NPC Port Battle issue

[oldcrankyman]

We were just attacked byt an NPC fleet.  It consisted of Essexes with OVER 500 CREW AND ELITE STATUS.  This is just totally NOT acceptable.

[Rayo]

Today raiders attacked Little isaak rocks, wich is a 900BR port in shallow waters. We were 15 players in Mercurys wich is 900BR.

When the Battle opened only 11 of us were able to join because it said "battle closed". Also the wind was in a diferent direction compared with the open world.

The raiders appeared with the wind in their favour and had 310 crew (a brig). They reached the circle in 5 minutes and won.

This is totally unnapceptable and totally imbalanced. How are we able to defend a port in wich invested thousands of doubloons and hours of play?

Also  the time we lost organizing people, meeting at very late hours, taking hostility misssions, deciding who enter and who gets out of the battle because all combined were  above 900CB

After investing a lot of time in hostility missions, port battles (wich still are the most boring thing ever) and doing trade for fortresses and things like that... we lose like that?

Why in port battles when defending the AI make points defending and not us? 

 

[Raekur]

Added note to Rayo's post, per the other thread the trader snow's had 235 crew. Pack them like sardines I guess. Maybe the admins were thinking that players would respond with Requin's with crew bonuses to drive them over 300. With the wind ALWAYS being in favor of the raiders I am thinking that this may be the answer since then the crews will be even and the Requin's can deal with the absolutely crap wind and actually get to the enemy fleet before they reach the circles. Time to start redeeming those Teak (S) / Teak (S) Requin's with 32p carronades.

[Rayo]

15 minutes ago, Raekur said:

Added note to Rayo's post, per the other thread the trader snow's had 235 crew. Pack them like sardines I guess. Maybe the admins were thinking that players would respond with Requin's with crew bonuses to drive them over 300. With the wind ALWAYS being in favor of the raiders I am thinking that this may be the answer since then the crews will be even and the Requin's can deal with the absolutely crap wind and actually get to the enemy fleet before they reach the circles. Time to start redeeming those Teak (S) / Teak (S) Requin's with 32p carronades.

You said it...packed like sardines haha

But have this in mind. Requin is 100BR  so you can only bring 9 in that battle that you might have to split in two groups for defending the circles. With a swarm of ships shooting at you, plus the crew losses while boarding seems quite risky. And on top of that, having to buy a DLC ships to have an opportunity to win doesn´t feel right. 

[Ortac]

The cost of developing and maintaining ports on the PVE server is the same as on the PVP server, but with less than half the population size. This effectively means that every player on the PVE server involved in port ownership and management has to put in more than double the amount of effort to make things work.

The grossly over-powered NPC raider fleet rolls into town and will in at least 90% of the time capture the port from the players, destroying one level of each of the crafting bonuses alone.

The players then go through the process of recapturing the port, and having to rebuild the lost developments.

The prospect of having to do this potentially every two to three weeks, will demoralise even the most committed and time rich of players.

@admin- I propose that the raider fleets are toned down to a level at which the PVE server at least has a chance to defend its ports. I would suggest at this stage by maybe 50% by volume.

[Raekur]

15 minutes ago, Ortac said:

 

@admin- I propose that the raider fleets are toned down to a level at which the PVE server at least has a chance to defend its ports. I would suggest at this stage by maybe 50% by volume.

I am willing to bet that it is a single set of coding that added this, so either the peace server adapts somehow or the admins have to rewrite or add additional code. My money on the choice will be the first one. 

 

As to only 9 requins being able to enter a battle vs 25 hostiles, I think a Teak (S) / Teak (S) or Teak (S) / White Oak (S) might be able to handle the punishment long enough to go straight after the traders and then the others. The absurd crew that is on the raiders makes boarding impossible for more than eliminating 1 or maybe 2 of the brigs which leaves 2 brigs needing to be sunk by each requin.

 

[oldcrankyman]

9 hours ago, Rayo said:

You said it...packed like sardines haha

But have this in mind. Requin is 100BR  so you can only bring 9 in that battle that you might have to split in two groups for defending the circles. With a swarm of ships shooting at you, plus the crew losses while boarding seems quite risky. And on top of that, having to buy a DLC ships to have an opportunity to win doesn´t feel right. 

Boarding against these guys is not a good option.  I had a Wapen with Redoutable refit, nassau boarders and marines, I was turning through the wind to go for an India and an Essex t-boned me and instaboarded.  My prep was at 100%.  Went musket volley, killed 22, the Essex killed 94 of my crew with a musket volley, and it just went downhill from there.  DO NOT BOARD.

Edited December 8, 2019 by oldcrankyman

[Raekur]

I am pretty sure you use the same tactics against them that are used in boarding an Elite ship. So far every single elite ship i killed was via boarding.