So where is the fun at?

[Lucky Shot]

I bought the game after watching videos like these:

And yet the gameplay I experienced is:

Go sail 20 minutes, do boring PvE mission, go back.

Go, capture NPC merchant, go back in the merchant ship because I can't bring the loot at port otherwise.

Join Small Battle, people are so afraid to lose their ship that they camp long range without dealing any meaningful damage to the opponents whitout ever closing in.

Join Small Battle in anything bigger than a 6th rate, get matched up against a small army of 5 rates and cutters, can't hit ♥♥♥♥ and forced to flee.

Join Small Battle, hey look it's me in a mercury and anybody else in a Basic Cutter.

Try to join trafalgar, 3 people waiting in queue.

Open world battle, I can get this guy. No way! 3 wild Trincomalees appear.
No problem, I can flee 'cuz my Renommee is faster. They have bow chasers.

Gotta get gold otherwise I'll be back to Basic Cutter as soos as my ship loses the last durability.

 

Let's join borefest exp/gold grind fleet and shoot a couple of broadsides to an enemy before somebody gets into your line of fire while trying to avoid collisions.

I want to craft my ship, have to wait days between crafting notes, upgrades and the ship herself.

I finally can craft my exceptional ship! Darn it has 2 permanent slot, 4 upgrade slots and Stiffness when I wanted Speed. It doesn't matter, in 3 days I'll try again.

I'm crafting this ship because I want to drop the notes for the next ship. Oh they didn't drop! Never mind, I'll try again in 2 days.

Danes attacking port with an army of 3d rates. Can't join in a frigate. These battles would be boring anyway with 30 ships of the line forming up and just shooting at each others until a faction loses.

[Legioneod]

I understand your frustration, and I think most of those videos were of the sea trials which was super fun but not as good as today. If you want to get into good pvp fights then I suggest you join a clan, they can help you get started and they'll probably be active in pvp. I agree that people are to afraid to lose their ships and as a result no good solo pvp battles occur imo, they need to have an insurance thing instead of the durability but thats my opinion 

[Justme]

Crafting is a no skill, boring time sink.

Trading is extremely low skill time sink( like arty skill level in WOT).

PVP for me is a blast, unfortunately the average player stuck with the other 2 aspects.

OW travel could be a wonderfull thing, so reserving judgement until later.

[AfkSailor]

The problem is that the map is so big, which isn't bad in itself, that it is hard to find pvp when you want. My suggestion, have the community pick a free port somewhere in the middle of nowhere, those with a main interest in pvp can set up an outpost there & tp there when not doing conquest or crafting. Maybe the devs can add a free port in the middle of the ocean so no nation is favored by reinforcements.

[Jeheil]

There is about 40-60 hours of solo fun to be had, then either you are one of those folks who can 'make their own fun' or as above, i would strongly advise joining a large active clan. I spent the whole weekend (to my wifes delight) fighting off pirates attacking our ports...probably had 5 large 40 ship+ engagements...experience, $$$ and fun pouring out my ears...literally didnt have time to 'craft'...which I wanted to ... as each time I headed off to grab some resources etc a CLAN ALL HANDS alert would be issued to deal with these pesky pirate dogs.

 

I do accept that its Beta..and some things are wonky. The economy needs more players, the map size needs more players...and without it, i believe OW travel needs to be faster...maybe even dynamic...the further from land...the quicker you go (to some thresh hold)...or disable wind if you are x distance from another player or some such....coz sailing TWO HOURS just to get somewhere to put down a new 'outpost' that you can teleport to SHIPLESS !!! once every 4 hours...is, on may peoples lists/opinions UNFUN. Now I now its a sim...suck it up princess...but with 300 online...and thousands of sq kilometers...c'mon.

 

Now if it was just AI missions and trading and crafting..I to would be struggling for fun.

 

In MMO's for many folks (not all) clans are the keep me coming back content.

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by Jeheil

[Lucky Shot]

The problem is that the map is so big, which isn't bad in itself, that it is hard to find pvp when you want. My suggestion, have the community pick a free port somewhere in the middle of nowhere, those with a main interest in pvp can set up an outpost there & tp there when not doing conquest or crafting. Maybe the devs can add a free port in the middle of the ocean so no nation is favored by reinforcements.

