If I Were in the United States Faction

[Iroquois Confederacy]

Let us propose a hypothetical situation.  The United States dissolves its government, cedes its land to the Free Tribes, and instates the Iroquois Confederacy as decision makers for national policy.

What would that National Policy look like?

First, a series of oak vessels would be made for defending port battles.  These would be done as such so that people sailing them would not be afraid for them to be sunk.  Cheap vessels for cheap fights, in order to blood the young.

Second, task forces of four or five Captains would be encouraged to head to pirate waters, and harass them wherever they could.  Light frigates and schooners would be the order of the day, in order to learn how to maneuver independently and as groups.  It would be well and good for these vessels to be sunk, as individual knowledge would be gained.  Further, as US victories mounted, there would be the added benefit of distrust and sapping of morale in the pirate camps.

Third, those Captains who wished to lead port battles would be encouraged to stage port battles with friendly powers, in order to better learn how to organize and lead such an event.  These would be training exercises writ large.

Fourth, the US would cease to function as a regional power.  Instead, it would always consider itself a one-port faction.  This in order to prevent the sapping of morale when ports are taken, and concentrate forces.

Fifth, the US would set up a convoy system for merchants, moving from one port to another every hour, on the hour, so that merchants are always escorted.  This to prevent the predations of those who wish harm upon the US and their waters, and again, to prevent the sapping of morale.

All these things the Iroquois Confederacy would do, were they to become the new government of the United States.

[Hethwill]

[Hodo]

Oak... hmm.. I wouldnt call that cheap... seeing as Oak is a highly used commodity.  

 

 

[Barbancourt]

36 minutes ago, Iroquois Confederacy said:

Fifth, the US would set up a convoy system for merchants, moving from one port to another every hour, on the hour, so that merchants are always escorted.  This to prevent the predations of those who wish harm upon the US and their waters, and again, to prevent the sapping of morale.

 

 

I want to be one of the (retired?) people who has mountains of time for stuff like that, LOL

 

[Iroquois Confederacy]

59 minutes ago, Hodo said:

Oak... hmm.. I wouldnt call that cheap... seeing as Oak is a highly used commodity.  

 

 

Sixth:  The Free Tribes will teach the Americans how to grow oak trees once again.

[Barbancourt]

9 minutes ago, Iroquois Confederacy said:

Sixth:  The Free Tribes will teach the Americans how to grow oak trees once again.

 

I gotta laugh at how clueless that comment is.

 

[Aussie Pastor]

Probably one of the most funny satirical pieces I have read.

You must be Chelsea Clintons Tweeter writer!

[Sid the Infected]

1 hour ago, Iroquois Confederacy said:

Let us propose a hypothetical situation.  The United States dissolves its government, cedes its land to the Free Tribes, and instates the Iroquois Confederacy as decision makers for national policy.

What would that National Policy look like?

First, a series of oak vessels would be made for defending port battles.  These would be done as such so that people sailing them would not be afraid for them to be sunk.  Cheap vessels for cheap fights, in order to blood the young.

Second, task forces of four or five Captains would be encouraged to head to pirate waters, and harass them wherever they could.  Light frigates and schooners would be the order of the day, in order to learn how to maneuver independently and as groups.  It would be well and good for these vessels to be sunk, as individual knowledge would be gained.  Further, as US victories mounted, there would be the added benefit of distrust and sapping of morale in the pirate camps.

Third, those Captains who wished to lead port battles would be encouraged to stage port battles with friendly powers, in order to better learn how to organize and lead such an event.  These would be training exercises writ large.

Fourth, the US would cease to function as a regional power.  Instead, it would always consider itself a one-port faction.  This in order to prevent the sapping of morale when ports are taken, and concentrate forces.

Fifth, the US would set up a convoy system for merchants, moving from one port to another every hour, on the hour, so that merchants are always escorted.  This to prevent the predations of those who wish harm upon the US and their waters, and again, to prevent the sapping of morale.

All these things the Iroquois Confederacy would do, were they to become the new government of the United States.

Not a bad plan for any of the smaller nations but impractical without more people or some very dedicated ship builders. In this needs to be time to collect resources and to grind the money to buy the ships if you don't have a benefactor or clan providing them. I definitely like the idea of sending out squadrons into pirate waters as well as the training Portbattles. What would be nicer of course is for the devs to return unlimited skirms with no loss so we can train more easily in small and large battles, demasting, raking, etc. This would be more beneficial to the game but of course your suggestion is considering current game mechanics.

I am so tired of rvr time sink. I would love to turn the clan into a privateering bunch.

[Archaos]

So in other words if the Pirates act as a nation the nation should become like pirates.

[Norfolk nChance]

@Iroquois Confederacy

 

My Son, you always do me proud. The bold and brave idea I hope is genuine as I believe and NOT to prove a point to your Preacher?  Your exploits and bravery are always followed by Your true CULT clan leader, you know this already…

For the record and I will say again, I openly offer Sanctuary to ALL the FREE TRIBES (Including @The Red Duke). You will come back into the flock and [ELITE] your real home under MY protection. @Iroquois Confederacy the game is a foot and the cold winds of change are here. Stand with me and the rest of your elite Brothers.

