Provisions affecting Skill/Morale of Crew

[MrWhuping]

Just as the title states Provisions - ideally the premise of Food and drinkable water. Rations. Grog. Dried cow meat with flies buzzing around it within' the ships hold for a couple of months.

Simply this should give Captain's more of a logistical analysis of their current situation rather than focusing on the combat side. Where they going - How far is it? How much provisions am I going to need to feed for 50 men. 100 men. 300 men. 700 men.

Since this game looks like its going for a simulator feel - I think having Provisions would make it a very ideal tactical sense that battles cannot be fought with an empty stomach.

I got this idea from Voyage Century where they had such a system implemented. Without provisions the ships moved sluggishly out in the Open World sea. Took 30 minutes to reach a location when it could've taken 10 minutes. Loaded armaments slower and generally being the most annoyed bunch on the ship aside from mutiny of course. I mean how can you do a mutiny when your friend Jim is a walking skeleton.

When sailing out in sea for days at a time and depending on much you have for example: Having an abundant supply of Provisions gives bonuses to the crew. Especially Morale and their ability to handle the sails and load the weapons of the ship. Either a 0.25 boost or 0.50 boost. Quicker and a happier crew.

Compared to a crew having the drastic affects of having no provisions for days. Getting worse gradually as the more time they spent out in sea with no provisions. From 0.50 - 0.25 - 0 -> -.25 -> -.50.

Just a rough idea of how the positive reward of having a fed crew and a negative reward of having a hungry crew.

That's all I got so far with an idea popping out of no where yesterday. What are your guys thoughts?

Edited November 6, 2015 by MrWhuping

[ShavedAlpaca]

+1

 

Victualing should be an important part, cant fight with a full hold and judging how long your cruise will be would be a nice challenge.

Also the threat of mutiny seems exciting. The ship turning into an AI pirate and you lose a durrability. Capturing the ship back could restore the durrability maybe?
 
I would propose a general "supplies" item, searching around ports for salted pork and grog instead of extra dried pease and beef would be a big hassle and if a port runs out it prevents playing the game.
Just general supplies that cant really run out in the port.

I think it could be very interesting.

[D. Federico de Gravina y N]

Great idea!

[Captain Comery]

Not a fan of this idea. With the cost of ship repairs, crafting and purchasing upgrades we spend enough money as it is.

I do agree that this game should be realistic but this idea would take things a step too far.

[ShavedAlpaca]

The gold recieved from battles and trading could be adjusted to accomodate this. 

[Tief N Tote]

not a bad idea i wonder if the option to fish and when close to land hunt for food could be an option. something like find provisions but it slows your travel speed

[ShavedAlpaca]

Fishing and hunting would complement exploration (for when its in) nicely. Whilst your exploring mayan ruins the watch that stayed on the ship can fish and the guards with the boats on the shore could hunt turtles Atleast to an extent that it covers the time you spent exploring.

 

Ports are near enough eachother that getting supplies shouldnt be too big of a problem unless you take 3 ham&cheese sandwiches and one redbull.

[OlavDeng2]

Not a fan of this idea. With the cost of ship repairs, crafting and purchasing upgrades we spend enough money as it is.

I do agree that this game should be realistic but this idea would take things a step too far.

sure it costs a bit with crafting, repairing ships and purchesing upgrades, with that said i sail a frigate, bough a connie, got a belle poule on order, third rate on order and i will have money left over... all while sailing a frigate and buying 960 gold, it is currently to easy to earn money when you get to frigate sized ships, also this system would decrease the affordability of first rates promoting the use of smaller ships, im all for a provisions system, even if it doesnt give a debuff it would be a nice feature as i said, decreasing the viability of large ships.

[Lyric]

I think it's a good idea, and contrary to Captain Comery, I don't believe it's "too much".  In financial terms, everything can be balanced in a couple of small patches, so the "we can't afford it" argument is completely irrelevant.

 

The more attention to detail and features implemented, the further away we step from arcade, and towards sim sandbox / realism.

Edited November 4, 2015 by Richard Bolitho

[Captain Comery]

Then may I suggest that this subject becomes a poll for everyone to vote on.

That would settle things once and for all.

[LeBoiteux]

Stock and supply management have already been discussed. Long time ago. In the Exploration thread, for example.

I was for it for long time voyages of exploration.

 

Problem with the current NA gameplay is that you are in the Caribbean, not far from ports at any time. Voyages are so short in NA. They last 1, 2, 3 ingame days from one port to another...

What do you really want to manage ? Drops in morale in such a short time ? How would crew run out of food or think of mutiny ?

 

You only need stock onboard when you are far... far... far away from a friendly port. Not an issue for captains in NA... Unfortunately...

Edited November 4, 2015 by LeBoiteux

[Captain Comery]

So you are saying that doing this idea would be pointless and time consuming?

[OlavDeng2]

Stock and supply management have already been discussed. Long time ago. In the Exploration thread, for example.

I was for it for long time voyages of exploration.

 

Problem with the current NA gameplay is that you are in the Caribbean, not far from ports at any time. Voyages are so short in NA. They last 1, 2, 3 ingame days from one port to another...

What do you really want to manage ? Drops in morale in such a short time ? How would crew run out of food or think of mutiny ?

 

You only need stock onboard when you are far... far... far away from a friendly port. Not an issue for captains in NA... Unfortunately...

