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Posted

                “…Hello, my name is Norfolk nChance

                                                                                ……and I’m an addict….”

 

The Patch 10.00 roll out was I think Wed 24th May So, 10 days POST the big wipe.

 

I was looking through the STEAM discussion threads, don’t roll your eyes there are jerks on this forum as well, author included. Anyway, there are some really pissed off teenagers here. Then I look deeper, and its wider than that.

It’s not just the “this game is crap, should be on sale crowd…” no no… this is “Not going in the fun direction…”, “Making Money WTF…” “PvP is now dead….”. With lots of feedback, not just the usual spam troll rubbish… Somethings happened here… so I go the forum…

I suddenly find were the STEAM kids got their potty mouths from… Vocal, real pissed off at the grind. WTF Admin… The economics are broke… Trader buff, reduce cannons, PvE Economy is broken…

Then I was able to condense all posts starting the 24th May to today on the two forums basically down into six words. Yes, from pages and pages of threads to hundreds of posts. Just six little words…

 

“Player no money, cannons too High…”

 

We are talking broad strokes here, but you see it, don’t you?

 

It came to me from a short but brilliant POST from [Victor] in the forum called STAGFLATION. Go read it. I mulled with piece for some time because it rang totally true but not quite. He seemed to have captured the “Six Little Words”.

I’m not an armchair Admiral, but a real life economist. This I do for a living, and the one thing missing in the post is TIME.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagflation

Read “Causes”, first sentence then look back at the “six little words” above. Ring any bells. The depression of internal demand of Goods due to the fact people don’t have enough money to buy them. Think about that East German Girl, in 1990 watching the wall come down becoming ONE Germany again. In her mind Disneyland, Paris, Clothes, Coca Cola… however want them all she likes she’s no money to pay for them. This is you in NA right now…

My clan [ELITE], we haven’t been pulling out all the stops, but really just getting used to playing with each other again. A Bit of trading, some missions and well the odd Gank now and again. Nothing hardcore.

Our cash pile is growing, we are working to a plan. I want the same L’O just as you and the other things. It will take time for me to get. There is actually no depression at all. The economy is 10 days old ONLY. It (the economy) just hasn’t started to get rolling momentum yet. But it is rolling all the same.

 

 The Junkie

What we are witness to in Naval Action is player depression from needing something that he’s being used to having and replacing easily for the past year. This is what we are looking at. If I said remember when you first started … you seriously can’t, that world is tinted by rose glass that clouds our view. We need to asked a Brand-new player that understands numbers. What do you see, feel, hate, like…

And this [Victor] knocks it clean out of the park…

“harming the players progression (and fun) after the big patch”

Fun Factor is not an economic term, but ask most adults in 2008 fun might not be the first word that springs to mind. What was left in 2009 was for most adult’s depression. This is how we are looking at Naval Action now. RIGHT NOW. The Brand-New Player doesn’t suffer from our past addiction.

He’s in a new and exciting world to explore. His “Fun Factor” I’d guess might be higher right now than us old sea dogs. We have 500 to 3,000 hours of XP living in a world that’s just 10 days old. Let me just say the again… Just 10 days old…

So, seriously is the Naval Action in stagflation or are we coming off them addiction blues?

 

The Dealer

If you’ve worked out who the junkie is, then you must know who’s his dealer. So, our beloved Genius, he tries to soften the blow (excuse the pun) of doing cold turkey. How, by giving us XP Rank Craft plus three ships and a get out of France free pass. He tells you in no uncertain terms…

“Do Not Redeem your Redeemable’s unless you are absolutely sure you want to remain in that nation”

So, have you snorted your XP yet, Smoked the Surprise Joint or injected an Indefatigable…?

The Economy is ONLY 10 days OLD. WHY?

Well, answer me this truthfully when you snorted, smoked or injected… you didn’t get that same high you were expecting right? The whole mechanic has change… you know this…?

However, when a junkie doesn’t quite get his fix, what do you think happens to his Craving…?

 

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/craving

Go back and just look at the mass and mess of threads on the forum and STEAM discussion pages. You see it yet..?

