The Frustrations of a Future College Student

[_Masterviolin]

The simple reality of life is that few people have the time to devote many hours in-game. I'm starting classes as a freshman in college in a few months, and I know that it is going to be literally impossible to do much of anything in Naval Action lest I am content with devoting every lick of free time to the grind. 

Now, dear reader, this will be long as there's a lot to say. TLDR below.

I recall quite fondly how I boldly snatched a green Surprise, grey oak build from Carlile and dashed out into the pirate-infested waters around Port Antonio during my junior year of high school. I knew my ship, which I dubbed the "HMS Mulligan"  was no perfect vessel, yet I was comfortable in the knowledge that the ship was not too expensive. It has five durability for me to burn through, repairs are relatively inexpensive. I was just trying to grind up a bit on XP and do some PVP. 

My brief tenure serving as captain of the humble Mulligan was extroadinary. I would come home from school with an hour before work, open up my violin case and set sail from KPR in my ship- just round the end of Port Morant, sail north and see if I could find someone to fight. As my vessel would plow forward, I strangled out a bit of improvised tunes from Master and Commander- The Far Side of the World out of my cheap-ass plywood violin. I would attack Connies and Trincs for the hell of it, I even got some even fights here and there. I lost plenty of times to many people, yet I learned much. Mulligan eventually lost her last durability after a good month of hard fighting, the last blow dealt by a pirate Bellona off Jeremie.

I eventually got the finest ship I ever sailed, the lovely Gold oak-built HMS Black Prince. The Essex to me was an excellent ship, I still felt the general manuverability of the old Surprise yet she was far more powerful and sturdy. I liked how she sailed, and how she looked too. I shaved three dura off her, two from port battles. I weaved inbetween 4th rate SOLs at Bani, some of the most wicked fun I had. I was sunk, but I had fun. I got an identical copy made for PVP2 when I switched over there to play with SMS, I loved that ship so much.

When we had durability to work with, when resources were easier to get and there were fewer costs associated with progressing, the fact that the Essex lacks bow chasers or isn't a wicked fast ship was problematic but not fatal. I could lose now and then without being knocked out of action, I could be a bit daring and bold in the Essex. The little imperfections of a ship were acceptable. That was some of the most fun I ever had in Naval Action.

Now everything has quite plainly changed for the worse. I had to grind for days and days just to sail the Niagara in a basic cutter, blowing off nearly 60k gold just to be able to sail a 9pdr brig. And this ship has only one durability, meaning I have little room for error. I tried to do what I did with the ancient Mulligan by raiding the French out of La Deseriade, and things were tough and I lost my ship. I had fun in the end, but despite the wicked fun PVP I was broke and had no ship spare for a tedious basic cutter. This was after dozens of hours of game-play. I simply followed everyone's lead and spent hours staring blankly at the horizion in a Trader's Cutter trying to make the money to fit out the Surprise we all got. Finally got 100k, to blow off on cannons for the Surprise. I didn't even get to name it- I miss my clanmate's call of a tag on an AI fleet near Cumana and I'm broadside to broadside with a Frigate. Ship's gone, with all 100k and 20+ hours of boring trade going with it. 

The difficulty of the game has become so ludicrous that the following conditions are absolutely necessary to even play the game competitively:
-Joining a large clan, or a clan with alts to pool limited labor hours and resources.
-Sailing out with large groups with your ships.
-Investing unacceptable grinding hours simply to sail a one-dura ship.
-Trading long distances with significant financial risk, staring blankly at a screen for numerous hours from A to B, and back again.

If we are going to use a one-durability system, compensate the increase in risk for sailing by lowering the cost to fit out or purchase a ship. Reduce the general cost of crafting. If we're going to increase the cost of obtaining resources, then reduce the resource and financial cost of ships. We've migrated from a light, well-populated sandbox game to a ridiculously difficult and insanely grindy game that is 100% incompatible to those who are unwilling to buy multiple alt accounts or invest insane hours of grind. 

I propose the following:
-Either increase durability of ships perhaps by one or two, or decrease the cost of ships, cannons and buildings. 
-Decrease the cost of cannons, convert the cannon market to a market focused on longs/carronades, not trying to augment insane, game-breaking NPC price

-Make the risk of losing your expensive ship worth it by vastly increasing PVP rewards

 

Why is it okay that so many people feel compelled to buy extra copies of the game to be resource competitive? Why is it okay that players have extremely limited mobility in their ability to PVP? Why is it okay that it is literally impossible to fly solo, or in a small clan? Why is it okay that players have to play for numerous hours every day to even remain competitive? 

