Trader Missions - mission % of distance to destination paid as compensation

[Destraex]

Sorry if this has been suggested before. But to stop the trader frustration which most of us just do to be able to fight. I suggest that if a trader is caught and killed 80% of the way to a mission destination, that the game give back 80% of the mission on boards value. This way if you sail for an hour to a destination but do not make it before being bounced you do not have to get so frustrated and upset with the game. 

This combined with the speed increases from the new open world wind speed mechanics should make the game playable without wasting your whole life trying to make money.

If you have a mission on board that is worth 100k and are intercepted at 80% of the way to mission destination, you get 80k as compensation + the normal trader ship compensation.

Perhaps some sort of nominal trader insurance should be introduced as a mechanic to implement this idea?

personally I am not a trader and only when I get very poor do I get out and afk sail for hours to try to get back enough money to fight. Its very frustrating to have to run the gauntlet for any distance and not come back in the positive after an hours mucking around. 

By doing this you are also going to get a lot more traders willing to fight and lose their ship. Though most will still want to get away with their ship and acquire 100% reward by continuing to survive. 

[Farrago]

So, you want to be paid something for not delivering cargo that cost you nothing?

Why didn't you just suggest that the Devs deposit 150,000 reals and 10,000 doubloons in your account whenever you ask?

If you're running cargo or passenger missions, you're completing almost all of them. It's rare for a trader to get caught. So rather than thinking you've just wasted a couple of hours, consider the millions of reals and tens of thousands of doubloons that you made with that trade ship before you got caught. 

 

[Chromey]

I feel this suggestion would make the game feel to casual and cause the developers alot of head aches to implement. Regardless of that effect, the game used to force players to buy goods with their own earned money,  to be able to have trader goods now for free is more then fair In my opinion. If you find your trade route filled with too many raiders I suggest you sail as your own escort ship or ask/hire others to come with you.  Or you can join a faction with more safer trade routes.

 

ps. The land-merchants giving you their goods for you to transport do not even come after you if you loose thier goods. In real life, merchant companies would be sued if they lost the goods of their owners!?

Edited October 3, 2019 by Chromey

[Cetric de Cornusiac]

1 hour ago, Farrago said:

So, you want to be paid something for not delivering cargo that cost you nothing?

Why didn't you just suggest that the Devs deposit 150,000 reals and 10,000 doubloons in your account whenever you ask?

If you're running cargo or passenger missions, you're completing almost all of them. It's rare for a trader to get caught. So rather than thinking you've just wasted a couple of hours, consider the millions of reals and tens of thousands of doubloons that you made with that trade ship before you got caught. 

 

He is talking of hauling goods, but used the term "trader missions" which created confusion with the economy missions you are refering to.

[Angus MacDuff]

Trading is a definite problem now, but being paid for failure is not a good option.  As mentioned above, trade missions are freebies and players who send out unescorted ships really lose nothing.  If you're losing a lot of time due to heavy losses, then you're doing it wrong.  Actual trade is what we wish for...with investing your own money and making a good profit.  Choosing your risk (no escort through heavy escort with friends) makes it an exciting part of the game and I miss this aspect and hope Devs can give it back.

[Destraex]

It's being paid for not failing up to whatever % you can. Like getting 80% on a test. You still get the marks.

[Papillon]

6 hours ago, Destraex said:

...

Perhaps some sort of nominal trader insurance should be introduced as a mechanic to implement this idea?

…

There's nothing wrong with this part of the idea.  You aren't getting paid for doing nothing.  It's still a loss.  If you pay say 100,000 reals plus taxes for goods, and get caught halfway, lose it all, and then get paid for half based on your distance sailed, then you still lose out, including your trade ship and crew likely as well.  The only way though to tell what the distance percentage is to use missions so the distance is known beforehand.  Sometime casual goods traders just go wherever they feel like, so you can't predict the distance.

The problem again is alts.  If my alt attacks my trader and collects the insurance and keeps the goods.  That's farming of course, but people still do it.

Additionally, insurance should get paid to the clan controlling the port.  These big ego clan leaders should love that.  If no clan owner, then to admiralty.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Papillon

[Angus MacDuff]

6 minutes ago, Destraex said:

It's being paid for not failing up to whatever % you can. Like getting 80% on a test. You still get the marks.

Delivery of goods is more binary than that.  They are either delivered...or not.  And don't forget, that the one who captures the trade goods can complete the delivery.  We cant have two people being paid for the same goods/passengers.

[Destraex]

Insurance would pay you and the pirate would deliver the goods and get paid as well.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

1 hour ago, Destraex said:

 the pirate/corsair/privateer would deliver the goods ... to a port that is operating a black market on that day/hour/time and buys "contraband/stolen items" and get paid as well.

 

[[MCC] Die Antwoord]

IMHO if anything failing to deliver should incur a significant penalty, you went out with the goods and not only failed to deliver them, you also lost them.

Like others said even an Indiaman costs less than the average cargo mission and can carry 5 in its belly, what's a 75k ship to a 750k haul?