List of upgrade suggestions

[Guest raat]

At Admin's behest from global chat yesterday, I wanted to get the ball rolling on some new ideas for Upgrades/Modules.  Please post your suggestions below in this thread and Admin said they would pin the thread.

 

 

Use a format like...

 

Name of Upgrade/Module:

 

Positive traits:

 

Negative traits:

 

How you see it used/Its Gameplay focus:

 

____________________

 

Here's my suggestion:

 

Name:    Captain's Chess Set

 

Positive traits:   % reduction in time of boarding option cooldown timers

                            % reduction in preparation cost for boarding options

 

Negative traits:  % decrease to crew morale

 

Gameplay focus:  Boarding - Allows captain potentially more time to switch options during boarding but at the cost of crew morale.  That morale negative could be helped by a Grog Rations though.

[Captain Comery]

Gunnery training which increases firing accuracy.

Negative thing is that it would increase loading time because they need to focus before firing.

I see this used for long distance combat.

[hoarmurath]

Figureheads

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: lucky figurehead

 

Positive traits:

 

- fire chances

+ rudder hp

+ mast hp

 

Negative traits:

 

- crew hp

- preparation for boarding

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: Dreadful figurehead

 

Positive traits:

 

+ morale

+ preparation for boarding

+ attack

 

Negative traits:

 

- brace

- defend

 

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: Neptune's favor figurehead

 

Positive traits:

 

+ speed

+ turning

+ rudder turning speed

 

Negative traits:

 

- reload

- crew

 

SAILS

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: light fabric sails

 

Positive traits:

 

+ yards turning speed

+ sails setting speed

 

Negative traits:

 

- sails hp

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: heavy fabric sails

 

Positive traits:

 

+ sails hp

 

Negative traits:

 

- yards turning speed

- sails setting speed

 

FLAGS

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: Dread captain Roberts flag

 

Positive traits:

 

+ morale

+ attack

 

Negative traits:

 

- brace

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: No quarter flag

 

Positive traits:

 

+ attack

+ muskets

 

Negative traits:

 

- defend

- brace

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: Honor flag

 

Positive traits:

 

+ defend

+ brace

 

Negative traits:

 

- fire deck guns

- fire grenades

 

SWIVELS

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: Light swivels

 

Positive traits:

 

+ attack

 

Negative traits:

 

- fire deck guns

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: heavy swivels

 

Positive traits:

 

+ fire deck guns

 

Negative traits:

 

- attack

[Johny Reb]

Just a question by why does everything have to have negative traits attached to it?

 

my 2 cents: Lets not suggest a bunch of useless mods that nobody will use and make no sense. I think the admins stated they wanted to avoid the tons of useless, never used mods found in Potbs. Ill use the above post to give an example of my point. The "Dread Captain Roberts" flag, actually makes some sense to me. When you are being commanded by a notorious and competent commander than your morale would go up in a general sense. This mod I can envision. On the other hand, "Lucky Figurehead" makes no sense whatsoever. first a figurehead isn't gonna provide luck anymore than a rabbits foot is but if you are gonna have a mod that simply is used as a way of saying that the ship is a lucky ship then its application should be applied to things that have a %chance of happening. So a reduction in chance of fire makes sense but buffing rudder and mast hp doesn't. I would suggest that that type of mod reduces fire chance along side of a reduction in cannon loss and crew loss.

 

Name of Upgrade/Module: Cotton Sails

 

Positive traits: speed buff, buff on sail furling speeds.

 

Negative traits: None. They had none in real life that I know of.

 

How you see it used/Its Gameplay focus: Cotton sails used by the US was superior to the linen used by the royal navy. The strands were bigger than linen and reduced the space between the threads which allowed the sail to be more efficient. It also required less "wetting" because cotton threads swelled more than linen which reduced overall weight. Also the sail itself was lighter than linen.

I would see this as a dual purpose speed mod. Maybe less speed than copper plating but with the added advantage of sail furling.

[mouse of war]

Name of Upgrade/Module: Ship's Cat

traits:

+5 morale ("arrr! isn't he cute!")

-5 preparation for boarding (as captain trips over the damn cat and drops his sword)

+5 attack (as the captain gets really angry and throws the cat overboard onto the enemy ship and his own crew rushes to save it)

[hoarmurath]

Just a question by why does everything have to have negative traits attached to it?

 

my 2 cents: Lets not suggest a bunch of useless mods that nobody will use and make no sense. I think the admins stated they wanted to avoid the tons of useless, never used mods found in Potbs. Ill use the above post to give an example of my point. The "Dread Captain Roberts" flag, actually makes some sense to me. When you are being commanded by a notorious and competent commander than your morale would go up in a general sense. This mod I can envision. On the other hand, "Lucky Figurehead" makes no sense whatsoever. first a figurehead isn't gonna provide luck anymore than a rabbits foot is but if you are gonna have a mod that simply is used as a way of saying that the ship is a lucky ship then its application should be applied to things that have a %chance of happening. So a reduction in chance of fire makes sense but buffing rudder and mast hp doesn't. I would suggest that that type of mod reduces fire chance along side of a reduction in cannon loss and crew loss.

