Kutai

You really are not reading what he is saying, you are just trying to blindly defend the change. He is saying that lots of changes like this, have caused the player base to fall.

And sailors magically coming back to life with Rum

FINALLY! Someone who understands.

Where do you get your data from? The vast majority of battles that I have been in over the last few weeks have lasted either close to the timer, or past it. I would be very interested to see these stats that you speak of. I am sure everyone would be. The main reason for long battles tends to be when one side is in faster ships and will kite/fight.

I have been in several battles recently that have gone on for more than 5-6 hours across multiple tags.

Have you done one recently? Since they upped the damage and speed of the ships? At 65% sails they still do 12 Knts. So you will have 9 Epic First rate ships on top of you within a few minutes if you try to fight. They also have a tendency to demast you now.

In before - More Chain DLC

Why do you cater so much to the solo player? Perhaps you should be concentrating on the larger player base and not the few.

Please stop making off the cuff changes with no real discussion and finish the game. Not sure the player base can handle many more of these.

Unless you limit repairs, you just took a major mechanic out of the game.

Fights against the Spanish last night in order - Great fights, lots of fun. Hope for more. Wish the forts had been more useful.

Do not try to force people to play the game the way YOU want them to play. Everyone plays this game for a different reason. The best way to encourage PvP is to better insensitive it. Make people want to come out of the safe zones. The issue is, most veterans will not be around their own Safe zone, they will be out in the world doing things. When a enemy fleet rolls upto another Nations safe zone they will rarely face another Nations veteran players, they will face the new players who are just getting started or the PvErs. Which normally ends in the attacking Veterans steam rolling the opposing side. If you took away the safe zone you would just find new players seal clubbed by the so called 'Vets' and 'Elite' players until they quit and your population will tank heavily.

Sounds good.

The sea is particularly salty today.