TRUE PIRATE LIFE - Ideas for a more historical PIRATE system

[Wolfram Harms]

TRUE PIRATE LIFE - Ideas for a more historical PIRATE system

A]    PIRATES never had provinces and well-visible port towns in real life - PIRATES had hiding places.
    So, after the wipe, the areas and ports for PIRATES could be NEUTRAL ports, which everybody
    could use, but in which ONLY PIRATES could build BUILDINGS - not every BUILDING perhaps -
    maybe special PIRATE-typical BUILDINGS. I call them NEUTRAL/ PIRATE PORTS in the further.

    Once a NEUTRAL/PIRATE PORT would be used by a high enough number of PIRATES,
    it would become VISIBLE - now it's colour would change from NEUTRAL to PIRATE PORT.
    From this point on, the port would be known to all NATIONS, and could be port-battled.
    PIRATES would have PORT BATTLES this way.
    If the NATIONS suddeeded in the PORT BATTLE, all PIRATE WAREHOUSES and docked ships
    would be lost for them, and the port would change to a NEUTRAL / PIRATE PORT
    again, until the whole repeated.
    If the PIRATES succeeded in the PORT BATTLE, they would have the chance to either move
    all their goods to another, yet "secret" NEUTRAL / PIRATE PORT - or they could stay and try
    to defend this PIRATE PORT against further attacks. But maybe PIRATES should never have
    more than 3 - 5 such visible PIRATE PORTS, to keep it historically close enough.

    PIRATES should NOT be able to conquer a whole region / province. But maybe they should be
    able to PORT-BATTLE single ports, and thereby turn them into NEUTRAL / PIRATE PORTS?
    These could be used like described above, until re-conquered by NATIONS.

B]    It may be hard for PIRATES to make any prey. But it is not good for NAVAL ACTION to have
    fake and very bad tricks going on to help the PIRATES survive.
    After all, PIRATE life was, what it was - they were hunted, and they were mostly operating single,
    and they were hiding a lot.
    PIRATE life maybe only for the best among the NAVAL ACTION players.
    It IS hard to survive as a PIRATE - and it SHOULD be. All NATIONS definitely had stronger
    forces, and many more ships. Let the PIRATES make the best of it.
    THEN they can be proud of being true PIRATES.
    
    What is an EXTREMELY UNSATISFYING SITUATION is, that PIRATES can hide in MISSIONS,
    and stay in BATTLE SCREENS as long as they want. They only have to kill the newbie, who is
    training in that MISSION, and then they can stay inside. Via TeamSpeak they can communicate
    with one ship outside the MISSION, and hop out if there is any prey - or just to run home.
    They might as well have 'wormholes' - "beam me up, Scotty!"
    We all know, this is so BADLY UNREALISTIC, that it should be eliminated. Even the PIRATES
    themselves know and feel, that this is EXTREME CHEATING. And even if the same tricks could
    be used by NATIONS - it remains something VERY UNREALISTIC.
    So please - remove that; it only annoys hundreds of players.
    
I really hope that the devs do read our proposals, and that they may consider these thought, which I have
developed after talking to many other players of NAVAL ACTION.

 

[AfkSailor]

Add to that TRUE NATIONAL LIFE as well

Remove crafting SOLs replaced by some sort of national only admiralty system.  You have to earn the right to commission a SOL through raising hostility, port battles, and protecting your home waters.  You can request your SOL make at your nations capital and once you earn your commission you can pick it up at your capital. Through a hidden leaderboard system only 1 or 2 players from each nation would be able to commission a first rate. If captured by other players, you must reapply and there is a possibility of your commission being taken away by the admiralty office.

[Werewolf]

All pirates should be limited to a basic cutter, with half crew! There, fixed.

