Ship Exp as DLC

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Hethwill the Red Duke said:

PvE unlocks them way slower than PvP. Fives times slower. Even against a PvP loss PvE win will yield less.

( actually going versus AI in 1:5 odds will balance it out )

So... there is disparity between servers.

Hmm, what else!!!

[Hethwill]

3 minutes ago, BuckleUpBones said:

So... there is disparity between servers.

Hmm, what else!!!

No danger. No conquest. No port battles. How much "what else" do you need ?

PvP, not PvE, give the Caribbean a sense of danger, daring and heroic deeds.

[Sir Texas Sir]

I would prefer to see something like WoT has where you get Free XP you can spend on anything you want.  That or somethign where all your Xp after making rear admiral doubles up on ship knowledge learning since your not using it any more to level up.  That and Salling in OW XP needs to go towards ship to (helps unlock trade ships).

Keep DLC's to cosmetics stuff and maybe some rare none Op ships (special skin of ships we have in game but only can get that skin as the DLC).  DLC ships should also be limited, Req still should not be in shallow water PB cause not every one owns one and it is still very OP against other shallow ships just cause of it's crew count.

[Ahoy H.R. Matey]

At the risk of sounding like an uncool enabler of bad practices: I would buy anything that lets me shortcut the grind as long as it is reasonably priced. I am a (perpetually) single man with a fairly decent income, and I value my time and my enjoyment more than my money.

I wouldn't stand for being ripped off (example: Shark Cards in GTA Online - fine in concept, but the amount of GTA$ you get for your dollar is nowhere near enough); but I will gladly toss the developers a couple bucks here and there if it saves me from having to do the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

And if the whole game consists basically of doing the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN then we have a whole 'nother problem...

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Hethwill the Red Duke said:

No danger. No conquest.

PvP, not PvE, give the Caribbean a sense of danger, daring and heroic deeds.

Quote

Regarding recent preliminary announcement.

Based on the community feedback and the analysis of player data and numbers.
PvE server will not be closed down. 
We guarantee that it will exist for at least 18-24 months after official release. and will revisit this promise then. 

In addition to that we have not mentioned it before - but we are developing additional PVE content and new types of missions for PVE players. 
AI will be worked on after release and will provide more challenge in the future. 

Let me give you the prompt you gave me, Mr Representative.

[LIONOFWALES]

What I am trying to figure out is why people think its the DLC ships that are unbalanced, it is the crazy upgrades that make them so awesome. The advantages of having good in game upgrades for ship handling out weigh the ship designs in game. Without the awesome in game upgrades suddenly those ships become a whole lot harder to use effectively.

I know this from experience, and this goes for any ship in game, if I have access to awesome upgrades that allow me to survive in instance then I will kit out my ship to do whatever is required for my own gameplay style. 

The Hercules for instance is more fragile than the Surprise, it also accomidates less crew than the average frigate  or 5th rated ship.The only reason players do well with a ship, especially when running alone, is because the said player understands everything about the ship, now I don't like to grind, so most of my PVP experience is me using what I have available and doing the best I can with what I have, but in the end it is the upgrades and ship handling skills that win the day for me, I know players that are better than I am at certain styles of game play than I am, but I have my nitch, and stick to it. I do well and harvest players because I am very choosey with my engagements, anyone can do it, it is not easy to run alone, and that is why I like to do it.

I am in favour of DLC ships because players like me cant be on all the time for commerce and large scale ops. Some of us may only be able to play for half an hour or hour after work or just before. DLC ships give players like me more opportunities to play the game with larger ships... and yes I just referred to a 5th rate as a larger ship, It is larger because it takes many hours for players like myself to gather the resources to build ships, this by the way is a good thing and should remain as it is or be a little harder in my own opinion. 

Also the Le Requin, she is a beautiful speed queen and packs a punch, but try handeling her in game without upgrades and see what happens, suddenly she is any other ship really.I have it and don't like it that well, if a player really knows what they are doing in it then the Le Requin can do very well, but alone against two opponents I would rather be in a good frigate of some type. The Requin , in my opinion , is an ideal pirate vessel, especially if you intend to take larger prizes like a loaded down Indiaman. if they are getting away … they may not have that much on them. 

Sorry to get a bit off topic but I love all the ships in this game and don't want to see any of them go away. Perhaps we could test a couple more variants for the  DLC ships. Give the Hercules only two bow guns, the Le Requin also only two bow guns, move the 2 pounders to the sides, and put 4 pounders on the front, or consider making it so that any ship may mount 2 pounders on their bow and top decks, just throwing ideas out there. Perhaps having the 2 pound swivels on the bow are just too much because of how much crew they kill... perhaps we should consider reducing the effectiveness of such 2 pounders shoot up stern, just trying to throw some balancing ideas out there, not a fix all, but a way to level the playing field a little. What if the Le Requin lost its bow guns all together... I would still use it, would you?