 

Rehab

Think about looking at a 10day Universe for all that NA experience you have. It might seem like a good idea, but it comes tarnished.

Just before the wipe, I took my ALT onto the testbed. I wanted to do a complete cold newbie start. Following [Powderhorn] excellent “New Player” experience guide. It was very hard, but fun. It was like being re-introduced to an old lover. Missions hotfixed overnight turning from Pickle to Lynx opposition to Rattlesnake Brig and SNOW lmao but not up in arms…. But I truly didn’t feel the grind. It was fresh.

Getting into the first paid guns on the BASIC Cutter, felt like a great achievement. But still not grind. Trading, I wrote down prices circled Fort-Royal Ports trading away… It didn’t feel the same as what YOU or I feel now…

In fact, I will admit I had more fun being a returned newbie than right now how to build my best Connie. On the ship tree… spreadsheets in the age of sail or what?

Task to Complete

If you can, go to either of the other two servers you don’t use. Log in and reset the PC and pick a Nation so far left field it might as well be France. Spend the next 5 days ONLY starting from scratch. However, within that time under no circumstance can you go back onto your main server.

Then tell me, no tell Admin how it felt.

 

My Suggestion

The Next Wipe Admin, stop messing about and do a COMPLETE and FULL wipe. RANK, CRAFT, everything. Give [Balls of Steel] his Yacht on product launch only….

 

“….My name is Norfolk nChance

                                                                                ……and I’m an addict….”

  • Like 14
Posted

I agree with your conclusion about the economy just needs to time to build and that it will get progressively easier.

I havent thought much about the suggestion part, my instinct cries no, because how many thousands of hours some players have in this game, and myself. With how people have to cram out craft rank right now, I would absolutely hate to lose my 50 levels there, but player combat XP wise maybe. However all that aside, after promises from the admins not to wipe xp even for release I think that its sealed. Or the reviews will go from mixed to mostly negative on steam. 

  • Like 1
Posted

Lovely bit of writing, @Norfolk nChance.

Personally I reckon the is too little money entering the economy, or rather it is entering in the wrong place, encouraging players to grind trade routes (so @Powderhorn can sink them - is this the reason there is so much focus on trade?) rather than going out looking for combat in warships. It is early days as you say, and if anything needs fixing it should be done with small tweaks.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Nice piece. Yet I believe that time and actual money value are not the points (I'm a veteran in NA so I have already set up all my business almost as it was before).

Rather 1) fun vs boredom and 2) time/rewards ratio - while performing the day by day game activity a player chose to be its preferred gameplay after having "set up" its buildings and outposts - are in my opinion the key factors to keep people playing this game.

People will like the game or not based on those two factors.

They will stay ingame as long they will like it.

Game is not real life, yet a form of evasion therefrom: we cannot change easily our lives so we wait and/or adapt in real life because we HAVE to do it also if things are not as we like, but ... in video game we are free: you can choose another game in a second if you like.

But I'm confident: the Devs have their personal "style": they seem to say a big NO to any request and like very much to counterargue on the forums. But at the end of the story they listen and sometimes they change things.

I.e. they are thinking about a revamp of mission system (which is a good thing) and - I think - they could also tweak down of a notch or two the basic resource harvesting costs (while keeping costs of IA ships and cannons at the same level) just to generate some positive (moderate) inflation. 

Edited by victor
  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Norfolk nChance said:

              

My Suggestion

The Next Wipe Admin, stop messing about and do a COMPLETE and FULL wipe. RANK, CRAFT, everything. Give [Balls of Steel] his Yacht on product launch only….

 

“….My name is Norfolk nChance

                                                                                ……and I’m an addict….”

I did not notice the last part.

Total wipe will be a call for suicide, not having balls.

I'll tell you which is the way to go: why taking away old shiny things to people, when you can add new ones even more shiny?

When they wipe, they can keep XP and craft things: just they should be adding some more ranks (that require an awfully long grind) on top of the existing ones: new ranks that give access to more powerful (and incredible costly and difficult both to build and to get the BPs) ships, let's say a couple of superfrigates a couple of 1st rates. And ... you got the result without the complaints.