[Sir Texas Sir]

1 hour ago, Werewolf said:

All pirates should be limited to a basic cutter, with half crew! There, fixed.

and we will still be OP

[Bacchreus]

I like the OP's points and think they'd b e a great addition. In addition to those ideas I'd also like to see pirates unable to craft ships above 4th rates. They can certainly own, capture and buy 1st - 3rd rates but crafting them should be limited to the nations which would bring it in line more historically. In compensation I'd like to see the Pirates get some special raid mechanic allowing them to take a random percentage of an enemy ports current shop stocks and any player warehouses in that port. It would also be nice if the nations only get partial use out of this mechanic. For example only allowed to raid a nation you are currently at war with.

Adding some sort of letter of Marque gameplay available only to pirates that lets them be allied to a nation for a limited period of time, something like 2 or 3 weeks just like the alliance system currently. This should be up to each individual pirate and not the pirate nation as a whole.

I'd also like to see 1st and 2nd rates only be craftable by players. There should be no AI 1st and 2nds sailing around - those ships were very rare. AI fleets should have at best 1 or 2 3rd's with some frigates.

In the same vein to make Lineship Port battles more varied there should be a limit on class numbers in any port battle fleet. For example due to the rarity of 1sts and 2nds there should be only 5 slots available for each 1st and 2nd rate. I'd then like to see 12 slots for 3rds and 3 slots for 4th or lower rates. This would make port battles much more like all the major engagements during the age of sail. It would also mean the 1st and 2nds are critical ships in the battle and the 4ths would be great at flanking and outmaneuvering the enemy.

[Rychu Karas]

I stopped reading after words "more historical "

we dont need fakin historical, we need more playable. EVERYTHING in this game should be more PLAYABLE. not shitty and boring as historical. Historical how often fight happened to the pirate sloop? once a month? or even not?

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

A suggestion regarding historical pyracy without any appropriate historical fact and background and specifically written down and tied to game mechanics, because let's pull the historical card when it is convenient...

... right...

Please tell me, how many buccaneers were de facto in the sacking of Cartagena ? That's right, over 2000.

Please tell me, wasn't Charleston barred from all shipping going in and out of the harbor by three pirate ships ?

In a matter of two weeks, in Newfoundland large dozens of ships were prized by a pirate fleet. On top of that most of the cargo was bought by the same officials in Boston which bought from the fishermen, only this time they got it at a 1/9th of the value.

 

Yes. Pyracy has no rules, just opportunities.

[Mrdoomed]

The last patch confirmed that pirates are going to be just another faction with a bit harder time of playing.

After wipe our clan is going french  (if we stay on a english speaking server) or US otherwise . 

We can actually be real pirates playing a nation better than by staying pirate nation.

[Anne Wildcat]

2 hours ago, Mrdoomed said:

The last patch confirmed that pirates are going to be just another faction with a bit harder time of playing.

After wipe our clan is going french  (if we stay on a english speaking server) or US otherwise . 

We can actually be real pirates playing a nation better than by staying pirate nation.

Come over to PVP1. Less pirate conquest.

I like pirates because I have no allies, can attack anyone.  The only faction for which this is true. Everyone else seems to want to be friends with everyone.

The downside for the last patch is that to craft ships, pirates are pushed into conquest.

 

[Wolfram Harms]

34 minutes ago, Anne Wildcat said:

Everyone else seems to want to be friends with everyone.

Naw, we're not as tame as that - we like to have SOME enemies. And then there are always the Pirates!

(But in your case, I'd make an exception, Anne!... )

[Sir Texas Sir]

16 hours ago, Mrdoomed said:

The last patch confirmed that pirates are going to be just another faction with a bit harder time of playing.

After wipe our clan is going french  (if we stay on a english speaking server) or US otherwise . 

We can actually be real pirates playing a nation better than by staying pirate nation.

I told you that Danish flag looks sexy.  I think if i was to go back to national and it prob will be when the game goes live or they do a merge It would prob be Danish.   Just can't do French, I don't drop my guns and never run.  I tried US and Spanish and just refuse to go back to US.   

I'll be honest I just been logging in to do econ this week.  Going to wait until this next patch comes out to really decide if I stick with being a full time player instead of just logging in to test things like I was the first part of the year.  Think I might of kinda got burned a little bit.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

There is no limitation for anyone wanting to play historical piracy.