 

 

 

Cough Cough.... I think DLC to get a higher starting rank may be a cool idea in the future.

 

And cough cough… I am in favour of no ship knowledge, just give me all the slots to use immediately upon unlocking the rank to man the ship...

This will insure that at least newer players can equip said upgrades of their own and test builds out sooner using their starting books and such.

 

Btw... no more random ship qualities effecting how many upgrade slots you get to use, if one has the rank to command said vessel they should be able to kit it out immediately with their available resources to the maximum.

This all may help the newer player experience out a bit, in my opinion.

Let the grind be limited to rank only.

And no randomness in ship qualities.

 

[Hethwill]

4 hours ago, BuckleUpBones said:

Let me give you the prompt you gave me, Mr Representative.

Correct.

PvE server will exist, but is NOT the Caribbean server regarding PvP opportunities  

[vazco]

17 hours ago, Licinio Chiavari said:

Nor reply go PvPing without books: it's plain stupid. Why giving away a 5 book gear edge to your enemy?

I actually tried it this week and it's not a big issue. You get some handicap, but it's minor. It's much less of an issue than a 100 crew less in l'ocean handicap on low rank. 

On a ship without mods and knowledges I was able to gain a few 1st rate kills, including leak kills on doubles, which some claim are impossible without pen mods. 

Only books you really miss is ship handling and gunnery.

Because of this I think your idea is good - as those slots don't give you so much of an edge and you can get first few quick anyway. 

 

I would however oppose for gunnery encyclopedia and ship handling to be DLC. 

Edited October 29, 2018 by vazco

[Licinio Chiavari]

3 hours ago, vazco said:

I actually tried it this week and it's not a big issue. You get some handicap, but it's minor. It's much less of an issue than a 100 crew less in l'ocean handicap on low rank. 

On a ship without mods and knowledges I was able to gain a few 1st rate kills, including leak kills on doubles, which some claim are impossible without pen mods. 

Only books you really miss is ship handling and gunnery.

Because of this I think your idea is good - as those slots don't give you so much of an edge and you can get first few quick anyway. 

 

I would however oppose for gunnery encyclopedia and ship handling to be DLC. 

Thank you.

As I stated. I would like only a DLC "ship exp pack" allowing you to redeem one time like 100.000 ship exp you can spend unlocking books on different ships. Nothing OP: simply allowing people who want to sail a full geared ship having not to pass throught an ordalia of dozen hours (especially thinking about big SoLs) mindless AI killing that usually, for some old player with not so much time, means or not using a ship or directly changing game.
Majority of NA players are quite older than in other MMOs: often we log to play and relax. Having to grind (again and AGAIN) is often not so relaxing.

And nothing ban nobody to not spend cash for exp... and level as usual.

[Sir Texas Sir]

8 hours ago, LIONOFWALES said:

What I am trying to figure out is why people think its the DLC ships that are unbalanced, it is the crazy upgrades that make them so awesome....................

Recently 9 times out of ten the guys we are catching in them don't put mods on them.  They are throw away ships they just redeem them and pop right back in fight if they get sunk.   So don't try to blame it on mods.

Just recently a port battle in the shallows (you know that place most of the server doesn't play in).  While the main reason for the lost was lack of skill, caller and well many other things on the US side, but one thing was very clear in that.  The Requin steamed rolled the other team in boarding actions.   I know many of the guys on the US side did not bring Requim simply cause they do not own the DLC.  Maybe some better skills players like ROVER's that play all the time in shallow/small ships could take on Req's and win, but for the average casuals that only pops on for a few hours a day to play they don't ahve a chance against a season much better organized team using them.  If it was just a mormal brawl those reds would all be sunk ships sunk ships sunk ships, but no what do we see 7 captured ships in shallow port battle and two sunk........I bet every one of those where down in two actions once they pulled the H Rattler.    @Christendom could prob shed better lite on his teams side, but one would of expect all sunk ships not captured.   Again his team did good and came ready so they won it, but the Req shouldn't be in PB if it can just instant board and win against any other shallow water ship.   I gotten out of a board with  a Req in a Niagara but I was set up to anti board with axes and barricades but I only had 97 crew left.....Christ was in a PB right after that and didn't have a chance with the same set up minus the Barricads.   It has 100 crew more than any other shallow ship....nothing can beat it in a board straight up.

