Idea: Port Battle Night Flips Solved...

[Norfolk nChance]

Port Battle Night Flips Gone… Just read…

Table of UTC times and PB times are at the bottom of this POST

 

Merging the Servers is truly needed, but trying to solve the Night Flip issue seems to be a problem for most. FIRST open your mind and think about this. The table shows different locals around the world including the UTC Timer. At whatever time, a PB happens someone somewhere it’s going to be a night flip.

Flip the Problem instead…

Having a 3am Port Battle on a School night is no fun. Mrs. nChances’ comment of “you’re a dick Norf…” am truly starting to believe crawling out of bed at some un-Godly hour. However, at weekends its quite a different story and one will Snort, Smoke and drink just as much as you do. We play NA for longer and at either ends of our normal play times than done in the week. So, you know how to suck eggs?

Now before you stop reading or rolling your eyes make sure you read to the end. ALL PORT BATTLES will happen between UTC Saturday and UTC Sunday. PB will not be a weekly event anymore. I shouldn’t need to point out WHY this is needed for both commercial and population numbers. It’s ideal for the present community size. When we are at 5,000 a day then re-open the Weekly.  The attacker has TWO decisions to now make.

Attackers Decisions…

The first is what day UTC Saturday or UTC Sunday he wants the Port Battle. This is decided on what day he pops the Hostility Mechanic. Popping on a Saturday, Sunday or a Monday will result in a NEXT Saturday Port Battle. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday will result in the NEXT Sunday Port Battle. So, shortest prep time is Popping on a Friday to Battle that same Sunday. The Longest is popping on a Saturday resulting in the PB the following Saturday. You get the idea, right?

The second decision the attacker will need to make is a Start Time of the Battle. This by far the cause of 75% of the bull shit posted on the main forum, “…but its middle of the night for me…”

Unfortunately the Dev’s need to listen, unlike me and the Mrs. Who don’t give a fcuk… really, I don’t care. However, I do care about the games survival so this is the chance element that comes into play. The Attacker will be given three choices Early, Mid or Late day session time only.

Look at the UTC timer at the bottom of this POST again. Shouldn’t need to explain it to a bright well-meaning bunch as you lot but E_PB_1 to E_PB_6 are the six early session time slots. The attacker picking the early start, the GAME will randomly pick one of the six times. In this case E_PB_4 or UTC 13:00. The window is SIX hours in size so NOT exact like before 46hours and you’re done… You can see how this element is just wide enough in time scale to cause problems on either side. That chance is a key element…

 

A bit of Give N Take is needed now…

The PvP EU guys will be really happy with this obviously. The weekend so NOT at that un-Godly hour that a couple of lines and a French red wouldn’t solve. The strategic forced element of PvP Global pushing the night flip strategy can still sort of work. But it’s a six-hour gamble… it works… it’s a chance element…

I wanted this to be the front end start of my BLOCKADE Port Battle Idea 1.02 which is in the suggestions thread somewhere. This extending out across three days instead of just two days. The two ideas work well together now to bring All players of any Nation Clan or solo into every Port Battle event into a single focus…

 

If you think the idea is rubbish let me know, if you have a better one likewise…

 

Norfolk

 

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2018 by Norfolk nChance

[Norfolk nChance]

more take than give then @Intrepido

thanks for the reply.

 

[Sir Texas Sir]

I wouldn't want weekend only port battles. I take Sundays off to spend with the family and normally home by 9pm which is when a PB would happen for my prime time or all ready started.  Though I'm all for War Companies/Clans picking a window they can defend in.  Sorry you don't have to defend and keep every dang port you own.  You can always take them back in your prime time or let some one else defend them. IF your War Company/Clan isn't in charge of that port than so be it you might just loose it.  Than get some one that can better defend it to take control of it.

Your never going to find that perfect window for every one.

[BallsOfSteel]

for AU the main problem we have is server downtime happens right in our prime time, why its not two hours earlier in no-ones prime time is beyond me and would help our NZ players immensely and not affect anyone else much at all.

Edited August 9, 2017 by BallsOfSteel

[Skully]

Someone's night will always be someone's primetime.

I myself like to play as a casual during 10-12 and "occasionally" be around on other hours. But I'll never set an alarm clock to do midnight battles nor stick around. I'll be happily asleep.

There will be players online during my night to have fun and maybe not lose stuff. But if stuff is lost, so what? In NA there is no real loss as you can still get everything out.

The game needs to show in where in which timeslot the action is and allow for players to flow towards those areas. Mechanics dictating timeslots doesn't work as it creates hard barriers. As for players, I think it has been proven that two opposing crews on two opposing timeslots will lead to either flip-flop or stalemate until another crew intervenes. 

