New port bonus to ships

[Angus MacDuff]

8 hours ago, Hawkwood said:

The bonuses aren´t making any sense, they are too high, and they are damaging the game.This is not going to work after release, at all.

 

Yeah, I built a "bonus" ship last night.  The promised nerf of books and mods hasn't happened, and with the port bonuses, I've goy a blue ship going 15.4 in battle.  Over the top, I would think.

[angriff]

Just how do port upgrade options work?  Apparently you have to be in the holding clan to build ships with these upgrades.  We spent hundreds of Victory Points, Combat Medals, Doubloons and other things building a port up.  The port had several upgraded aspects guns, hull and sail.  It was held by a friendly clan.  When we built a ship there the ship got none of the port upgrades. 

 

Is it for the owner clan only? Is it a chance thing like normal upgrades? If that is the case, then it defeats the sharing or assets with friendly clans.

Edited May 3, 2019 by angriff

[Angus MacDuff]

16 minutes ago, angriff said:

Just how do port upgrade options work?  Apparently you have to be in the holding clan to build ships with these upgrades.  We spent hundreds of Victory Points, Combat Medals, Doubloons and other things building a port up.  The port had several upgraded aspects guns, hull and sail.  It was held by a friendly clan.  When we built a ship there the ship got none of the port upgrades. 

 

Is it for the owner clan only? Is it a chance thing like normal upgrades? If that is the case, then it defeats the sharing or assets with friendly clans.

If you are on their friends list you get the bonuses.  The ship I built was in a friendly clan port as that was where my wood was.  You must not have been on their list.

[angriff]

11 minutes ago, Angus MacDuff said:

If you are on their friends list you get the bonuses.  The ship I built was in a friendly clan port as that was where my wood was.  You must not have been on their list.

No we think they have to have the port set back to friends can use versus exclusive.   This is being tested but takes a day to implement. 

This aspect brings up a horrible aspect of the game to me, Exclusivity.   When you play a new game you don't expect exclusion.  This means it is entirely possible that new and single players are just being fostered for fodder against 15.5 clan ships.   There is reduced skill requirements only secret sauce and magic cards.  I think the game will only be very small niche if that is continued.

Edited May 3, 2019 by angriff

[Angus MacDuff]

6 minutes ago, angriff said:

No we think they have to have the port set back to friends can use versus exclusive.   This is being tested but takes a day to implement. 

This aspect brings up a horrible aspect of the game to me, Exclusivity.   When you play a new game you don't expect exclusion.  This means it is entirely possible that new and single players are just being fostered for fodder against 15.5 clan ships.   There is reduced skill requirements only secret sauce and magic cards.  I think the game will only be very small niche if that is continued.

Right now, if i'm a clan leader and I don't like you (for any reason) I can exclude you from the port advantages.  You could have helped us take the port, invested dubloons, VM's and CM's to upgrade it and it doesn't matter.  I have that power over you.  Attack someone I don't want you to attack?  you're out.  Disagree with me??  out.  It would be good if players who are not of the owning clan can buy permanent guest status in a port, I think.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

27 minutes ago, Angus MacDuff said:

Right now, if i'm a clan leader and I don't like you (for any reason) I can exclude you from the port advantages.  You could have helped us take the port, invested dubloons, VM's and CM's to upgrade it and it doesn't matter.  I have that power over you.  Attack someone I don't want you to attack?  you're out.  Disagree with me??  out.  

That's clanwars.

[angriff]

I still think it is a BIG BIG Mistake to allow enemy players to enter a friendly port and see what upgrade levels the shipyards are at.   I suppose the Devs want to make it so players fight each others for these built up resources.  However, it is a complete and utter fantasy to think that this sort of inability to shield strategic advantages from targeting would make players stay.  Yes, the false notion will create a conflict but it is not necessarily an even balance thing.   Players will get burned out rebuilding over and over again and the game will go dormant.

[angriff]

5 hours ago, Angus MacDuff said:

Right now, if i'm a clan leader and I don't like you (for any reason) I can exclude you from the port advantages.  You could have helped us take the port, invested dubloons, VM's and CM's to upgrade it and it doesn't matter.  I have that power over you.  Attack someone I don't want you to attack?  you're out.  Disagree with me??  out.  It would be good if players who are not of the owning clan can buy permanent guest status in a port, I think.

Well you only need to be ingratiated for the original construction.  The rights to any buildings you make cannot be be revoked.

[angriff]

All I can say is kick in afterburners.  Watching two (apparently) upgraded Essex go by KPR last night was a setback.  There is no safety or fun for the new individual player against ships that can double their speed in the OW and can sail like a lynx in battle with 54 guns per broadside.

I fear only the elites will benefit and make the game all but untenable for the pick up player.  The game is taking on a sinister twist that makes me wonder how a player will react when they find out they have been excluded from spaceship l'Oceans with lasers for guns and unobtanium for hulls and masts.

Edited May 4, 2019 by angriff

[Racer X Infinite]

Port Bonus

 

So I understand this is on the PvP Server. Is it also something on the PvE server?

 

I just bought an Inger on the PvE server that included port bonuses so I am curious just how exactly one goes about obtaining these bonus points and then use them on the PvE Server.

OP of course for PvE.

[Angus MacDuff]

5 minutes ago, Racer X Infinite said:

Port Bonus

 

So I understand this is on the PvP Server. Is it also something on the PvE server?

 

I just bought an Inger on the PvE server that included port bonuses so I am curious just how exactly one goes about obtaining these bonus points and then use them on the PvE Server.

OP of course for PvE.

Killing (or capping) an elite NPC (which will have bonuses) may give you a ship note.  This will produce a ship with the aforesaid Port bonuses.

[Racer X Infinite]

Thank you

[Stilgar]

Here are the main issues with port bonuses I see now:

• (rvr) loss of main crafting ports (weeks/months of investment) means game over for the nation since recovery is virtually impossible. This basically encourages to join stronger nations, thus effectively cancelling any intrigue in rvr gameplay.
• (OW pvp) basically (high-level) port bonuses are must have to stay competitive vs reasonably experienced players and organized groups. If I craft 5th/4th rates using decent woods and refits, but w/o speed port bonuse (for instance) I still cannot (or have hard time to) compete with similar ships or fir-fir wasa with speed bonus (fir-fir wasas is a separate discussion). More specifically, (if level of skill / team play are comparable) I cannot disengage if I have/want to and I cannot catch up with the enemy if I want to, thus strongly cutting my tactical options and therefore chances in competitive pvp. 
• (diversity / access to content) smaller groups / clans, let alone solo players have limited or no access and hardly any influence on the port bonuses choice. Current choices of port bonuses are mainly rvr driven, which do not necessarily fit crafting choice if one focuses on crafting and sailing mainly 5th / 4th rates for OW pvp. This really hits the diversity in gameplay style and limit access to content.

IMHO the above issues can be addressed if port bonuses are (eventually) removed and are implemented as ship yard bonuses with some sort of points mechanics, to not allow stacking all bonuses, but forcing crafters to make choice when shaping their ships. This would allow to have a more distributed crafting base, still stimulate coop gameplay (investments would still be expensive I presume), and make crafting game more complex. Alternatively (or simultaneously) clan ship yards can be introduced with access to unique bonuses, but even at a higher level of investment to further stimulate coop gameplay.