Contract system, looting and player owned AI fleets

[Luvstruck]

1. Looting via 'longboats' - An option within 300m that allows you to loot ships via 'longboat'. The further away the longer it takes 100m, 200m, 300m. Where you stop, an option comes up with a spin up then a cool down similar to interacting with things on the OS. You're stationary the entire time sails down, so if you do this during combat there is risk. This would also mean crewing ships but to crew a ship takes longer and disables sails and cannon during this time. Moving or canceling the act would cost you those sailors you left behind, taking them from your crew pool for either crewing or looting. Could be a Perk, 'long boats', 'jolly boats', or 'gig' that each has better stats or for different sized ships.

2. NPC's owned and operated by players.
Synopsis: NPC fleets with player supplied ships, paid crews and destinations with either player packed cargo (player funded and insured cargo missions) or NPC port goods for trade.

• Fleets up to 5 ships all supplied by the player. Could all be warships or all cargo ships. These ships are given a starting point (where the ship is) and a destination.
• Player would have to have an outpost in each port to handle the ships and cargo.
• Pay for the crew would be 50% at start and 50% at end and would scale for ship size, example a 1st rate would be the most expensive to crew and captain and would cost the most to put into the fleet.
• Ships taken in these fleets by enemy players would get a random rolled ship of the same class. If a purple surprise was taken, the enemy wouldn't necessarily get a purple surprise. This eliminates RvR between alts.
• Players can package stuff into crates and place crates into a player created cargo mission with reward, destination and expected insurance. The accepting player pays the insurance for the cargo, takes the cargo to the destination port and completes the mission just like an AI mission but is also refunded the insurance.
• This creates an artificial use for ships, taking them out of circulation.
• Adds content, creates additional fleets along trade routes
• Can be used add patrol style fleets with aggression settings
• Can be used to add an artificial escort

3. Player crate and contract system
Synopsis: Similar to Eve onlines system of shipping

• Players can package anything into crates to place on an shipping window for other players to ship.
• Players set a destination, the contracting player must have an outpost in the destination or the contract cannot start.
• Player sets a pay in either Reals, Dubs or both for the contract these are deducted from the contractors account.
• Player sets an insurance value to the cargo and time to complete.
• A player then see's contract and takes the contract paying in the insurance and collecting a 'cargo' item that is equal to the cargo crated.
• The insurance value is deducted from the contracted reals (cannot accept if they do not have the insurance).
• The contracted takes cargo to the destination, completes the mission being rewarded with the payment and insurance refunded -or- The contracted loses the cargo the mission fails and the insurance pay out goes to the contractor when the mission time expires. If the crate is taken by enemy or recovered by another player the crate can be delivered by them and the contract plus the insurance is paid to the person who completes the contract.

The goal of this system is to make cargo hauling a NATIONAL effort and allows crafting to either pay for someone to haul or haul themselves it creates an additional 'job' in NA. Could also warrant an increase in 'combat cargo ships' or combat indiamen. Could focus an expansion around the contract system calling it India Company or something.
 

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Luvstruck