Time spent playing NA Follow up post

[AngryPanCake]

Looking at the recent Poll, it looks like NA players fall into 3 general categories:

About a third play 1-2 hours/day, another third play less than an hour a day and one third play more than 3 hours a day on average.

The majority (2/3) seem to play 1-2 hours a day or less.

As far as I'm concerned, I usually average about one hour of active play a day. My game does run for about 2-3 hours, most of this time is AFK sailing from port to port hauling trade goods or craft materials. I do a battle here and there whenever I know I can dedicate a full hour of game play without being disturbed by real life, otherwise I TP from port to port checking my inventories, placing contracts or crafting a ship. Once I have enough goods to fill a convoy, I leave port and sail a straight line to a destination port or do a series of straight lines (with Protractor) to different landfalls till I reach final destination so I don't get lost in the expanse. All my sailing is usually done AFK and only tend to my PC when I hear the 30 min bells.

Most of the time I feel I just don't get many things done due to the limited time I can actively put into the game. I'm sure some people can fight 2-3 battles in an hour game play, I'm just not one of those players!

One thing I do think is a saving grace: CHAT. Without it, I don't think I'd spend more than 10-15 min starring at the empty sea. The community is great, many people are really fun to chat with and answering new players questions is always rewarding to me.

To the majority that play 1-2 hours a day or less, how much do you get accomplished during your gaming sessions? what do you actually do, mostly battles, trade? Battle captains, do you make enough money to sustain your fighting activities?

 

 

[Nelsons Barrel]

For real progress you always had to be online at least 12 hours a day with more than one account at the same time. This game was from the beginning for addicts with battles taking for 1.5 hours. More and more changes made the game even more time consuming. There is simply no chance get anything done in this game if you wanna have a real life and a job at the same time.

I spent in over two and half years over 4000 hours in this. What did I most of the time? Afk sailing and netflix. Will a game like this be ever favour a bigger group of gamers? Definetly not.

Be an addict and you will have some fun with this game, if you don't, don't even consider buying it.

[mikawa]

I raised my flag from the very beginning of this game for casual players -- to no avail, unfortunately.

The devs simply don't want this game to reach a wider audience. Calls for making the game easier to play, to consider players who do actually have family remained unheard and never answered. Very bad, but I have to accept this. I bought this game three years ago, I am in fact a huge fan of the old sailing ships especially frigates and I spent many hours in this game. But I do have a real life, i have a fulfilling day job and I have a lovingly family. Sadly, this game isn't for players like me.

Latest patch is the best example -- fought a battle in a vic against 7 (unforeseen strong AI enemies) - sank one Ingermanland, managed to escape, got 2000 reals, paid 2000 reals for repair. Okay, no problem, spend 12 hours a day ingame and you'll be happy.

[AngryPanCake]

Thanks for your replies, but I was hoping to have a better idea of what the two thirds of people who play 1-2 hours or less a day actually accomplish during their sessions.

[Nelsons Barrel]

4 minutes ago, AngryPanCake said:

Thanks for your replies, but I was hoping to have a better idea of what the two thirds of people who play 1-2 hours or less a day actually accomplish during their sessions.

One or two pve missions or a trade run.

[Macjimm]

I play for an hour or two.  Depending on the length of the journey.

Often I will create my course plan before I log into game.

When I log into game I will; check contracts, check prices in the shops.  Occasionally teleport to an outpost, or two, and manage a contract or collect  resource from a mine or farm.

I buy and stow goods for the journey.

When I plot a course to a destination it is mainly to get the times of each leg of a journey.  The course plan involves estimating the wind direction upon arrival so as to place my ship in advantage for a fast approach or retreat, depending on the port.   The course plan enables me to be alert during the voyage and allows me to stay away from the coastlines and still arrive at port on a desired heading.

After determining the best time for departure I communicate with other players till it is time to leave.

Then I sail.  This is most of the time spent in game. While sailing I watch for enemy players and note the sightings of other ships.  I also keep track of the travel progress and amend/correct the course plan as required.   Currently I enjoy using the sextant, but I am practicing without it to build up skill at orientation for when it is removed.  Depending on the amount of cargo I may have to destroy fish and salt. Occasionally I will hail a player enroute and chat a little.  I find that the time goes by very fast, when  sailing, because I am very busy.   It's important to work in quick snatches, and not get distracted otherwise an enemy player may surprise attack.  I like to sail in friendly waters because there is less chance of sighting ships and when there are no ships I can spend a little more time on the sailing activities and the pace is slighty more relaxed.

