Sail Ho or Sail No

[Wilson09]

Just listeniing to this song (see below) while sailing a TRADER home (afk sailing) and while typing on the forum.

 

Sure, this might have been discussed before, but if so again:

 

As trading was my bread an butter early in the game, I still love sailing good cargo safely home.

 

commenting recent changes:

So, teleport with cargo went = GREAT

AI fleet in for trade protection = GREAt

 

Still:

No one can expect me sailing a ship home for 30 min (or even more) three times in a row and permanently check the horizon,

turning and clicking the mouse round in circles. So, I do AFK sailing, recently I get caught sometimes due to my habit "afk sailing".

 

So, my ideas on this. I am an "armchair general", but PRETEND being a CAPTAIN. A CAPTAIN is sitting in his cabin and writes on his log,

he makes plans, he is NOT looking out, there is 1 sailor being appointed to the lookout and this is never the captain.

 

He has got more important things to do, like pleasing his wife or DO THE DAMN KITCHEN !!!

 

I´ve never been a big fan of increased OW speed, another problem solving method would be

to make AFK sailing more convenient !

 

Give me a SAIL AHOY warning IN GAME !

 

How? At least a BIG noise after an ENEMY TAG or (best !) if an ENEMY ship is in sight some sailor shouts SAIL AHOY !

This will awake every captain and the armachair general runs out of the kitchen back to the NA!!!

 

Only chance I see for the game to make it accesible for the casual with a spare 1-3h per day.....

 

Edited July 19, 2016 by Wilson09

[maturin]

I think it should look like this:

 

Click the Lookout's Warning button. The next time another ship becomes visible, there is an audible warning. But ONLY the next time.

 

 

That means that when you are sailing through empty waters for hours on end, you will be warned about an unexpected sail. But the warning has to be manually reenabled each time.

 

So for AFK sailing along the coast of Hispaniola, the frequent NPC traffic will render the warning quite useless, with false positives every few minutes.

[akd]

I see zero reason to make AFK sailing safer.

[Wilson09]

The reason is, it is not giving me a Pirate captain feel.

I am sleeping in my hammock or either are in my captains cabin. But I will never be a simple sailor being in the lookout !

 

I need time to react to a SAIL ahoy, refit the ship, make a decision to drop cargo to lift speed in order to escape and so on......

 

If you have "realism" in the battle, and like 2 hours sailing to escape, why do I need 2 hours strict attention infront of the screen ?

 

Anyone, who wants to have a chance for "relaxed" money making, will go for the trading.

 

Not so, if you have no Sail ho !

[Prater]

In NA you are more than the captain.  You are also the helmsman, the gunner, the gun captain, the navigator, and so on.

[Æthlstan]

The captain could perform and did perform all these functions. In the Royal navy, it was the Captain's duty to instruct his midshipmen on all aspects of sailing a ship.

 

All officers were once midshipmen, and all officers knew, with varying proficiency, how to do everything necessary to sail a vessel.

 

Captains didnt do everything, they delegated. They had more important things to worry about sometimes than the mundane operations of their ship and only stepped in when it was necessary.

[Captiva]

I am in agreement with Wison09. If you've read any age of sail book or have watched any age of sail movie, then you are well aware that Captains spend a fair amount time in their cabin or below deck while at sea.

 

If Wilson09 or any other player wishes to turn his chair, prop up his feet and read a good book to kill time during long voyages (AFK sailing) couldn't this be looked upon in the same way as the Captain of a ship retiring to his cabin? I believe so. Wouldn't that Captain then be alerted by his crew of any impending danger? Yes, of course he would. 

 

Earlier this Spring I suggested that a 'Drum Beat to Quarters' cadence be activated, accompanied by a bosun's whistle, when a player comes under attack. This would alert the player to return to his duties as Captain. The alterative to this alert is the sound of the first broadside fired into the AFK players defenseless ship. That seems very unrealistic to me.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Captiva

[Wilson09]

In NA you are more than the captain.  You are also the helmsman, the gunner, the gun captain, the navigator, and so on.

