Pirates going on the Account

[Zisme]

Should I Go British because they got me drunk and dragged me out of the pub to man their ship? Let it be..I should have the option to start as a Pirate and not have to start one nation..then attack my own nation and start another one after. Thats just to much...keep it the way it is..

[Musuko42]

I would take this suggestion one step further; you cannot change faction without going through piracy first. Like this:

 

I'm British, I want to be French.

I attack a British ship and become a pirate.

I continue as a pirate for a while, attacking ships from various nations.

I avoid attacking French ships, because I want to be friendly with them.

After a while, I am contacted (by AI) with a message from the French leadership, recognising my aggression against other factions and, and this is the important bit, my sparing of French ships.

They (still the AI) invite me into their ranks.

 

Thus, faction-changing is possible, but has to be earned.

[XMeK]

I think that a player should join a nation in the beginning, then after committing an act of piracy, then become a Pirate. A Pirate should be able to be hired by any nation that doesn't have a bounty on them, but never be able to command anything larger than a frigate.

[Anne Wildcat]

I'm kind of a loner with the intent to get good at battling, explore, maybe make money trading, and, cross fingers, eventually get on someone's most wanted list. I can care less about conquest (although will join in on pbs for the pvp, profit, and XP) but will protect my area, and am more interested in pvp. Pirate is the perfect life so why shouldn't I be able to choose it at start?

[William the Drake]

I'm kind of a loner with the intent to get good at battling, explore, maybe make money trading, and, cross fingers, eventually get on someone's most wanted list. I can care less about conquest (although will join in on pbs for the pvp, profit, and XP) but will protect my area, and am more interested in pvp. Pirate is the perfect life so why shouldn't I be able to choose it at start?

 

The initial idea was to quell a huge influx of players into the pirate faction once the game hit EA. However the ultimate goal is to remove the concept of the "Pirate Nation". Other games have attempted to put pirates on the same playing field as other nations; having them compete for territory, duke it out in line-fights, and compete economically, with rather abysmal results (the main culprit here being Pirates of the Burning Sea). 

 

Pirates need to be in a league of their own, and by having it where the only way to become a pirate is to commit an act of piracy enforces that idea, as opposed to having pirate listed among other nations looking like a nation itself. Making players consciously go out and effectively break the law adds weight to the idea of actually "becoming" a pirate. You get a message that drives this home: "You will become a pirate, you will be hunted down." 

 

During the initial phases of development, pirates were promoted as going to be one of the hardest factions (current status under debate). Having a system where players could wait to become pirate would be beneficial, as players could learn the ropes of the game under the protection of a nation, and then turn pirate when they feel trained and ready for the brutal world of piracy.

 

Also, trading would not be suited for a pirate, smuggling perhaps?

[Porpoise]

I hope there will be also a reverse mechanic for joining the Pirates. For example buying a pardon from one of the nations with long term cooldown (3 months) etc.

[Henrik]

I would take this suggestion one step further; you cannot change faction without going through piracy first. Like this:

 

I'm British, I want to be French.

I attack a British ship and become a pirate.

I continue as a pirate for a while, attacking ships from various nations.

I avoid attacking French ships, because I want to be friendly with them.

After a while, I am contacted (by AI) with a message from the French leadership, recognising my aggression against other factions and, and this is the important bit, my sparing of French ships.

They (still the AI) invite me into their ranks.

 

Thus, faction-changing is possible, but has to be earned.

 

Awesome idea sir, i salute you!

[Warrax]

Kind of an irrelevant question really ...

[Long Beard]

As Early Access (allegedly) approaches, there is one mechanic that I feel, as a pirate, is imperative to implement before much larger numbers of new players (hopefully) flood the game; the concept of "turning" pirate rather than choosing to start out as a pirate. 

 

The game of ArcheAge already has this mechanic: players start as one of the 2 default factions, which are also at war with each other. If they commit enough crimes they have the ability to "turn" pirate, effectively joining a 3rd faction. Doing so removes them from their current guild, and lose the protection of any of their previous faction's guards, among other things. Going pirate in ArcheAge is no small matter, so many wait until they are the highest level to do so.

