PvP zone - post-battle tow & battle group mechanics

[Stilgar]

Cannot say I am a big fan of PvP zone, but it’s a shortcut to pvp action, which I as a casual player can appreciate. Still good fights are too few between.

Two proposals, which imho can improve the quality of pvp zone experience.

1)     Allow under certain circumstances after-battle tow (with all you have in hold) to the nearest friendly/free port after a lengthy PVP zone battle.

Basically, if the battle is finished or a player can escape not earlier than 1 hr after battle started (to minimize abuse), option to tow to the nearest friendly or free port appears. So, instead of a battered ship w/o reps being ganged in OW, sank and deprived of the hard-fought loot, player earns the right to safely return to the nearest port. Such a possibility would encourage players to sail again to the zone and for solo players or small groups to adventure to the zone. There might be some ways to abuse this mechanics, but as long as this works exclusively in pvp zone and is though through, potential harm will be negligible. N.B. I would not connect this post-battle tow to the daily tow permit, although it might make sense to limit it to one per day / patrol event. Needless to say, this would be a savior for the players who cannot stay 3-4 hrs continuously on line, but have 1-2 hrs gaming window. 

2)     It would be great to have some sort of battle group mechanics in pvp zone.

I would suggest to create a group pvp missions with a pre-set BR. After being taken the mission would appear in the zone. All sail to the mission site and join as a group, provided the BR of the group is not above the mission limit. The mission become visible in OW and remains open until the BR on the opposing side is filled up. Missions could have pre-set BR (say 750, 1500, 2500, 5000) or perhaps players can choose the BR value. To raise the challenge for the group the opponent side BR gets a +10-20% BR bonus to compensate for organize vs random group disadvantage. This should in principle help in creating more interesting and less unbalanced fights and hopefully introduce some variety in ships players sail.

 

[Cornelis Evertsen de Oude]

Might I add a few things. One that a pvp zone is if able around a freetown. With that I mean, the freetown is the centre of the zone, which is would also be the Solo-patrol zone. For two reasons. 

This way you will have a chance not being ganked towards the zone and not receive any rewards you came for. But make it so, that you can get out of the solopatrol within the leavetimer. So if you want to participate as a group you will not be taken into a fight in the solo. 

 

2nd I would like to add, is  it an idea to change the treshhold method, this not being the class of ship, but BR of the ships. So a max BR in the zone. This way a few ships hardly used might be used in that way. 

For example a max of 200BR ship will make way for the frigate, belle poule and Essex, one under 50 we'll get lynx, privateer action. Under 500BR will not make a Bellona obsolete..

 

Keep up the great work Dev(s).

 

[Potemkin]

You know what would be awesome? If we had the old trafalgar 25v25 lobby with auto team balancing in port again open once per day and to have it alter tiers like the patrol zones day by day with special rewards and leaderboards that would partially serve as endgame content.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Potemkin