Hethwill, the Red Duke

Mix immediate close with "with rank and rate comes duty" of going to station. Closed immediately, swords disappear immediately ? Missions to spawn, progressively by rank/rate choice, to stations further away from a Naval Base. Let's see, in a comical history and geographic reference, La Rochelle, Brest, and similar "mission spots" were not in the green circle of Portsmouth, correct ? Seems to me Flag Captain and associated Captains in squadron had their missions assigned appropriately back in the day according to their rank and rates used. With the brigs and similar vessels operating on the Dunkirk area.

All ships that exist in NA are here due to a lot of reasons. Different players like different ships for many reasons other than "gank". For some is massive broadside powercreep, for others is a suitable tool for the task. Others like them for the looks, others play them to keep a sensible "historical feeling" to their character. Comparing ship to ship will simply bring us to the "how much did it cost, during the age of sail, to build a schooner versus a super frigate". And we know the answer to that.

Sarcasm aside you do know I mean PvE server. PvP servers are what players make of them

PVE server serves the purpose of the social "coop / single player" experience just to put it bluntly. Absolutely nothing wrong with it so let's not compare "experience" and "accomplishments" and both do give their respective "customers" the experience they seek in Naval Action.

Not blaming anyone, I maybe wasn't clear enough with the written word, just genuinely interested on the why someone pickes up a themed game and simply doesn't care about playing it...themed...

Hmmm, good point... maybe "hoarding" shouldn't be a thing in a naval themed MMO based in history ? There were stocks of supplies but truly rarely stocks of fleets unless in peace time, but that ain't hoarding at all.

Given it was just a thought it can be easily dismissed. Although that's pretty much how Elite does it The captain actions define its allegiance and even make way to carve their own little faction within a power, but is a different beast all together. Same way I do play open pvp environment ( in all games ) and I have no idea why is this even brought up, has no relevance to the discussion about entry level or conditions for a newcomers. Yes, everything is abused by folk that do not care about the game and only about "da game". Let's be honest, the same exact thing is done today, everyday, just by other means.

Yes. Requires time investment to do it all I think. Maybe mechanics to simulate career paths could've really helped... at some point... instead of expecting players to create something out of the entropia of liberty.

Limits vs have us do it all without limits. I would kill for proper career progression with proper rewards or, if failing duty ( oh! I love this one ), setback in the career path. Or go "trading company", proper merchant guru. Or take the "liberty" of freedom until a noose ends it all.

I take the side of the game son. That's what you ain't getting Hence I do not care about which server it is, which nation it is. Once something shows - maybe - broken, it is time for all of us to sit and actually look at the scenario. That's whay we are testing all the options, why we did all this way since the very first iteration of the Open World. But guess you simply will not sit at the same table as me. Perfectly fine as english is not my mother language as well so we wouldn't understand each other much. I did play Pirate, as I did play and do play all nations in game for a lot of time, you know 3k hours not spent in one or two nations but all of them. I did proper pyracy, role playing the amount of share per crew, maximizing the loot, and not vouching for a unhistorical setup but that's me and the way I play the game. Impersonate a character perfectly acceptable to be in place during the age of sail in the west indies. No shortcuts. One account. One character. There's not one way to play the game and we found ourselves a insurmountable wall, no matter what you convince yourself of.

This is true. Same with large "warbands" roaming the vicinity of big towns in other games. So giving breathing space and nurturing the existence of any nation is more beneficial and becomes symbiotic. No commerce raiding without traders. No traders if towns get shutdown and players stop logging in. While commerce raiding is a thing, acquiring the finesse to do it without much disruption requires much time doing reconnaissance. I like that "exploration" self made content. It pays off for me and many others, no matter what nation they play. But, it is not a reason, it is all a symptom. The energy necessary to produce self-made content - read! acting a character in the west indies in the age of sail - is too much for the majority, either in time investment or caught in powerplay avalanche

Let's get something really really clear Captain. I don't care about "your" server or "my" nation. Once we get over that "language" barrier then we can communicate. It seems to be getting in the way.