Each and any WOW expansion actually is a masked total wipe! But no one complains because they have new toys to play with and new ranks to grind! Game Labs shall look at other success games to learn how to do such things in the correct way.

Just to summarize ... you said you are a professianal economist. And we all know in Europe where we stand since when economist and bankers took the command :ph34r:. But - in order to make people swallow the bitter pill - economists and bankers still need politicians :rolleyes:!

PS: if you like economy and things like that, try EVE online. Really.

Edited by victor
  • Like 1
Posted
9 hours ago, victor said:

PS: if you like economy and things like that, try EVE online. Really.

Oh yes, I had an asteroid arbitrage model.... don't ask

that game sank years, I know this when my three year old daughter left for University and got married... 

Spreadsheets in Space...

 

Posted

Our characters need to have a lifespan where they live, grow old and then die. That way you would start out fresh with a new character every so often. Maybe they could inherit some of their predecessor's fortune.

I personally am enjoying this time after the wipe. Figuring out how best to start all over again. I didn't redeem until a couple of days ago so I could prove to myself that I could start over again with out great pain. Time consuming, but did not make me miserable. I found it was actually quite fun and only redeemed so I could speed things up a bit.  But then, I most likely look at it quite differently than a lot of others.     

  • Like 2
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Norfolk nChance said:

Oh yes, I had an asteroid arbitrage model.... don't ask

that game sank years, I know this when my three year old daughter left for University and got married... 

Spreadsheets in Space...

 

You clever guy. I have instead .... let's see .... a nice Amarr lazorshow or a neutron plasma cannon welcome for all my (never consensual) guests. All ranges covered. From rare to well done!

In EVE I'm quite a renegade kind of player, not like here in NA where I prefer running a respectable business.

Edited by victor
  • Like 1
Posted

Great read OP.

I played about 50 hours prior to the patch/wipe, a few more hours on testbed, too few to be able to provide any meaningful feedback though and then a couple more after the patch/wipe. I admit I didn't do much exploring, I just jumped into Combat Missions to start building a small capital in order to engage in more extensive trade and trade empire building...I think it's obvious I'm a PvE player!

However, I didn't get the chance to engage in trade as I was unable to defeat basic AI enemy ships in my basic free cutter! As I mentioned in another thread a few moments ago, I found the AI to be a lot more difficult to defeat in battle than it was prior to the patch/wipe. I had some idea that AI was being revamped as to not be a walk in the park, which it wasn't in the first place! I noticed the big change on the testbed, where I was completely overwhelmed by it (the AI). In that particular case, it was compounded by my lack of skills sailing square rigged ships and the AI buff. After the wipe, using a basic cutter, which I found to be very easy to sail (even though I read a few posts saying otherwise), I was once again completely and hopelessly overwhelmed, to the point of being utterly embarrassing!

One thing for sure, I am so glad I have not redeemed any of the ships they "gifted" us. Imagine me in a square rigged ship, me with poor manual sail skills, going after a similar AI ship, in a one durability vessel that would have probably taken me weeks (or months) of occasional play to acquire, and losing the battle? I know it's just a game, but that's a bit rough.

Anyway, as I also said in the other reply, I am not sure if it's just me and the likes of me with no so great battle skills or is it really that the AI is a bit too harsh on newbies at lower level missions.

  • Like 3
Posted

 

[AngryPanCake]

Perfect, description and view. Have you tried trading yet? So your main port will have most prices. Then travel round the local area like I did in Fort-Royale. Just the island first. Short trips in the BASIC Cutter building up little trade runs? 

The Missions - kill the newbie, yeah but with a little time you can start on them. First NA Wiki. You have one of the fastest ships in the game. This helps in PvP so try it as well. In the wiki look at the Trader Brig. It has 2 Guns at the back of the boat. It can only shoot you in that place. You speed wise are quicker overall, so lets start looking specifically for Trader Brigs and taking them...

Do you understand when NA players say "Grind" ? Is there anything you feel a up hill struggle that's beyond the intentional steep learning curve? 

To Admin or ourselves the view you have is one of the most important for the game to move forward. You are not tarnished by the past my OP. 

 

[Victor], [OneEyedSnake], [Remus] others and [Admin] & [Ink] 

Ask him some questions please... this is the guy we need info from...

