First and Second rate solutions

[LordStompy]

Ok so in this quote below there is someones thoughts on a possible way to bring back the rates.

Id like everyone to comment and see if there are any flaws on it, if so tear it apart until its even thinkable for devs. This is not a quote due to me not being able to find the original so here it is.



Originally Posted by elessaria

Cost is bad. The MMO mindset is utterly devoted to getting things that are rare. Increasing the cost will mean that a few will grind, and the rest will think of themselves as HAVING to grind to compete. This is a fact no matter how small any perceived advantage might be.

Since you are looking at an econ overhaul anyway, remove LSBs from the economy. They are a poison that sinks labour and actively encourages crossteamed econ, alt-CoC-farming, multiple account farming etc etc. LSBs were conceived to be a limiting factor on ships. They failed utterly because making them part of the economy bypasses any hardcap FLS tried to impose through doubloon cost or labour cost.

To replace econ-generated LSBs, create a mission available from the rebel agent and garrison commander in each contestable port called "For Fame And Glory" or some such, which becomes available in any port that is between 3000 and 10,000 contention. This is a daily mission which is completed when you earn 1000 contention points on the port; and the mission is common among all ports in the Caribbean; one turn in per day for generating 1000 contention on one port. The turn in grants you a Mark of Conquest.

When you attend a PB, you also earn 2 MoCs.

Have a capital exchange where 5 MoCs can be exchanged for 1 LSB. Reinstate the old 2nd and 1st rate recipes but change the deeds to 1 dura. Add in some mats if you like to up the cost but the LSB component of every ship is obtained ONLY though MoCs.

Since the number of ports that can be flipped at any one time is absolutely finite as defined by the server, you cannot grind MoCs, you cannot farm MoCs. If you take part in RvR you will earn MoCs. Contention can be earned through PvP, PvE, econ and patrolling so it is open to every type of player if they choose to get involved. Having the high-tier ships accessible only through RvR encourages players to take part, discourages RvR apathy and showcases the best parts of the game to the playerbase striving to get "the best ship".

Now for some numbers. A port flips at 10k contention. From the 3000 gateway that is 7k contention to flip so the MAXIMUM number of MoCs per flip is 7 turn-ins, assuming full groups getting contention that means a total of 42 MoCs; though in reality this would never actually happen. That is less than one 2nd rate, and less than half a 1st rate. Now if the people who get them decide to keep the dura for fleeting you have no game-balancing issues since you admit ship power was not the problem. If, however, they take them to a PB and sink that lost ship represents a net loss to the nation's "LSB power". When a 1st rate sinks the nation no matter how hard they grind cannot replace it without flipping two more ports, and in those battles they have the potential to lose more LSB power.

Okay so we have the issue of superfleets. Well the net loss issue should self-attenuate this. If you bring a superfleet, and lose rates you can't use them in the next battle, and you can't replace them for the next battle. On the other hand a nation that has an excess of boats can be targetted with the express purpose of sinking a few rates each time, whittling down their power. You can lose the battles but win the war. Economic warefare is a factor again.

Technically, seesawing a flip between attack and defense will allow more MoCs to be generated, but this increases RvR activity which is (A) good and (B) likely to sink a few more LSBs. If people see obvious deliberate exploiting of the system they can report to a GM, or they can tool up and go sink the people doing it.

[acerrak]

dont care for it. i like pbs and rvr, but you cant force people to do it or grind contention for it. half this game is carebears who like to fleet and eco.

the game was designed for both. you cannot alienate the other half. its a bad idea sorry
need to go back to the drawing board.

my proposal. bring seconds back as it. keep the first rates out of the game.

if you want to even get more fine tooned, bring back the trinity and leave out the triumph.

the trinity is a nice ship, and would be a welcomed addition for any NO plus not out of balanced.

though i personally would love to have the triumph some argue her guns are to big and powerful, yet she has less of them.

bring the recipes back to treasure island to generate income for the game. that is how you bring them back. income

[LordStompy]

I can also agree with your post, 2nd rates are not too much of a challenge economically and also dont overpower the competition to a point where they dominate.

They are a nice mix between low manoeuvrability and firepower where 1st rates were alot stronger then the 2nds firepower and very similar manoeuvrability.

I think that 2nds could be a potential bring back without angering to many players, with rats having the Treason as a nice counter and also now giving people a ship that they can low in PBs that is risky, rather then the 200k ships in todays.

Bring back 2nd rates and bring back the intense PBs and players will return to the game