Basically, yes and no.

 

No, because imagine CLICKING giving commands,

 

click+key = fire broadside (auto loading)

click+key = sails

click+key = crew assignment

...

So, no CLICK for the lookout?

WATCH OUT MAN !???

[maturin]

 

I see zero reason to make AFK sailing safer.

 

What is the benefit to gameplay here, besides the ability of people to make an easy prize of the chronically bored? Because it's objectively unrealistic. How many ships were captured without making any attempt to flee?

 

 

Are you really all such gankers at heart that you oppose a concept that might give you some decent sport?

[Wilson09]

What is the benefit to gameplay here, besides the ability of people to make an easy prize of the chronically bored? Because it's objectively unrealistic. How many ships were captured without making any attempt to flee?

 

 

Are you really all such gankers at heart that you oppose a concept that might give you some decent sport?

 

I dont get the point? The benefit of a lookout Sail Ahoy gives me a change to walk around in my house

(go underdeck, my house is my SHIP) and gives me a HEAVY incentive to do MORE trading as many are being PUT OFF trading because of the boring sailing.

 

You do it once, great, twice, okay, you get bored after the 100th time sailing from A to B. Result:

I don´t trade due to lack of time. As gankers are near Mortimer Town nearly all the time, you get caught AFK sailing.

So, I dont trade. I would trade and face the risk if I could relax sailing and not permanently looking around.

 

Another look at:

Why the heck DO so many players do FISHing? Allows them to stay ingame and be SAFELY AFK !!!!

(with having some purpose, fishing for bottles...)

 

Furthermore, I´d love to sail a ship to waters far more away, I am just being put off facing a 3h trip on a valuable ship.....I cannot be afk....

[Prater]

What is the benefit to gameplay here, besides the ability of people to make an easy prize of the chronically bored? Because it's objectively unrealistic. How many ships were captured without making any attempt to flee?

 

 

Are you really all such gankers at heart that you oppose a concept that might give you some decent sport?

 

 

There is already no sport because a trader lynx can defensive tag and keep you out of hitting him.  Without a warning you can actually get them into combat and then they have to try to run, and if they have coward, have a good chance of getting away anyway.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Offtopic: Please santa claus do not, under any circumstance, offer a VR immersion set to any of these fine people. They will never disconnect from the game because... no idea. "Let's play AFK episode one".

 

Ontopic: Nope. Playing the game without playing is not playing the game. Do you play or what ? If a raider is constantly looking for sails on the horizon the prey has to constantly monitor the horizon for sails. It is a game and you won't get anything for being an afk runt.

[maturin]

There is already no sport because a trader lynx can defensive tag and keep you out of hitting him.  Without a warning you can actually get them into combat and then they have to try to run, and if they have coward, have a good chance of getting away anyway.

Traders can't defensive tag much of anything because of BR difference.

[akd]

I am in agreement with Wison09. If you've read any age of sail book or have watched any age of sail movie, then you are well aware that Captains spend a fair amount time in their cabin or below deck while at sea.

If Wilson09 or any other player wishes to turn his chair, prop up his feet and read a good book to kill time during long voyages (AFK sailing) couldn't this be looked upon in the same way as the Captain of a ship retiring to his cabin? I believe so. Wouldn't that Captain then be alerted by his crew of any impending danger? Yes, of course he would.

Earlier this Spring I suggested that a 'Drum Beat to Quarters' cadence be activated, accompanied by a bosun's whistle, when a player comes under attack. This would alert the player to return to his duties as Captain. The alterative to this alert is the sound of the first broadside fired into the AFK players defenseless ship. That seems very unrealistic to me.

This is a PvP game. You are asking for the AI to play the game for you while you are AFK to detriment of a player who is actively playing game and searching the horizon for enemies. There are very few areas where player skill can be vested in a sailing game, and one of those is situational awareness. You have direct control over the most important aspects of combat: finding the enemy, maneuvering against the enemy, destroying or escaping the enemy. This is not a management game.