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
9 hours ago, Norfolk nChance said:

Do you understand when NA players say "Grind" ? Is there anything you feel a up hill struggle that's beyond the intentional steep learning curve?

 

As far as grind is concerned: trade, crafting...etc, I have not yet reached that stage in this new patch.

Before the wipe, I had a few outposts, several lucrative trade routes, I also did a few combat missions where I kicked ass and got my ass equally kicked, but did not feel it was an insurmountable uphill battle. But now, if I did not have a taste of what the game was prior to the wipe, I would have thought the learning curve was too steep for me to get any fun out of it.

Right now, I am trying to complete the basic baby step, winning a couple thousand Gold coins through combat missions to start trading. So, As far as grind is concerned, I haven't even gone that far. It seems the reward was increased from 1000 to 3000, which would have been a good starting fund for a beginner.

After posting my last reply here, I logged into the game and tried my luck (more so than skill) again. An AI cutter in a combat mission clobbered the crap out of me...again! I also took the opportunity to ask the players online if they felt the AI was "over-buffed". It was a mixed bag, some said "the AI is still doing the same stupid stuff than before the wipe"..."but the accuracy and penetration" seem to have been increased a lot, some feel AI ships now have "all the perks" and so forth. Others felt "it's probably" me...LOL (which is probably not untrue!). But, I was able to win some battles against similar AI ships, sometimes it was easy, other times it was hard before the new patch! But again, it's all subjective.

Unfortunately, I'm still struggling to get into the game and start trading due to a lack of funds. I think I had a few million gold before the wipe, trade was very very lucrative at that time, I might say a little too easy to make tons of money. Now, I don't know. Another thing, I have not gone out hunting, so not sure how AI traders are behaving as opposed to Combat Missions.

Edited by AngryPanCake
  • Like 2
Posted

People are allowed to disagree with certain changes, not everyone is a fanboy that agrees with every single change...... ;p

Posted (edited)
22 hours ago, AngryPanCake said:

As far as grind is concerned: trade, crafting...etc, I have not yet reached that stage in this new patch.

Before the wipe, I had a few outposts, several lucrative trade routes, I also did a few combat missions where I kicked ass and got my ass equally kicked, but did not feel it was an insurmountable uphill battle. But now, if I did not have a taste of what the game was prior to the wipe, I would have thought the learning curve was too steep for me to get any fun out of it.

Right now, I am trying to complete the basic baby step, winning a couple thousand Gold coins through combat missions to start trading. So, As far as grind is concerned, I haven't even gone that far. It seems the reward was increased from 1000 to 3000, which would have been a good starting fund for a beginner.

After posting my last reply here, I logged into the game and tried my luck (more so than skill) again. An AI cutter in a combat mission clobbered the crap out of me...again! I also took the opportunity to ask the players online if they felt the AI was "over-buffed". It was a mixed bag, some said "the AI is still doing the same stupid stuff than before the wipe"..."but the accuracy and penetration" seem to have been increased a lot, some feel AI ships now have "all the perks" and so forth. Others felt "it's probably" me...LOL (which is probably not untrue!). But, I was able to win some battles against similar AI ships, sometimes it was easy, other times it was hard before the new patch! But again, it's all subjective.

Unfortunately, I'm still struggling to get into the game and start trading due to a lack of funds. I think I had a few million gold before the wipe, trade was very very lucrative at that time, I might say a little too easy to make tons of money. Now, I don't know. Another thing, I have not gone out hunting, so not sure how AI traders are behaving as opposed to Combat Missions.

Not sure why you are having such a hard time but i to decided to try the new patch and new game play and i am in the crapy cutter too. So far ive not lost a battle and ive killed or captured a dozen or so ships, from cutters and lynx to trade snow and brigs. I haven't even come close to losing BUT even with the wins its a painful painful grind to try and come up with the funds to either put guns and a crew on my redeemed Suprise or to buy a Snow and outfit and crew it.

I can already tell that once i have a decent sized ship or even a small frigate that money from killing ai ships will be pretty easy to make and getting rich will be easy. Problem is , is getting to that point. Its just going to be a stupid pointless mind numbingly boring process. Now being an experienced player i know the payoff but new player wont.