   

Just want to add I love the ship and I don't have a problem with it being a OW KING of solo hunting in OW, it's just PB's it should not be in the shallow ones.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Sir Texas Sir

[Sir Loorkon]

„Fun for everyone!“ Thats the slogan. Grinding slots (again and again and again and... ) is no fun at all. Its torture. Paying real money to avoid torture sonds logical but if you think about it ... omg ... NO! 

Btw... Why are the slots not all free from the beginning? Grinding slots is no real content in my opinion. Some thousend hours in the game ago it might be interesting (I do not remember) but now it feels as a waste of lifetime.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Sir Loorkon

[Licinio Chiavari]

2 hours ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

...

Aside well off topic.

Premise: I'd like to not see Requin in shallow PBs and nothing smaller than a 4th rate in deep ports ones.

The battle result is a skill / coordination issue; not requin "per se" OPness:

USA had 2 ship advantage (1 player more and 1 Mortar on other side). Pirates had a 2 requin advantage (7v5).
And one USA Requin got boarded: having a clue it's impossible to be boarded on a requin by anything of similar size, aside making big tactical errors; against bigger stuff... only wrongly ramming; again: making big mistakes.

A properly fitter H.Rattle (so with Barricades+Axes as a minimum and being 2 decked v 1 decker) can hold and disengage against any requin. Especially now with crew mods limits.
IMO going in shallow PB with a H.Rattle (or Niagara) without boarding defense, is a plain suicide.

BR rebalance coupled with crew mods (heavy) nerf solved already shallow balance:
2 H.Rattles (not to speak about Niagaras) will be almost always deadly (or at least winning) over a single requin (1:2 is BR ratio): H.Rattles are sturdier and with comparable armament. 2v1 would kill the requin. If Requin boarding one, he will be repelled while the second gunning the stopped ship.

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by Licinio Chiavari

[Beeekonda]

After you reach max rank you don't need exp anymore beside ship exp right?  So why we can't we get increased exp gain after reaching max rank? 

PS

FOR FREE OF COURSE

Edited October 29, 2018 by Beeekonda

[Sir Texas Sir]

47 minutes ago, Licinio Chiavari said:

If Requin boarding one, he will be repelled while the second gunning the stopped ship.

When was the last time you been in a shallow port battle?  You forget about the rest of the team on the Requin side too didn't you?  I did mention that win was skill based, but if you count up the BR even with one or two more ships US was way low on BR so that really isn't the issue.  What part can you not understand Even with full board mods you loose to a requin with 100 more crew than you and board mods.   The only thing you can hope for is to escape with axes if they don't instant kill you with the first action or two.  Even a  none skilled player can do that.  I even gave an example @Christendom was boarded in a port battle a few weeks back on the same day I was.  He lost in 2-3 rounds.  I was able to get out with 97 crew.  The only difference was either I had Barricades or Axe's and he didn't have one of those, but we both had 5rings book (think he didn't have axes).  The 100+ crew makes them able to strong arm through even you defence quickly.  Toss in a few other ships to support and protect them your Rattler isn't going to do much against it as it's prob getting boarded it self.  Also why does every ship have to be built to anti counter one ship?  That is a pure sign that there is a balance issue when the META becomes you have to counter one ship and only that ship.  

DLC should not be able to be in PB's for two reason Reqiun is one of the other is if it's not able to be crafted in game by any player than a ship should not be in PB's cause than the DLC basically becomes P2W.   No other ships has in the shallows the crew that the Requin has.

I'm all for cosmetic DLC or even ships that have a diffrent skin to them that we can't get in game, but we can get a plain version of said ship.  

[Licinio Chiavari]

41 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

When was the last time you been in a shallow port battle?  You forget about the rest of the team on the Requin side too didn't you?

Quite a long time. But I boarded a bunch of ships almost daily for months. And against unprepped and ungeared 6th rate, I know how long it takes to kill: more than 2 rounds if defender doesnt kill himself doing something stupid.

And I suppose there's also the rest of YOUR team.

41 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

I did mention that win was skill based

We agree that's an experience (term I prefer over skill: NA is more experience based than skill based IMO) issue mainly.

41 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

What part can you not understand Even with full board mods you loose to a requin with 100 more crew than you and board mods.   The only thing you can hope for is to escape with axes if they don't instant kill you with the first action or two.  Even a  none skilled player can do that.

I understand that with HALF of enemy crew you CANT win. Your victory is safely disengaging.
And boarding in a battle IS dangerous. Also for the big attacker.

Still: No. You cant be killed in 2 rounds IF anti-boarding fitted.

41 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

I even gave an example @Christendom was boarded in a port battle a few weeks back on the same day I was.  He lost in 2-3 rounds.  I was able to get out with 97 crew.  The only difference was either I had Barricades or Axe's and he didn't have one of those, but we both had 5rings book (think he didn't have axes)

Five Rings is highly overrated. Especially for defense.
It is a crappy +4% defense vs. +40% of Barricades. So it's not a "small" difference. And Axes (and being already prepped) is very important to half boarding battle duration.