I am deeply frustrated, and fear that I will have to abandon this game once college comes around. Lest I rush to build up a horde of gold and ships in the next month.

TLDR: The game used to be far lighter and less time-demanding, now it simply feels time-consuming and far too difficult. The extraordinary demands of the game as of now not only force casual players out from the game, but will also most certainly prevent me from playing meaningfully in the near future.
 

Edited July 20, 2017 by _Masterviolin

[Captain Lust]

The game has always been a time sink and sucking your life away like nothing else but the grind is managable except for permanent upgrades ( like copper plating ).

Yes, the start is a bit rough in basic cutter and all but if you join some clan you will get a sloop and some guns as starter, if the clan is any decent at all... once you ( or anyone in your clan / of your mates ) get a workshop and some production buildings, you're set to make some profit outside of missions and get guns dirt cheap. If you don't want to join a clan or play with mates then you can lone wolf but of course the grind is harder alone and it should be... what is really taking the piss is the rare permanent upgrades that you currently need to stay competitive in pvp, so at this point playing pvp, risking the ship and losing it every once in a while becomes unbearable for the average player... and if you don't use the speedmods etc. you won't have any success other than lagging behind some gank squad of plebs casual players, kicking some gank victim that is already done... 

[Hodo]

You can be quite casual in this game, but like EvE and any other sandbox MMO, you have to set your sites a lot lower than a hardcore player who will play 40+ hours a week.  

Instead of looking to sail around in SoLs, set your eyes on 5th rates, and 6th rates.   I am a casual player, and I am COMPLETELY happy sailing around in a Privateer, or a Rattlesnake.  (Not that I will ever see the Rattlesnake again)

[Archaos]

NA like most MMO's is a timesink, there is no way round that as it is the only way to simulate a persistent world. The people who have more time will always have more advantage to progress. The ability to have alts is not a bad thing as long as they are not used to cheat. They can help to balance things out a bit if you dont have much time to devote to the game or you wish to experience different aspects of the game.

I personally have only been able to play for about 2 weeks since the wipe due to work, I missed the first few weeks and I am currently away again, so I learn not to get to attached to things in game, for all I know by the time I get back all my outposts will be in enemy hands and I will not have access to my ships and whatever I had stored there. I just make the most of what time I have in game to do what I can. But I would say join a clan, let them know your time is limited, most will do what they can to help you and if they dont then find another clan. The clan I am in builds ships for their members and I was just due to take delivery of a PB Aggie with upgrades before I had to head off to work, so I let someone else have it. As long as you are willing to put something back into the clan like donating labour hours then you should be okay.

Basically if you try and do everything with limited time you will find the game frustrating. 

[Hethwill]

Some buddies I came to meet in a gaming community unrelated to persistent MMOs did say that EVE did "evaporate" about a dozen years of their life, so to say. Hours standing guard to gates. Days assembling fleets. Years developing strategies undercover... they always tell great stories although they finish with how much time they spent on it.

We obviously cannot relate anymore to college times BUT the elasticity of managing a household and the proper education future generation of gamers along with serving the lady of the castle makes college look like the smoothest time ever, especially for gaming . We spent more time with non computer games though. Lots of pen and paper and tabletop/wargames.

[mikawa]

I agree in most of the points. NA nowadays is a game for saisonal workers or for the unemployed. Speaking for me I make no meaningful progress having only time to play 1-2 hours every night. If this is the desired game goal, then I'll have no other choice than to quit, when frustration gets too high ...

[Ser_Slack]

I guess I wish they would have stuck to what they had planned. Late last year they identified the games biggest problem (player retention - especially early game). This was going to be their main focus with streaming lvling and other tweaks.

 

They've made it worse. Even if I personally like some of the changes they are not good for new players. And it seems from the regular forum rabble the consensus is, " who gives a shit" and "it's a niche game". As if that's an excuse.

[CatSwift]

I'm not old enough yet that I cannot relate to my college years, so I'll just give you the advice I wish someone had given me;  stop playing MMOs.  In fact, stop gaming altogether and find a better hobby, your future self will thank you.

Otherwise, this is why they're making Legends. Hop on, get some quick ship battle action, log off.

