Development plans update: 1 half of 2019

[LeBoiteux]

28 minutes ago, Vernon Merrill said:

Can’t wait for the reports of the first few people to afk sail into hostile AI.  

while many complain about afk sailing 🙂. Now :

3 hours ago, admin said:

Captains will have to plan the movement around clusters of enemy ships (players or non players).

It makes you more watchful in OW and add content in it. 

Moreover, AI will attack only :

3 hours ago, admin said:

when AI is confident it can catch the target and give it some action

Edited November 29, 2018 by LeBoiteux

[Tac]

1 hour ago, staun said:

Not sure right now it is the thought about wipe, thats make ppl take a short break. But thats for another tread. 

Lets see those new things. A bit worried when I go hunting I end up fighting a AI fleet, and not players. But we can’t know before we se how agressiv they make the Ai’s

Imagine your close to a big PvP battle something of epic proportions the like you havn’t Fought in for weeks , and a shabby AI frigate tags you out of the battle .....

I suppose you might gain a basic hull upgrade as compensation, but surely as before aggressive Ai just frustrates , didn’t work last time why would it work now?

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Tac

[Angus MacDuff]

Great news and all very interesting changes. 

On trading.  My current SOP is to find a reasonably lucrative item that is close to a consumer port and do short profitable runs.  You're saying that distance increases value, which is fair.  My question is; will there still be shorter trade routes that can make a good profit?  Trinidad to Bermuda may indeed be an extremely profitable trade run, but that's many hours of sailing (3?).  As a hunter, I really like this idea, but as an occasional trader, I'm not so sure.

[NethrosDefectus]

27 minutes ago, staun said:

Not sure right now it is the thought about wipe, thats make ppl take a short break. But thats for another tread. 

Lets see those new things. A bit worried when I go hunting I end up fighting a AI fleet, and not players. But we can’t know before we se how agressiv they make the Ai’s

Ok but bear in mind these are NOT patches notes, they are plans for the first half of 2019, that's a space of SIX MONTHS

These will not bring back the players that have left while they wait for a wipe

Edited November 29, 2018 by NethrosDefectus

[Tomasso il Fortunato]

3 hours ago, admin said:

+ NPC aggression in the open world

This is not good .

[staun]

28 minutes ago, Tac said:

Imagine your close to a big PvP battle something of epic proportions the like you havn’t Fought in for weeks , and a shabby AI frigate tags you out of the battle .....

I suppose you might gain a basic hull upgrade as compensation, surely as before aggressive Ai just frustrates .

 

Well I can name a couple of players I would be glad if the AI tagged out of the battle.😇

Honnestly I are a bit sceptical about it. We might even see PB fleets get dragged in. I was not in the game when it was in game.(someone told me it has been tried before). Do think the potential damage is more than the worth of it. Might like the part where they join the low side, But again it is all abouth how it will work.

[staun]

15 minutes ago, NethrosDefectus said:

Ok but bear in mind these are NOT patches notes, they are plans for the first half of 2019, that's a space of SIX MONTHS

These will not bring back the players that have left while they wait for a wipe

I know it is not patch notes. Just not sure ppl are taking a break because they wait for a wipe. I actually think it is the last patch that have send ppl on a break. Atleast non of those I normaly play with, neither my own change in gametime has anything to do with a wipe.

[Njord]

@admin Is it reasonable to assume that the official release is at least 6 months away then or is it planned after localization and new player operations?

[Baptiste Gallouédec]

4 hours ago, admin said:

NPC aggression in the open world (when AI is confident it can catch and the target and give it some action). Captains will have to plan the movement around clusters of enemy ships (players or non players).

 Does that mean ai frigate will not chase you when you are in a trader lynx even if lynx have a slower top speed due to the fact t-lynx will still be faster upwind ? Because of wind profile ? Because player will try to escape ? What is the critera ? Does mega fleets of lineships will tag small traders of fast frigs players knowing this will not lead into action but just make players loose their time to get out of the instance ?

 

Also will ai launched battle instances will insta close ? Because if not this will lead into so much griefing / gank squad jumping into such battles. Maybe we can test it but i fear this will only make travelling from A to B more time consuming due to having to avoid ai ships.

 

I am still bothered by the fleet display on ow right now, not being able to tell if the ai ship sails with a lynx in fleet or a niagara piss me. Same when not being able to tell between a cerberus & an indefatigable, a 3rd rate & a victory fleet..

Edited November 29, 2018 by Baptiste Gallouédec

[Vlaxie]

NPC aggresion sounds like a really bad idea, imagine pulling a big chunk of cargo, barely pulling 11 kts while constantly running into random npcs from time to time who will attempt to tag you on sight, it's only gonna make everything more bothersome

[admin]

3 minutes ago, Vlaxie said:

NPC aggresion sounds like a really bad idea, imagine pulling a big chunk of cargo, barely pulling 11 kts while constantly running into random npcs from time to time who will attempt to tag you on sight, it's only gonna make everything more bothersome

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

[_Alucard_]

@admin  AI tagging us? Are you serious? You want us to stop playing or what?

[Vlaxie]

3 minutes ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

Personally I think it would only make it even more bothersome, like adding fuel to the fire, but that's just me, I'd hate it

[Anolytic]

3 minutes ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

This is what other players are for. 

Aggressive NPC can't compensate for low online numbers. They can only compound the problem.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Anolytic

[JDAM]

5 minutes ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

I will be okay with it and welcome that **if** you give us a tool for distance to ports in lieu of the trader tool so we can navigate properly.  Please @admin we need distance info for this to be workable imho so we can sail good courses.  

[Guest]

@admin

• Elite NPCs

would the names be random generated or is there an idea to name these after famous captains?

