Hethwill, the Red Duke

Okay, thank you, I think I get it, it is an alarm clock but the calculations still have to be done by the player. Meaning that by learning to play the game the player becomes adept at estimating distance over time hence a easier traverse with multiple waypoints. Should've read it the first time proper. I was kind of afraid it would be a odd mechanic to replace player input and automate tasks. Thanks for clearing it.

Sold! Auction closed.

So we could have the bells to announce time passing by Shifts instead of the hour glass also. But it is a interesting proposal although I am finding hard to find a use for it myself given I always remain vigilant and try to optimize travel and wind. There's two types of OW travel. The vigil type and the afk type. On the vigil type the captain performs this action himself. On the afk type the player simply can't be bothered... Given the travel timespace scale ( in appropriate age of sail terms - gayful fast ), how exactly will this help OW Navigation ?

Well, we are pretty much there. Just make it Exit to nearest Outpost. Can buy Basic Cutter if owns no other ship. Well played Texas sir.

Ganking is nothing more than a player made "circumstance" to facilitate the risk management process. One could say it is the weakest form of risk management, and I agree as there's no baseline negative effects by choosing that route. Some games do design it though, making the management of large warbands more difficult, meaning players will gather just in sufficient numbers to achieve certain tasks so not to waste any resources. Alas we also have the opposite, as each individual can generate enough resources to support hundred fold his own necessities. Not entirely related but cover the essentials of a loss based game. - "...if a mistake is made and the avatar dies, the player knows the reasons behind the failure and can adjust their strategies the next time they play." - "(...) In the case of failing at a certain task in a video game the player may decide that the failure was due to: 1. Person - The players own level of skill in the specific game might not be high enough to complete the task. The player places the cause of the failure on themselves, believing that they are not good enough at this particular video game. 2. Entity - The player places the cause of the failure on the game itself, perhaps believing it to be unfair, or purposefully designed to frustrate. 3. Circumstance - There could be unaccountable factors for the player not being able to complete the task, such as the gaming pad being faulty, an unfortunate chance occurrence in the game, or simply the bad night of sleep the player had the night before." - "(...) Juul’s theory on how players enjoy feeling responsible for their own failures also explains part of the appeal of Permadeath games. Permadeath makes the player very careful when it comes to risk management, essentially allowing them some control over their avatar’s fate. Then, if a mistake is made and the avatar dies, the player knows the reasons behind the failure and can adjust their strategies the next time they play." - The Resurrection of Permadeath: An analysis of the sustainability of Permadeath use in Video Games. by Hugh Ruddy

Career based. 1 captain, 1 ship ? Been suggested as baseline OW design. Did not happen. I think I might know why - player prefers to rank up and sail whatever he wants instead of being chained to a "good captain sails good ship" ; "bad ship sails patrol sloops of war" But the DLC packs have filled that gap, without discussing merits and ship model development. Player logins, takes the captain hat, takes ship. Sails. No worries with anything else.

from a old paper i wrote "Our aim, as players, is not to undermine the established status quo provided by the practical design, established setting, playing board, governing rules; but to provide the content ( narratives and stories that shape the play world ) that the rules do not create, given rules themselves are sterile without scenarios to apply them in and, obviously, the players to conduct themselves through those same scenarios ( the conflict resolution )." ... playing solo = single player NA is a multiplayer game. --- the choices made by the players by remaining in the zones, preferring to play the "what if..." card of having a battle always open instead of playing more safe with a battle that closes in 3 minutes is the greatest loss culprit. I would advocate a navy commander to always have a ship if we had a game design based on career. Alas we do not. Also Insurance ( unless 100% face value... but how to define face value ? the cost of the materials ? the price you paid to another player ? ) can be very very very easily be exploited to generate wealth without effort. Overcome "Gear Fear" and enjoy. Also, it is a multiplayer game and design is based on that player will cooperate. Solo is a choice of the player. It is bringing the difficulty from normal to hard. It is not the "intended" standard gameplay unless you are ready to accept that it will be difficult and very challenging at all levels.

Reversing the process would make the mechanic void. This is not about money sink. ( there's no possible money sink when 300000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 gold are floating around ) It is about ship sink. Thanks for the inpu tthough.

See above. No guns, no hold space. Just taxi. That perfectly serves the mistakes made.

If you own less that 300k you can sail a BCutter. That was answered and is a good one, because everyone gets 300k plus thousands of repairs upon successful exit of the Academy - Tutorial and Exams. But hey, you are right. Anyone above First Lieutenant can use the Basic Cutter. But without guns and without cargo hold. Just a taxi. Fair enough ?

How ?

Putting aide all technical choices, either by design or by limitations... To simulate the natural decay of a wooden ship I suggest the following. - Maximum HP of the ship to lower for % value for a given amount of repairs done. Example: Ship will decay 1% of the maximum HP for each 25% HP recovered ( combined masts and hull ). So a 1000 HP ship, would become a 990HP ship after spending enough repairs to recover 250HP combined. Only takes effect after return to port. There's no pros nor cons other than simulating lifetime of woods in a abstract way given we do not use time nor timers.

Tow to Port exists as a emergency measure to get unstuck. If you use for other ends it is on you. Tell me, in which situations will you be stranded in a port away from home IF when you lose a ship you exit to friendly port or closest outpost.Tell me it is not just a excuse to be able to sail from A to B in a free ship when I sit in millions of gold and could well exit to outpost when I have lots of ships ready to sail. Please, tell me it is not to transport books and extra refits or farm marks in patrol zones. C'mon, be honest and tell one single situation where a player would voluntarily get himself stuck when the mechanics do protect said player from making that mistake. Saying that "one might get stranded in a far away port" is nothing. Describe the specific situation. - is the player killed ? I doubt. - is the player sailing a ship that he wants to put on sale ? Can be, but is on the player, take a fleet ship to get out. Plus I doubt anyone with zero gold going to sail a ship to sell in a god forsaken port. Tell us, what else ? Remember, tow to port is a emergency measure to get unstuck, if you use it any other way you throw away your safety card voluntarily.

that also. With a Custom Music folder is less junk processes running. I remember running Fallout Tactics, it had such a great option, full custom music, was great.

What you going to do when you exit to nearest friendly port anyway ? Sai a basic cutter to do.... what exactly ? Sail to your outpost ? You could just exit to the outpost right away. Or am I missing something ?

I like DLC ships. They sink, they give me marks.

Good point. Let's base it on dock ships or gold ? If money, 300k is baseline because it is the Tutorials reward.

This will be brief. Mechanic works like this: - upon getting sunk the player has the option to stay in the nearest port ( free, or nation ) or go to the nearest outpost. Observation: - Given there's the option to go to outpost, there's no more need for a commander to rely on a Basic Cutter. Suggestion: - change attributes of Basic Cutter so it is an "academy" ship. Meaning that it can only be used by the very first 3 ranks.

Options - "Custom Music" - Choose folder - press OK. Could do the trick better than a composition that we would turn off after hearing the 100th time

How to do it in a game design point of view ? What is a single shot, and what is a ranging shot ? A ranging shot is a single shot and a single shot can be ranging shot, or several when you constantly miss the ranges and need to range again.

That's considered a "statistical probability". Take yer chances near a R-Zone, appreciate the results.

That's late era and not all navies had it at the same time and yep, all our guns have it and is a nice game design compromise.

Fair point. Especially the vertical. Horizontal is credible enough, although the spread recovery could take longer to focus.

Glad to hear. Hope the advice given by everyone to you also helps others find their way during the early access and eventually their home on release