 

That's what Small Battles are for and maybe large battles (never managed to join one), but people join small battles with the mindset of gaining as much gold as possible while doing everything in their power to avoid losing durability. This way you have two groups of ships firing long range as far as possible from the opponents, dealing trivial damage, and who tries to get close gets abandoned by his teammates and gets focused and sunk. Or they join in cutters and actually play because they know they can't lose the ship.

[Bounty Hunter]

I would recommend sailing to Free Ports in enemy territory and setting up an outpost using it to get PvP.

[Legioneod]

T

 

That's what Small Battles are for and maybe large battles (never managed to join one), but people join small battles with the mindset of gaining as much gold as possible while doing everything in their power to avoid losing durability. This way you have two groups of ships firing long range as far as possible from the opponents, dealing trivial damage, and who tries to get close gets abandoned by his teammates and gets focused and sunk. Or they join in cutters and actually play because they know they can't lose the ship.

The problem is that the only way to win a battle is to take or destroy an enemy ship which results in the loss of a durability so no-one wants to fight. They need to have insurance that way people can get some money or most of the money back, that way they would be more willing to fight.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Legioneod

[Ruthless4u]

T

 

The problem is that the only way to win a battle is to take or destroy an enemy ship which results in the loss of a durability so no-one wants to fight. They need to have insurance that way people can get some money or most of the money back, that way they would be more willing to fight.

But you also have a group of players here who insist that all ships 1 dura system actually encourage more pvp. Of course no insurance or anything like that.

[Mrdoomed]

Edit.

Nvm not worth it.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Mrdoomed

[Lucky Shot]

But you also have a group of players here who insist that all ships 1 dura system actually encourage more pvp. Of course no insurance or anything like that.

 

Me I wouldn't dare to enter a PvP battle (and consequently quit). I'm already mildly scared and often ponder before hitting the Small Battle button and sometimes I exit if I see too few players: less players=high probability I'll be the one who gets sunk. Hell I often get sunk anyway since I try to close in to actually do damage.

 

Seeing a ship sink for the fifth time is hard, because that ship cost a lot of grind plus a lot of waiting for crafting hours to get.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Lucky Shot

[Legioneod]

But you also have a group of players here who insist that all ships 1 dura system actually encourage more pvp. Of course no insurance or anything like that.

I think that the dura system should be done away with and be replaced with an insurance system, there should be different levels of insurance that a player can choose,

Full coverage- covers the cost of the ship and guns.

Partial coverage- covers most of the ship but not the guns etc etc

Limited coverage- covers around half of the ship.

 

These are just ideas so they can be changed, but I think insurance is the better way to go. 

[Jeheil]

No leave the dura system and how much more scary it gets (the bigger ships get less and less...Vic and Santi have ONE...ONE....)....it makes PvP scary and sacrafice real.

 

On the upside, if you win a big Port Battle you earn heaps, one of our 3rd rates earned 550,000 gold last night in ONE port battle alone.

 

I earn, at master and commander, in my Renommee or undercrewed Frigate 20k per mission. Money and buying ships isn't a problem as long as you sink less than once every 2 missions....if you are sinking more than that...you need to put more effort in learning to fight....watch some vids, focus on lower level missions. (20k x 5 missions = 100k = new frigate with two sets of guns), work with friends.

 

Easy.

 

Personal opinion, ready to be corrected, but the small and large battle buttons...don't really work, they need a lobby and a list of ships a waiting (akin to sea battles) otherwise its Russian Roulette.

 

Seriously, if you want the fun then get in a clan.

 

Now if you are very much PvE oriented (and there is nothing wrong with that...as they say) then I would hold true that the game content is a stretch at the moment for anything other than verging on role playing.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Jeheil

[Chijohnaok]

The problem is that the map is so big, which isn't bad in itself, that it is hard to find pvp when you want. My suggestion, have the community pick a free port somewhere in the middle of nowhere, those with a main interest in pvp can set up an outpost there & tp there when not doing conquest or crafting. Maybe the devs can add a free port in the middle of the ocean so no nation is favored by reinforcements.

 

Not sure what server you are on.

