Patch 23: Updated Tutorial, Special ship and new UI teaser.

[victor]

1 hour ago, admin said:

(no sane person would eat shit for 122 hours on average) 

Let's say then that we are either hardcore or insane people (or both).

Point is even insane/hardcore players could shift to a different asylum/game if it shows up a new toy that can satisfy their weird psycolgical needs and that could make look less shiny the old toy.

Out of the joke: you made a very good age of sails combat simulator, yet a rather empty - in terms of content - MMO game. Calling it sandbox or hardcore does not change this thing.

But now you benefit of an inmense market advantage which is the absence of a real competitor for your product (a new generation multiplayer age of sails naval game in an open world). You are basically a monopolist in this niche market, and - of course - you behave accordingly. 

I do not criticize you for that, rather simply point out that the most common mistake that monopolists commit is not taking in consideration that their monopoly could end with no advance notice.

Edited April 20, 2018 by victor

[The Marinadtor]

Anyone know whats in todays patch? Looks like the Hercules got more crew, 200 now was 170.

[Project Pluto]

30 minutes ago, admin said:

First. Being an MMO on steam is self declared. All those games are in the MMO category on steam.

Regarding your comment on the great idea: People dont spend hours in ideas.
But I understand your point 

Just like i said above. Some players love it and some players hate it. Majority of good products are polarizing. Fans love it with passion, haters hate it with passion too.  The fact that someone hates NA in its current state (or does not consider it great) is irrelevant to me. My goal is to bring more people like those who love it. 

What can you tell us about this issue and do you agree that open public market would increase  NA popularity? Clearly many are unhappy with low population and lack of thing to do. What do you think can be done about that from your point of view. 

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Project Pluto

[Project Pluto]

2 minutes ago, Rickard said:

I know, but I was just wondering if you have any ideas or plans for new content in the future I am not asking that you focus on them right now but just think about it. if you do not have any plans ideas for new content then please keep in mind that the new UI will only provide some new players for a short while and if you have not added significant new content 1 or 2 months after the new UI implementation then the number of players will drop quickly (again). please keep this in mind.

UI will not keep or bring new people. They will say it looks nice , but....

[Tinaxs]

 

it's been 2 days that I fail on your exam, it's much too difficult, thank you to think of the player not having a big level

Edited April 20, 2018 by Henry d'Esterre Darby

[Tinaxs]

 

I am totally frustrated, I even want to play your games

[Guest]

Huge learning curve

Long grind for rank

Long grind for craft level

Long grind for every ship knowledge

Almost impossible to fully enjoy the game without clan support

A tutorial that is incredibly difficult to complete

and a player base that is shrinking faster than cotton shorts.

Gee....I wonder why I cant get my friends to play this.....

[Ahoy H.R. Matey]

Dark Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls. Oh Dark Souls, let me count the ways I love you.

Dark Souls SUCKS. There, I said it. It jumped into prominence because it was different. And as anything that jumps into prominence, it became trendy, so it made bank. I would be willing to bet that most people who bought it never actually finished it, because the basic design principle behind it - "bash your head into the wall until you either find JUST THE RIGHT SPOT to hit or crack your skull" does not carry a wide appeal. Sure, you can watch video guides, and die 10000 times before you clear the Nth boss, and if that's your thing more power to you, hell, some dudes like it when ugly women tie them up, whip them and call them names, I ain't here to judge... But it doesn't have wide appeal. Most people will get frustrated and quit.

So when you take your cues from Dark Souls for tutorial design, you are barking up the wrong tree. Tutorial is there to gently ease the player into the game (which the first part of it does just fine), not present him with an advanced scenario that requires luck and say "here noob, get rekt." People see the tutorial and expect something fairly low-risk that they could even maybe replay a few times to fully get to grips with the game mechanics. You, instead, are throwing them into the deep end.

