Hotfix for Privateer zones - Advance patchnotes for tomorrow.

[Angus MacDuff]

2 minutes ago, admin said:

we plan to add light (but small fleets) too once the second group size is supported in code.

That will be really cool for the small team players.  I still believe however, that any rewards that can be gained from an AI group must also be attainable from PVP (on that server).  (Good luck on the Peace server changes...there are some very polarised opinions there with aggressive AI )

[erelkivtuadrater]

6 minutes ago, admin said:

we plan to add light (but small fleets) too once the second group size is supported in code.

 

On peace server we still think pirate havens should have Pirate NPC hunters

is it possible to balance the loot quality out from BR difference? say you go with a 1st rate (let alone any line ship) vs 5 x7th rate privateers, the small ships will be smashed in 15 mins and you would still get the same loot quality as if you would go vs the privateers with equal BR. This would create an insane opportunity that you can farm again high tier items for next to no effort. 

Btw i sailed past an epic event yesterday, didnt have the slightest excitement to do it because i know i can get the same loot or better from opening chests from admiralty 😮 

Edited December 19, 2019 by erelkivtuadrater

[Jan van Santen]

2 minutes ago, admin said:

On peace server we still think pirate havens should have Pirate NPC hunters

Pirate NPC hunters couldnt attack (my) pirate traders......neither could I (Pirate) attack them....

So if at all, they need to be "neutral" ai privateers

if whatever flagged ai attacks  however players w/o the players choice, you simply provoke the next "Loki" reaction. Peace server by your own statement means: players are not attacked. 

[Medniy Sandal]

I don't understand the players on the PVE server! Introducing diversity in a monotonous game where you have to endlessly sink ships NPS. Starts arguing that it's bad... Proposed variety in the form of capers, which will attack the players of other nations = bad. Introducing pirate lairs where pirates will attack will be bad, too.
NTC ships attacking ports = bad.
Aren't you tired of the endless, pointless sinking of NPS ships? What's the interest?

I thought there must be a confrontation between the nations on the PVE server. And it would be logical if the NPS ships of Spain (for example) were to attack the British players?

Sorry, Translated with Translator

[Admiral Olsen]

5 minutes ago, Medniy Sandal said:

Aren't you tired of the endless, pointless sinking of NPS ships? What's the interest?

The interest is:

Trading. Making money, buying, collecting and selling stuff. Without unwanted interruptions.

 

[Jan van Santen]

8 minutes ago, Medniy Sandal said:

I don't understand the players on the PVE server!

Do you play there ? from your post , I take it you don't

Hint: I don't like monotony as much as anybody else, yet I have 9K+ hrs on PvE. Rest assured: the freedom to pick your own challenge is waaay better than being seal clubbed. or ganked.

Check increasing player numbers on PvE server

[erelkivtuadrater]

18 minutes ago, Medniy Sandal said:

I don't understand the players on the PVE server! Introducing diversity in a monotonous game where you have to endlessly sink ships NPS. Starts arguing that it's bad... Proposed variety in the form of capers, which will attack the players of other nations = bad. Introducing pirate lairs where pirates will attack will be bad, too.
NTC ships attacking ports = bad.
Aren't you tired of the endless, pointless sinking of NPS ships? What's the interest?

I thought there must be a confrontation between the nations on the PVE server. And it would be logical if the NPS ships of Spain (for example) were to attack the British players?

Sorry, Translated with Translator

i agree with you, the godpower stuff in Naval Action is equalient of playing Grand Theft Auto with cheat codes because its fun and makes you overpowered, but its noting about it that makes it challenging

Edited December 19, 2019 by erelkivtuadrater

[z4ys]

20 minutes ago, Medniy Sandal said:

I don't understand the players on the PVE server! Introducing diversity in a monotonous game where you have to endlessly sink ships NPS. Starts arguing that it's bad... Proposed variety in the form of capers, which will attack the players of other nations = bad. Introducing pirate lairs where pirates will attack will be bad, too.
NTC ships attacking ports = bad.
Aren't you tired of the endless, pointless sinking of NPS ships? What's the interest?

I thought there must be a confrontation between the nations on the PVE server. And it would be logical if the NPS ships of Spain (for example) were to attack the British players?

Sorry, Translated with Translator

Give the player a checkbox in oder to activate npc aggression on pve - some will use others dont. (Just like in the movie matrix some Npcs transform into privateer fleets when a player with activated checkbox passes by just like agent smith)

(In patrolzone there could always be aggressive ai)

give some benefits like privateer chests for the bold ones that activate it and manage to sink those aggressive npcs.

pve seems to be all about player choices so let the player dictate what might happen.

