Free Roam

[Catfish Quinn]

Isn't there a space in between? Others have mentioned this sort of thing before. If there were more opportunities to create instances there would be more opportunities to "sail." Now, I'm not entirely sure what the instances would be. Docking? Exploring coastlines? Fishing perhaps? This would require the introduction of new game mechanics, so this is probably a little further down the line. Would be welcome, though.

Speaking of welcome... I'd really like to just be able to drop into an instance. Practice manual sailing, test out some guns, whatever. Obviously, would have to put some sort of anti exploit measures in, but they wouldn't be too difficult to impliment.

[Finn Galgenvogel]

I'll add my 2 Cents to the discussion supporting the idea of free roam: I very much like the idea of instanced sailing and exploring (similar to battle) as it would add a lot of variety to the game. Probably one could seek out sites of former battles and shipwrecks and try to salvage resources and treasures?

 

What I also would very much like to see is to beef up sailing mechanics (looks) and navigation in OW. I think the fast timeflow is alright as not everyone wants to spend hours navigating, but a (really rare) surprise encounter now and then or having to weather a storm would add some value i.m.o. ... 

[ShiverMyTimber]

Since there are 'hidden' islands I'm against it as it gives you a risk free way to find them.
If you want to free roam grab a basic lynx.
However they need a fast travel system that is better than teleportation.

Edited September 18, 2015 by ShiverMyTimber

[Finn Galgenvogel]

Well, instanced does not mean it has to be exclusive...

Edited October 7, 2015 by Finn Galgenvogel

[Mirones]

i could see a posibilty of useing the Portbattle instance when the  Port is not under siege for the ones that want to sail around in 1:1 scale.

with minor missions of sending suply's to an nearby village/lighthouse/fort or Patroling an area searching for smuglers and so on.

 

can be used to allow larger ships to anchor outside of shallowwater Ports with the need for either Tenders or local players with lynx cutter and so on for unloading and resuply.

 

 

or just an random generated room to sail in with the ship of your choice for training or just relaxing and exploring some random islands.

[Niels Terkildsen]

The PotC Build Mod has a mode where you can sail in "real time" between the islands, that is, in 3D sailing mode; all the islands and distances are rescaled to make the sailing time realistic: you literally have to sail for hours (in-game days) between some islands - and plot your course carefully unless you have a chronometer and sextant - though it does have time-compression available as a toggle (possible as it's singleplayer only).

 

I wonder if it would be possible to have something like this, though of course compressed sensibly, in Naval Action. There's nothing better in a sailing game when you see a sail on the horizon, wondering whether it's friend or foe, whether you should investigate or make a run for it, fly a neutral nation's flag just in case or go straight at it - or when you sight land after a long journey of tacking against averse winds. I think Naval Action could attract another kind of audience if "realtime" sailing was possible, perhaps on a separate server with ultra-realistic rules and settings?

Edited October 8, 2015 by Niels Terkildsen

[droptuned]

I've seen the results of people wanting to throw "realistic immersion" into games- it leads to an exponential amount of challenges as well as tangent changes that get to a point that one needs to step back and ask if it's really necessary, especially at this point in game development.

[Macjimm]

I've seen the results of people wanting to throw "realistic immersion" into games- it leads to an exponential amount of challenges as well as tangent changes that get to a point that one needs to step back and ask if it's really necessary, especially at this point in game development.

 

Some people enjoy the realism in games.  The topic has be discussed previously and the realism advocates have been encouraged to be quiet because technologically it may be impractical for thousands of players to share the same virtual world.  Hence instances are necessary to allow smaller groups to enjoy some sense of realism in multiple smaller virtual worlds.  Within the instance the graphics are more elaborate and detailed.

 

It seems that what is suggested here is to allow a single player mode.  Alternatively we could extend instances to more than just combat.  Sounds good to many of us.

 

It's okay to like realism.  Immersion is not a bad word. The beauty of this game is what has attracted many of us.  Especially if there is a way to appreciate the "realistic immersion" without impacting the competitive players.

Edited October 12, 2015 by Macjimm

[NorthernWolves]

How about a permanently open instance with landmasses within?

[Mirones]

thats what we are mostly talking about. i could serve well for testing sandbanks and the increased usefullness for smaller ships and tactics around them

[sherlock]

I love this idea. To be honest buying this, even though I knew that battles were separate instances, I was secretly hoping that at one point the game might offer something similar to what the silent hunter series offered for single player: a big map where you could go around exploring and doing missions and where you'd randomly encounter other ships. This would be my dream

 

I see that this might be not as good for pvp since newer players will just get overrun after they leave a port but in single player this would be amazing

[RenaTheHyena]

I added the idea to the list

[Ligatorswe]

Well. I would like that too. But not just sailing around. I propose that special missions can be created with challenging sail-missions. Like enter dangerous ports, rescue fallen sailor, survive a storm, etc. And I suggest that special missions are created connected to exploration. Like "look at the wreck and see what is in it", "explore the river with a minor boat", "sail close to land and pick up a traveller, etc. In those cases it would be good with sailing skills.

[Taranis]

I agree.  The time compression bothers me a little - so does the ability to quickly identify and size up the ships around me.  I would love to have more "uncertainty" in the game: not knowing how far down the opponent's armor is; or whether a flag on the horizon is a 1st rate or a trading ship; a friend or a foe; starting off with a perfect map of the Caribbean rather than to have to chart my own and compose it from tails, rumors, and bits of maps gather at taverns...

[Henry d'Esterre Darby]

Perhaps it could be instanced like the battles, especially relative to the exploration game play. Sailing around land one could enter an instance to explore bays, coves, inlets, and estuaries. I would suggest this enhancement be left to after release or it could result in further delay.

 

This idea went by the board and I think should be fished out and re-examined.  

 

Once procedural generation of land in instances is completed, add exploration (in the abstract), and this is how you do it.  The instance would be visible to all, open at all times for people to enter/leave (better keep a sharp eye for enemy sails), and would create a lot of fun content.

[Blackbeard787]

Open world on pvp and pve is fine as is  the would have to create a whole other mod

[Justme]

I just think a separate hardcore server is more viable for those (me included) who enjoy the real time sailing. Many people always say to me 'you do realize how long that would take?' and to be honest i dont care if it takes me weeks or months to get across the map. I am playing this game for the realism

Say that now, 2 months in looking at the same screen without anything to do might change your mind.

[Aetrion]

Maybe when you are in the open world you could hit a button called "Battle Drill" that just puts you into whatever instance a fight would be in by yourself, and you can practice shooting and sailing to your heart's content there. 

[LeBoiteux]

Land in battle instances as it is currently developed may result someday in the implementation of real time exploration / sailing instances.

[PL_Harpoon]

I like the idea of a free roam option, but it would require some changes in OW mechanics to be implemented properly and don't get in the way of ppl, who just want to go from one place to another as fast as possible

 

Right now it seems that there's single battle map that's just open sea. I don't know if it's going to stay that way or will they implement something that actually represents your location on map. If so, then you could just enter real scale world anytime (just like jumping out of hyperspace in Elite Dangerous) and continue to sail with real speeds. That way you'd just create a single instance which is invisible to anyone on OW except your teammates.

[Macjimm]

If so, then you could just enter real scale world anytime (just like jumping out of hyperspace in Elite Dangerous) and continue to sail with real speeds.

This would be great if it worked like elite dangerous, but unfortunately in NA there is no relative Open World movement that corresponds with the instance travel. You will exit the instance in exactly the same position you entered. You can enter a battle from OW just south of an island and sail north for an hour from inside the battle instance, but when you leave (come out of) the instance you will not be north but just south of the island where you began.