When I arrive at the destination I always make time to check the prices in the shop. If I have time I will sell the goods.

Sometimes if I have hailed a player on route I may spend a while texting after the sail is complete.

I don't sail AFK but most of my time in port I am using other applications (drawing, Word doc, Excel, Maps).

Sailing = 1hr +

Port duties = 20 min

AFK in port = 40 min

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by Macjimm

[vazco]

On 12/8/2018 at 11:46 AM, AngryPanCake said:

Looking at the recent Poll, it looks like NA players fall into 3 general categories:

About a third play 1-2 hours/day, another third play less than an hour a day and one third play more than 3 hours a day on average.

The majority (2/3) seem to play 1-2 hours a day or less.

As far as I'm concerned, I usually average about one hour of active play a day. My game does run for about 2-3 hours, most of this time is AFK sailing from port to port hauling trade goods or craft materials. I do a battle here and there whenever I know I can dedicate a full hour of game play without being disturbed by real life, otherwise I TP from port to port checking my inventories, placing contracts or crafting a ship. Once I have enough goods to fill a convoy, I leave port and sail a straight line to a destination port or do a series of straight lines (with Protractor) to different landfalls till I reach final destination so I don't get lost in the expanse. All my sailing is usually done AFK and only tend to my PC when I hear the 30 min bells.

Most of the time I feel I just don't get many things done due to the limited time I can actively put into the game. I'm sure some people can fight 2-3 battles in an hour game play, I'm just not one of those players!

One thing I do think is a saving grace: CHAT. Without it, I don't think I'd spend more than 10-15 min starring at the empty sea. The community is great, many people are really fun to chat with and answering new players questions is always rewarding to me.

To the majority that play 1-2 hours a day or less, how much do you get accomplished during your gaming sessions? what do you actually do, mostly battles, trade? Battle captains, do you make enough money to sustain your fighting activities?

 

 

You have to count in a factor that most likely your poll gives incorrect results - I would say they're lower than reality  This game is addictive and in such cases people usually don't realize how much time they spend in it. There's also a case of going "for just one hour" and going back after 5, after 3 fights.

Probably only devs could give you good statistics of time spent in game (or steam charts, if they show it publicly).

Edited December 9, 2018 by vazco

[Ouwe Knar]

So is this all about who has the longest time in game or on a daily basis...?

sounds like a fencing post to me....

Im not on line much anymore last weeks...

and i got only 500 hours sofar..

did 3 mission battles,..a day ago,

lost 3 ships and had to buy back a admirality ship every single time..

forgot to retrieve earned dublouns so made no goal at all..took me about 4 hours total.

[Hullabaloo]

I've got kids around (quite big kids so they don't need much attention) but I need to be at home a lot so they don't burn it down or have a massive party and I work from home too. This game is perfect for me cos I can do RL stuff and bits of work and play at the same time, afk and semi-afk. I've got 3.5k hours but only a fraction of that would be actual pvp or high concentration stuff. I have come across loads of people who are trading while they are at work. I think that is one of the positives of this game, you can do the trading and moving stuff around while you do are doing your RL stuff. This is why I'm a little concerned about the proposed aggressive ai, which might prevent that.

[AngryPanCake]

38 minutes ago, Hullabaloo 'The Thief' said:

...This game is perfect for me cos I can do RL stuff and bits of work and play at the same time, afk and semi-afk...

Same here, I've got a lot of hours since I first purchased it, but about half of them are AFK. My wife is always calling me saying "your ship's bell is ringing". I don't think I'd have lasted this long on the PvP server if I was AFK'ing this much.

As far as aggressive AI, it seems like both PvP and PvE players have some concerns about it. But we will see, better wait until it is implemented and tested then get some feedback. Personally, I haven't made up my mind about it yet.

Thanks for your input.

[Tac]

2 hours ago, AngryPanCake said:

Same here, I've got a lot of hours since I first purchased it, but about half of them are AFK. My wife is always calling me saying "your ship's bell is ringing". I don't think I'd have lasted this long on the PvP server if I was AFK'ing this much.

As far as aggressive AI, it seems like both PvP and PvE players have some concerns about it. But we will see, better wait until it is implemented and tested then get some feedback. Personally, I haven't made up my mind about it yet.

Thanks for your input.

Forget the game what’s your secret? How did you train your wife ? 

[Farrago]

56 minutes ago, Tac said:

Forget the game what’s your secret? How did you train your wife ? 

 What worked for me was I eventually had to start lying and telling her that some of my actual game time I was watching porn. Porn they understand. Wasting time on a game... not so much.