feature request Suggestion for ship hold checking without boarding. (Feature request)

[Yachteru]

Currently, we can only inspect ship after we have a Kill or after winning a boarding.

I am a pirate and I am thinking it will be nice to have a feature to inspect ship also by pressing [x] when near to the ship and stationary. Because I want to give some players a chance to go home with their ship and I just want their loot. 

In the past, some piracy did not require the pirates to sink all their prize. Some would just steal and let them go. 

Suggested way of doing it

Slide 1. Trader has to activate by pressing something similar to the F10 key. for example, I used F9 key. 

Slide 2. Once trader activate the key, the enemy sees it as similar to surrender. The [x] inspect ship option appears for the attacker view.

Slide 3. Similar to trading, the trader have the approval for inspection. This is their chance to show they are not fooling around and allow to be inspected. However, the cancel button is available if the trader wants to try their luck at running this time. They can choose to board too if they want.

Slide 4. When trader confirm inspection, the attacker sees the same as inspection screen but cannot transfer crew, sink ship or switch ship. only select cargo and transfer over.

Slide 5. The trader also sees the same inspect cargo screen but the cancel and confirm button is removed. The trader can see what is stolen from them but cannot see the attacker hold. The trader can interrupt this inspection by boarding or surprise attack using [ or ] to fire the broadside. 

What happens after

Once the attacker clicks confirm from stealing the cargo, the trader has some time of immunity from being boarded to prevent griefing. 

If the trader interrupts the inspection process the first time, there will be no second time. The only way to escape is through normal instance escape. 

Once inspection is finished, the trader gets their nation flag again and the trader can escape. 

[Kejsaren]

Interesting idea, too bad capturing a trade ship's cargo is rarely worth it. Traders are sunk for pvp missions mostly.

 

Even if i capture a purple indiaman with super upgrades and full of white oak logs there is no point in me capturing it. Because I have to take the ship back to a friendly port wich probably is long way.

And if indiaman is full of cargo mission items there is no point either, because I have to sail back and get rid of my warship first, then sail back again to deliver cargo and most likely get attacked trying to do so aswell.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Madame Sangre des Mortes

[Yachteru]

35 minutes ago, Madame Sangre des Mortes said:

Interesting idea, too bad capturing a trade ship's cargo is rarely worth it. Traders are sunk for pvp missions mostly.

 

Even if i capture a purple indiaman with super upgrades and full of white oak logs there is no point in me capturing it. Because I have to take the ship back to a friendly port wich probably is long way.

And if indiaman is full of cargo mission items there is no point either, because I have to sail back and get rid of my warship first, then sail back again to deliver cargo and most likely get attacked trying to do so aswell.

  I understand, I just feel sad that I am enjoying the game but they are not because they lose their ship. Trader ship is easy to get but for some new players, it is everything they have. 

I know some ships have more stuff than the attacking ship but I feel that doing so provides the option for traders to stay alive. It also makes robbers focus on the important things to steal. 

I agree that econ mission are making it less worthy but there are people who have worthy stuff too but I cant help but think econ missions is an attempt at a solution to a problem where people lose too much doing trade. Lets say the game maintains the old trade system, then people wouldnt have to focus solely on just sinking ships for medals, then this solution would have provided more dynamic to instances.

Without a system like this, there are 2 options, kill the trader (all the advantage) or let the trader go (get absolutely nothing for kindness). This drives people to generally 1 single most effective solution, kill everyone. With a system like this, there is more variation of options, there are place for negotiations and more options for players to go with. 

A linear solution can only bring about linear gameplay. 

[Kejsaren]

Like your idea, but in order for it to be put to good use the whole "reward" for capturing traders needs a re-work. When sinking a fully loaded indiaman because it's more rewarding to do that, then to actually keep the ship and cargo, then something is very wrong.

Hope this gets changed.

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

Yes really interesting. And there are remedies for the issues mentioned in reply.

- make it so that admiralty also gives combat medals for merchant looting. Combined value = some combat medals, handled like the damage = combat medals ladder in patrol zone. After all, weakening enemy economy is part of the war effort and has to be rewarded. Expensive goods or rare materials may outweight the reward in combat medals when enemy is just sunk (with the stuff on board).

- combine this idea with another suggestion which proposed turning ships in your fleet (in this case a captured trader) into temporary NPC which you can send to a port of your choice "on automatic". Will not be visible to other players as your ship, just disguised as another NPC. If you have already a trader with you, you could load her with your transfered cargo from inspected hold of the enemy, and once it is full, send her home, while you get free hands to continue your raiding mission. This way there is no need to capture the enemy ship and/or sink her.

Edited October 13, 2019 by Cetric de Cornusiac

[Yachteru]

Wow that makes it so much viable. I was thinking of ways around that ^^ Good idea!

[Koltes]

What I also want is the ability for players to pay to each other by reals in OW and Battles through chat. Have an option, just like Trade, Pay Player.

This way it is possible for whole ransoming business instead of just sinking the guy and taking his cargo.
 

[Tenet]

This system can be integrated into the PvP kill missions - a trader that struck their colors can be counted (with some cooldown to the count to prevent abuse, like "recently killed", "recently struck-colors"). 

Great idea. 

Being able to then pay Reals/Dubs from the ones carried in the Captain's Chest would be optimal, since some traders carry goods that the raider cannot really carry back.

Edited October 15, 2019 by Tenet

[Yachteru]

Good idea, I suppose this feature when added with other available options as Tenet and Koltes suggested makes it more viable for more alternative methods to play in the game. Stole from 7-6th rates who have struck their colors, sure, maybe not 1 kill but 0.1 kill.