Boarders (usually) dont use Barricades due to the huge (40% again) malus to attack. Still it's totally OP defense book. Superior to almost anything. By far.

I will test, still I'd bet that a H.Rattle with Marine15+Barricades (+ 1 deck more) against a full boarding Requin would be able to soak safely even Attack v. Brace and having an higher melee using defend command (but dangerous due to last sec Muskets/Grenades/FDG).

41 minutes ago, Sir Texas Sir said:

That is a pure sign that there is a balance issue when the META becomes you have to counter one ship and only that ship.  

Aside that Requin can be countered with a couple of Princes (properly handled... the problem is so few people having a clue on small ships) it's an old NA problem: how do you counter 1v1 a super fast Bellona or Ingermanland?
Previous to BR rework... which ship (1st rate and in general in case of high BR limit) joined ALL PBs? L'Ocean. Period.
So nothing new nor nothing limited to Requin.

 

That said, I totally agree: Requin should be banned from shallow port battles and ALL 5th and smaller ship banned from deep port ones (get back big PBs as big fleet battles... no small kitting deniers anymore!).

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by Licinio Chiavari

[Kawazz]

20 hours ago, Licinio Chiavari said:

a) right today: 1 Pavel + 4 Bellona/3rd rate and 1 Connie killed on my Buce (OW fleet). Gain? 3500ishXP.
First Buce book unlocks with 3000ish XP, the second around 12K. Let's imagine the last 2.

Then make the calculation how many time I have to sink on that.

b) I farmed in a lot of games, WoW just to say. Here I'm at 2500+ hrs. Sincerely killing AIs is the most mind dumb activity to me now.
If I'd like to try the Santi... i'd have to devote a good week of my gme time only to get her books (if sufficient... aside FINDING the OW fleets).

Again: are we playing the same game?
 

Attack a 25 ship fleet, you'll be happy you did.

Have you tried an epic? I guess not since you ignored that... 

 

[Licinio Chiavari]

23 minutes ago, Kawazz said:

Attack a 25 ship fleet, you'll be happy you did.

Have you tried an epic? I guess not since you ignored that... 

 

I did. But... You can level only 1st rate and 4th rate in epics.

And would you go without books in an Epic. Taking into account respectong your mate's too?

[Kawazz]

20 minutes ago, Licinio Chiavari said:

I did. But... You can level only 1st rate and 4th rate in epics.

And would you go without books in an Epic. Taking into account respectong your mate's too?

Yes, I've leveled up first rates with epics.

[Beeekonda]

What about the smaller ships? The main reason I don't sail many other vessels is because they take so much exp to unlock slots.

[Kawazz]

3 hours ago, Beeekonda said:

What about the smaller ships? The main reason I don't sail many other vessels is because they take so much exp to unlock slots.

it doesnt take long to level up smaller ships... patrol zone is good.

[Sir Texas Sir]

7 hours ago, Kawazz said:

Yes, I've leveled up first rates with epics.

Really for the trouble those ships are they should be worth more xp in epics.  Miss the old days you hit the big OW fleets and solo them or do 4th rate hostility missions and it’s a solo 1st rate and gain killer Co from it.  Wish we had more bigger frigate fleets in OW.

speaking of epics did they take out the epic chest cause all we been getting are the gold chest the last couple of weeks.

[Hethwill]

Final Exam is odds 1:2.5

Normally, after that, a player should be able to work his way through 1:2 odds in PvE.

Instead, for some reason, many favor the overpowering of AI with no challenge ( and abusing the distance "npc not shooting" bug ). Ofc it doesn't reward much... should reward even less when odds are in "grinder" favor.

 

[Hethwill]

4 hours ago, Borch said:

This is more a bad programming than a bug plus you need to know how to sail close and not get caught by AI abusing boarding. I wouldnt say that theese "many" dont learn anything in that situation.

Is just a consequence, not a cause.

I mean... they chose to do so... hence why complain that it could be even easier ?

After all, ship knowledge is not locked behind anything. Is just tied to using the ship and everyone can do that.

- get ship, sail ship, fight with ship, sink or get sunk, get another, sail and fight more -

Was the best advice i was given by an opponent in this game.

They were right. Eventually the slots get unlocked if the prevailing objective is the hunt, the port battle, the escort... in sum, get into a fight.

PvE has its own rhythm and i'm glad it does. It fills in the gaps and gives a large sect of game population the "combat int he age of sail" feeling.

But... like many things in games... things start to look less green when we game the game and rinse and repeat because... it makes things easier.