How to get everyone into one place

[--Privateer--]

With the low server population and the giant map, it has become increasingly hard to find consistent pvp. This has led to 'hard core pvpers' camping capital/reinforcement zones to find players. They end up finding and sinking new players, who then quit the game. The Devs seem to realize this is a issue and have tried to bring players together away from the capital areas first with 'rumors of sunken fleets' and then with different variations on the 'pvp zone'. Yet it seems even the allure of getting ganked in the 'pvp zone' with no escape timer, for rewards the likes of which can also be found capping ai traders, has not drawn the numbers of players away from the capital zones that the devs were probably hoping for.

So, this topic is for making suggestions on how to attract players away from the capital areas, and into one place for easily attained pvp.

First lets ask: Why did the previous attempts fail? How I see it, there are three types of players:

• the pvpers - solo or small groups, can easily replace ships, go looking for pvp (I'd guess <10% of the server population)
• the non-pvping rear admirals - max rank, yet stay in the relative safety of the R zones, maybe because they don't have the funding to replace ships (most of the server population)
• the new players - actual new players, different than noobs

Under the current system, the pvpers camp the capital/reinforcement zones looking for the large portion of the server that is the non-pvping rear admiral population, because that's where the players are. The previous attempts by the devs to make 'pvp zones' only tried to attract the small 'pvpers' population, which is simply not a large enough group to sustain consistent pvp. (also low rewards from zones and 100% chance of being ganked) So, I think any new suggestions should ignore the pvpers and instead focus on trying to draw the 'non-pvping rear admiral population' into one place, and the pvpers will follow, leaving the capital areas as places for new players to level up in relative safety.
 

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by --Privateer--

[--Privateer--]

I'll post the first idea, which is a mash up of previous ideas and some global chat discussion.

Move the GB capital to Belize and move the Pirate capital somewhere, maybe Kidds Island. (not my idea, but I like) This would free up the center of the map around Jamaica for some sort of pvp zone, but it must attract non-pvpers too. The ports in this zone could maybe not have timers, and they could have really good drops. Maybe all the AI in this particular zone are capturable, all the way up to 1st rate. (what could a capped cedar/crewspace santi do to a crafted LO/WO santi anyway) Doubloon drops could be higher in this area. Maybe battles stay open. Outlaw battles? Anything that could attract players. The main point being, move the capitals.

[Guest]

PvP zone, remove all mods, make all woods available to all. - Even the playing field so everyone has a perceived chance of winning a battle.

 

EDIT:

Newb area:

Remove a portion of the map and make it a newb area, like hidden island, an area where each nation gets a port (except ofc for the cartoon nations), for players to start in and no PvP what so ever - no player on player tagging or joining AI battles.. We all remember the embarrasing noob area in the Bahamas and how every "PvP" player jumped at the chance for some easy bragging rights against someone just starting out - so NO PvP in the noob area and only missions spawning in the area, in short no AIs either, no trading goods - in short nothing that could adversely affect RvR, PvP or trading elsewhere on the server.

Availability:

I don't believe in making 5th rates and above so cheap that it won't matter if you lose them, but 6th rate and below should be readily available and medium guns should be cheaper for 6pds and 4pds.. 

Crafting:

One of the reasons why you read the same embarrasing calls for PvP in the chats every night is partly due to the low playernumbers in the EU nighttime (guess servermerge really didn't help there), and partly due to the fact that some players has ships that are markedly better suited for PvP than others. RNG, mods, selective locations of woods (any1 ever wondered why hidden island has all the best woods for crafting ships located in the same 3 ports?).. If so-called PvP players truly believe in their own "skills" then remove the mods, make woods playercrafted and let it be the ships, and the wood selection, that determines the capabilities of a ship - not who can afford 5/5 gold ships with all the best mods.. If players have an equal perceived chance to compete in PvP they will compete. As long as players can write off defeats on "well he had a gold ship and all the best mods, I only had this blue ship with basic mods" - wether it be true or not - then ppl won't compete. If the game seems unbalanced, then players stick to what they know.

Trading:

One of the mainstays of RvR is trading, make trading playercrafted and remove R zones and C zones - this would mean nations would own ports based on their ability to make the reals for maintenance through either crafting and trading tradegoods or by preventing other nations from doing so and in so doing taking trade goods from them. Make raiding a thing again.

PvE zone:

Wether we like it or not a large contingent of players apparently feel that the "giant" map is too huge to find a secluded spot in the region to do PvE whilst at the same time vehemently defending the C and R zones for their convenience. I suggest making a compromise - every player get a OP in the pacific for all his or her PvE needs.. Or combine it with the newb area so ppl can do PvE at their leisure which apparently has to happen on the PvP server, despite there being a perfectly good PvE server available..