 

[openside]

I ready for you all to shot me down on this, but Why not have every port/region have a set PB time.

I dont mean all at the same time. First pb time could be 1hr after server down time last of the day 2hrs before.

Ports/regions near  (2/3 regions) Capitals could have there pb times set to a time that is prime for that nations player base. Data should be available to do this and would help merge the servers and Night flips close to home port would be some what sorted.

The rest of the regions could be Given random pb time. This would give mixed and varied map and Nations would have to think tacticlly on taking a region, You cant call night flip if you take the port at night and you no it going to get attacked at night. 

 War Company/Clan  In my opion work better with this as you can target and recuit for time zone and then target you regions to suit. 

 

[Archaos]

I think the idea is too restrictive and it will mean most people will have to spend every weekend being up at unsociable hours as the port battles will happen then. It would be simpler for a War Company to just set a 3 hour window when they can be attacked. Encourage them to open it up more say to 6 hours by giving a bonus for longer attack windows.

For attackers if they want to flip a port that is not in their prime time then they can arrange with their War Company to do it when they know enough members can be online even at a silly hour. Surely everyone can manage the odd out of hours PB, its just a case of arranging enough people around at that time now and again.

This way no one can complain that they were forced to get up at a silly time to defend a port. If you choose not to attack ports out of your prime time then that is your choice. But if you set your windows at your prime time you should always be able to defend. This way if there are more players who regularly play at a certain time of day they should have more ports on that time and hence more ports to attack. Everyone is able to take part in RvR apart from the unfortunate ones who's prime time coincides with maintenance.

[Vizzini]

4 hours ago, BallsOfSteel said:

for AU the main problem we have is server downtime happens right in our prime time, why its not two hours earlier in no-ones prime time is beyond me and would help our NZ players immensely and not affect anyone else much at all.

I'd go as far and say don't do any more maintenance at the weekend full stop. There may be reasons why of course I am not privy to and it needs to be done sometime

 

be nicer for everybody to have an extra hour or 2 to play with at the weekend. Try and remember people, your sleep time is somebody Else's playtime

[admin]

I think we can safely rethink the concept of resources as a conquest goal - as resources are actually not a goal at all as most people build in capitals. It is impossible to make shipbuilding resources a goal as it either not a goal or if it is a goal (one coal port in the caribbean) then controlling it ruins gameplay for other 80% of the players. 

There are 2 types of resources

• trading ones (profit)
• crafting resources (ship building)

When uncapturable ports numbers are increased (allowing all shipbuilding + some trading) this will remove a lot of negatives from night flips, as you won't lose production bases. In this case timers can return and servers could be merged. 

Trading resources, victory marks and taxation would be a goal of capture and control.

[Anolytic]

8 minutes ago, admin said:

When uncapturable ports numbers are increased (allowing all shipbuilding + some trading) this will remove a lot of negatives from night flips, as you won't lose production bases. In this case timers can return and servers could be merged. 

Please, no! The night-flip issue was never ever about resouces. 

[Vizzini]

If war supplies can be used to grind hostility, can they be used to counter it also ? For example, if Rodent clan Orange bring a load of war supplies To the Whinger Brit Clan port they want to attack, it starts a timer. The Brits can bring / create war supplies to counter the % . This could be quite slow, helping the Clans who have players in other time zones react

 

If you get to 100% then the PB is set within a given time frame, the hostility % will slowly decay as i believe it does now

 

A flag costing a large amount of gold could be planted on the port The frog Clan wish to attack, if nobody counters the flag with their own, then the port could belong to them

 

it might be time to force clans into alliances with players outside their own particular time zone or at least try. Thus creating super companies. A smaller company will still be able to try and pick off a zone for themselves. They obviously know they won't be able to control the whole map, but maybe their own little piece of the world is achievable ?

 

spittballing here , it won't all be gold 

 

 a new player like myself accepts getting clobbered outside of the capital  green zone, Battlefield or COD don't lose players because they don't like getting ganked, they hone their skills on single player (pve) and as soon as they feel capable, they go looking for noobs to pwn

[Rebrall]

5 hours ago, BallsOfSteel said:

for AU the main problem we have is server downtime happens right in our prime time, why its not two hours earlier in no-ones prime time is beyond me and would help our NZ players immensely and not affect anyone else much at all.

no Kidding 2 hours or even 3 hours earlier would be amazing 

[Captain Lust]

4 hours ago, admin said:

When uncapturable ports numbers are increased (allowing all shipbuilding + some trading) this will remove a lot of negatives from night flips, as you won't lose production bases. In this case timers can return and servers could be merged. 

Yes, please do it.