Officer Overhaul: A Complete and Thorough Proposal

[Captain Lord Cochrane]

This is a proposal to overhaul the entire officer system to something more realistic with more crucial choices.
 
You start out with 1 officer of your choice.
 
After a certain XP level you get another and so on until you have 5, you have 7 officers to choose from.
 
When you hire a new officer, you choose just two perks from the list, these can never be changed. Each perk chosen will then level up over time from level 1 to level 3. They will still have 10 lives.
 
                                       

                    Summary of officers and perks followed by their detailed breakdown
 
Master
Crack sailing teams
Mathematical Genius 
Secured Rations
Motivated Sailing Crew
Frigate Expert
Trader Expert
Ship of the Line Expert

Fore and Aft Expert
 
Gunner
Hopped up Powder Monkeys
Gunner’s Allowance
Ballistics Experts
Gunsmiths and Combat Medics
Carronade Master
Ready and Able
 
Purser
Astute Haggler
Lord Advocate
Labor Master
Charismatic Storyteller
 
Carpenter
Man of Action
Tool Hoarder
Ship Builder’s Apprentice
Sailing Crew Veteran
Yankee Ingenuity
European Tradition
 
Surgeon
Combat Veteran
Experimental Methods
Well Prepared
Naturalist
Occam’s Razor
Herbalist
 
Boatswain
Trim and Ballast Expert
Mystery Machine
Shipyard Connections
Carpenter’s Friend
 
Captain of the Marines
Disciplinarian
Sea Fencibles
Pirate Coast Veteran
Kentucky Rifleman
Indian Fighter
Former Pirate
 
 
 
                                         Officers and Perks Detailed                                        
 
 
 
Master:  The Master’s main duty was navigation, taking the ship’s position at least daily and setting the sails as appropriate for the required course and conditions. During combat, he was stationed on the quarterdeck, next to the captain. The master was responsible for fitting out the ship, and making sure they had all the sailing supplies necessary for the voyage.
 
 
Crack sailing teams
This Master has whipped his mast monkeys into select squads of the fastest ratline scramblers and they can get up, down and across all the spars to luff, furl and let fly at very rapid speed.
 
Level one: 3% yard speed, 3% sail movement speed
 
Level Two: 4% yard speed, 4% sail movement speed
 
Level Three: 5% yard speed, 5% sail movement speed
 
 
Mathematical Genius 
This Master is expert at learning the art of navigation and mapping and gets better with each voyage. If he dies in combat and this perk is selected again, it starts at level two, his young charges paid attention during his lessons and his legacy lives on (as long as the entire crew pool is not wiped out when he dies)
 
Level one: Give you coordinates that places you somewhere within one of the larger grid zones (the ones visible from the zoomed out position
 
Level Two: Coordinates within the smallest zone
 
Level Three: Exact Coordinates
 
 
Secured Rations
Part of the Master’s duties is the security of the ships alcohol. Only he and the Captain have the key to the drink locker. He has doubled the guard and set a rigid system of dispensing the rum and grog.
 
Level one: 1% less negative effect for grog and rum rations
 
Level Two: 2% less negative effect for grog and rum rations 
 
Level Three: 3% less negative effect for grog and rum rations
 
 
Motivated Sailing Crew
This officer has whipped his men into fine form, they especially excel at getting underway, which includes advanced techniques for unfurling the sails and raising the anchors. They can be moving several knots before the enemy is even underway.
 
Level one: 10% faster start at beginning of battle
 
Level Two: 20% faster start at beginning of battle
 
Level Three: 30% faster start at beginning of battle
 
Frigate Expert
This man has spent his whole life on frigates and has sailed on dozens of them. He knows this particular ships personality very well.
 
Level one: +.2 knots on when on a frigate
 
Level Two: +.3 knots on when on a frigate
 
Level Three: +.4 knots on when on a frigate
 
Traders Expert
This man has spent his whole life on traders and has sailed on dozens of them. He knows this particular ships personality very well.
 
Level one: +.2 knots on when on a trader
 
Level Two: +.3 knots on when on a trader
 
Level Three: +.4 knots on when on a trader
 
Ship of the Line Expert
This man has spent his whole life on SoLs and has sailed on dozens of them. He knows this particular ships personality very well, but don’t be silly, you can’t get more speed out of these tubs, but you can make them heel less.
 