 

 

This topic find its origins in a discussion ingame with Bjorn. He asked specifically for upgrade suggestions with both positive and negative traits.

 

Considering the Lucky figurehead, it all come to sailors superstition. If they think a figurehead brings them luck, then it can make them do whatever is necessary to create their own luck. And i wondered at what you could consider unlucky : the ship catching fire, sure, but also losing your rudder in combat (i suggest you read about the Bismarck sinking), and losing a mast to ennemy fire... The  lucky figurehead just reduce the chances for these unlucky events to occur.

[akd]

I don't see a need for a bunch more mods. If anything, I think a few could be trimmed and a few made officer skills. Maybe a few new mods to complement the boarding system in its current form.

Also, we are verging on magic with a lot of this.

[Guest raat]

Just a question by why does everything have to have negative traits attached to it?

 

my 2 cents: Lets not suggest a bunch of useless mods that nobody will use and make no sense. I think the admins stated they wanted to avoid the tons of useless, never used mods found in Potbs.

 

This topic find its origins in a discussion ingame with Bjorn. He asked specifically for upgrade suggestions with both positive and negative traits.

 

This topic does come from a conversation with Admin in-game where he specifically asked us to come up with some ideas for mods.  However, if I remember right, he said they should have positive and negative traits (if they have any at all).

 

So they don't have to have negatives.  But logically, for game balance, if your mod would be OP and everyone would use it, then it probably deserves a negative trait.  Just keep that in mind.  Upgrades/Modules are meant to be options for you to customize to your style of gameplay.  Not be obligatory because a certain mod is too good to pass up.

 

Also, let's please refrain from commenting on other people's suggestions (unless you like it, I guess).  Let's let Admin decide what he does or doesn't like.

[maturin]

Trying to think of some better alternatives to the hated speed mods here:

 

Extended False Keel

+1 kts (wind angle 80-50 degrees only, 50-30 degrees for fore and aft rig)

 Ship has 1 foot deeper draft in OW

 

Loosen Rigging

+1.5 kts (wind angle 80-50 degrees only, no effect for fore and aft rig)

+1 kts (wind angle 80-180)

-15% Mast HP

+10% repair costs

 

Speed Trim - Closehauled (exceptional)

+2 kts (wind angle 85-70 only)

+1 kts (wind angle 85-135 only)

Maximum repairs used per battle: 2

-50% repair materials capacity

 

Speed Trim - Downwind (exceptional)

+1.5 kts (wind angle 180-115 only)

+1 kts (wind angle 115-85 only)

Maximum repairs used per battle: 2

-50% repair materials capacity

 

Shift stores amidships

-0.5 kts

+1.5 kts (Storms only)

+10% acceleration

-10% deceleration

+5% Mast HP

-10% repair costs

 

Shorten Rig

-15% max heel angle

-10% repair costs

-0.5 kts

-15% acceleration

[Guest raat]

Name:  Sailor's wives

 

Positive traits:  % increase to sail raising speed

                           + increase to defense bonus

                           - decrease to rounds require to disengage

 

Negative traits:  % decrease to crew morale

                             - decrease to attack bonus

 

Gameplay focus:  Boarding - Would be useful for trader's or those who wish to stay out of boarding engagements.

[Young]

Name: Tow Ropes

 

Use: To tow friendly ships in battle that may have been de-masted or just very slow

 

Positive Traits: Increases speed of ship being towed by one half depending on ship size and mast damage 

 

Negative Trait: ship towing cannot board an enemy ship without breaking the tow line, decreases speed of ship towing by one half depending on ship size being towed

 

 

Gameplay Focus: towing damaged ships out of danger or towing slow first rates into battle with faster ships

[Johny Reb]

This topic does come from a conversation with Admin in-game where he specifically asked us to come up with some ideas for mods.  However, if I remember right, he said they should have positive and negative traits (if they have any at all).

 

So they don't have to have negatives.  But logically, for game balance, if your mod would be OP and everyone would use it, then it probably deserves a negative trait.  Just keep that in mind.  Upgrades/Modules are meant to be options for you to customize to your style of gameplay.  Not be obligatory because a certain mod is too good to pass up.

 

Also, let's please refrain from commenting on other people's suggestions (unless you like it, I guess).  Let's let Admin decide what he does or doesn't like.