Get repeatedly rekt in the tutorial, or get repeatedly rekt in the cutter/pickle while grinding through the low ranks. Sure, both are options, and they are both bad. You couldn't pay me enough to sail an unrated ship or a 6th rate, because of how bad my low-rank experience was. Then suddenly you get into 5th rates and this whole new world opens. So maybe, just maybe, instead of offering the players the option to get burned out in the cutter/pickle/snow stage or give an almost equally frustrating shortcut to M&C, just start people in the 5th rates?

Dark Souls is simply a wrong game to take cues from. You want your game to be populated exclusively by hardcores? Great, enjoy your total population of a couple hundred players (maybe). Sure, they'll all have huge hours played stat on Steam, and if that's what you need to feel good about the game, then congrats, mission accomplished. You are selling a fairly slow-paced Age of Sail combat sim (or at least what used to be a sim, before you turned all ships into paper boats), not a twitchy and flashy "guy hits bigger guys with sword" game. You aren't going to appeal to as many people as Dark Souls did in the first place. Now, from the already limited pool of players, you're going to turn off a big portion of them because "you are not going to boil the frog slowly" and "this game is not for everyone".

The tutorial solves the problem of the early game being slow and grindy. It does not solve the problem of the early game being frustrating and a turnoff.

Edited April 20, 2018 by Ahoy H.R. Matey
The paragraph I forgot.

[Kawazz]

3 hours ago, admin said:

Just like i said above. Some players love it and some players hate it. Majority of good products are polarizing. Fans love it with passion, haters hate it with passion too.  The fact that someone hates NA in its current state (or does not consider it great) is irrelevant to me. My goal is to bring more people like those who love it. 

I can understand why you think the game is great, its your baby. But that baby isn't great yet. The idea is great tons of potential, combine that with the friends we've all made in the game and you've got your reason why we've stuck around. I know for a fact 10+ people that are just waiting for this game to actually be great. People do spend hours in and on ideas, to act as if your idea isn't worked on or that others don't put time towards your idea is shortsighted. Remember an idea is not just a thing, its a purpose.

Over the past few months all I've heard from the guys that do play is they want something to do. Our clan activity has been at an all time high with rvr, fleets, ow pvp and epics but we are still left with an emptiness some nights.

The tutorial filled the void this week. 

Take a look at the numbers, the server was hitting 290s during the USA prime-time. Our clan had 20+ people logged in at once going through the tutorial. This is a prime example of a game-play loop but this will quickly be checked off the list. The surge wasn't just tied to a new patch, it was because of the content.

In short more content/game-play loops.

• Treasure Fleets (to loot or attack)
• More Epics (They are great and all but what happens when one group does all the epics in an area, my clan did 3 in one night and after that no one else could do those epics. Having them respawn even could work)
• Privateer Bottles (Bottles that drop a privateer epic, should spawn an epic in a random location similar to the current bottle/shipwreck)

Edited April 20, 2018 by koiz

[Kawazz]

3 hours ago, admin said:

This afk theory is spread by people who just want to stop others from enjoying what they are doing. 120,000 copies *122 hours:  you cant force 120 thousand people to afk sails for 122 hours. 

You do realize we live in a society where people heavily multi-task? Just because they "sail" means they don't think it can be improved?

Quote

NA is a great game (no sane person would eat shit for 122 hours on average)

People say McDonald's is great too. Millions of people eat that shit. 

Edited April 20, 2018 by koiz

[chaireddin]

120.000 copies?? and max 600 are online at the time....lets say about double a day. So you have about 1% players playing the game and you speak about an average 122h?

With the last patch you killed the reinforcement zones. Got my Indias from Port Morant to KPR...attacked in the safe zone by a Trinc. My reinforcement was a Surprise heading in the wrong dirction. At the time i was sinking, the Trinc wasn´t even scratched.

How to trade atm? A casual player can only play during the prime time. Sure: in open world it is a risk, but you can take different routes, go with the wind, tow,.....but at one point you have to get to KPR....surrounded by the usually gank squadren.