Well untill other further regions it would be a drain on resources, which i argue is good especially if you are sailing a larger ship, it will make them less economical and gives reason to use smaller ships, unlike what we have now

 

So you are saying that doing this idea would be pointless and time consuming?

It would not be pointless, like i said in reply to boiteux, it will promote the use of smaller ships, we are going to end up with a situation like we had before the wipe, everyone sitting in first rates as there is no reason not to, provicions costing money will promote the use of smaller ships.

[jodgi]

...logistical analysis of their current situation rather than focusing on the combat side.

pls, no

[Captain Comery]

I gotta call bull on that. First rates are not a players choice as they are slow in persute and could never catch a ship like a connie.

Connies and trinchomoles are the preferred choice.

[LeBoiteux]

It would only be a way of adding costs (buying food...) as OlavDeng wrote, for the sake of small ships.

But there would be no risk management or stock management : no mutiny or running out of food (...) because you are away from any friendly port.

Edited November 4, 2015 by LeBoiteux

[LeBoiteux]

pls, no

We know how to make jodgi have (day and night) nightmares : add the word "combat" with any of the following terms :

- less

- no

- no more

- better (thing to do....) than (combat)

- PVE

- farming

- bots

- AI

- .... 

[OlavDeng2]

I gotta call bull on that. First rates are not a players choice as they are slow in persute and could never catch a ship like a connie.

Connies and trinchomoles are the preferred choice.

Do you remember before the wipe? even if we ignore the day when they gave everyone cash and exp, most people were sailing around in first rates... sure youl have a couple of trincos and connies, but still the majority will be first rates, trincos to tag and keep a ship in battle, first rates to rofl stomp.

[GoldenEagleLeader]

I highly agree with this idea as it adds to historic accuracy to the game as food and other provisions were essential to any ship and her crew. I think however that you should get the provisions free from ports and depending on which port you are on depends on how much Provisions you get.

 

For example if you are a British player you would get 100% of the provisions you need from British ports, from Neutral ports you could get 70% and from Free towns you could get 50%.

[Captain Comery]

I suppose this idea would be interesting to test. I should not have been so quick to judge an untested idea.

[maturin]

Without Transatlantic voyages there's not much point simulating provisions.

 

It might be worth levying a steep upkeep charge on higher-level ships, though. Or better yet mandated downtime, which would make societies think twice about how often they take out the full garage of Santis. Likewise, it provides a realistic drawback to certain high-performance ships like the Pavel, whose hull was more prone to wearing out than a stouter Bellona. Skipping your downtime for maintenance and upkeep would result in performance penalties, which would only kick in at lower durabilities. At some point a hardcore PvP captain would be better off selling his degraded vessel at bargain prices to someone less demanding.

[Booyaah]

Yeah I can't wait until the devs balance ship upkeep and a single repair kit for a Santi is 25k...

[MrWhuping]

I highly agree with this idea as it adds to historic accuracy to the game as food and other provisions were essential to any ship and her crew. I think however that you should get the provisions free from ports and depending on which port you are on depends on how much Provisions you get.

 

For example if you are a British player you would get 100% of the provisions you need from British ports, from Neutral ports you could get 70% and from Free towns you could get 50%.

This is fantastic with the whole idea of getting free provisions from the nations you are in. And others are less likely to give you some leeway of free food.

I like it.

 

 

pls, no

What I mean about less combat is following the basic principles of warfare on land or sea.

You can keep your combat. You can fight all you want, but at the end of the day you can't order an army to swing a sword when in their mind is just the thought of food.

I just want to implement an idea that makes it more authentic and rewarding. Taking care of your crew because as an all might god of a player - you bend your imaginary crew members will with an iron fist. Eat your damn Limes damn it!

As for fishing out in the Open Seas - Oh my god! That'd be fantastic! I'd love to hang a great white shark off my starboard side lmao.

[MrWhuping]

Without Transatlantic voyages there's not much point simulating provisions.

I've asked numerous players about how long they've spent out at sea - and that was from either 10 days to 20 days out in sea or even more. Regardless - having provisions as I've stated would have a boosting effect to your crew by large. Increase efficiency. (I dunno bout mutiny - that idea just kinda formed outta nowhere, but that wasn't the point I was getting at lmao).

So that can give you an advantage in combat and maybe increase speed out in sea or have a disadvantage in combat and decrease speed out in sea. Both applies on and out of Open World.

[maturin]

 

I've asked numerous players about how long they've spent out at sea - and that was from either 10 days to 20 days out in sea or even more. Regardless - having provisions as I've stated would have a boosting effect to your crew by large. Increase efficiency. (I dunno bout mutiny - that idea just kinda formed outta nowhere, but that wasn't the point I was getting at lmao).

 

I almost never stay out longer than 10 days in normal gameplay. Looking for fights means bouncing from port to port along the coast. Only trading and exploration voyages take longer than that.

 

And pretty much every warship could store three months of fresh water, with at least another month of food.

 

 

Also, essential ship's stores are salted meat, bread and rum. Not expensive or difficult-to-produce items by any means. Everyone in the game will just press the Buy Stores button and everyone will get the bonus. Unless you want a silly option to feed the foremast jacks filet mignon, in which case it is just extorting powergaming players for an unfair advantage in PvP.