 

I suggest that Naval Action implement a similar mechanic for pirates. Players should first start out as any of the default nations, and if they attack a "friendly" vessel, they turn pirate. (I think this should also be tweaked. I believe someone should only be made to go pirate if their are survivors to tell the story of said treason and piracy). 

 

 

 

Turning to and playing pirate should be a sobering smack in the face of the player; Cut ties with anyone and everyone, lose access to ports and trade you once claimed. Have a ship in a port you can't access anymore because you went pirate? Tough. It shouldn't be a simple decision, just as it was in history. And just like in history, I also think that "accidental" piracy should be observed. You didn't mean to attack a vessel; you thought it was an enemy? Good luck telling that to the Lord High Admiral during your trial. 

I think this is imperative to implement something along these lines for EA due to the fact that the game will then be accessible to a larger population, many of which who may come in thinking they can play pirate with the same (relative) ease as any other Nation. They shouldn't. Doing this after EA may cause some dissent, so it would be better to implement this sooner rather than later. , in my opinion at least.

 

EDIT: Being a noob that I am, I have only just added a poll option to this topic

 

Fair winds and swift seas,

Not sure I really see the point.

Firstly say your system is implemented. A new player who comes to Naval action and with the desire of playing a Pirate, they will most likely do their homework and attack another member of their nation on day one.  If they didn't and learn it later, they'll just move their stuff to a free town and then attack an ally.

And regards to your comments that turning pirate should force you to cut ties and lose access to your ports, well turning pirate already has the consequences you describe.  You cannot access your nations ports once you turn pirate.  As for accidental piracy, again, already has consequences as you describe. If you accidentally attack an ally, *poof* you're pirate.

So really from your thread, the only difference I see vs what already is, is you want Pirate not to be a selectable faction at the start. Why not? If players desire to play a pirate, just let them, it's their game, their choice.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Long Beard

[William the Drake]

So really from your thread, the only difference I see vs what already is, is you want Pirate not to be a selectable faction at the start. Why not? If players desire to play a pirate, just let them, it's their game, their choice.

 

As stated before, this was something that was only a preliminary mechanic that would eventually lead to a more fleshed out "Going Pirate" mechanic, such as the one in ArcheAge. Before Early Access (when I wrote this topic) simply turning off the pirates as a starting option would have been easier than trying to implement a completely new mechanic, however it would have started the ball rolling: pirates would have been, at least in some way, viewed as different from Nationals from the very outset of the game.

 

Furthermore, I stand by my secondary reasoning: 

 

You see, by having pirates in a list of Nations to start off as you 

1. Begin to propagate the idea that Pirates are/should be a nation, which they shouldn't
2. You make it seem as if the idea of starting/playing pirate has no sense of consequence.

By making people go out of their way to become pirate, you add that sense of weight in decision. That concept that "Hey, I am doing something that is 'wrong/illegal' and there will be consequences for it," will actually make people stop and consider the decision of making a conscious jump from Nation to Pirate, especially if there is some sort of disclaimer that comes up before attacking a friendly; "You are about to attack an ally of the Crown! Doing so will brand you a PIRATE! Do you wish to proceed?" 

 

The initial idea was to quell a huge influx of players into the pirate faction once the game hit EA. However the ultimate goal is to remove the concept of the "Pirate Nation". Other games have attempted to put pirates on the same playing field as other nations; having them compete for territory, duke it out in line-fights, and compete economically, with rather abysmal results (the main culprit here being Pirates of the Burning Sea). 

 

Pirates need to be in a league of their own, and by having it where the only way to become a pirate is to commit an act of piracy enforces that idea, as opposed to having pirate listed among other nations looking like a nation itself. Making players consciously go out and effectively break the law adds weight to the idea of actually "becoming" a pirate. You get a message that drives this home: "You will become a pirate, you will be hunted down." 

[LTCjRet]

Unfortunately, now that EA is among us, post wipe, this will be harder to do. It is still possible to implement, however those who are already pirate will simply provide the base pirate population, and any new players will have to "go" pirate rather than select pirate as a starting naiton.

