Would you pay DB to get contention points?

[Breckon]

You can do just that with the Rebel Agent. You give him stuff for contention points. If I understand it right it is repeatable and if you give him enough you can put the port into PvP.
If that is the case would you pay enough to open up a red circle?

[Stormbad]

I guarantee that this is part of the whole "economic" warfare and yes, strong economic societies will consider and actively use this strategy.

EDIT: It is also a money sink... which means we need more ways to make even more money...

[bpdlr]

It's an option. I'd prefer to do it the hard way, and then if the port owners decided to retaliate by doing missions etc., it would be a good way to counter that.

[Breckon]

It is also a way to protect your starter ports. If an group of enemy faction attempts to put a red circle around one of you starter port you respond by doing the same with one of theirs. Having a warehouse full of enough supplies to put an enemy starter port into a red circle is always a good idea.

[CShaughnessy]

Yes, this will definitely happen. It's not as much fun and far more expensive than the "old-fashioned way", but it's SO MUCH FASTER. And anyone who has played MMOs can tell you that in the small and in the large, "spike" damage wins. If you can put 8000 points on a port within 10 minutes, chances are the opposing nation will not be able to stem the tide before you hit 10k "the old-fashioned way" (with the help of the pirates of course).

[Breckon]

One of the quest the Rebel Agent has is delivery 23 loaves of bread(Hardtack). You can produce your own hardtack for 24 DB each. Every 100 points of contention would cost you 2760 DB.

[andy52584]

I should point out that allthough this does work for starting a red circle, its still up to the more combat oriented to keep it and push it to full contention and port battle. I tested this idea back before OB ended, as I had a lot of money to blow. I (almost entirely myself) put Nassau into pirate PvP through these missions. It was expensive and incredibly repetitive, but kinda neat at the same time. However, once it went pirate PvP, I was no longer able to do these missions. From that experiement as well as other observations I noticed that the repeatable contention missions only work until the first red circle is opened. I presume this is to prevent a society with a lot of money from very quickly forcing a port battle.

[rocktoonz]

it should also be pointed out that the starter ports are not contestable.

[Breckon]

it should also be pointed out that the starter ports are not contestable.

Aye, but there are some well used low level ports just outside of them that are.

[BlarghAld]

To the OP:

Yes, I will.

There is more to the game than mindless killing of NPCs, thank @pantheon. Or thank FLS.

[Communism]

Using small arms, it takes 280,000 DB for 10k contention.

280 cost per unit x 1000 small arms

[garborg]

You can only bring contention up to 5k using turn ins. From what I've read.

[Sunrock]

I though it was up to 6000 points that you could use contention items. Anyway you can't use it all the way up to 10k

[Olblach]

Yeah I will, but I see this more as a taunt or warning than anything else, to take over a port you need to go there with your ship and sink other ships.

[SolarGuy]

Hardtak may cost 24db to make but it's worth about 120db as it and wine are the most expensive ingredients for provisions. Just as a ship may cost 3000 db to make but it worth far more. You have to include labor.

[EgoIncinerator]

It works, and works well.

The side affect that this will have in the long run (that no one seems to be talking about now) is that it opens the door for RMT to have a field day later on.

Need to put that port into contention?
1.xyz.com, buy 500,000k DB
2.wait for mr farmer on some dock
3.Wee! Red Circle for $25.00!!

Idiotic design, IMO. People love to scream about RMT this and RMT that. What am I missing about this "funding the red circle through DB " that just does not scream RMT?

[Fatebringer]

The whole PVP system encourages RMT.

"Don't want to farm 8 hours to fund your night of pvp? come to our web site!"

"lost your ship to a bad spawn and can't afford to replace it? come to our web site!"

"enemy nation has a SOL and you don't? come to our web site!"

"can't afford the taxes in your now-foreign ports? come to our web site!"

[Bognor]

I think the limited ability to accumulate doubloons will have a dampening effect on RMT. It's just not that easy to farm in this game. That being said, I wonder about some of the first-day Pirate PvP zones I saw springing up on Bonny. A lot of good planning, or RMT-induced unrest?

Bog