I wonder how many new players will plug away for days and days and days in thier cutter before they can finally upgrade. Hell im not even sure im going to do it because after only playing for a few hours ive already been teleport ambushed by a clan who remembered me pre wipe. 

Will new players make it past the initial grind?  Its not even that the grind is bad but that the grind seems more a one time thing you have to do when you first start before you can make a comfortable living. Almost like a hazing for newbs. 

Anyone else feel like this?

Edited by Mrdoomed
  • Like 2
Posted
30 minutes ago, Mrdoomed said:

Not sure why you are having such a hard time but i to decided to try the new patch and new game play and i am in the crapy cutter too. So far ive not lost a battle and ive (1) killed or captured a dozen or so ships, from cutters and lynx to trade snow and brigs. I haven't even come close to losing BUT even with the wins its a painful painful grind to try and come up with the funds to either put guns and a crew on my redeemed Suprise or to buy a Snow and outfit and crew it.

I can already tell that once i have a decent sized ship or even a small frigate that money from killing ai ships will be pretty easy to make and getting rich will be easy. Problem is , is getting to that point. Its just going to be a stupid pointless mind numbingly boring process. Now  (2) being an experienced player i know the payoff but new player wont.

I wonder how many new players will plug away for days and days and days in thier cutter before they can finally upgrade. Hell im not even sure im going to do it because after only playing for a few hours ive already been teleport ambushed by a clan who remembered me pre wipe. 

Will new players make it past the initial grind?  Its not even that the grind is bad but that the grind seems more a one time thing you have to do when you first start before you can make a comfortable living. Almost like a hazing for newbs. 

Anyone else feel like this?

(1) Were these the Midshipman combat missions or OW hunting? Did you see any difference in AI behaviors between OW ships and Midshipman combat missions?

(2) I can't say I'm experienced with my 60 hours of play, 50 of them prior to the wipe. As I stated above, I was able to win more or less easily against AI ships in combat missions prior to the wipe, but not anymore. I've been seriously hammered by even AI Cutters.

I'm sure I'll eventually get over the hump, but it is starting to feel quite painful. For people who are completely new to the game, I believe it is going to be painfully discouraging.

 

Posted (edited)
16 minutes ago, AngryPanCake said:

(1) Were these the Midshipman combat missions or OW hunting? Did you see any difference in AI behaviors between OW ships and Midshipman combat missions?

(2) I can't say I'm experienced with my 60 hours of play, 50 of them prior to the wipe. As I stated above, I was able to win more or less easily against AI ships in combat missions prior to the wipe, but not anymore. I've been seriously hammered by even AI Cutters.

I'm sure I'll eventually get over the hump, but it is starting to feel quite painful. For people who are completely new to the game, I believe it is going to be painfully discouraging.

 

Ow hunting and one mission. I didn't notice a difference in difficulty between them. 

I think it just comes down to landing your shots at these low levels. Im pretty good at hitting my mark but i still think with missing some shots i would win.

Make sure your ow tag is good and have the perk that lets you start with guns losded. I always start right next to the enemy and unload on him soon as match starts. 

Edit.... i dont know how long ago you used to play when you was able to win but i do recall a series upgrade in ai ability with one of the patches a long time ago that made the ai much better then they were.

Edited by Mrdoomed
Posted (edited)
25 minutes ago, Mrdoomed said:

(1) Make sure your ow tag is good ...

(2) Edit.... i dont know how long ago you used to play when you was able to win but i do recall a series upgrade in ai ability with one of the patches a long time ago that made the ai much better then they were.

(1) what do you mean by "your ow tag is good"?

 

(2) A little before the tesbed was open and the changes were being introduced. I've owned the game since Feb 14th, so a little over 3 months.

Edited by AngryPanCake
new question
Posted

I have played since Sea Trials in Dec. 2014, but only a little over 400hrs total. Have taken about a year off, last was active in May/June 2016. I have played on PVP EU, PVP Global and PVE in that time, but mostly on PVP EU.