 

PVP can be found if you are willing to go look for it.

Have outposts in the area where your nation's enemies raid/frequent.

The clan that I am in  will group up into a fleet and take cruises to the enemy's capital and along the coast of it's cities.  We almost always find people to pvp against (sometimes whether they want to or not ;-)  ).

If you don't want to join a clan, then find a small group of friends and you can do the same thing that I described above.  

[The Spud]

If you ask around ont he chat channel, you will most likely always find someone who wants to take on some AI or get a hold of those pirates roaming the horizon. On your own it sucks. Stay around the fronline,  you'll always find some players looking for a fight. Sometimes you're outnumbered, sometimes they are. The fair fights are the best fights thats true...

[HarryButpain]

Why not cap the ships you want and use them in small battles for instant action? Building an outpost costs 10k i think and Master and Cmd missions are worth 15-20k per fight depending on enemy.. Have an eye for people in chat asking for AI fleet chasing or ask yourself if you have at least a frig. I've tested usa, gb and pirates and usa seems to do a lot of fleeting while brit and rat chat constantly asks for players to join pvp groups and the national teamspeak channel.. So if you don't like to join a clan immediately either go brits or rats for random pvp groups?

Edited March 21, 2016 by ValoWay

[Aetrion]

T

 

The problem is that the only way to win a battle is to take or destroy an enemy ship which results in the loss of a durability so no-one wants to fight. They need to have insurance that way people can get some money or most of the money back, that way they would be more willing to fight.

 

Money isn't the main problem though, it's the fact that replacing ships isn't reliable unless you go for the 6 pack economy versions. They should just let you rebuild ships that you already had at the very least.

 

 

Overall I think this game is really ruined by the whole ship loss thing in it.There are so many better ways they could have done loss mechanics that wouldn't result in basically having people avoid fights alltogether and making playing outside a clan just painful.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Aetrion

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

T

 

The problem is that the only way to win a battle is to take or destroy an enemy ship which results in the loss of a durability so no-one wants to fight. They need to have insurance that way people can get some money or most of the money back, that way they would be more willing to fight.

 

5 lives should be insurance enough. On top of that all the 1 dura ships we all capture from the AI, if not from other players. It is a LOT of PvP assets.

It simply renders insurance obsolete. There is no point.

 

Plus ships are not that expensive.

 

The main thing is, if a player only wants to pvp when in safety of numbers, or never do it, there is no mechanics that will force him to do it otherwise.

[HarryButpain]

5 lives should be insurance enough. On top of that all the 1 dura ships we all capture from the AI, if not from other players. It is a LOT of PvP assets.

It simply renders insurance obsolete. There is no point.

 

Plus ships are not that expensive.

 

The main thing is, if a player only wants to pvp when in safety of numbers, or never do it, there is no mechanics that will force him to do it otherwise.

 

Omg, I lost one of five duras!! ALL HANDS, ABANDON THE SHIP! WE'RE DOOMED!! 

 

Maybe make it so that you can refill dura by capping other players which sail the same class like snow vs snow or whatever? Dunno, I think such people only need to get pushed into it like therapy lessons where they confront you with your phobias?? 

Edited March 21, 2016 by ValoWay

[Nelson Hornblower]

I'm new to the game as well and I'm enjoying my time with it. While on PVP 1 EU, I play as the US and know that if I want to see action, I can sail up to Cabo and get involved. But as I'm learning, I've set up shop down by Key West, hopping between the US ports and Key West, taking on NPCs, hunting for any lone traders (players) and trying my hand at crafting. 

 

Ideally I'd like to have my own Frigates and run around with those, but my near term goal is to build a shipyard and produce Snows for myself. That way if I lose 5 dura with my Snow, I already have another one ready to produce. 

 

This game is all about your expectation in what you get out of it. I successfully defeated a Cerebus in my Cutter the other day and was able to take on two Connies with a US Fleet near by (thought I had to quit early due to RL). But next, I may try to sail down to a Pirate or Spanish port and pick off some noobie trader like myself and see what happens. 

[Lucky Shot]

Omg, I lost one of five duras!! ALL HANDS, ABANDON THE SHIP! WE'RE DOOMED!! 