[Cecil Selous]

15 minutes ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

Having to evade NPCs isn't what makes sailing less boring. Having to actually sail a bit more and fighting waves and the wind in general via adjusting sail area or trim with active rudder inputs is what would make it more interesting. Besides the factor wind there isn't much "sailing" in the OW. But I can also see that many don't what to constantly adjust and watch their ship during a cruise from Kingston to Aves.

EDIT: aggressive coast guard NPCs in safe zones though sounds interesting. Or even hired and equipped by clans.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Cecil Selous

[SirAlatriste]

13 hours ago, admin said:

PVP hunt missions will be added

You mean random hunts or specific enemies, with a "WANTED dead or alive" variant reward?

@admin

Edited November 29, 2018 by SirAlatriste

[Tac]

22 minutes ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

I think for a PVP player the last thing he wants is to get tagged randomly for PVE he neither wants or enjoys in OW.

i Imagine it could be s decent concept on a PVE server though.

[Tac]

7 minutes ago, SirAlatriste said:

You mean random hunts or specific enemies, with a "WANTED dead or alive" variant reward?

Lol imagine a random PvP players gets drawn every day to hunt with a large reward, maybe one one from the leaderboard the previous day!! Then of course we have alts who would squish that idea anyway. Grrrr..

[jodgi]

47 minutes ago, Tac said:

Lol imagine a random PvP players gets drawn every day to hunt with a large reward, maybe one one from the leaderboard the previous day!! Then of course we have alts who would squish that idea anyway. Grrrr..

If that would force a duel setup I would like to enlist as victim every time I log on.

System: jodgi has logged on. Tag and kill him in any ship and receive 1000 doubloon reward.

Heck! I would let global know where I was going.

[Tac]

1 minute ago, jodgi said:

If that would force a duel setup I would like to enlist as victim every time I log on.

System: jodgi has logged on. Tag and kill him in any ship and receive 1000 doubloon reward.

Heck! I would let global know where I was going.

Well I would hunt said player , only thing is to find out where they are  global is best!!! Not only that but the bounty hunters would probably fight other bounty hunters so quality PvP.

[Jack Jones]

7 hours ago, admin said:

Captains. Here is the update on the development plans for the next months.

• Port UI optimization will be deployed in 1-2 weeks
  • the annoying redraw for all icons will significantly improve.
• Battle UI will be refreshed and updated within next couple of months.
  • Some information on enemy actions will be removed from boarding to discourage last click action.
• Flags DLC
  • Flags DLC will be introduced within next couple of days (from today 29th November) based on when Valve approves the page
• Localization
  • Game code was fully prepared for the localization
  • Localization (translation) will start next week. Once it finishes it will feature the following languages
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
    • Spanish
    • Russian
    • Korean
    • Japanese
  • Localization file will also feature custom language for the community translations into other languages. Players can change the custom file themselves or download community files 
• New player operations
  • Welcome to the Caribbean operation for the new players
• PVP missions
  • We have decided against lobby based content as a result all PVP tournaments and challenges will happen in the open world
  • New challenges will be introduced
    • Solo patrols
    • Group and/or clan based events
  • Patrol ROE will be improved somewhat.
  • PVP hunt missions will be added
• Conquest missions
  • Ports will give out capture missions for nearby ports or counties
  • Economic sabotage and financing local resistance might get added too. 
• Trading and economic PVP
  • Trading will be improved and pricing will be affected by distance from source. Goods local for Trinidad island will be extremely valuable in the Bermudas or Charleston. and vice versa. 
  • Cities will produce more goods if supplied by basic resources from local county cities
    • e.g. Brining grain or maize to a certain county capital will help it to spawn more white oak or copper
    • e.g. Bringing combat reports to capitals will eventually bring more graduates from europe to serve as gunnery officers
  • Every area (county, island) will feature unique goods only present in this region. Players will be able to maximize profit by hauling goods away from these regions. 
  • Trading and crafting missions
    • Delivery missions 
    • Crafting missions (for guns, repairs, ships)
    • Postal services
    • Passenger transport
• Additional PVE combat improvements
  • AI improvements for NPCs 
  • Elite NPCs
  • Bot routes in the open world will improve
  • NPC chasing abilities improvements + NPC aggression in the open world (when AI is confident it can catch and the target and give it some action). Captains will have to plan the movement around clusters of enemy ships (players or non players).
  • National NPCs will also try to support weaker side in uneven battles if they are around. 

 

All awesome.

Thanks for your effort.

The AI improvements look very exciting.

[Njord]

2 hours ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

It would be like putting a nonsterile band-aid on a gushing wound, it wouldn't help at all and most likely make things worse. Fighting real players is exciting, unlike shooting up AI and I assume most people who enjoy PvE do so to be able to do exactly that - shoot up some bots without any risk and whenever they feel like it. I doubt many actually enjoy fighting challenging AI or being forced to fight it ( I could be wrong here and I am merely guessing and judging by people I know playing the game ). And if you make AI too weak, it will only be even more annoying to get tagged by it constantly...

No matter how strong you make AI, it will remain predictable and thus of no interest to many like me, unless you implement self-learning AI like the one Elon Musks company developed for Dota 2 but then you will probably reach the point where no human player can beat it anymore.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Sovereign

[LeBoiteux]

3 hours ago, admin said:

but what about complaints that sailing is boring. Wont NPCs actually help the player to actually do something while sailing like evading hotspots or checking a horizon from time to time?

Indeed. NPC aggression will be content on both servers for :

• PvE-ers as it'll simulate aggressive human enemies 
• PvP-ers, traders and other players not willing to be attacked by bots as it'll force them to be more active/watchful in OW to avoid them

Edited November 29, 2018 by LeBoiteux