[Anne Wildcat]

As I work and am trying to learn a new skill, I told myself in January I will only play weekends, which I've pretty much stuck to.  If you are in a clan, you easily get by and have fun with only a few hours here or there. But as Hodo mentioned, it is easier if you don't expect to be in the biggest ship all the time. 

[VirtuallyIdiotic]

Honestly, I have not actually sat down and technically played the game. I been the diplomat for the nation so for a couple hours I am jumping from Teamspeak to Teamspeak, guiding the clan through Discord. I think this week all I have done maybe two battles. Not sure. Too much time at work and classes to sit down and actually play.

[Skully]

On 7/20/2017 at 0:32 PM, _Masterviolin said:

I propose the following:
-Either increase durability of ships perhaps by one or two, or decrease the cost of ships, cannons and buildings. 
-Decrease the cost of cannons, convert the cannon market to a market focused on longs/carronades, not trying to augment insane, game-breaking NPC price

-Make the risk of losing your expensive ship worth it by vastly increasing PVP rewards

Multi-dura was removed, because it impacts the tactical situation on OW very much in favor of the defender. However the intent of multi-dura was completely left on the side: bringing folks back into action sooner. So I reckon bringing back multi-dura isn't the way to go.

Decreasing cost or increasing PvP rewards more or less equate to the same thing. It makes hardcore gamers become the rich bastards (they already are) and subsequently inflates prices.

Rather I'm thinking along the lines of reimbursing (/ rewarding) sinks higher. Say 1/2 of the base ship price, including cannons, excluding cargo.

That way a lost ship has some retention value and you can more easily replace it through a shipyard.

[_Masterviolin]

17 hours ago, Skully said:

Multi-dura was removed, because it impacts the tactical situation on OW very much in favor of the defender. However the intent of multi-dura was completely left on the side: bringing folks back into action sooner. So I reckon bringing back multi-dura isn't the way to go.

Decreasing cost or increasing PvP rewards more or less equate to the same thing. It makes hardcore gamers become the rich bastards (they already are) and subsequently inflates prices.

Rather I'm thinking along the lines of reimbursing (/ rewarding) sinks higher. Say 1/2 of the base ship price, including cannons, excluding cargo.

That way a lost ship has some retention value and you can more easily replace it through a shipyard.

These are good points, though I don't see any great overwhelming advantage to the defender. Increased dura would probably increase the range and operational usefulness of combat ships on offensives in enemy home waters, in that they can be sunk a few times and are far more difficult to eradicate as a result. But I think your idea is better, lessening the blow losing a ship does to you financially.

[Hodo]

The problem is not with the Durability numbers or the cost.  It is with the players sailing what they can't afford.  

A ships loss should not bankrupt you.  If it does you are sailing a ship you cant afford.  The way I look at it you should be able to replace everything you have on that ship at least once.   Hence why I sail 6th and 7th rates.   While I am sitting on a million, and I own a Trincomalee and a Indefatigable(captured), I rarely sail them.   I spend FAR more time in a Snow or a Lynx then I do anything else.

[fox2run]

3 hours ago, Hodo said:

The problem is not with the Durability numbers or the cost.  It is with the players sailing what they can't afford.  

A ships loss should not bankrupt you.  If it does you are sailing a ship you cant afford.  The way I look at it you should be able to replace everything you have on that ship at least once.   Hence why I sail 6th and 7th rates.   While I am sitting on a million, and I own a Trincomalee and a Indefatigable(captured), I rarely sail them.   I spend FAR more time in a Snow or a Lynx then I do anything else.

Oh. So you are saying that w have a game where players are suppose to sail in Lynx and Snows all the time? Wow. I remember once where most players could join port battles in their lineships. Maybe this company should change their promotion from blasting Men of Wars to a lonely Lynx on an empty sea.

[Hodo]

2 hours ago, fox2run said:

Oh. So you are saying that w have a game where players are suppose to sail in Lynx and Snows all the time? Wow. I remember once where most players could join port battles in their lineships. Maybe this company should change their promotion from blasting Men of Wars to a lonely Lynx on an empty sea.

Well fact is most naval engagements at this time was not between massive lumbering Ships of the Line, but between 5th, 6th and 7th rate ships.  

Instead of everyone sailing around in the 4th rate and above, why not be the more common 5th rate and below.  

Even an individual player can get a 5th rate and sail around in it, but it requires a lot more work than most people are willing to do.