Level one: -.5% heel knots on when on a SoL
 
Level Two: -1% heel knots on when on a SoL
 
Level Three: -1.5% heel knots on when on a SoL
 

 

Fore and Aft Expert
This man has grew up on privateers and as such knows how to sail almost straight into the wind.
 
Level one: +.2 knots on when on a Fore/Aft vessel
 
Level Two: +.3 knots on when on a Fore/Aft vessel
 
Level Three: +.4 knots on when on a Fore/Aft vessel
 
 
 
Gunner:
"The Gunner was the senior of any rated ship’s three “standing” warrant officers – along with the Boatswain and the Carpenter, that is to say one of the officers who theoretically remained with a ship throughout its life. In fact this was rarely so. In very small ships he often acted as an officer of the watch. As a Gunner, his responsibilities were considerable – the maintenance of all of the ship’s great guns and small arms, the powder magazines, and shot. In battle, his station was in the magazine, supervising the filling and issuing of cartridges to the guns. He would often be called upon for special jobs, laying guns personally for the captain, for example."
 
Hopped up powder monkeys
This Gunner feeds his monkeys coffee, rum and sugar sweets when a sail is sighted. He also makes sure they always have a good nights rest. They move cannon balls and shot like the devil himself is after them. Then they collapse after the battle.
 
Level one: 10% faster changing shot type if already loaded, 1% faster reload speed
 
Level Two: 30% faster changing shot type if already loaded, 2% faster reload speed
 
Level Three: 40% faster changing shot type if already loaded, 3% faster reload speed
 
 
Gunner's Allowance
This Gunner makes his gun crews contribute 10% of their pay to a fund to purchase extra shot for live fire exercises. The surgeon loathes this man, never having a quiet moment on board the ship due to the constant booming.
 
 
Level one: .5% faster reload rate, -3% dispersion per 100m
 
Level Two: 1% faster reload rate, -5% dispersion per 100m 
 
Level Three: 1.5% faster reload rate, -7% dispersion per 100m
 
 
Ballistics Expert
This Gunner keeps as many books on cannon ballistics as the surgeon keeps on the human body. He has a keen eye for selecting good powder when in port and knows the nuances of his cannons, selecting the optimum loads for their best performance.
 
 
Level one: +2% penetration all ammo, +5% damage for charged ammo
 
Level Two: +3% penetration all ammo, +7% damage for charged ammo
 
Level Three: +5% penetration all ammo, +10% damage for charged ammo
 
 
Gunsmiths and combat medics
This Gunner has a small team of men on the gundecks who are adept at fixing damaged and unseated cannons during battle and fashioning tourniquets and administering shots of rum and laudanum. Mitigating cannon loss and getting slightly wounded crew back into action until the battle is over is a high priority and can make the difference in the more brutal slugfests.
 
Level one: +10% cannon recovery and +10% gun crew recovery during repairs (they still count towards crew loss when battle ends)
 
Level Two: +20% cannon recover and +15% gun crew recovery during repairs (they still count towards crew loss when battle ends)
 
Level Three: +30% cannon recovery and +20% gun crew recovery during repairs (they still count towards crew loss when battle ends)
 
 
Carronade Master
This Gunner has spent many hours and much of his own money practicing and testing carronades and their performances under various loads
 
Level one: -3% dispersion on carronades
 
Level Two: -5% dispersion on carronades
 
Level Three: -7% dispersion on carronades
 
 
Ready and Able
This Gunner insists on loading cannons the moment a sail is sighted
 
Level one: -30% loading time at the beginning of battle
 
Level Two: -50% loading time at the beginning of battle
 
Level Three: -70% loading time at the beginning of battle
 
 
 
 
 
Purser: 
“The Purser was warranted by the Admiralty but did not require professional qualifications. However, some kind of financial surety was required. The duties were to oversee supply and issue of victuals, slops (clothes) and other consumables. The Purser was one of the five standing officers of the ship. If he was good he could make sure the ship's claims for prize money were higher than normal and could acquire deals in port.”
 