Ask yourself this, SHE the Free Colonists of the Americas is just trying to sell you sanctuary. I your preacher and cult clan leader give it for free…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I8mWG6HlmU

 

Norfolk nChance

 

[James Bennett]

I agree with this! I certainly enjoy wreaking havoc down by Mort Town!

 

As a matter of fact, I might create my own splinter cell of the Confederacy for just this purpose.

[Hethwill]

3 hours ago, Archaos said:

So in other words if the Pirates act as a nation the nation should become like pirates.

No ! No ! NO !

Not like pirates.

Corsairs. Privateers. Proper civilized folk, not unwashed mob.

[IndianaGeoff]

We can't do this until the devs take the map farther north.  Once we can achieve the Greenville line, then we can have a negotiated agreement.

[Grundal]

Yaaarrrrr

terrible idea to escort traders.  Leave them alone.  Or in bunches.  

I love 3 tbrigs sailing all alone in a fleet.  Hard to know which one to catch.  

Yaaaarrrrrrrrre!

[Sir Lancelot Holland]

On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 11:02 PM, Barbancourt (rownd) said:

 

I want to be one of the (retired?) people who has mountains of time for stuff like that, LOL

 

With respect Sir, you don't need mountains of time for escort duties. Escorts would only be required where merchants are most vulnerable. If the enemy had a fleet of CSS Hunley's, I-boats or U-boats I would be more inclined to agree on the time issue, but in open waters finding and sinking convoys in 18th/19th century surface ships is akin to finding needles in a haystack even when you have intelligence as to points of departure and arrival, sailing times et al, as it was, also, during the 20th century until the advent of surveillance satellites. 

[Bach]

7 hours ago, Sir Lancelot Holland said:

With respect Sir, you don't need mountains of time for escort duties. Escorts would only be required where merchants are most vulnerable. If the enemy had a fleet of CSS Hunley's, I-boats or U-boats I would be more inclined to agree on the time issue, but in open waters finding and sinking convoys in 18th/19th century surface ships is akin to finding needles in a haystack even when you have intelligence as to points of departure and arrival, sailing times et al, as it was, also, during the 20th century until the advent of surveillance satellites. 

This is a good point. The actual escort rarely needs to be anywhere but at the end points of they travel route.

[Barbancourt]

1 hour ago, Bach said:

This is a good point. The actual escort rarely needs to be anywhere but at the end points of they travel route.

 

Even if that were true they'd have to be at the origin, sail to the destination, and then back to the origin, and then on to the next place etc, so they might as well go along the whole time.

 

[Bach]

8 minutes ago, Barbancourt (rownd) said:

 

Even if that were true they'd have to be at the origin, sail to the destination, and then back to the origin, and then on to the next place etc, so they might as well go along the whole time.

 

Typically I travel solo and arm my cargo ships. I've gotten jumped a few times and fought off/sunk the attackers. I don't believe in speed build merchants post patch. Your just not fast enough anyway so I just build them to fight.  But more to the point. Yes, a player should plan on how to go the route solo but that doesn't mean he can't call for an escort at critical locations as needed.  If national players are ready and willing to provide the escort/lookout things should generally work out in favor of the cargo hauler.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Bach

[Barbancourt]

We don't have the server population for there to just happen to be people at random ports, even locally. 

T-brig built to fight would need some kind of crew enhancement.

 

[Sir Lancelot Holland]

53 minutes ago, Barbancourt (rownd) said:

We don't have the server population for there to just happen to be people at random ports, even locally. 

T-brig built to fight would need some kind of crew enhancement.

 

Convoys are organised, The Escorts are organised at the same time for  both ends. so what happens is the convoy builds up at port A where the out bound Escort takes them to point B where the convoy starts it's open water route to point C where the inbound Escort collects them and escorts then to Port D where the convoy disbands.  If an Escort player has a ship at both the departure and arrival port then the escort would be the same people just different ships, and while the Convoy is on the OW segment the escorts can be doing what they like until it's time to sail for the convoy RV point.

The loss of a small ship or two occasionally  is a small price in return for parts for ships or other valuable cargos and even Ships of the Line that should never be at sea alone. That is exactly how the British Admiralty regarded the loss of ships like Rawalpindi an Armed Merchant Cruiser, who took on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, two 11" gun ships  v a single merchant with 6" guns allowing at least some of their convoy to escape   or HM Ships Acasta and Ardent,  2  Destroyers with 4.5' guns  who took on the same two German Battlecruisers .

Even a pair of Indiamen accompanying some T-brigs have the fire power to hold up or even beat off the smaller warships and would be better than nothing at all. 

[Barbancourt]

8 minutes ago, Sir Lancelot Holland said:

Convoys are organised, The Escorts are organised at the same time for  both ends. so what happens is the convoy builds up at port A where the out bound Escort takes them to point B where the convoy starts it's open water route to point C where the inbound Escort collects them and escorts then to Port D where the convoy disbands.