Edited December 19, 2019 by z4ys

[Medniy Sandal]

1 minute ago, Jan van Santen said:

Ты там играешь? из вашего поста, я так понимаю, вы не

Подсказка: мне не нравится однообразие больше, чем кому бы то ни было, но у меня 9к + час на PvE. Будьте уверены: свобода выбора собственной задачи лучше, чем забитый тюленями. или ганкнул.

Проверьте увеличение количества игроков на PvE сервере

I don't play on the PVE server, that's right.
For me, the PVE server is a place where you are not attacked by a real player. I'm well aware that not everyone needs a PVP in the game.
However, shouldn't there be a confrontation between the nations in the game? If we take the analogue of another game about pirates famous Corsairs. That's where enemy ships attacked you on your voyage to the sea. And that's a feature of the gameplay. Without it, there's no spirit of the Caribbean Sea of those days. That's my opinion.
That's why I'm surprised the players are writing that this is an attack by NPS ships. 
In my opinion, there must be a confrontation between nations for the PVE server. There must be an attack by enemy ships. Big flotillas are attacking cities, capers are attacking at sea. Small flotillas of ships can attack a group of ships or ships of a certain rank. But, this is just my vision of the game.

Translated with Translator

[Medniy Sandal]

5 minutes ago, z4ys said:

Дайте игроку флажок в oder, чтобы активировать NPC агрессию на Pve - некоторые будут использовать другие не. 

I think it might be useful. Try offering the players, as a test. Or as an opportunity in the settings.

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

The thing about aggressive NPC on peace server isn't by far as clearly opposed as Loki Rune was. So I would be careful about announcing a shitstorm coming in case devs give it a try on this server. Myself have occasionally sounded my support for NPC aggression concept.

BUT ... a switch is really the safest way to implement this feature, as z4ys reminded us of, so nobody will have to complain. Those who embrace risk will find rewards in loot, the others... not. While enjoying their peace.

[Conte D. Catellani]

is the new patch online and working?

The new privateer fleets are then also around Kidd's and Bermudas?

Edited December 19, 2019 by Conte D. Catellani

[Macjimm]

1 hour ago, Admiral Olsen said:

The interest is:
Trading. Making money, buying, collecting and selling stuff. Without unwanted interruptions.

Seems reasonable.  Hope players will always have a chance to enjoy trading, collecting, selling - gameplay without being pursued by NPCs.  A Peace Server should include  an option to turn off agressive AI: - forcing everyone to be ganked by superstrength "Privateers",  because some enjoy it,  seems wrong.

[jnovotny6]

17 hours ago, admin said:

All servers

• Pirates and privateers 
  • Free patrol privateers operating across the map and in patrol areas
    • Fleet size - solo or 1-2 vessels 

 

As far as pve server I for one look forward to a little excitement just PLEASE make sure to let us know exactly  when this starts. I dont want to be surprised by this, it will change the way i play. Perhaps post it in the red 'Important Message" screen. tnx 

[Serk]

2 hours ago, Audacious said:

Is it worth coming back, game fixed now?

Depends on what nation and timezone you play. I'm in the wrong for both.

[Jan van Santen]

2 hours ago, Cetric de Cornusiac said:

The thing about aggressive NPC on peace server isn't by far as clearly opposed as Loki Rune was. So I would be careful about announcing a shitstorm coming in case devs give it a try on this server. Myself have occasionally sounded my support for NPC aggression concept.

BUT ... a switch is really the safest way to implement this feature, as z4ys reminded us of, so nobody will have to complain. Those who embrace risk will find rewards in loot, the others... not. While enjoying their peace.

debatable....

The issue:  The switch could be a one time option  or a  timed choice

If I wanted the first option, I could have opted for the pvp server right from start

I (and most players on PvE server) would prefer the way it's available in other mmo's already: you can switch on/off pvp. (normally with a cool down)

Edited December 19, 2019 by Jan van Santen

[Earl of Grey]

6 hours ago, admin said:

Sounds dangerous

It is! 7 or 8 niagaras against a bellona ... Bello is dead ... even 2 Bellonas have to be very good to survive. They rake your ass Like hell ... 10 min and you have less then 200 men ... and If they are careful you cant kill one because they just sail away, rep and come back ...

And you only have a chance when you have Determined Defender ... 

 

 

[TheDread]

Yeah...  We brought down a player's L'Ocean with 2 le reqs, a prince, and a snow the other night.   Small boats are honestly MORE dangerous than Wasas and Ratvs...  and much harder for the counter gankers to chase off because they're so fast, especially upwind.  And there's just no escaping a group with a prince and a snow.  Any direction you run, they'll have you.