I guess I don't accept the game balance argument, in this case at least. I guess I'm a little more inclined to want more realistic mods with realistic benefits and penalties which may mean no penalties at all. The balance comes in how much benefit is given by the mod. When copper plating was believed to be to OP with a 20% speed buff for an exceptional item, they nerfed it. They didn't add in some false feature like decrease turn rate. Thats the balance we should look for.

 

I'm just trying to bracket people in so that they realize not all mods have to come with artificial penalties but I do realize some mods require penalties such as the speed trim. If you trim for speed then you are obviously not trimming for maneuverability so a turn debuff makes all the sense in the world. Just don't throw arbitrary penalties to every mod out there, thereby forcing us to always have to give up something to have something.

 

Btw, these are forums set up with the intent of discussing ideas and to do that you have to comment on other people's suggestions. The admin can decide all the better if he is able to here honest rebuttals to specific ideas.

[Paraclete]

We are starting to veer into the fantasy magical buffs that were prevalent in POTBS. To each his own, I just hate to see it.

I would rather see some type of gunnery drill that after practiced 100+ times in OS you would get a slight reload buff and other such, not magical figureheads or flags.

 

ymos,

Para

[Chustler]

We are starting to veer into the fantasy magical buffs that were prevalent in POTBS. To each his own, I just hate to see it.

I would rather see some type of gunnery drill that after practiced 100+ times in OS you would get a slight reload buff and other such, not magical figureheads or flags.

ymos,

Para

I'm inclined to agree generally. The counter argument is that they want people to do lots of fighting and not grinding away to be competitive. Doing a thing a hundred times seems grindy and not fun, and also penalizes people who don't have as much time. I would very much like to see stats effected by "real" feeling things and not magic figureheads in general.

Officers with certain traits that have small effects on performance appeal to me.

As an example

"Stickler for detail" trait on a gunnery officer may give a slightly lower reload speed in favor of better accuracy.

Or whatever. This kind of "upgrade" would feel more real for me.

[Young]

We are starting to veer into the fantasy magical buffs that were prevalent in POTBS. To each his own, I just hate to see it.

I would rather see some type of gunnery drill that after practiced 100+ times in OS you would get a slight reload buff and other such, not magical figureheads or flags.

 

ymos,

Para

 

 

I hear ya I do not want magic mods like figureheads with laser eyes but like my idea for tow lines or the other one for cotton sails based on historical evidence of the time period.

[DeRuyter]

Name: Tow Ropes

 

Use: To tow friendly ships in battle that may have been de-masted or just very slow

 

Positive Traits: Increases speed of ship being towed by one half depending on ship size and mast damage 

 

Negative Trait: ship towing cannot board an enemy ship without breaking the tow line, decreases speed of ship towing by one half depending on ship size being towed

 

 

Gameplay Focus: towing damaged ships out of danger or towing slow first rates into battle with faster ships

Good idea but not really for towing first rates into battle. You would only increase the speed of a ship under tow if it was sufficiently smaller, as in frigates towing schooners (Cerebus towing a Lynx). This was done in 1812 in the Great Lakes by the US fleet on Lake Ontario because the small merchant schooners were overloaded with cannons. Historically frigates did tow SOL that had rigging damage from battle (after Trafalgar for example).

This would be a good feature for those weekend Trafalgars when you see SOL getting dismasted. A frigate could tow a dismasted ship away from the battle, etc.

[DeRuyter]

I'm inclined to agree generally. The counter argument is that they want people to do lots of fighting and not grinding away to be competitive. Doing a thing a hundred times seems grindy and not fun, and also penalizes people who don't have as much time. I would very much like to see stats effected by "real" feeling things and not magic figureheads in general.

Officers with certain traits that have small effects on performance appeal to me.

As an example

"Stickler for detail" trait on a gunnery officer may give a slightly lower reload speed in favor of better accuracy.

Or whatever. This kind of "upgrade" would feel more real for me.

I like this idea. Not really good for a negative balancing trait, but officers could add a small buff here and there:

Sailing Master: Small speed buff  + .1-.2 knts depending on quality.

 

Quartermaster:  Decrease in repair kit price say -10%.

 

Bosun or Boatswain: Turn rate buff or sail handling buff

 

Gunner: An expert or Master Gunner could provide a decrease in reload time.

 

First Lieutenant:  Bonus for morale or decrease in boarding prep time.

 

Carpenter:  An expert carpenter could increase repair speed or % of repair.

 

Surgeon: Increase number of crew returned after a boarding or maybe only after a battle.

[Young]

Good idea but not really for towing first rates into battle. You would only increase the speed of a ship under tow if it was sufficiently smaller, as in frigates towing schooners (Cerebus towing a Lynx). This was done in 1812 in the Great Lakes by the US fleet on Lake Ontario because the small merchant schooners were overloaded with cannons. Historically frigates did tow SOL that had rigging damage from battle (after Trafalgar for example).