Astute Haggler
This Purser is silver tongued and through methods honorable and less honorable he is able to save money in port. He is also quite good at helping the Captain write up his post battle reports and is good at haggling with the Admiralty for prize money.
 
Level one: 1% discount on all goods purchased, +1% gold acquired from battles
 
Level Two: 3% discount on all goods purchased, +3% gold acquired from battles
 
Level Three: 5% discount on all goods purchased, +5% gold acquired from battles
 
 
Lord Advocate
The Purser has a close friend in the government who hands him favorable orders and generally watches out for his well being.
 
Level one: 5% more XP from missions, +5% gold acquired from missions
 
Level Two: 7% more XP from missions, +7% gold acquired from missions
 
Level Three: 10% more XP from missions, +10% gold acquired from missions
 
 
Labor Master
The Purser has experience in managing craftsmen and laborers and is able to help them operate more efficiently and ensures they are taken care of.
 
Level one: 5% more labor hours, +5% more resources harvested from forests, mines and farms
 
Level Two: 10% more labor hours, +10% more resources harvested from forests, mines and farms
 
Level Three: 15% more labor hours, +15% more resources harvested from forests, mines and farms
 
 
Charismatic Storyteller
The Purser can captivate a pub full of men with stories of his captain's exploits, making them willing to sign on for less money. He is also able to write convincing letters explaining why his ship should get first choice of available replacement crew from the Navy Board.
 
Level one: 5% discount on crew replacement when purchased at port
 
Level Two: 7% discount on crew replacement when purchased at port
 
Level Three: 10% discount on crew replacement when purchased at port
 
 
 
Carpenter: 
"The Carpenter was responsible for the maintenance of the hull and masts of the ship. He was unusual in that many passed most of their careers as civilian employees of the Navy Board in the dockyards and only partly as officers on ships. The majority qualified as shipwrights in the dockyards before going to sea. His duties in action included the plugging of shot holes and sounding the well to ensure the vessel was not taking on too much water and sinking. This rank was one of the five standing officers appointed to a ship."
 
Man of Action
This Carpenter is quick during crisis and keeps his team well positioned and expertly trained at plugging shot holes and making pump and rudder repairs during combat.
 
Level one: 1% more hull repair, +1% more module repair, 1% more water bailing
 
Level Two: 3% more hull repair, +3% more module repair, 3% more water bailing
 
Level Three: 5% more hull repair, +5% more module repair, 5% more water bailing
 
 
Tool Hoarder
This Carpenter keeps every tool he acquires and sends his crew out into harbor towns looking for rare and expensive tools of the trade. These allow him to do his work more efficiently as having the right tools for the job is half the battle.
 
Level one: 5% more repair from open world repair kits, 5% less costs to repair in port
 
Level Two: 7% more repair from open world repair kits, 7% less costs to repair in port
 
Level Three: 10% more repair from open world repair kits, 10% less costs to repair in port
 
 
Ship Builder's Apprentice
This man has years of experience in working in the shipyards and thus is able to oversee the building of his captain's new ship, finding ways to cut costs and do things more efficiently.
 
Level one: 5% less labor hours to craft planks, rudder parts, frame parts and to craft the final ship
 
Level Two: 10% less labor hours to craft planks, rudder parts, frame parts and to craft the final ship
 
Level Three: 15% less labor hours to craft planks, rudder parts, frame parts and to craft the final ship
 
 
Sailing Crew Veteran
This carpenter grew up working on the masts and yards and was trained by a legendary Bosun. He knows tricks of cables, rope and rigging that others do not
 
Level one: 5% more sail and mast HP,  5% more sail and mast repair
 
Level Two: 7% more sail and mast HP,  7% more sail and mast repair
 
Level Three: 10% more sail and mast HP,  10% more sail and mast repair
 
 
Yankee Ingenuity
This carpenter learned how to think outside the box while working in America in his youth. He can do some creative things with wood on the fly.
 
Level one: 5% more module repair
 
Level Two: 10% more module repair
 
Level Three: Ability to shift one top deck cannon (smallest size) to the bow or stern chaser position during combat on ships that do not have them
 
 
European Tradition
This carpenter was schooled in the ways of the European woodworkers and keeps his ship in excellent condition.
 
