

I actually really like this idea! It gives combat a direction (which is much needed) beyond the current organic system which seems more about avoiding direct combat than getting stuck in. Not only does it give the combat a direction but it gives traders and raiders direction too! Shipping to the front lines etc to support the AO. 

Each Admiralty could have a period "in office" perhaps based on their success rate in Attacks/Defenses. Thus there is a level of democracy to their rule (player participation decides whether they remain in office) and rewards their success. 

The Admiralty also allows for a modicum of unified diplomacy as well (which can obviously only last as long as they are in charge). 

[Bjerg Bjergsson]

@admin I'd be interested if you have any comments on this thread

Here's an image of the WWII Online map (game is now called Battleground Europe) now obviously a Naval Map would have a lot of strategic options as well but the capture points could still predominantly be capitals which flip regions (versus fighting for every single town). 

Edited June 21, 2017 by Bjerg Bjergsson

[Daguse]

Some good stuff in here! 

Here's my solution. 

What about marks based on BR sunk and BR different. 

In short you get your pension based on the BR you sink. Sink a SOL you get 50 marks paid out at 1 a day till you run out or lose the port. 4th rate is worth 40 marks and a shallow is work 25.

You get bonus conquest marks for sinking a ship at equal or grater BR to your ship up to 5. Sinking a ship with lower BR has a diminishing return down to a minimum of 1.

Empty / Trades get you nothing. 

Pulling a "Vicious" and bringing in ship to be sunk will cost coin and give minimal marks. 

Players will also need to continually participate in PBs to get marks. 

Best of both worlds. 

[Cimbi]

11 hours ago, Slamz said:

Thinking about marks and mechanics, here's the problem I see right now:

There is no particular pressure the game puts on anyone to attack. Maybe I want more marks but I can get them next week just as easily as today. We're going to sit back until we have 537 First Rates and then we're ready.

What we need is war pressure. I need to attack you today. Today, with this half built fleet and store-bought Surprises. TODAY. NOW. READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME.

 

To that end, what if ports generated contention against each other automatically? Neighboring areas just contend with each other all the time simply for existing. It can be influenced by players through various means (particularly to adjust the time it's going to land) but even with 0 player activity, ports A and B are putting contention on each other.

So the British and the French didn't really want to fight over Haiti. They weren't quite ready. Only 487 First Rates built up, not time to attack yet. But now there's a port battle scheduled because of automatic contention generation and any couple of random British newbies who blunder in there are going to take the place over unless some French defend it. And, you know, here's this small British clan who wasn't much into RvR or contention flipping but you know, since the port battle is right there, just inviting them in, why not give it a go? Better bring more French defenders now. And who wants to leave those poor British fledglings by themselves? Might just bring a few first rates, just for a show. So the French better bring some too....

The game basically pushes us into port battles.

This is also a mechanic for upsetting alliances.

You'd better have 100% of your team on board with that Pirate-Danish alliance because when natural contention generates a port battle between them, it's not going to take much to turn that into a flip....and then maybe another flip....and another. Sooner or later someone is going to have to take real action.

 

Conquest marks encourages defense.

I think we need generated pressure to encourage offense.

I think you can do it so much easier.

First you MUST delete all the staff what you can get with conquest mark ships, blueprints, conquest marks.Its shouldnt be a problem because most of the players get from fake PBs and let me honest i think its  a cheat.we can give any name for this (under cover dealXD, bla-bla) Its just a cheat.

Second step: you make one easy rules.

-y get 1  CQ mark after every kill or assist in a PB( or maybe a winner PB) .So if y took a part in a pb and y had 1kill and 2 assist y get 3 QM if y had 0 Kill/Assist y wont get anything.

This way much harder to exploit the system, you will generate pressure on players to do "real" PBs.