Development plans update: 1 half of 2019

[Hethwill]

We all must start to state specifically, when we write our opinions, what server we play on, and if both make a clear distinction on each topic.

War and Peace servers have much to gain from many and all of the changes.

[vazco]

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?

It's potentially extremely annoying. You can always escape from an AI in battle if you don't want to fight, and such fights would only cause pointless run encounters for people who want to PvP. If you would like to test this idea, please create a perk for people, which would make AI chase them in exchange for some bonus eg to loot for such battles, and see what's the feedback. I expect it will be a quite severe negative reaction, especially for people who don't consider any bots a challenge.

Even epic events are boring once you get to know how to do them without loosing.

 

Edit: due to moderator's requirement, I state - I'm playing on war server, which clearly distincts a topic I'm commenting  

Edited November 29, 2018 by vazco

[Guest]

5 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?

i would understand if they were kept aggressive in the Reinforcement zone. I didnt play at the  time, but its been tested out afaik and it didnt work then with a much higher player base. I would much rather have some crew sounds with maybe some soundtracks and dolphins swimming beside the ship. Maybe even fix a captains logbook or deck of cards with various minigames which could be played by group members within the tag circle.

[Farrago]

11 hours ago, admin said:

 

• 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. 

 

(I play on the PVP Server.)

Most of plan sounds really good. I especially like the planned Econ and Trade stuff.

I do have some concerns over the NPC stuff.

Aggressive AI within the reinforcement zones is a good idea. In fact, make them very aggressive. Make it so that it is almost a death wish to attack a nation’s player within their zone. At the same time, reduce significantly the size of all the zones. Each nation should have a zone where new players (or those with limited amount of play time or just want low key for a session) can go, run some missions, and have almost no danger from other players. But, you can not get rich, farm all resources, basically can’t advance just by staying in the zone.

Outside the zones, aggressive AI is not so good. Sounds more annoying than valuable outside the zones but it will come down to a question of how balanced the mechanism works. No one will be happy if we’re constantly having to run from AI.

Regarding Elite NPCs: again it’s how it gets implemented. NPC combat ability needs to be improved but suddenly being surprised that the Aggie you tagged has the ability of the Epic event Aggies is not desirable.

Aggressive AI would have no place on the Peace Server, I think, but captains who sail there might want it??

[Barbancourt]

11 hours ago, Suricato Rojo said:

first half of 2019??
Dont think the player base will stand 7 extra months of testing.
Right now its on a critical limit below which its impossible to play the game without the feeling you are losing lot of time.

Well maybe people should stop spreading fear and hysteria about distant "wipes"?  This thing just ain't ready for prime time yet.  Get out there and shoot some cannonballs already. 

[Barbancourt]

3 hours ago, vazco said:

It's potentially extremely annoying. You can always escape from an AI in battle if you don't want to fight, and such fights would only cause pointless run encounters for people who want to PvP.

Since the AI likes to roll around in fleets of 12 no you can't always escape from AI.

[vazco]

13 minutes ago, Barbancourt said:

Since the AI likes to roll around in fleets of 12 no you can't always escape from AI.

I can  You can always defence-tag, you don't have to wait until you're in the middle of the whole fleet.

[vazco]

1 hour ago, Wyy said:

Maybe even fix a captains logbook or deck of cards with various minigames which could be played by group members within the tag circle.

Oh, there is already a perfect game accessible from your ship's deck, which you can play with members of your group. It's much better than any casual game GameLabs could create (sorry GameLabs ):
https://agar.io/

[Barbancourt]

55 minutes ago, vazco said:

I can  You can always defence-tag, you don't have to wait until you're in the middle of the whole fleet.

they won't always be in open water, and there won't always be just one of them after you. 

If AI fleets are going to force you to interact with them randomly even fewer players will have time for the game. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Barbancourt

[Slim McSauce]

Just now, Barbancourt said:

they won't always be in open water, and there won't always be just one of them after you. 

If AI fleets are going to force you to interact with them randomly even fewer players will have time for the game. 

I can sail for hours and not have anything fun happen. If anything we have too much time with too little interaction

Edited November 29, 2018 by Slim McSauce

[RickC]

12 hours ago, admin said:

• 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. 

 

I play on the PVE server

These PVE changes confuse me.  Players will need to plan movement around clusters of enemy ships (players or non players)  Why would players on the peace server need to avoid players?

Aggressive AI was tried before and it was removed for good reason.

You seem to implement things that players dislike, then remove them, then reintroduce them. (RNG quality ships for shipbuilders as an example)  Now we wonder just what your plans for the peace server are.   The ONE constant on the Peace server that players enjoy is the ability to choose our own battles.  Do NOT take that away.

[Barbancourt]

4 minutes ago, Slim McSauce said:

I can sail for hours and not have anything fun happen. If anything we have too much time with too little interaction

It's the same fleets that are already there, so there is no change in the potential interaction.  Sailing for hours is not a luxury everyone has. 