As to the 'switch' on PVE - I personally hate the idea that a setting in the options menu might change the open world experience that players share in an MMO.   What happens if you're in a battle group with someone who has the option set differently?   I much prefer player in game choices to have in game consequences - i.e. privateer fleets should only attack on the pve server if you've attacked an enemy in the last hour, within X distance of an enemy capital.  Perhaps the more carnage you cause, and the closer to enemy territory...  the larger the response fleet that might come after you.   And then you create incenvitive for  risking it - put ai 'treasure ships' with better loot into the area that the ai privateers patrol... So someone has to do the calculation of 'is it worth hitting that indiaman full of dubloons, knowing that i may pop out of the battle to find 6 l'oceans camping my battle...   

Honestly, it would work on the peace server too better than the arbitrary BR limit.   As discussed above - snows and le reqs and princes are plenty dangerous and should be interdicted just as much as trincs and wasas.    Better to make them actually recognize and ignore trade ships, and attack all war ships...  and again - a tiered system where the closer to the enemy capital you go, and the more things you kill, the harder the AI will try to catch you and the more ships they'll send.   This created a dynamic world full of choices.  Minewsweeper is a fun game because most of the time...  if you think through it...  you can figure out where the mines are.   If the game was truly 'click randomly and eventually get blown up' it wouldn't be so much a game as a torture device.   Which I sometimes think is an issue NA gets stuck on, too...   

For an example of how it worked well in a game of immense popularity - think about Grand Theft Auto - you were free to drive anywhere in the city so long as you weren't committing crimes.  Once you started breaking the law...  the police started to notice you...  and the more damage you caused the more intensely they pursued you.   You also knew what to do to make them stop pursuing you.

Edited December 19, 2019 by TheDread

[Malcolm3]

Thanks for the Patch notes in advance. Hope there will be indications when the planned part of them will be implemented.

The idea of aggressive NPC is good and your plans about it here is more then good to me. However, as many said before, that aggression need to be carefully tuned, so some ships (and small trading fleets) could be safe. Also some questions just to clarify (as usual)

On 12/19/2019 at 2:05 AM, admin said:

key bases (naval bases) - controlling the town will give the zone small size privateer fleets - which will operate in the area and harass the enemy shipping

Will these naval bases be marked on the map and by what principle they will be defined - either historical naval bases, or Ports developed by players as shipbuilding centers? In latter case players can themselves decide about Privateers.

On 12/19/2019 at 2:05 AM, admin said:

Free patrol privateers operating across the map and in patrol areas

• Fleet size - solo or 1-2 vessels 

In that case we will certanly need detailed rules describing their behavior and probably some indicator of their Privateer status, so players can be ready for situation when their unarmed Indiaman fleet is suddenly attacked by passing NPC frigate in high seas between Bermudas and Puerto Rico for example.

[Ferdinand de LaSalle]

Good morning guys, well we can see the direct results of the game change. The Player population is reduced by over 100 players in comparison to the timepoint one week before….

 

[Medniy Sandal]

13 minutes ago, Ferdinand de LaSalle said:

Доброе утро, ребята, хорошо, мы видим прямые результаты изменения игры. Количество игроков сократилось более чем на 100 игроков по сравнению с периодом времени за неделю до….

 

Based on what data did you make your analytics? Did you consider seasonality, Christmas holidays, anything else? 
Or another thesis, "It's 100 people less, it's another bad patch in the game!" ?

[Ferdinand de LaSalle]

To Medniy Sandal, i hope i am not right, we will see😎

 

[Angus MacDuff]

2 hours ago, Ferdinand de LaSalle said:

Good morning guys, well we can see the direct results of the game change. The Player population is reduced by over 100 players in comparison to the timepoint one week before….

 

I'm kinda sick of the constant doom predictions that are off topic.  If you don't have a useful contribution to this thread, why don't you make a new one and discuss game pop there?

[Macjimm]

1 hour ago, Angus MacDuff said:

I'm kinda sick of the constant doom predictions that are off topic.  If you don't have a useful contribution to this thread, why don't you make a new one and discuss game pop there?

Excellent point.

Five years of repeated whining -  "We are losing players because MY wishes are ignored"  gets tiresome.

[vazco]

@admin the last changes to raking are breaking the game. It's not even that it's the best tactic now, it's that it nullifies all other tactics, and makes the game boring. Battles last much shorter, and are less fun. I'd advice to revise the last changes, especially:

• damage done to structure while raking
• damage done to crew while raking