Enemy Sail Spotted Perk V2.0

[Tenet]

Please read the full conditions outlined in the proposal, as these have been updated:

What the perk does: The Enemy Sail Spotting perk will create an Audio and Visual notification (bell rapidly ringing in a 3-ring pattern, and a telescope icon will blink). 

Cost: 1-2 perk points

Default Activation Conditions:

1. Enemy Player Ship with any Sails used will be detected a second after entering visual range.

2. Stationary Enemy ships with sails down are not detected (to change this into any other range, proximity to land has to become a factor, to enable hiding near coasts). 

3. The perk has to be actively toggled on when leaving port. It can be turned on and off. 

4. Audio notification can be separately toggled on and off. 

Possible Modifiers:

A. Fleets with Trader Ships have 1/2 the activation distance. 

B. Higher Masts (higher BR ships) get farther detection (?) - this might be a better way to balance trader ship detection, rewarding bigger trader ships over brigs, and rewarding Frigates over Xebecs. 

B.1. Provision to give smaller combat ships an advantage or immunity to the rule - to keep it rewarding for smaller hunters engaging bigger targets. (?)

Gameplay Improvement Justification:

With the server population dropping, and open world losing players, Raiding will become less and less rewarding, since it often requires long periods of staring at the horizon with no results.

This perk will allow Captains to find opponents and engage in PvP without having to suffer all that visual fatigue, while limits are designed to keep existing methods viable. 

Raiders who decide to instead lay in ambush with sails down, especially using land to cover their presence, should still be able to perform that activity, and will have to be detected by the captain himself. The perk should probably be less effective on Traders (A), to promote the role of Escorts by other players. 

Historical / Roleplay Justification: 

Captains often spent a majority of the time in their quarters, or conversing with their officers - while dedicated teams of spotters were arranged around the ship and on top of masts. 

This perk represents such a spotter team, and once an enemy is sighted, it alerts the captain by ringing bells and reporting the likely type of ship sails. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by Tenet

[Tenet]

Just now, RepairyMcRepairous said:

only good for afk alty mcalt alts, I dislike completely

Could you substantiate this part of your claim? 

I only have one account, and on that account, when I go out on a Raid, the worst thing that can happen is that I spend several hours staring at my screen trying to detect an enemy, and find nothing. It requires a lot of very intense observation of nothing to perform ALONE what used to be performed historically by a TEAM of spotters. 

If I am not mistaken, this was a sort of Punishment duty in the period Naval Action covers.

One of the worst psychological tortures available is forcing a person to look at a light, while preventing them from dozing off or getting distracted. It is often used in interrogations - a light is pointed at your face while you are chained to the chair for hours. Why does Naval Action include a simulation of that torture as part of gameplay?

Clearly my suggestion would benefit everyone, particularly actual Raiders. 

 

[Sella]

Why take away one of the few advantages of a smaller ship when its about to jump a bigger one? Or the element of surprise for all situations? If you don't pay attention you should be punished for it. Or in roleplay justification: the sentry is asleep while on duty

[Tenet]

17 minutes ago, Sella said:

Why take away one of the few advantages of a smaller ship when its about to jump a bigger one? Or the element of surprise for all situations? If you don't pay attention you should be punished for it. Or in roleplay justification: the sentry is asleep while on duty

Wow, I actually didn't think about that, I should rework that option in the suggestion. 

Would you accept this system if it included some sort of exception for smaller hunters? 

There kind of is a justification - smaller ship, smaller sails, could appear like a fishing vessel from distance, etc etc. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by Tenet

[Atreides]

This would be an awesome feature, I would love to see this in game, the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG boring sails while watching netflix interrupted by the bell so you can click a button to continue every 30 minutes is the only reason many of us have 8K or higher hours in this game.  I have well imagined being in game, sailing close to enemy territory and then a call out happens "Sail sighted off starboard bow!"

 

[Tenet]

19 minutes ago, Atreides said:

This would be an awesome feature, I would love to see this in game, the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG boring sails while watching netflix interrupted by the bell so you can click a button to continue every 30 minutes is the only reason many of us have 8K or higher hours in this game.  I have well imagined being in game, sailing close to enemy territory and then a call out happens "Sail sighted off starboard bow!"

HIP HIP HOORAY! Thank you for that video clip, that is exactly what should happen! 

Edited August 24, 2019 by Tenet

[Holm Hansen]

3 hours ago, RepairyMcRepairous said:

only good for afk alty mcalt alts, I dislike completely

that would useful for me too. and a don´t play an "alt"

"alts, alts, alts ... " how many quality of live features does the normal player have to give up here, because it could be useful for some alts?