If any player wants to do it is just a state of mind.

Force yourself to use historical pyrate options. Proper ships as recorded, schooners, sloops, brigs... Play for the maximum profit per crewman. Try to stay alive as much as you can with the same ship.

Is there anything in the game that blocks a pirate nation player to do what I mention above ?

[Mrdoomed]

9 hours ago, Sir Texas SIr said:

I told you that Danish flag looks sexy.  I think if i was to go back to national and it prob will be when the game goes live or they do a merge It would prob be Danish.   Just can't do French, I don't drop my guns and never run.  I tried US and Spanish and just refuse to go back to US.   

I'll be honest I just been logging in to do econ this week.  Going to wait until this next patch comes out to really decide if I stick with being a full time player instead of just logging in to test things like I was the first part of the year.  Think I might of kinda got burned a little bit.

I just remind myself that at this time in history France was ruling the world exept some crappy little island that lost a,war to a colony hahaha.

Thats how i choose to think of France .

[Mrdoomed]

3 hours ago, Hodo said:

On a side note, as much flak as the French get for surrendering I have a great deal of respect for the French Soldier and sailor. 

They often are great troops, highly motivated, well trained, and determined.  But are often undermined by poor leadership and horrible infrastructure.    During the Napoleonic War, the French navy was handicapped by the loss of most of its experienced admirals, due to the purge of nobility.   During WWII the French Army was crushed by poor leadership from the generals who were still stuck in a WWI frame of thought.   In every case the French soldier/sailor was given the utmost respect from their opponents.

The french have always suffered under poor leadership it seems. Even in  medieval times they lost with superior forces, weapons, calvary etc and ww1 and 2 hahahahahahaha. It took a corsican who hated france to lead them to take over most of the world 

 

[Naughty Nancy O'Malley]

here's my two dubloons:  everyone is crying about the pirates.  i heard things like 'there never was a pirate nation" or "pirates shouldn't be able to have ships of the line."  Well, its just a fictisious nation for people to play that makes the game more interesting.  To all those - it isn't reality people, then give up your santi's and connies - and give up all the cool tools you have that tell you where in the world all the stuff is at....  riddle me this, how many victory's, connie's, and santi's were running around the carribean?  I'm pretty sure there wasn't 1 in every garage.

So to you I say, let us have our fun and you can have your fun.

[Wolfram Harms]

11 hours ago, Naughty Nancy O'Malley said:

...everyone is crying about the pirates...
...  riddle me this, how many victory's, connie's, and santi's were running around the carribean?  I'm pretty sure there wasn't 1 in every garage.

So to you I say, let us have our fun and you can have your fun.

Good point about the many VICTORIES and SANTIS, Nancy, and if a game could have each ship only once - I'd be all for this version.
But unil gaming will reach that far horizon, we will have to make do with this.

I really wonder why some PIRATES always attack my suggestions with words like "...everyone's crying about the PIRATES...".

No, I'm not. I actually think, that the situation is not too much fun for the Pirates right now.
You just didn't seem to get it - I wanted to lift PIRATE life to a much more Pirate-like, more interesting, more thrilling level.
I would love to see a PIRATE life, that might make me want to become a PIRATE myself, if I should get bored with NATION play.

 

Edited November 26, 2016 by Olham

[Sir Texas Sir]

5 hours ago, Olham said:

Good point about the many VICTORIES and SANTIS, Nancy, and if a game could have each ship only once - I'd be all for this version.
But unil gaming will reach that far horizon, we will have to make do with this.

I really wonder why some PIRATES always attack my suggestions with words like "...everyone's crying about the PIRATES...".

No, I'm not. I actually think, that the situation is not too much fun for the Pirates right now.
You just didn't seem to get it - I wanted to lift PIRATE life to a much more Pirate-like, more interesting, more thrilling level.
I would love to see a PIRATE life, that might make me want to become a PIRATE myself, if I should get bored with NATION play.