This would be a good feature for those weekend Trafalgars when you see SOL getting dismasted. A frigate could tow a dismasted ship away from the battle, etc.

Yea let me elaborate on that idea for towing SOL's into battle agreed it would only work if the ship was smaller but what if say three frigates were towing said Sol into battle? The Sol would have its sails down as well. I would not want to see 10 ships towing in a silly chain but more then one ship hooked up to a Victory towing does not seem out of the realm of reality.  That would Add a whole new level of teamwork to large PVP.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Young

[ShiverMyTimber]

Module = BFG
Effects:

•  One side of the ship loses half of her topdeck guns to incorporate a giant gun
• Reload speed of all gundecks slightly lowered as crew are required to man the gun
• Causes sway to one side when firing
• Causes ship to sit lower in the water on one side, dependent on ship size
• Any smaller ship will be cut in half if hit, larger ships get a massive leak
• Moving the gun up and down takes time, so it isn't an 'I win button' but more of a strategic weapon that takes five minutes or so to reload
   

I've heard of superguns being fitted to ships very rarely but to look down your spyglass and see a gun that is 
Also I don't understand why (almost) every module has a downside. Give all ships one life only (and adjust module prices somewhat so that losing them isn't going to cause a massive amount of tears unless someone has fitted their mastercrafted ship with mastercrafted everything) and remove the downside to modules. The downside is that if you get sunk, (some of) your modules turn into flotsam to be taken as prize by the victors or given back to you if you had a pyrrhic victory/you got sunk due to bad luck/being primaried.

Edited August 20, 2015 by DavidDavidson

[maturin]

Yea let me elaborate on that idea for towing SOL's into battle agreed it would only work if the ship was smaller but what if say three frigates were towing said Sol into battle? The Sol would have its sails down as well. I would not want to see 10 ships towing in a silly chain but more then one ship hooked up to a Victory towing does not seem out of the realm of reality.  That would Add a whole new level of teamwork to large PVP.

Even one frigate could tow an SoL, which would of course have its sails raised as well. But towing was for really slow or disabled ships. No one would ever tow a ship that was already sailing at 8 knots.

 

Could be a really nice feature with all the dismasting that is going on, however.

[Blackjack Symons]

I was thinking the other day (after a discussion in global chat with some players about modules and their questionable improvements) that it could be beneficial to have crew improvements rather than ship modules as the primary upgrade system. For instance, instead of stacking 5x speed modules and ignoring any other modules (like planking, marines, masts, etc.), you could have a crew that is best trained for quick sailing. Maybe a small detriment to gunnery (increased expertise in sailing vs. decreased training in gunnery).

 

Or similarly, a crew that trains extensively in gunnery rather than focusing on speed gains accuracy and reload speed, but loses turning or speed stats (or even sail furling/unfurling speed). This can go on any which way and while modules like copper plating, speed trim, or extra planking would still provide a bonus of some kind, crew would be the more defining factor to ship stats. A ship with the best speed trim and copper plating in the world could well have gone slower than a wide-bottomed indiaman if the crew didn't know how to sail her, or similarly, a ship with newfangled sights on their cannons and improved magazine access could still fire more slowly than a ship without if the crew was not properly drilled in gunnery.

 

That's more a rambling concept than a concrete idea, but let me know if this warrants another thread and I can compile something more comprehensive Thoughts?

[mouse of war]

My idea for a Ship's Cat upgrade was meant as a joke - and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other suggestions were too (Captain's Chess set?)

IMHO NA has sufficient upgrades and more will not add to the game in any way

 

regards

[ShiverMyTimber]

Captain's Wench (Pirate only)

• Slightly higher overall stats due to the captain being in a merry mood after leaving his cabin
• Slightly longer battle start timer for your ship as the captain has to finish burying his treasure then get into his battle attire
• 10% gold lost every time you enter port as your wench has to take some of your money to buy new clothes and other silly expensive stuff

Captain's Mead (Pirate only)

• Bonus to hull HP and less leaks because the captain thinks the ship taking is leak is perfectly normal
• more cannon dispersion
• Slightly distorted screen
• Slight loss to crew morale as captain takes poop deck literally

​Alestorm musicians (Pirate only)

• Links up to the other two modules
• More shipwide bonuses and bonuses to morale
• Aiming reticule moves around slightly as Captain is dancing and singing Wenches and Mead
• If you're fighting another pirate they'll get bonuses, if you're fighting someone from another nation they'll get debuffs as Alestorm play their music. This debuff can be countered by classical musicians aboard other vessels.
   

Edited August 23, 2015 by DavidDavidson

[ShiverMyTimber]

Double post. Please delete.

Edited August 23, 2015 by DavidDavidson