Level one: 10% more gold selling ship to the port
 
Level Two: 20% more gold selling ship to the port
 
Level Three: Ability to sell ships with less than full durabilities on the market
 
 
 
Surgeon: 
“The Surgeon was warranted to the ship by the Navy Board. They were the only medical officer on the ship and were assisted by one or more Surgeon's Mates (inferior warrant officers). They were responsible for the sick and injured, performing surgical operations as necessary and dispensed medicine. They were required to keep a journal of treatment and advised the Captain on health matters.”
 
Combat Veteran
This Surgeon has learned the bloody hard way methods and techniques of saving limbs, stopping blood loss and removing shot and splinters, and crucially knowing when a seaman cannot be saved and not wasting efforts better put to saving one who can.
 
Level one: 3% of crew instantly recovered after battle
 
Level Two: 5% of crew instantly recovered after battle
 
Level Three: 10% of crew instantly recovered after battle
 
 
Experimental Methods
This man has spent hours studying the radical ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment school of modern medicine and is not afraid to try them. He often has time to experiment with the moderately wounded when the ship is repairing and the cannons are not booming.
 
Level one: 5% crew recovered when a hull repair kit is used in battle
 
Level Two: 7% crew recovered when a hull repair kit is used in battle
 
Level Three: 10% crew recovered when a hull repair kit is used in battle
 
 
Well Prepared
This Surgeon personally oversees the stocking of medical supplies on board the ship and convinces the Captain that no expense be spared in acquiring medicine and medical tools.
 
Level one: 5% more crew from medkits
 
Level Two: 7% more crew from medkits
 
Level Three: 10% more crew from medkits
 
 
Naturalist
This Surgeon spends hours and hours reading about all forms of flora and fauna. He devises quite ingenious methods for catching fish, fowl, insects and mammals. Some of his fishing techniques have been picked up by an observant crew.
 
Level one: 15% more chance of catching valuable fish
 
Level Two: 25% more chance of catching valuable fish
 
Level Three: 30% more chance of catching valuable fish
 
 
Occam’s Razor
This Surgeon does not believe in superstitions and has a very calming effect on the crew. He explains phenomena and myths in ways that is believable and easy to understand. This virtually eliminates all cases of hysteria induced cowardice and hypchondria.
 
Level one: Recovers 10% more crew if using a medkit in port
 
Level Two: Recovers 15% more crew if using a medkit in port
 
Level Three: Recovers 20% more crew if using a medkit in port
 
 
Herbalist
This Surgeon hails from a hidden hut in Wales, or he was a mountain man from the Rockies, or was a village doctor in the Pyrenees, or a nomadic hunter in Northern Norway- at any rate he knows plants and has quite a few medicinal secrets.
 
Level one: Medkits crafted with 10 Historical Artifacts give 3% more crew
 
Level Two: Medkits crafted with 10 Historical Artifacts give 5% more crew
 
Level Three: Medkits crafted with 10 Historical Artifacts give 7% more crew
 
 
 
 
Boatswain:
“The Boatswain (usually referred to as Bosun) was responsible for rigging, cables, anchors, sails and boats. They were not eligible to command ships but could stand watches. The sailmaker and boatswain's mates were under the command of the boatswain. This rank was one of the five standing officers appointed to a ship.”
 
Trim and Ballast Expert
This Bosun has spent his free time studying the placement of ballast in the hold and the trimming of sails, he squeezes out the optimum performance from your ship.
 
Level one: -1 degrees heel, +.2 knots
 
Level Two: -2 degrees heel, +.4 knots
 
Level Three: -3 degrees heel, +.5 knots
 
Mystery Machine
No one quite knows how the inside of this man’s ships are larger than the outside. He manages to squeeze just about anything you can think of into the hold. This really comes in handy on smaller vessels.
 
Level one: 10% more room on trade ships
 
Level Two: 20% more room on trade ships
 
Level Three: 30% more room on trade ships
 
 
Shipyard Connections
This Bosun knows a few people at the shipyard where he once worked. He uses this to get good prices on things like planks, frame timbers and cables.
 
Level one: 10% cheaper repair kits purchased in port
 
Level Two: 20% cheaper repair kits purchased in port
 
Level Three: 30% cheaper repair kits purchased in port
 
 
Carpenters Friend
This Bosun has made good friends with the carpenter and they have pooled their knowledge and resources to take care of the ship more efficiently.
 