 

And honestly people would have far more fun if they didnt worry about their pixels all the time and used something they can afford.

[Jean Ribault]

If you think you are frustrated to play as future college student, then try it as a parent of multiple kids and a husband (or wife, if it suits the situation).  Fact is everyone has to choose what to do with their time and what's more important, and if the direction of this game makes it so you have to choose something else most of the time, then you probably should.  I'm a lot older than you, and so it also follows (according to the nature of life in general), that it will likely take me a whole lot longer to master a computer game than you.  I just watch my young son pick this stuff up in literally no time at all and just have to roll my eyes.

I guess I concur with you that this game has increased in difficulty resulting in a longer time sink for equivalent progress, but in the end we can't tell the devs to change their vision so that we can make this game our hobby instead of something else.  But if they had some real insight, they would figure this out all on their own and make some smart changes that include more walks of life.

[Skully]

1 hour ago, Hodo said:

And honestly people would have far more fun if they didnt worry about their pixels all the time and used something they can afford.

The win/lose ratio for us old-timers is a lot better as opposed to the casual players. Lose once, no problem, lose twice, hard hit, lose trice, done for.

You actually want to entice folks to happily sail into a battle they are likely to lose. Then you might see more PvP and sinks (or at least no excuses for not showing up).

[Cimbi]

10 hours ago, Hodo said:

And honestly people would have far more fun if they didnt worry about their pixels all the time and used something they can afford.

2

or they have far more fun if they can afford ships.This mega-patch was a mega-crap.Except for 1 durability, traders have to carry their stuff,  rest of the features is fake or unthinking content.

[Hethwill]

Ships are tools that enable the acquisition of stuff, including currency.

Grabbing a ship from the shop, including full complement of mediums isn't that hard but I see it is a rock in the way of many.

What makes me think is, if there's a injection of currency in the form of "free to grab" ships how to drain the currency on the other end ?...

[Tenet]

On 7/25/2017 at 5:43 PM, Skully said:

The win/lose ratio for us old-timers is a lot better as opposed to the casual players. Lose once, no problem, lose twice, hard hit, lose trice, done for.

You actually want to entice folks to happily sail into a battle they are likely to lose. Then you might see more PvP and sinks (or at least no excuses for not showing up).

Exactly. Most people who think the game is too much like a job have already left, some leaving a bad Steam review as result.

The ones remaining and posting on this forum are mostly hardcore games that don't understand those that left. 

They will use the "Don't make this into CoD" strawman argument to shut down any constructive discussion on speeding up the action in the game, or worse, tell you to "go play Naval Legends" as if there is no middle ground. 

[Blackjack Morgan]

NA was never close to the type of grind it became in the latest post wipe. Obviously, this was a choice of direction the development team decided upon which was rather different than it had been in the years prior. Ratings are down to "mostly negative" on Steam....there was a time when it was "mostly positive"....but there will be some who would rather spin it in a positive light rather than to accept the fact game is trending in the wrong direction. Most businesses would probably take pause after rolling out a series of changes that resulted in a rather dramatic drop in reviews.....

[Tenet]

1 hour ago, Blackjack Morgan said:

NA was never close to the type of grind it became in the latest post wipe. Obviously, this was a choice of direction the development team decided upon which was rather different than it had been in the years prior. Ratings are down to "mostly negative" on Steam....there was a time when it was "mostly positive"....but there will be some who would rather spin it in a positive light rather than to accept the fact game is trending in the wrong direction. Most businesses would probably take pause after rolling out a series of changes that resulted in a rather dramatic drop in reviews.....

The hardcore, and unfortunately to some extent @admin himself, dismiss many such reviews as some bad clan or mean players, or as weak people leaving. 

Here is my personal view:

If I was not working from home/freelancing right now, if I was in a management position or working on a bigger project, I would not have time for this game. I would not be able to waste time on these long sails between far away ports to find someone to PvP, to gank or RvR. Unfortunately, I would probably be forced to Naval Legends or some other fast match game like Heroes of the Storm or Player Unknown's Battlegrounds. 

[Skully]

The one gap with reimbursements I can't find a good mechanic for is a ship capture.

You'll not get reimbursed if your ship is captured. It'll leave open loop-holes the size of Mars.

Historically you had Prize Courts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prize_court
I think for now it will need to be left up to the discretion of the capper how to deal with his capture.