 

Maybe make it so that you can refill dura by capping other players which sail the same class like snow vs snow or whatever? Dunno, I think such people only need to get pushed into it like therapy lessons where they confront you with your phobias?? 

 

I'll explain my situation. I farmed PvE for 155 hours and recently started to play small battles. After leveling up crafting up to 25 I crafted an exceptional renommee with full fine permanent upgrades and full fine upgrades, totaling 7509 working hours, which translates in 7 waiting days, adding two more days because the first one had characteristics I didn't want (only 4 upgrades and Stiffness instead of speed). I dreaded every second while I was sailing towards the next mission or capturing the next merchant, so basically my first 155 hours of gameplay were a total pain. Now I'm playing small battles, the gameplay I'm experiencing Is staying in a formation as far away as the enemy as possible wile shooting long range and hoping to hit something. Not a lot of fun to be had, on top of that every time I join a small battle I risk losing 1 durability, possibly because bad matchmaking, that translates in four days wait time before I can play again assuming I have enough resources to straight out craft the ship, which I don't at the moment since in small battles you don't gain as much gold as you would by mindlessly farming the dreadful pve content. So what will happen when I'll inevitably lose my ship is that I'll have to go back to grind npc merchants in a basic cutter for god knows how long. Or better, what would happen if I was forced to play the game and since I'm not I'll just quit.

 

How many ships do you have? How much gold? Do you enjoy zerging ai fleets or capturing merchants?

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

You are trying to do everything on your own. You get spread out in time and effectiveness during that time.

 

For one the new economy/crafting system allows for 3 to 4 players to setup a ship building system that spews forth 1 or more ships everyday. Another one is if you are 100% combat you will make enough treasure to always buy new ships thus rendering yourself immortal.

 

I do not owe any production buildings. I simply make crafters happy.

 

I mostly do pvp in the open sea. I keep 5 outposts, 3 always in conflict areas, such as Ile-a-Vache, Island Harbour and given I had to dismantle Concepcion will have to think where to put it.

Screen fleets for the Port Battles, and privateering in the enemy nation's homeland. Missions not that often. I ceased all AI trader raids.

 

At this very moment I have ( 4 & 5 duras mix up ):

- 1 Renomee ( on loan to a friend )

- 1 Constitution ( with a second one being built today )

- 1 Surprise

- 1 Privateer

- 1 Frigate

- 1 Pirate Frigate

- 1 Cerberus

- 1 Belle Poule

- plus a couple of captured AI ships ( suprise and some other )

 

Past 7 - 14 days I effectively lost one full Constitution ( 2 port battles + 2 open sea combats ) and one full Suprise ( open sea skirmishes )

[Vernon Merrill]

So what you're saying is that you want the reward without any of the risk... You already have 5! tries with one ship to beat another. Good ideas have already been given to you. Find a group of friends to increase your odds of victory or, instead of sinking your opponent, capture him and treat that ship as a throwaway. Just because you got stifness instead of speed doesn't mean you will automatically lose in a matchup. Have some faith in your abilities and also realize that many people are pretty bad at PvP. And honestly, if you did lose your ship that you crafted, if you didn't make enough money in the (at least) 5 fights, or duras, then I don't know what to tell you. Yes, it takes a mindset change to be ok with losing a ship. I think having single duras would be terrifying. However, the mechanics are such that you should be able to afford another well-crafted ship by the time you lose your previous one. Fair winds and good luck!

[Lucky Shot]

So what you're saying is that you want the reward without any of the risk...

 

Nah, what I'm saying is that I just want to hop in and have a fun battle without being worried to have to spend more times grinding and waiting in order to have fun again if I get sunk. Actually I'd be fine if Small and Large Battles wouldn't reward a single coin.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Lucky Shot

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Nah, what I'm saying is that I just want to hop in and have a fun battle without being worried to have to spend more times grinding and waiting in order to have fun again if I get sunk. Actually I'd be fine if Small and Large Battles wouldn't reward a single coin.

 

Exactly what I do.

 

A Privateer is an excellent choice to go into harms way pvp and it is a meager 18k on the NPC traders, 5 durabilities.

 

One single successful engagement will make you prize 3 times its value.

 

* broad grin *