 

The main thing is they need to get the National stuff in order.  Than once that is done than lets get us some cool pirate mechanics so we aren't just another nation.

[Naughty Nancy O'Malley]

Comments directed to the wider audience - not Mr. Olham.  The Devs should be looking for everyone to have fun - its a game after all.  Maybe, just thinking wild thoughts here, the devs should decide if this is a naval action simulator or a carribean simulator or what it is - because it is becoming less interesting - example 1800 people on line to 350 people on line over a MAJOR US HOLIDAY.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

10 minutes ago, Sir Texas SIr said:

The main thing is they need to get the National stuff in order.  Than once that is done than lets get us some cool pirate mechanics so we aren't just another nation.

This.

For us lovers of sandbox liberty, we make our own gameplay and force ourselves to play as credible as possible without the need of mechanics to enforce it.

[Angus McGregor]

8 minutes ago, Naughty Nancy O'Malley said:

Comments directed to the wider audience - not Mr. Olham.  The Devs should be looking for everyone to have fun - its a game after all.  Maybe, just thinking wild thoughts here, the devs should decide if this is a naval action simulator or a carribean simulator or what it is - because it is becoming less interesting - example 1800 people on line to 350 people on line over a MAJOR US HOLIDAY.

I hope that a significant number of people are just doing what I'm doing - only logging on to take care of economy / resource matters and checking to see if a new patch is available for testing.

It's unfortunate the patch wasn't ready for the big US holiday but it would have really tanked everyone's opinion of the devs if it had been unstable.

[Sir Texas Sir]

On 11/16/2016 at 10:17 AM, Anne Wildcat said:

Come over to PVP1. Less pirate conquest.

I like pirates because I have no allies, can attack anyone.  The only faction for which this is true. Everyone else seems to want to be friends with everyone.

The downside for the last patch is that to craft ships, pirates are pushed into conquest.

 

That last part is really why they need to get raids up and working and than they can make that a Pirate thing so they don't have to do conquest and can only work out of there free ports, certain ports (like kid islands should be a capital) and the ports they raided.

[Moriss_BoB]

Well if you make historical simulator, you HAVE to consider historical facts. Otherwise it's not historical, but fantasy. and we have too much of that already. You don't like it, play AC4, it's more playable then NA.

Well, we have that out of the line. Now, to pirates. First of all, everyone joined piracy for different reasons. Lost money in UK, lost respect, or never had money or respect. Or were just assholes. It is the same reasons that people became bandits on land. So, if people had different reasons to become pirates, they weren't unified and marked as "enemy". They were rebels. Different agendas, different ideas. So, what I'm proposing, make piracy a clan. Merge that division that is now in game, for "pyrate nation" and "outlaws". Make them a clan. Or a clan option. Offer them ability to fly historical colors of their choosing. For example, they can stop being pirates and just go do some trading. Or a clan that was formed as some king's men can become pirates. Just give options to players.

[EdWatchmaker]

Pirates are heading in the "not a nation" direction and in my opinion that is as it should be. They do need a spawn spot and Mortimer is good. I really like the OP's idea of secret hideouts that have to be discovered. I think they should also only have ships that they have captured, bought or have been given to them by others. You know, "I'll give you some ships and guns if you'll sack my enemy." sort of thing. But arming thugs is always a double edged sword and like a wolf can come back and bite the hand that fed it. I know that this type of thing could get out of hand but then nations may have to set aside their differences from time to time to come together and clear the rat's nest out. Lots more PvP. Given that most pirates were hunted and if captured were hung maybe if you get caped or sunk, because that character is now dead, you go back to Midshipman and start all over again. I know this would make it hard but a pirates life was hard. Those that could make it would become truly feared by all others in the game. In many ways it would be the best of the best. I do know that there are players that can and do play that well. I also know they do a good job of mentoring and will take little rattlings under their wings and make them fearsome too. So no need to worry about any lack of pirates in the game.

Just my 2 cents and food for thought.