Level one: 20% less labor to craft repair kits
 
Level Two: 30% less labor to craft repair kits 
 
Level Three: 40% less labor to craft repair kits
 
 
 
Captain of the Marines:
“This man is in charge of the Marines aboard the ship and is responsible for their training in the use of personal arms such as firearms and swords. He selects the ones to be assigned to the tops as sharpshooters. Marines were outside the traditional naval hierarchy and answered specifically to the Captain of the Marines.”
 
Disciplinarian
This officer keeps his men under a short leash and as such they function as a more cohesive unit.
 
Level one: 2% boarding party bonus
 
Level Two: 3% boarding party bonus
 
Level Three: 4% boarding party bonus
 
Sea Fencibles
This man served in the British Sea Militia at one point and was able to convince the Captain to bring aboard a small contingent of his former friends to augment the marines.
 
Level one: 2% more marines
 
Level Two: 3% more marines
 
Level Three: 4% more marines
 
 
Pirate Coast Veteran
This man once served with the Russian navy fighting against Turks and Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean and as such has acquired some special methods for dealing with corsairs, buccaneers and other vermin. (If pirate skill is vs other nations)
 
Level one: 2% attack bonus versus pirates
 
Level Two: 3% attack bonus versus pirates
 
Level Three: 4% attack bonus versus pirates
 
 
Kentucky Rifleman
This man was born with a gun in his hand and was using it acquire food by age 10. Some say he can split a frog’s hair at 100 yards.
 
Level one: 2% bonus to muskets and pistols
 
Level Two: 3% bonus to muskets and pistols
 
Level Three: 4% bonus to muskets and pistols
 
 
Indian Fighter
This man spent many years fighting Indians in America before befriending a tribe of Creek who taught him the deadly ways of the axe.
 
Level one: 2% bonus to boarding axes
 
Level Two: 3% bonus to boarding axes
 
Level Three: 4% bonus to boarding axes
 
 
Former Pirate
Unbeknownst to his fellow crew, this man spent a few years under a different name raiding commerce in the Caribbean and learned from some hard to crack traders a good boarding defense.
 
Level one: 2% bonus to barricades
 
Level Two: 3% bonus to barricades
 
Level Three: 4% bonus to barricades

Edited July 5, 2016 by Captain Lord Cochrane

[LTCjRet]

Outstanding.

 

So, give three cheers, 

And one cheer more,

For the hardy author of the heretofore!!

 

​With requisite apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan, the Captain, officers, and other ranks of the HMS Pinafore.

[Vernon Merrill]

Yes. This X1000! Well done.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

I like how most of the perks are not inflated in their effects and range most, especially the combat ones, under the 5% mark.

 

Nice collection

[Vernon Merrill]

Agreed. It makes them useful "bumps"...not insta-win.

[Peter Fouche]

This is excellent! And it wont be really a re-work as such, you are still making use of the basic idea.

 

Maybe some perks could be added to the crew as well? Crew gain xp just like officers does higher lvl crew can get more perks. Perks are lost when experienced crew gets killed.

 

How the current system is, it feels more like a Captains perk than an officers perk.

[akd]

Some of the individual perks are a bit odd, and a few possibly unbalanced, but what you outline above is a much, much better approach to officers.

[Lytse Pier]

Excellent work! Using a system like this would greatly enhance the playstyle of the day for me and reflect my mood better to what I want to accomplish in the game that day. Pursers for doing a trade run, Gunners for some long gun sniping, etc.

 

I miss the Fisherman, though! 

Edited July 5, 2016 by Lytse Pier

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Agreed. It makes them useful "bumps"...not insta-win.

 

Exactly my thoughts. The small percentages means, at a math level, they will be able to change the tide spectacularly sometimes, hero stuff, but not in a consistent form as we have now.

[akd]

Excellent work! Using a system like this would greatly enhance the playstyle of the day for me and reflect my mood better to what I want to accomplish in the game that day. Pursers for doing a trade run, Gunners for some long gun sniping, etc.

