PVE server: request to abolish another exploit in hostility missions

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

We are on the right path to make hostility missions more fair, after pre-mature/early hostility mission starts have been abolished and you can't start before missions become available, at the moment timer window for that port starts.

So far, so good.

I want to direct your attention to another thing which I think needs a fix as well. And that is another exploit which enables people to save time massively and end hostilities very fast again. Basically by saving the time for sailing from closest national port to battle location.

How does it work?

According to my observation, the guy who takes the missions for his clan is waiting for the second timer starts in a port of his nation, as only there he can find it. But he and his clan mates have prepared themselves in the following fashion:

- they positioned a fleet of clan members in the vicinity of the port in question, ready to receive directions where to sail as soon as mission is taken and crossed swords are on the map

- the guy who is taking missions is the only one who can see the crossed swords, true. But he will not sail the distance from nearest national port to port in question, he opened an outpost in the closest port, no matter what nation, and will teleport there the second after he got his missions. From this close port, he will rush to his waiting friends out there and tell them where exactly to move their fleet, to his crossed sword location.

Like in this example (screenshot):

Attack on Asuncion by hostility missions, last night, july 23th 4:00 hrs UTC, won 4:14 hrs by Russian clan SALTS. Next Russian port to get a mission from is Salamanca. The battle was won just 14 minutes after timer window started. Impossible to sail from Salamanca to Asuncion and win, within less than quarter hour. So, my guess is, they started at either Congrios or Tulum, both British. Or as described, mission taker teleported to Congrios or Tulum and went from there to crossed swords, either with friends or they were already waiting where he told them the crossed swords would be. He came, joined them and started battle for the group.

Now what needs to get adjusted?

Simple thing. Disable teleport function for person who takes hostility missions for an hour (as soon as he takes them)

Effect: People will have to sail from closest national port, where they assumedly took the missions, to battle location. No magic fast track battle result, no port won by teleporting and clever outpost positioning in vicinity. A strategical momentum will be gained, as existing national ports around will have significance for further expansion. No national port around = harder to invade the region.

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As PvP server has now completely different rules, please take notice this post and the request for a change is ONLY about PvE server mechanism of starting hostilities.

[Holm Hansen]

... Exploit?

The way you described it, anyone can perform it. If you don't do it like this, it's your own fault.

And in this way, it's fair.

What you are suggest here, would create an unfairness, namely to give an advantage to the nations that have ports there. In some cases such a big advantage that other have no chance against them. What chances would nations then have, which have nothing nearby? They would not even have to sail out, because it will meaningless.

Do you really want to replace a fair mechanism by an unfair one?

4 hours ago, Cetric de Cornusiac said:

A strategical momentum will be gained, as existing national ports around will have significance for further expansion. No national port around = harder to invade the region.

If you know the situation on the PVE server, you know that it will not harder, it will then impossible for a nation with no ports around. You should also consider that only "free-raided" ports are attackable, which are sporadically distributed. Your suggestion would only consolidate the distribution of port ownership.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Holm Hansen

[Jan van Santen]

Once more time to answer to an "exploit" call of yours with this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_exploit

In video games, an exploit is the use of a bug or glitches, game system, rates, hit boxes, speed or level design etc. by a player to their advantage in a manner not intended by the game's designers.

Tldr: since devs recently installed  a mechanism to teleport to a port battle itself, we are pretty safe to assume that teleporting to a hostility is intended and thus no exploit....

Edited July 24, 2020 by Jan van Santen