Edited February 26, 2019 by Guest

[Sir Loorkon]

The risk-reward relation for PvP is bad and broken. Atm the doubloons you get for PvP (if you can loot at all because of being ganked) are not worth the repairs you have to use and you have max. risk to lose your ship. Why should an average rear admiral that has no clue of PvP with low money be interested in risking his ship in PvP? Make PvP rewards great. Do not force players to PvP, make them want to do PvP because it is attractive. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Sir Loorkon

[Olaf Greyshoulders]

What about assembling mobile escorted AI treasure fleets?  Say you broke them down into several sizes, to accommodate different player group sizes, and they moved about the map.  Small fleets of 6th rates with traders brigs/snows, medium fleets of 4-5th rates to escort LGVs, and large fleets to escort indiamen.  Scale the resources dropped by the treasure fleets to their size, and have them sail in areas away from national capitals.  Give them lucrative rewards once sunk.  If you had several of these sailing about at any given moment, you give people an incentive to leave the capital/reinforcement zones without the crowding of everyone into one thunderdome and the ganking that ensues.

Maybe drop hints (through the ports not available to everyone simultaneously) concerning fleets in the areas nearby where they operate occasionally, similar to the rumors of treasure fleets way back when.  That way a couple of groups might 'hear' about a fleet and fight over it every now and again.  

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Olaf Greyshoulders

[Storm Crow]

1 hour ago, --Privateer-- said:

The ports in this zone could maybe not have timers, and they could have really good drops.

I imagine capture-able ports that can't have timers could also yield good results for ships crafted there, like a higher chance of getting a 4/5 or 5/5 ship. Of course it would be very difficult to capture and hold such a port long enough to set up any significant crafting operations. I think this could certainly lead to increased/interesting content ☺️

[Sento de Benimaclet]

1 hour ago, --Privateer-- said:

the non-pvping rear admirals - max rank, yet stay in the relative safety of the R zones, maybe because they don't have the funding to replace ships (most of the server population)

If you allow me, I will tell you that there is no excuse to stay in port because they do not have funds. I do PvP with hercules, indefatigable endymion and constitution. They are very valid ships for PvP that do not need Victory Marks. You just get doubloons for the constitution, and the upgrades come out in the AI or the Admiralty shop.

[staun]

Well don't think there is just one reason why players don't do PvP. Personally I think each person has his own reason. Most of it had already been mentioned. for some it is:

- Ships are to expensive.

- The skill gab is to big.

- The reward is to low.

- Some just hasen't the time for a full combat.

- Some is more interested in crafting ore trading.

- The risk of gank/revenge/defence fleet.

-Reinforcement zone

For me personally it was demasting that made me lose my interest in most OW PvP and reinforcement zone(went though to most PvP zones)and Patch 27 with Dbl made me quiet RvR and all other Patrole zones than Nassau.(Nothing to do with Dlc ship, as I try to get ship knowledge on Surprice and Niagera). Not sure that the new damage model will change it. 

[Hullabaloo]

 

2 hours ago, --Privateer-- said:

With the low server population

Imo the whole premise of this thread is the wrong approach. The game should not be continually tweaked and mechanics added to deal with low pop. The game should be improved so that the pop gets higher. No more Zones please. As I've said 100 time before on this forum, there are better ways to attract players to an area than arbitrary zones. A dynamic RvR/Hostility system that attracts players was my suggestion. Better rewards for higher risk activities I agree with. The risk/reward balance is off atm.

[Hethwill]

Some players are in NA to play with one particular ship model only. Not 2, not 10, but one. That one.

( not unlike air combat simmers that are a particular sim because of a single bird only )

[Liq]

Recently I only logged in if there was either nasssu patrol zone on or a PB i participated in; else the probability of meeting other players in a reasonable amount of time (2h ish on workdays) is pretty low.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Liq

[Teutonic]

I try to make an effort to go to the following patrol zones in the US tz.

Nassau, Deadman's Cay, and Leogane and I encourage anyone to go.

At the worst you are killing ai and you get doubloons. At the best you find players to fight, deal some damage, and whether you win or lose you get doubloons. There is no lose-lose situation for folks who go to the patrol zones looking for something to do.

I also think the shallow water ports in the bahamas are a great way to create easy access pvp for everyone. The crafting costs for all shallow water ships are incredibly low, it is easier to grind for a port battle, and more players feel inclined to go because it is never a big loss.

If you don't like the shallows then you are cutting off a good opportunity. Heck, half the ports the clans don't care about and just want to use as a port battle fight.

[vazco]

There's a painfully simple solution to bring everyone out of capital zones and into PvP zones:

FIX RoE of PvP zones to COUNTER GANKING!!!!

...eg. by progersive BR limits, which would allow for groups sized from 1 to 10 to find some interesting and meaningful fights in PvP zone, and fight other 1-10 groups regardless of their size.

This is however simple and efficient solution. Let's go back to discussing various other solutions - those more complex, or harder to implement, as for some reason dev's don't want to test this simple one, even though it was suggested by most of the community already.

Edited February 26, 2019 by vazco

[Anne Wildcat]

I still think there should be a heat map, doesn’t show exactly where players are but gives the region a color denoting the number of players in the region.