Same with missions: you can´t even do some missions safe in the reinforcement zones - you have to get there and after that...back to port....usually damaged. So with one patch you limited trading and PvE. I do know, this is a PvP server, but that game is not only PvP....NA legends is a PvP game. And NA need the PvE players - they generate money, combat marks and at some point, they get involved in pvp - OW, PB, sreening,...

With this last patch, the game isn´t fun anymore. Sometimes I just want to enjoy a nice PvE fight and destroy some ships. But now you can get ganked anywhere because the PvP-player don´t even care about those so called reinforcements.

[VonVolks]

I haven't played the tutorial yet as I am away. 

Question though as they are tough apparently. Do they actually tutor you? If you fail do they give you a hint how to succeed in your next attempt? 

If they are a vehicle for lessons then repeat plays and failure is legit. If you just fail over and over again with no advice or tutoring , it's a route to frustration and quitting. 

[Peter von Friedemach]

On Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 5:19 PM, Project Pluto said:

I do not see mountains. 

this would be nice

What you like is a beatiful wall paiting but not usefull for navigation. We need a seamap with coordinates with a birds view of 90° from above with proper tools

[Sir Texas Sir]

On 4/19/2018 at 1:08 PM, Holm Hansen said:

Why, at least here, get not all the same, for the same effort? Especially in this case where we only have one chance.
RNG, I think, is in this case a very bad idea. 

And I got a Teak/Teak with no perk....yah these should all be elite ships not random roles.

 

[Holm Hansen]

21 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

And I got a Teak/Teak with no perk....yah these should all be elite ships not random roles.

 

Or at least all should get the same. The ship is meant as a start ship for beginners. Now some get a good start and other not a  so good start, all random.

And i agree with you. Because it is a ship that can be received only once, it can also be a little better.

[Liq]

On 4/19/2018 at 8:08 PM, Holm Hansen said:

Why, at least here, get not all the same, for the same effort? Especially in this case where we only have one chance.
RNG, I think, is in this case a very bad idea. 

 

[Kloothommel]

Shiptypes no longer listed? really?

[Farrago]

5 hours ago, VonVolks said:

I haven't played the tutorial yet as I am away. 

Question though as they are tough apparently. Do they actually tutor you? If you fail do they give you a hint how to succeed in your next attempt? 

If they are a vehicle for lessons then repeat plays and failure is legit. If you just fail over and over again with no advice or tutoring , it's a route to frustration and quitting. 

No, there are no hints/instruction/feedback on the exams. There is some instruction on the tutorials but my opinion is there needs to be more explanation of why different manuvers are done. 

[Kloothommel]

2 minutes ago, Wraith said:

You know.. 'cause sailing around in pixel waters with 1000% time compression requires "realism."

Why make a niche game even more niche by making it extremely unaccessable?

The "OW-PVP" crowd will just lay in wait to hunt noobs who don't know shiptypes visually yet!

[Kloothommel]

1 minute ago, Wraith said:

Don't forget, we really don't care about those noobs anyway. "Git gud or refund" is the mantra now: 

 

This is madness...

[Slim McSauce]

What's madness is that we still complain about ow pvpers ganking people at capitals but refuse to look at the issue that there IS NO REASON TO HUNT ANYWHERE BUT CAPITAL ZONES. THERE IS NO OW PVP FACILITATION WHATSOEVER. OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO WHERE THE MOST POPULATION IS, IT'S THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND PVP!

sheesh.

[Kloothommel]

1 minute ago, Wraith said:

All OW PvP'ers have to do is look at combat news and go find where other hunters are at, or announce in Global that they're undocking at La Tortue, and say, "Come get me suckers."  Or maybe try raising hostility a bit at a well known PvP'ing clan's port.. That will surely get action.

Instead, a large chunk of those "PvP-is-my-life" players won't admit that they don't really want "good" fights, they just want to sink some ships, the easier the better, and get some marks. Which is totally fine by me, but then they shouldn't be all hypocritical about it. They should just own being a safe zone camping noob hunter and accept the moniker of seal clubber.