No, you should not be able to swap officers out to reconfigure your ship on the fly like upgrades. You chose your officers and their perks and they follow you loyally wherever you go. That makes the choices truly meaningful, and supports a viable surrender system. Taken together (10x perks), These are powerful bonuses without negatives, so there must be an opportunity cost in your choices, and you must stake their lives equally with other players when you go into combat. If you don't like your "build," you can always dismiss and a hire a new officer to train up. It is the one thing that is right in the current officer implementation.

[Johny Reb]

Good job. You spent a lot of time coming up with this. I hope the devs pay attention.

 

I'd like to add my ideas here which could be incorporated into your ideas easily enough.

 

First:

The game needs something for players to continually strive for throughout the leveling process beyond simple Captain ranks. Officers should be acquired throughout the leveling process and not just automatic at the beginning of the game. How many cutters had a full slew of officers on board?

I could use some help with this but as a rough draft lets start with this.

 

Midshipman = Sailing master, Carpenter

Master and Commander = Gunner

Captain = Purser, Surgeon, Captain of Marines

 

Second:

Quality of Officers. Officers that are automatically given at the beginning of the game are lower quality officers. They could be coded as mods are. The difference between the mods and the Officers is a greater officer quality means more specialties that officers can acquire. The buffs from those specialties remain the same.

 

Third:

Acquiring Officers.

Assigned Officers: These would be the ones you begin with

Hiring Officers: Higher quality officers could randomly spawn in different ports for a limited time making hunting for them an activity.

Raising Officers: An option to train an officer up through your ranks. A PvP activity and a low percentage chance to gain a trained officer. The more pvp the more likely you are to get one.

[DeRuyter]

+1 Excellent post and suggestions!

 

I like following the historical ships officers and warrants as the starting point for in game officers. I had posted a list like this, abet not nearly as detailed or fleshed out, when the admin called for officer suggestions. Glad to see this in such detail.

 

 

I also like that the perk bonuses are not OP - and you have to rank them up.

[Lytse Pier]

No, you should not be able to swap officers out to reconfigure your ship on the fly like upgrades. You chose your officers and their perks and they follow you loyally wherever you go. That makes the choices truly meaningful, and supports a viable surrender system. Taken together (10x perks), These are powerful bonuses without negatives, so there must be an opportunity cost in your choices, and you must stake their lives equally with other players when you go into combat. If you don't like your "build," you can always dismiss and a hire a new officer to train up. It is the one thing that is right in the current officer implementation.

I'd be hard pressed to put my purser as officer on my Santisima.

[akd]

I'd be hard pressed to put my purser as officer on my Santisima.

 

Then you would have to weigh very seriously the benefits of having a loyal purser in your retinue versus the forsaken perks on another officer.  Even so, some of those purser perks could be hugely beneficial to a Santi captain.

[Lytse Pier]

Then you would have to weigh very seriously the benefits of having a loyal purser in your retinue versus the forsaken perks on another officer.

The proposal is for 5 officers within time, with a choice from 7 types.

Or did I misunderstood?

Edited July 5, 2016 by Lytse Pier

[akd]

The proposal is for 5 officers within time, with a choice from 7 types.

Or did I misunderstood?

I understand it to mean that from 7 officers you must chose 5 to have in your retinue.  For those 5 officers, you must pick 2 perks from the list available.  Officers will accrue experience as you play, gain ranks in their perks, but almost must be risked in combat.  If you have powerful non-combat perks on an officer that can be left off of your ship for combat, then that officer will simply never be risked.  Hiring a purser and then putting him on and off a ship sitting in port each time you want to craft or buy something is not a meaningful opportunity cost decision, and is arguably just an annoying management task that must be repeated over and over again.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

I understand it to mean that from 7 officers you must chose 5 to have in your retinue.  For those 5 officers, you must pick 2 perks from the list available.  Officers will accrue experience as you play, gain ranks in their perks, but almost must be risked in combat.  If you have powerful non-combat perks on an officer that can be left off of your ship for combat, then that officer will simply never be risked.  Hiring a purser and then putting him on and off a ship sitting in port each time you want to craft or buy something is not a meaningful opportunity cost decision, and is arguably just an annoying management task that must be repeated over and over again.

 

This almost works as a "career" maker. With some of us wanting a more Admiralty oriented career in the fighting navy and others probably wanting to go down a Merchant Navy path, etc.