 

In an ideal world with enough players it might work.  But we have a low number of players, who have to fit their game in bits around their own real life schedules.  Everyone is doing their route to their own trading ports when they have the time to, when the prices and commodity spawn happen to be right.  If an enemy is camping your capital you may be forced into a situation like this, but generally it isn't time-effective and people only have narrow windows of game time. 

 

"A pair of indiamen" - lol, if I had a pair of indiamen and the commander level to crew them I probably won't be trading much anymore.  ;D 

 

[Sir Lancelot Holland]

14 minutes ago, Barbancourt (rownd) said:

 

In an ideal world with enough players it might work.  But we have a low number of players, who have to fit their game in bits around their own real life schedules.  Everyone is doing their route to their own trading ports when they have the time to, when the prices and commodity spawn happen to be right.  If an enemy is camping your capital you may be forced into a situation like this, but generally it isn't time-effective and people only have narrow windows of game time. 

 

"A pair of indiamen" - lol, if I had a pair of indiamen and the commander level to crew them I probably won't be trading much anymore.  ;D 

 

"might" work? It does work, it's how every convoy sailed since the Napoleonic Wars are organised, convoys are not organised for individual Captains benefits but for the Nation, If a Captain cannot make a convoy then he can wait on the next or sail independent, or if he comes across one going his way join it and leave close to his destination. There are other options, it can be as flexible or as rigid as the Convoy Commodore chooses.

Two merchantmen can constitute a convoy, they can always request escort on TS, sometimes a warship is about, many captains are already looking out for the enemy and if there is a merchant player local then he has an 'technical' escort and to my knowledge very few Warship Captains would leave a merchant at the mercy of an enemy warship if he could intervene in time.

If a Captain said to a clan mate he's taking a cargo to X and his mate is taking a cargo to Y is it not sensible to go together parting company close to destination? is it not sensible to say to the clan that you will arriving at Y at such a time and would like an escort in if available, or even hail a passing warship?

So there are options, a lot of options, it is easy to give negative feedback on suggestions, it also deters people from putting them forward,  so nothing changes. The Captains who think 'that could work' then adapt it to their circumstances are the Captains who will get more of their cargo's through, those who do not may find themselves less fortunate.

[Barbancourt]

36 minutes ago, Sir Lancelot Holland said:

If a Captain said to a clan mate he's taking a cargo to X and his mate is taking a cargo to Y is it not sensible to go together parting company close to destination? is it not sensible to say to the clan that you will arriving at Y at such a time and would like an escort in if available, or even hail a passing warship?

 

You'd need to be going the same direction, roughly same distance, at the same time, and you need to be ready to sail when the wind is right.  I don't know when I'm going to do my hauling - the time has to be right, both in game and IRL.  People in warships are generally doing something with them, somewhere else.  They aren't going to zoom up from a region or two over in time to help you. 

Also, even clans have spies, and advertising your trading outposts even among friends will dry them up.

 

[Sir Lancelot Holland]

2 hours ago, Barbancourt (rownd) said:

 

You'd need to be going the same direction, roughly same distance, at the same time, and you need to be ready to sail when the wind is right.  I don't know when I'm going to do my hauling - the time has to be right, both in game and IRL.  People in warships are generally doing something with them, somewhere else.  They aren't going to zoom up from a region or two over in time to help you. 

Also, even clans have spies, and advertising your trading outposts even among friends will dry them up.

 

So which part of there are many options open to captains don't you understand? Try thinking of positive options for a change, you never know you may even come up with a solution that works. What are you actually offering here?

You seem to be continuously saying oh there's an obstacle, I can't do it, you should be saying ok, it's a problem, now what is the solution.

No one ever won anything thinking it can't be done, What would have happened, if when Nelson saw he was outnumbered at Trafalgar and said 'it can't be done lets go home'?  Or Villeneuve saw that he had numerical advantage and thought, 'hey, we can win this one' instead of 'oh god it's that Nelson bloke, we're dead.

Instead of saying the time is not right suggest times that someone can be with you, use the PM system there are no spies in there, unless the guy you arrange it with is actually a spy, in which case he'd be a stupid one to blow his own cover for one or two ships!  See positive options.

IRL it would be decided that a convoy will sail from A to B on such a date sailing at such a time, an escort was detailed off and it sailed come Hell and High water, it took whatever the enemy could throw at it and what was left made port.

Now in game we currently find it difficult to organise that, but one day someone will do it, they'll do it because eventually it will have to be done to survive as a nation, France has come up with her own solution, it is simple, workable, and almost brilliant. They don't worry about PB's, ports or anything else,  If they were not a nation they would be better Pirates than the ones we have now! They are inventive, and to be honest, I actually quite admire their style, they took a bad situation, they said 'cest la vie', lets go out and turn it around, and that, is the example that should be set, not it cannot be done because....

 

[Barbancourt]

We need about 2000 more players.  I hope they run a good hype campaign for full release

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by Barbancourt (rownd)