That said, I'd love to see the dev's focus on player-generated content for increasing open world PvP opportunities (raids, blockades, escort, trade, pvp missions, etc., instead of twiddling needlessly on four different types of currency, mints, and the combat model.

If they really wanted good fights, they wouldn't have joined the same nation? 

 

**cough Prussia cough**

Edited April 21, 2018 by Cornelius Trash

[StaleMemes]

33 minutes ago, Wraith said:

All OW PvP'ers have to do is look at combat news and go find where other hunters are at, or announce in Global that they're undocking at La Tortue, and say, "Come get me suckers."  Or maybe try raising hostility a bit at a well known PvP'ing clan's port.. That will surely get action.

Instead, a large chunk of those "PvP-is-my-life" players won't admit that they don't really want "good" fights, they just want to sink some ships, the easier the better, and get some marks. Which is totally fine by me, but then they shouldn't be all hypocritical about it. They should just own being a safe zone camping noob hunter and accept the moniker of seal clubber.

That said, I'd love to see the dev's focus on player-generated content for increasing open world PvP opportunities (raids, blockades, escort, trade, pvp missions, etc., instead of twiddling needlessly on four different types of currency, mints, and the combat model.

I agree I mean I tried really hard to get pvp a couple times in recent weeks, but between 8 and 11 east coast time nobody wants to play. I announced 20 mins prior I would be leaving for the zone, said where I was in the zone, even what part of the zone. I told people I was alone in an aggie, noboy showed. They were ALL stuck in someone else's PVE mission, its madness.

I'm not even like a famous PVPer or anything, I haven't sailed in a 1st rate in PVP combat since sea trials (so half of what I know will actually hurt me)

Its madness. I'd get slaughtered and they still didn't want to take me on in the pvp zone.

And the worst part is, because the only goal is "sink enemy players" I got almost nothing from this entire experience. Zilch. A few days ago I finally found a battle while goofing around in my yacht and did 7.3k damage on a niagara so that was really fun, but didn't make up for the 5 hours i've spent looking for PVP in the zones.

 

Also that last paragraph 150% I completely agree.

When  log off this game, most of my frustration from the day isn't from some unfair mechanic IN COMBAT its from not having much to do that guarantees at least SOMETHING happening. I don't care if I get sunk, i'm sailing on an essex most of the time its a very cheap ship! but I do care if I sail for an hour and the only thing I see is a fir fir ship that runs away.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Capt Aerobane

[Corona Lisa]

1 hour ago, Wraith said:

All OW PvP'ers have to do is look at combat news and go find where other hunters are at, or announce in Global that they're undocking at La Tortue, and say, "Come get me suckers."  Or maybe try raising hostility a bit at a well known PvP'ing clan's port.. That will surely get action.

Seems like you never tried that, you only very rarley find someone this way to fight you. Dont ask me why but it is how it is.

Hostility is cancer so no clue about that one...

10 hours ago, Headless Parrot said:

Huge learning curve

Long grind for rank

Long grind for craft level

Long grind for every ship knowledge

Gee....I wonder why I cant get my friends to play this.....

Some days ago my friends noticed that I have 1.5k hours in naval action and they asked me about the game. I told them: The best community ive ever yeen in a game and a nice combat model where you can outplay your opponents. When you kill someone you can loot their stuff or capture their ships. Realistic Carribean map with different factions. Trading between ports. Sadly economy is completely broken and its hard to find fights. And if you find them its unbalanced most of the time. And also you have to grind a lot, it almost feels like a free2play game just without the option to pay to skip the grind.

I know they are not the kind of guys who would grind 50 hours just to get started, but still their answer nailed it.

"Sounds like a game with huge potential."

Potential and a great community is all this game has sadly.

And to be clear I dont want to blame devs for this, I just think the project is way too big for 2 programmers and the servers are just too shitty (everything just works via daily mantanance) to enable a good working  and fun economy.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Jon Snow lets go

[Njord]

24 minutes ago, Capt Aerobane said:

fir fir ship that runs away

The average OW player sadly...