[Vernon Merrill]

True, it should be all about picking which combination of warrant officers suit your playing style. Should it not?

[Rikard Frederiksen]

Two things. I sail in small ships by choice and specialise in using them. As such the Master should have a perk to reflect the smaller, unrated ships, or at least the Frigate one should be expanded to cover 5th Rates and smaller, whils the SoL perk would of course cover 4th-1st Rates. Secondly, I feel 'Mystery Machine' should have its name changed to 'Doctor of Space', as a nudge & a wink to a rather popular BBC character.

 

Overall, I like the time, thought, and effort you've put into this, and salute you.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Rikard Frederiksen

[Captain Lord Cochrane]

Thank you gentlemen for taking the time to read and feedback.

 

Suggestions for raising/lowering bonuses welcome. The overall approach was to take care that no stacking of perks could occur to make it become magic, but I might have missed something.

[Captain Lord Cochrane]

Two things. I sail in small ships by choice and specialise in using them. As such the Master should have a perk to reflect the smaller, unrated ships, or at least the Frigate one should be expanded to cover 5th Rates and smaller, whils the SoL perk would of course cover 4th-1st Rates. Secondly, I feel 'Mystery Machine' should have its name changed to 'Doctor of Space', as a nudge & a wink to a rather popular BBC character.

 

Overall, I like the time, thought, and effort you've put into this, and salute you.

 

 

I certainly can add one for fore and aft vessels. With this method any officer can have even a dozen perks, you still get to choose but two.

 

Mystery machine is a nudge and a wink to the American cartoon Scooby Doo, wherein their van the Mystery Machine could somehow accommodate all sort of shenanigans including chase scenes, but Doctor of Space has a wonderful ring to it and more people may get the reference.

 

Update: Small vessel perk added

Edited July 5, 2016 by Captain Lord Cochrane

[tipsypo]

sounds interesting

regarding the suggestions about the smaller vessels being given an perk to the master and the "fore aft expert" one being added to fill that, so does the Rattlesnake, Brig and Snow come under the Frigate perk?

Edited July 5, 2016 by tipsypo

[Rikard Frederiksen]

Mystery machine is a nudge and a wink to the American cartoon Scooby Doo, wherein their van the Mystery Machine could somehow accommodate all sort of shenanigans including chase scenes, but Doctor of Space has a wonderful ring to it and more people may get the reference.

Ah, of course. I'm afraid I last watched Scooby Doo over 23 years ago, hence why it did not fully spring to mind.

 

I do hope the developers give credence to your ideas, as they're what I'd really like to see done with officers. I do wonder whether the number of officer slots could be limited by the size of the ship and modules. To whit, as a very basic, rough idea:

• 7th Rate: 1 Officer
• 5th-6th Rate: 2 Officers
• 4th Rate: 3 Officers
• 3rd Rate: 4 Officers
• 1st-2nd Rate: 5 Officers

If we're going to retain modules such as Extra Hammocks, then perhaps the higher quality levels could give you an additional officer slot. So an exceptional quality one would grant you an increase in crew and +1 Officer. Or maybe a lower level quality could. Maybe that might be over-egging the pudding, but it is something I'd like to see.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Rikard Frederiksen

[Jeheil]

Fantastic effort and very much the sort of thing I am looking forward to. Would like to see some 'national' perks thrown in there somehow and the ability to have more than one of each type of officer under my command. I want a different crew to man my mortar brig than my Santi than my trader.

[Random]

Both Captain Lord Cochrane and Rikard Frederiksen have beaten me to the punch as I was preparing to post similar suggestions that I was mulling over in my head the last few days. The few minor changes that I would add to the proposed system would be to have a total of 7 officers that could be hired (with number of officers available increasing with player's level and with the cost of hiring an officer increasing similar to the outposts). I would also suggest that all 7 officers can be hired but the number of officers on each ship should be limited by available "officer quarters" that could be added as a ship build and would increase officers' slots but slightly decrease crew (for balance). Only officers who are currently equipped would gain experience and it would be split equally among them so that the more officers one has, the longer it would take for them to level up. Other than that, I believe that the aforementioned gentlemen have proposed a fantastic system that I would wholeheartedly support and promote.