 

Regarding existing players retaining their pirate status, I humbly disagree.  Quite simply require that players select their choice of any legitimate nation, retaining all their assets.

 

Then if they wish to go rogue they could do so albeit with all the consequences.  

 

I strongly support those suggesting that piracy become something like NA's "Hard/Expert" setting.  There should be more to becoming a pirate than slapping on heavy mascara, adopting an effeminate walk & hand gestures, and insisting others call you Jack Sparrow.  Going pirate - with the opportunity to operate by distinctly different pirate rules - ought to come at a price and a fairly substantial one at that; a buy-in if you will.  Players should have to ask themselves, "I'm I really willing to give up a normal, relatively wealthy lifestyle to become an expert NA player?" with whatever personal satisfaction & elite status that might bring them.  It would certainly provide an additional opportunity for game play beyond the long grind to a stagnate admiral's rank. 

 

Then becoming a pirate would really be making a statement.

[Delfigrey]

As Early Access (allegedly) approaches, there is one mechanic that I feel, as a pirate, is imperative to implement before much larger numbers of new players (hopefully) flood the game; the concept of "turning" pirate rather than choosing to start out as a pirate. 

 

The game of ArcheAge already has this mechanic: players start as one of the 2 default factions, which are also at war with each other. If they commit enough crimes they have the ability to "turn" pirate, effectively joining a 3rd faction. Doing so removes them from their current guild, and lose the protection of any of their previous faction's guards, among other things. Going pirate in ArcheAge is no small matter, so many wait until they are the highest level to do so.

 

I suggest that Naval Action implement a similar mechanic for pirates. Players should first start out as any of the default nations, and if they attack a "friendly" vessel, they turn pirate. (I think this should also be tweaked. I believe someone should only be made to go pirate if their are survivors to tell the story of said treason and piracy). 

 

 

 

Turning to and playing pirate should be a sobering smack in the face of the player; Cut ties with anyone and everyone, lose access to ports and trade you once claimed. Have a ship in a port you can't access anymore because you went pirate? Tough. It shouldn't be a simple decision, just as it was in history. And just like in history, I also think that "accidental" piracy should be observed. You didn't mean to attack a vessel; you thought it was an enemy? Good luck telling that to the Lord High Admiral during your trial. 

I think this is imperative to implement something along these lines for EA due to the fact that the game will then be accessible to a larger population, many of which who may come in thinking they can play pirate with the same (relative) ease as any other Nation. They shouldn't. Doing this after EA may cause some dissent, so it would be better to implement this sooner rather than later. , in my opinion at least.

 

EDIT: Being a noob that I am, I have only just added a poll option to this topic

 

Fair winds and swift seas,

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

 

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

 

These two women chose to be pirates. New players should have that right also. Historically there were people who straight up chose to go pirate without joining any navy such as the boucaniers of Hispaniola. Sometimes merchants took their ships and rolled pirate because they felt there was more profit in it. Some of these took letters of marque and became privateers instead. These situations were more common than some naval captain deciding he's had enough of the navy life and they usually sucked at it like Captain Kidd. Bart Roberts was the only navy man who flipped pirate and was good at it.

[William the Drake]

regarding Mary Read and Anne Bonny:

 

Even the wiki article discussing Read states: "Read's ship was taken by pirates, who forced her to join them. She took the King's pardon c.1718-1719, and took a commission to privateer, until that ended with her joining the crew in mutiny.

 

Anne Bonny on the other hand was living/working in Nassau, a pirate republic at the time,

 

Almost never do you have someone wake up one morning and go "I want to be a pirate" who then sails out and becomes a pirate (possibly with the exception of Stede Bonnet, who actually kind of did that). Historically speaking, the point is that almost all pirates were former sailors, pushed to piracy due to the brutality of the navy or from being out of the job due to peace.

[HarryButpain]

So let's assume you have to attack another player to become pirate and furthermore require one additional player to observe the act of piracy, what happens if he fails and get sunk? xD