That said, if it were implemented as a officer perk with % chance of failure based on range and light conditions rather than something automatic, I would be okay with it, as the more active player would still have the advantage.

[Prater]

Traders can't defensive tag much of anything because of BR difference.

 

They can defensive tag all the ships that can actually catch them.

[maturin]

They can defensive tag all the ships that can actually catch them.

Trader's Brig and Trader's Snow are faster than frigates?

 

And it's not enough to be faster. So long as you spawn within chaser range, your are dead (if the pursuer is competent).

 

So you either counter-tag or you lose.

[akd]

Trader's Brig and Trader's Snow are faster than frigates?

 

And it's not enough to be faster. So long as you spawn within chaser range, your are dead (if the pursuer is competent).

 

So you either counter-tag or you lose.

 

No one sails in Trader Brigs or Trader Snows any more.  It is either trader lynx / cutter or LGV / Indiaman.  In those cases, what Prater said applies in most situations.  And nothing with chasers can catch trader lynx / cutter, your only chance for those is either a close tag or massive gank (and coward trait just makes this worse).

[Prater]

I'm fine with the ring once and reset as long as traders can no longer defensive tag or attack.  However, if they can attack, then there shouldn't be something to help them out so they can get the perfect defensive tag.

[maturin]

 

 

your only chance for those is either a close tag or massive gank (and coward trait just makes this worse).

No defensive tag = close tag

[Elric]

If there was a mini-map always present in the lower right similar to the battle map, it could show any ships in the surrounding area.

[Captiva]

I want to make it clear that the 'Drum Beat to Quarters' alert would only trigger if the player is attacked, not every time sails appear on the horizon.

 

Weeks ago, when most US ports were captured, I made four round trip smuggling voyages to Bermuda and secret island. Not once did I encounter enemy ships. That's approximately an hour and a half of looking into a computer monitor...one way!​  Being alerted by my crew if, and only if, I was attacked would have given me the opportunity to, oh I dunno, read the latest NA Forum posts on my laptop or simply give my weary eyes a break while sailing for over an hour.

 

It's realistic - historical - and honestly, doesn't give any grossly unfair advantage to anyone, because the attacker still has the ability to sneak up real close to the AFK player before he initiates the attack. The AFK player is simply alerted by his crew of the situation when it occurs so he may prepare for battle.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Captiva

[Wilson09]

Exactly Captiva. That is the point.

 

One need to bear in mind, that many players are put off BECAUSE of the sheer "boredom" sailing and sailing again, when nothing is happening. 

Usually, how many times do you get tagged on as a trader. Not very often? 

ONCE every 6 hours??????

 

That is the reason, why players have been calling for INCREASE of travelling speed in the OW.

This is not possible, due to technical reasons.

 

So, you cannot expecct me to hang around for 90 minutes with absolutely NOTHING to do, than starring at a blank screen.

Fishing or catching a sealed bottle will not help.

 

So, I hop into the kitchen to do something useful in the meantime.

 

AFK playing. At least I sail, 10% or even more of the Pirates are being AFK in the safe Home waters fishing.

 

This is AFK playing.

 

Not sailing.

 

Cheers

Wilson

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

90 minutes...

 

That's a trade run from Charleston to Kingston, or from Mortimer to Gustavia.

 

Damn !!!!....

[Captiva]

Ok, then lets take the letters AFK out of the discussion and simply say that we would support the inclusion of a 'Drum Beat to Quarters' alert when we come under attack. It happened in real life, it is historically correct, and would add to the realism of the game.

[Wilson09]

90 minutes...

 

That's a trade run from Charleston to Kingston, or from Mortimer to Gustavia.

 

Damn !!!!....

 

90 minutes ?

 

Oh boy, I am going to test this....maybe you assume perfect winds all the time.

 

I put my money on this....Mortimer - Gustavia > 90 minutes....and yes if the captain is sleeping in the cabin,

he is not able to give orders to set sails into the wind correctly...