Outranking Bonus

[Kanazawai]

Hi,

i want to share an idea with you and hope no one else mentioned something like it before... if so, i'm sorry.

 

The idea is roughly based on a navyfield mechanic and quite simple: If you have a  "higher level than necessary you become better/get a bonus".

In navyfield it means: if you put lvl 10 gunners in a lvl 10 gun you're okay, the gun fires etc ...nice. But if you put a lvl 100 gunner in the same gun its accuracy and rate of fire gets a large boost.

 

Lets start with the reason. Any Change needs some sort of reason or a problem to solve why it should be implemented or else it is wasted time and effort.

 

The problem addressed here is, that you level through your ranks and ships and have no reason to go back and sail a smaller ship, because the "next lvl ship" is always better. I mean that's okay, because without this mechanic there would be no development. BUT: there are sooo many beautiful ships out there and its a shame, to not see them in the open world. Also, some people might prefer the playstyle of the smaller ships. (At the moment this isn't a big deal, but in theory eventually all players will become max rank)

 

The solution to this - okay, not really a solution, but the encouragement to use smaller ships again - is to give a little bonus for high level players, who switch back. Nothing game breaking, just a small advantage. 

At this point i'm quite open for other ideas, but i would suggest an "extra extra hammock" effect. So if you are rank 4 and have a rank 3 ship you get +1% crew. It you are rank 5 in a rank 3 ship you get +2% crew. Up to +5 ranks above the ship or +5%. This should bis cumulative with the extra hammocks module.

Why exactly this?

-> Because its only a small effect, but its sensible.

-> Smaller ships get an earlier/larger benefit, because you outrank them earlier, but at the same time get a smaller effect, because they have a smaller base crew.

-> The largest ships can't get a bonus.

-> It works in the same way as undercrewing, so it's some kind of constant.

-> It's most versatile:

     - You can use it with extra hammocks and get a large crew boost and with this an overall boost (sailing, shooting, survivability).

     - You can use it with extra hammocks and marines to improve the boarding.

     - you can use it instead of extra hammocks and gain an "extra" upgrade slot to maximise another aspect.

 

 

Okay, i hope i haven't missed anything.^^ ...and sorry for any mistakes or bad english... just realized how long it has been since my last english lesson in school.  

 

Now let me hear what you think about it.

[xAzDKr]

no. there's plenty of reason to move back to smaller ships.

 

Shallow water ships for shallow water ports, frigates for general pvp, SOL's for grinding, large PVP, and deep water port battles. 

[EricKilla]

I do like this idea a lot. The devs have said that the crew moves with the captain; thus as they spend more time with the captain as they rank up, the higher rank they become. A minor increase to firing statistics would be a nice reward for sailing a surprise or a trinc as a rear admiral or what not.

 

The problem addressed here is, that you level through your ranks and ships and have no reason to go back and sail a smaller ship, because the "next lvl ship" is always better.

 

I disagree with the assertation that the "next level ship is always better." This may be the case some in lower tiers (A Mercury is better than a privateer or what not), but frankly, it's like saying "A battleship is better than a destroyer." Each ship rate has a different role. 7th rates are traders and small commerce raiders. 6th rates are larger traders, commerce raiders, and shallow water brawlers. 5th rates are frigates. They are the cruisers of this game; they're fast, they're fairly well armed. They're good at hunting traders, escorting ships of the line, screening port battles, interdicting fleets and letting your fleet instead get the advantage. They can outrun bigger, nastier ships, and they are lethal in numbers. They are a veritable Swiss army knife, and are very useful in battles. Ships of the line, of course, are the most heavily armed, but they're slow, fat, and if caught alone, very vulnerable. Just because they have more armor, and more, bigger, guns does not mean they are the best ship in the game. It just means they fill one of many roles.

[jodgi]

Sceptical.

New guys need help and not even stronger vets.

[Slamz]

Sceptical.

New guys need help and not even stronger vets.

 

Agreed.

 

I could imagine a worst case scenario where newbies are actually yelled at even for attending shallow port battles, because their Mercury or Navy Brig is not as good as a max rank player's version of that ship and therefore they are encouraged to not attend.