I cannot do the first mission

[Smiling Jack]

Well done mate!  Right in the pickle barrel with that one...LOL

[Ned Loe]

Devs did not test system on Starting level ships? Ouch this will hurt new players.

[maturin]

Devs did not test system on Starting level ships? Ouch this will hurt new players.

I'm sure they tested, and found that beating a basic cutter is really easy for a competent player.

[victor]

I'm sure they tested, and found that beating a basic cutter is really easy for a competent player.

 

I'm not sure (but enough confident) that developers will not consider the average player of NA (and in particular a new player) as skilled as a competent player. Otherwise did they would fail big time in setting the overall difficulty of game contents.

Edited April 19, 2016 by victor

[Sir Robert Calder]

To be honest with you, I died in my first battle with the dreaded cutter even before the AI change. I didn't know how to even single fire my cannons then, thus I was guessing with my broadsides and eventually missed one too many times.

 

I can't imagine how it must be for newer players now.

[charognard666]

I'm not sure (but enough confident) that developers will not consider the average player of NA (and in particular a new player) as skilled as a competent player. Otherwise did they would fail big time in setting the overall difficulty of game contents.

 

May be cutter and repair kits are free in order to let noobs win some skill without any loss, even if they sunk 10 times before their first win ....

[Jean Ribault]

May be cutter and repair kits are free in order to let noobs win some skill without any loss, even if they sunk 10 times before their first win ....

 

That's my take too, there's nothing written that says every player must win every type of interface 100% of the time.  The learning curve might be steeper but there still needs to be one.  Eliminate the challenge and it becomes bland.  That said, I do see the other side of the coin - there are games I don't play much or at all because I can't gain any headway in them.  Glad there's a community here and factions to help a brother out.

[ironhammer500]

That's my take too, there's nothing written that says every player must win every type of interface 100% of the time.  The learning curve might be steeper but there still needs to be one.  Eliminate the challenge and it becomes bland.  That said, I do see the other side of the coin - there are games I don't play much or at all because I can't gain any headway in them.  Glad there's a community here and factions to help a brother out.

This should be more common at the higher levels, not straight out of the box. New players need to feel like they are succeeding in order to carry on playing the game, New players need instant gratification these days in order to feel a sense of achievement.

 

Later on can be more punishing as players grow accustomed to risk vs reward.

[Jean Ribault]

...New players need to feel like they are succeeding in order to carry on playing the game, New players need instant gratification these days in order to feel a sense of achievement....

 

 

Perhaps some.  I lost many a battle before figuring it out, and still stuck with it.  It's not an arcade game and I realize that.  Nonetheless it will get fine-tuned again in the future so maybe this is all a moot point anyway.

[Bordric]

I have been playing for about 3 days. Here was my progress.

 

1. Floated around confused a lot. Took missions died

 

2. Read Forums.

 

3. Started attacking lynx and cutter traders carrying illegal cargo.

 

4. Started boarding those traders for the gold I could get from the cargo.

 

5. Bought a Pickle and killed more traders (tried mission again had to run away)

 

6. After boarding several traders for gold and (I am a solo player) I gathered about 60K gold and I hired a cutter to add to my fleet the Cutter was far better than I expected. Easily defeat Privateers and most fleet actions and then I hired a second cutter and now missions are fairly easy and I should make Rank 3 Lt. tonight. Getting 67xp from mission and 50x from second mission, have not figured out how to get 3rd mission unless have to do one above rank. I can get 150xp sometimes from fleet action missions so I should hit 1000xp fairly fast tonight or tomorrow.

 

Awesome stuff and enjoying it a great deal. Took some reading and patience but not really that hard to get started in this game much easier than some I have played.

[Bramborough]

Congrats to OP & other new players this thread who persevered a bit and have found success.

 

Any brand new British-PvE players who may happen to roll through this thread: please feel free to seek me out for some assistance (same character name on PvE 1).  I'm not an experienced veteran; only been playing perhaps a month myself (hit Rank 6 M&C last night).  But I think I've got a handle on the basics and can effectively help out Rank 1-3 newcomers.  Note that I went through same process only a few weeks ago, in largely same version of the game currently in place (although admittedly pre-9.7).  

[Eishen]

Group with others at any chance.  More rewarding since yesterday hotfix changes on mission XP.  

[Capt Hornblower]

how exactly is this done?

 

the most important advice when it comes to the starter cutter is still missing here though:

 

Starter cutters come in random qualities. Search neighboring harbors till you find a free blue life oak cutter. 

They take a lot more damage than eg a green fir version.

 

Also mising: you can hire 2 AI cutters to help you. "Home", "Fleet" is where you find them.

 

As to the momentary difficulty: It is indeed to high for new players. Yesterday i did a little experiment: I took the free green cutter with 4pdr's any new player would have to take first and tried to do a r1 mission. 

I ended up against a privateer with more crew and better guns. Despite my r10 (highest rank in game currently and all from PvE) I was not able to beat that....