Scuttling perk

[Zorg the Merciless]

Hi, following a situation today, I have an idea that I think could be useful. I was sunk in a crafted ocean by some marauding Swedes after the Great River/Prinz Port Battles earlier today. That is of course fair enough. If I had been in one of my seasoned wood ships the loss would have been quite annoying. Its not so much the loss of the ship as such but the fact of the enemy gaining hold of it and being able to use it in the future.

I'd like to propose a scuttling perk. When enabled, your ship will sink within say 90 seconds. The enemy can still loot as per normal you but is unable to capture your ship. There could perhaps be an increased chance of a seasoned wood drop for the enemy. I'd further propose that its a one shot deal. That is, if you click the scuttle button, you get a "are you sure" dialogue box and then the countdown starts - its not reversible. I think its better that the ship sinks rather than explodes so as to avoid fireship griefing.

Cheers & sail safe (apart from you trader ganking bast***s - you can please sail unsafe and get sunk vigorously and often lol )

Zorg

[The Geth]

As a trader-ganking bastard, this idea has my wholehearted approval. 😁

[Galt]

Denying the enemy your ship is basically a skill, do whatever you can to be sunk if you want to make sure they don't capture it. Or just don't sail valuable lineships alone...

[Beeekonda]

54 minutes ago, Galt said:

Denying the enemy your ship is basically a skill, do whatever you can to be sunk if you want to make sure they don't capture it. Or just don't sail valuable lineships alone...

WTS Scuttling Special Training Program 

[Macjimm]

As a Trader-that-gets-ganked Bastard, this idea has my wholehearted approval. 

I would absolutely love to be able to self destruct.  Most raiders are civil and I have no issue with the combat.  There are a few that are very offensive.  It would be rare that I would use the feature, but on the rare occasion that some ass is being a prick I would easily pay a million reals to sink my own 5,000 real Traders Brig with 100,000+ reals in cargo.  

Perhaps our Admiralty could fine us a million reals each time we chose to scuttle.  A penalty for such a distasteful action.  Might help inflation by removing currency.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Macjimm

[Vizzini]

given players already have the option to ditch as much cargo as time allows... anything else would just be seen as sour grapes on the part of the player who is getting sunk. Perhaps rank reduction for repeated occurrences from their admiralty would be in order ?

[Thonys]

Mmmm what do i smell,  snif snif ....Alt farming alert!

 

" There could perhaps be an increased chance of a seasoned wood drop for the enemy. "

Edited January 19, 2020 by Thonys

[Macjimm]

1 minute ago, Thonys said:

Mmmm what do i smell,  snif snif ....Alt farming alert!

What has skuttling your ship got to do  with Alt farming?  Would it help if the combat news still showed the ship as sunk?

 

[Thonys]

Just now, Macjimm said:

What has skuttling your ship got to do  with Alt farming?  Would it help if the combat news still showed the ship as sunk?

 

we had those proposals years ago 

now we have surrender instead.... and that's it  ...

[The Geth]

1 hour ago, RepairyMcRepairous said:

Why not just let them take it so you can recapture it later.

Bit pointless letting those who bothered to put some time into hunting you walk away with nothing.

I don't know about other PvPers, but all I really care about are the doubloons and the combat medals. If I still get those for being in the battle/looting the corpse, I'm happy; I'd just end up sinking the other ship anyway, most likely.

[Zorg the Merciless]

My point was more in relation to warships than traders. If the enemy captures a (for example) seasoned woods 1st rate then that is a huge bonus for the capturer. I feel that as the owner/captain of the ship, its my decision to deny the enemy the comfort of my ship. It should still count as a kill for the attacker and credit as per normal to their hunt missions etc.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Zorg the Merciless

[Macjimm]

17 minutes ago, Zorg the Merciless said:

If the enemy captures a (for example) seasoned woods 1st rate then that is a huge bonus for the capturer. I feel that as the owner/captain of the ship, its my decision to deny the enemy the comfort of my ship.

Makes good sense strategically to deny the enemy, period.  Raiders sink traders to deny us; Repairs for combat, and Reals for funds.  It is very reasonable to sink our own ships rather than just give them to our enemies.  The game's economic conflict is much more interesting than the rewards for individual competition. 

Scuttling is not just sour grapes, it's a viable tactic that should be available.  If anyone can elaborate on other tactics,(that are available) to ensure that we can make our own ship sink, please advise.

Rethinking my previous post, perhaps a wise captain should be rewarded, rather than fined, for scuttling a valuable ship.

[huliotkd]

if you want to lose your ships, just switch off survival button...and take damage...

and you sink. 

self destruction in a game where enemy ships are a prize is a gamebreaking idea

[Earl of Grey]

On 1/19/2020 at 3:53 AM, Zorg the Merciless said:

Its not so much the loss of the ship as such but the fact of the enemy gaining hold of it and being able to use it in the future.

Ships are like beloved women, better kill em than see them happy with an other man ... wait ...

I can understand your Feelings, but no ... 

[Macjimm]

16 hours ago, huliotkd said:

self destruction in a game where enemy ships are a prize is a gamebreaking idea

The game's economic conflict is much more interesting than the rewards for individual competition.

Capturing enemy ships could still be possible if we allow scuttling.  The captain would need to use skill, and work quickly,  to prevent the victim from scuttling.  Allow more depth for multiple play styles. 

[Yoha]

Allowing players to almost immediately scuttle their ship is not a good game mechanic. It denies the attacker XP and a prize.

The current mechanic of surrendering is the appropriate mechanisms for quitting a battle. Defender gets to quit and deny XP, the attacker gets their ship.

You can still currently scuttle your ship by hitting the 8 key. It just takes longer and gives the enemy a chance at boarding you as long as the attacker has not put too many leaks in you...in which case they planned to sink you anyway.