[Capn Rocko]

13 hours ago, admin said:

We have decided against lobby based content as a result all PVP tournaments and challenges will happen in the open world

@admin Will there be a non-exploitable feature for players of the same nation to practice with each other? Green vs Green is not ideal (for many reasons)

 

-

Edited November 29, 2018 by Capn Rocko

[Macjimm]

14 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?

PvP server.

When players are grouping up, to sail as a team, it is annoying to be tagged by a NPC.

I spend most of my time sailing and enjoy it.  I always watch the horizon for enemy players.  Agressive NPCs won't make me watch more.  Most often I sail in safe British waters, where there are no enemy NPCs.

Added content to sailing includes: 

• Sailing slowly to increase chance of catching fish/bottles. High volume fishing areas.
• Resource areas away from ports, discoverable by slow sail and anchoring along the coastlines.
• Having a lookout to call out enemy player/NPC sightings so we can attend to navigation and not spend every moment scanning 360 degrees.
• Storms/rocky shores  and ship damage - (I know it's not going to happen, but just mentioning it).
• Having a compass to take bearings.
• Using a chip log for average speed, for calculating times on route, for navigation.
• Having a sextant, that only works with clear skies, that will provide a relative position based on skill and hired officer.

I would only like aggressive NPCs if they are optional, like access to enemy ports by using a trade ship, have a aggression flag we can use that will trigger NPC attacks.  Then we can turn if off in the appropriate circumstances. But hey we are testing, so bring it on, let's give it a try ... again.

Agressive NPCs will not add content to make sailing less boring: Making sailing less boring will.

Edited November 30, 2018 by Macjimm
Specified Server type

[Macjimm]

@admin

No plans to add; OW, and instance, trading with enemy?  Comms with enemy?  Ignore feature for instance chat?

PvP server.

 

Edited November 30, 2018 by Macjimm

[Guest]

@admin

Also you might as well do a surprised wipe as either people are waiting for it to start again or people in general are fed up with this economy, you will never get a realistic result when people sit on full CW stacks of resources players have gained from months ago, maybe add some kind of rot to some of the old timber thats getting used for ship crafting etc

[Slim McSauce]

^^^haters man, you think devs are stupid and are just going to add the features without tweaking them to make them fun and realistic? How often is an AI faster than you on ow? What are the chances of an AI tagging your fleet with 3x BR? come on folks this isn't rocket science.

[Ace 117]

20 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 sounds great, but what can we expect with the Classic Constitution, is it going to be official? As well as the Diana?

[Draymoor]

What would happen with trading if AI fleets become aggressive? Are we going to need 1st rates to guard traders? A fully loaded indiaman can't outrun any 5th rate AI fleet. 

[Barbancourt]

27 minutes ago, Draymoor said:

What would happen with trading if AI fleets become aggressive? Are we going to need 1st rates to guard traders? A fully loaded indiaman can't outrun any 5th rate AI fleet. 

You're gonna need a bigger boat... 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Slim McSauce said:

^^^haters man, you think devs are stupid and are just going to add the features without tweaking them to make them fun and realistic? How often is an AI faster than you on ow? What are the chances of an AI tagging your fleet with 3x BR? come on folks this isn't rocket science.

They have actually proved several times they Add features without balancing and tweaking them for months (dlc ships, Wasa to mention short) so me and many others dont have our hopes up just yet

[admin]

1 hour ago, Wyy said:

They have actually proved several times they Add features without balancing and tweaking them for months (dlc ships, Wasa to mention short) so me and many others dont have our hopes up just yet

Tweaking WASA was a mistake (caving to crying instead of looking into data) - it is an amazing ship that will come back to its glory after a buff. 

[Slim McSauce]

Just now, admin said:

Tweaking WASA was a mistake (caving to crying instead of looking into data) - it is an amazing ship that will come back to its glory after a buff. 

OK. Just remember the ingermanland is the glass cannon 4th rate. If you're gonna bring the Wasa back down to 4th rate it better be balanced and either not have 32's or be even more glass  than the inger. 

 

Edited November 30, 2018 by Slim McSauce

[staun]

13 minutes ago, admin said:

Tweaking WASA was a mistake (caving to crying instead of looking into data) - it is an amazing ship that will come back to its glory after a buff. 

I think the complaint was more abouth the Br it had at that time. Now where br calculation is changed think ppl is fine with it. Any yes it got nerfed to next to never been used.

[Slim McSauce]

1 minute ago, staun said:

I think the complaint was more abouth the Br it had at that time. Now where br calculation is changed think ppl is fine with it. Any yes it got nerfed to next to never been used.

no it was it's speed and it's ability to take the role from frigates as chasing ships. A fir/fir Wasa could be just as fast as a frigate, with bigger guns and more health making frigate combat useless for the time it was OP. It actually ruined OW pvp for a bit and it can very well happen again if you decide to swing back to the OP extreme. Which if there's one thing this game can't afford right now it's one ship dominating OW again.

Edited November 30, 2018 by Slim McSauce