Why ? To hit the wall again and see it crumble into muddy fields once more while we fly different flags ? That's a good proposition, a very good one if I would share the same love for grinding, which I truly abhor. I don't even care about equipment enough to force myself to get it, to feed whatever PvP. Hence it becomes all void. The only aim is either more Trafalgars or OW PvP. It is okay I guess... if all players would share the same passion which apparently, for whatever reasons you convinced yourself against the real ones, they do not. Hence a stale map. With tower defence mini games and roaming hordes of killers canibalizing navy cadets.

Gimme.

Way to crash the party Enough chest pounding sir, you might get out of breath. Interesting that without a "win the map" wipe/restart rule such a objective was set, but kudos for it happening. In truth it changes nothing to what is being discussed, a quagmire of mud of what is or what isn't important. We all get whatever we need by different means and no one can claim victory. You get unimportant dots, the enemy gets unimportant victories. It goes on and on and on. There's no end unless players shuffle, clans shuffle and we start it all over again Hence, unless we want, it is... dormant. Almost looks dead wouldn't be for a couple hundred faithful captains and their obedient alt slaves to give life to the chat and a battle here or there... This, sir, you cannot deny even if you put the spyglass to your pirate blind eyepatch. If you cannot see it, sorry. You are very very into your own "world" that you lost contact with the game as a whole.

What is the purpose of spying in our microcosm ? Not everyone does it. That's why some of us that do not would like to comprehend why I get it is a inherent player-made-mechanic in other games due to the fact that those games have, in place, specific situations that might require it. Despite the RL spying - some ship designs were state secrets, royal convoys secret routes, etc - what is the definite usefulness of a spy ? Let's assume a spy is not a alt account but an actual player. Under that scenario the content grows. There's something afoot but the "disloyal" captain is not a traitor, he simply gives away bit of info. Let's assume that the player spy is not actively passing "state secrets" but acting as a buyer of stolen goods, in truth beating his fellow traders to the bid and surely paying lower prices. Well, it is content made by actual players playing the game and having these "shady" sides to their in game character. Enter alts and the content gets corrupted, to a point. Having the entire purpose of overcoming some fences and deviating from having to participate in the "universe". Let's say that 3/4 of playtime by association are overcome by use of alts. Why buy from the produces when a second account can do it for "free" ? Why employ a dedicated crafter when a third account can do it ? Despite the time required to bring second accounts to these levels there's a lot that have been lost. Links with producers, contracts with crafters, transport guild, a lot can be done in the sandbox but, somehow we seem to not like these. So, what is the purpose of spying in our little corner of the ocean ? What is at stake ? There's nothing of importance in conquering empires. All the resources are readily available unlike in solid strategy games where trade is mandatory, and facilities for equipment manufacturing are by request wherever we wish with no limits. Veteran captains own ( even post wipe ) more ships than they will ever see sunk. So why spying or breaking a game with alt use ? Pure grieving or shortcut of time ? Are the mechanics too lenient or are the players simply not interested in creating a OW age of sail ?

Repairs "break" the entire perfect imbalance when above 1v1. They exponentially grow out of proportion to the assets at play. Also

You mean start as neutrals and cannot interact in any way with other "factions" ? Live a true PvE layer until rank 4 ?

All modules to be options on the ship crafting. Instead of 2 dropbox as we have , why not have more and each can be a specific choice for each part of the ship ? Then the full model requirements are calculated according to options.

When a fifth rate can, potentially, bring down a National "treasure" ship of the line you must rethink that approach. You have the right assessment just not the scenario in place. ( NA is a web, touch a string and you must follow the thread and change a lot along the way )

very very just. except the entire effect it has on the systems, local faction influence and reputation, other than your pocket and having AI security and pirates actually providing a interesting threat, if not real at times. plus nothing like running the gauntlet smuggling arms in a conflict area.

Ah, you assume they go in battle group Actually they don't, the ones I know, from what I seen. They go piece meal intervals during a couple hours until they dry all buy and sell in the area.

qw you can be sure there's at least one to my knowledge that does it. 4 Indiamans per player in a non stop lane, back and forth. might be the exceptional case, but it exists.

Please, Do refrain from explicitly bringing National News content to generic game discussions. We all would appreciate the post edits so to focus on the mechanic fine points and dismiss all particular grievances. Thank you.

Define winning conditions, correctly and in line with the period being interpreted, and maybe a "map win" can be a gateway.