I have always focused on 7th & 6th rate ships, and open world hunting of player traders, and I am not a member of a clan. In the past I'd built up a few outposts and had a few trade routes, and I built my own ships. I think the biggest ship I built was a Frigate, IIRC.

On my PVP Global account (Great Britain), I decided to experiment with the Forged Documents to do something I've toyed with for a long time... I switched to Pirates. That was nowhere near as easy as I'd hoped, as first I had to earn 10k gold to open a new outpost in a Free Port, then another 5k to close my outpost in KPR. And of course it took a good deal of sailing back and forth between the two before this sunk in (crap placeholder UI steals another chunk of my life). And then of course I wanted an outpost in Mortimer... heh you can do the math.

So after about a dozen hours - not all of which was spent figuring out the above,  some of it was just cruising around and enjoying the OW sailing experience, which honestly I never really get tired of - I am now a Pirate and have an outpost in Mortimer and an outpost in a conveniently located Free Port. I am looking to recommence my life of plunder and next steps will be to acquire materials for crafting a Rattlesnake, which for me is pretty close to the ultimate player trader hunting vessel (god I hope it hasn't been nerfed lol).

I'm not really clear yet how crafting works these days, apparently notes are gone, but whatever, I'm sure the answer is "more time and money and tears" and I'll figure it out.

I try to avoid doing missions / PVE hunting as they're so utterly boring, but the 9k payoff is reasonably good for the low level missions and I guess I have to do what I have to do.

I haven't fully gotten a read on how the current implementation of teleport is shaking out vis-a-vis the availability of player-carried trade goods in the OW, but hopefully it's OK. That has always been the biggest problem for Naval Action in my view: so many ways to allow risk-free transport of trade goods through the open world results in lack of PVP and nearly an impossible playstyle for people like me (did I mention I'd been gone a year, lol).

Anyways, I am going to try to fight for this lifestyle for a bit, if it seems tenable I'll probably stick around, otherwise I will just disappear again and maybe show up for Naval Action Legends. The OW promise was neat but the reality has just been a slog. Sorry but RvR, when it requires / mandates clan participation and a huge PVE grind on the frontend, is just not interesting to me. I am playing my end game content already, and hopefully there's enough OW trader activity to make it viable. We'll see.

  • Like 2
Posted
On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 5:13 AM, Ahoy H.R. Matey said:

"Instead of taking a large dump on the players, take a MASSIVE dump instead."

That literally is the sum total of your suggestion.

 

[Ahoy] 

this is certainly not my intention. Re-read the post again.

The key or crunch point or hit if you like... 

 

On ‎6‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 2:30 PM, Norfolk nChance said:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/craving

Go back and just look at the mass and mess of threads on the forum and STEAM discussion pages. You see it yet..?

 

this is the how, the who, the what and the why ..... Did you see it...?

If you did then you know why I make my suggestion. I would think 90% of the player (Labrat) would disagree with it(my suggestion). Doesn't mean its the wrong suggestion.

 I want Naval Action to succeed, and for Admin and the Dev's to get the right feedback from us Labrats(players). The problem is now we have some very old labrats that can be more cynical that giving constructive feedback. Mixing up both game and Testing.

[AHOY]

Would you try my Rehab test and do just 5 days on another server from a cold start giving Admin your thoughts? 

And if not, why not...?   

 

Norfolk nChance

(User of Big Words, and Hard Solutions)

 

Posted

Dude. Wake up.

I spent A LOT of time getting to RA and CL50. That was pure grind. You want devs to toss it in the bin.

Now I also have to grind for ship knowledge and money. And you are proposing that in addition to grinding the new stuff, I should regrind the old stuff too.

Lower levels in NA are NOT fun. They are the worst part of the game. In fact, because of the money gate and ship knowledge gate I haven't touched NA since the wipe. The entirety of NA is grind, but low-level grind is the worst of it. So no. Just-soddin'-no. I am NOT climbing that ladder again.

Your suggestion is crap, and I am not sorry for saying that. If you feel bored enough and masochistic enough, then by all means, claim your redeemables, delete your character and start over. Twenty-five times if you feel like it. Me, on the other hand, I'd like the devs to respect MY time that I've already put into the game.

  • Like 1

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