Hire NPC Trade Convoy

[DasRedPriest]

I've seen the friendly NPC convoys floating around and I understand that they are there for the enemy factions to attack and all. What I propose is perhaps a way to make them more usefull to their nations human players.

I think it would be really helpfull if players could could hire convoy ships and escorts to transport thier goods around the map. This would aleiviate the tedious task of transportinmg your own goods and allow players to focus more on flipping ports and fighting their respective enemies.

The convoys would need to be subject to piracy and player "interdiction" just as players are. There would be a cost involved of course and how much you pay could dictate the size, number and level of your convoy ships and their escorts.

In order to make sure that this wasn't completely abused it should take a longer ammount of time for convoys to get to where they are going depending on where they are sent to. Somewhere in the range of 5-24 hours would due. Just so the uber wealty players can't overwhelm the waters.

Essentially the hiring of convoys would need to be lucrative enough fo players to want to do it but there would need to be balance.

[Microwe66]

I think this would be an awesome idea, and it would be great to be able to just load up a NPC convoy to take say wine from Tampa down to Bartica. That way I dont have to spend sometimes close to 40+ minutes sailing down there during my limited game time.

[mjashmore]

If this were done, Freetraders would become redundant.. you wouldn't need their large load carrying capabilites. And there then would be no need for merchant class ships.

Not sure I would trust a bunch of NPCs to carry my cargo through hostile waters though.

[Spinnaker Sam]

The convoys would need to be subject to piracy and player "interdiction" just as players are. it should take a longer ammount of time for convoys to get to where they are going depending on where they are sent to. Somewhere in the range of 5-24 hours would due.

I hope you aren't suggesting that the ships are moving slowly across the map for 24 hours. That would be rather wasteful and rather obvious to other players which ships to attack. Just attack the ships that are moving 1knot.

I can see them delaying the departure of the ships for 5-24 hours and then having the ships sail at normal speed to their destination. Nothing should mark these ships as being player hired carriers. That would just make them too much of a target.

Otherwise, I could see this being done. However, to maintain the viability of Freetraders I would make this a Freetrader only option. The availability would scale based upon the Freetrader's rank.

There of course would be a cost associated with the hiring of the NPCs.

[Microwe66]

Originally Posted by mjashmore If this were done, Freetraders would become redundant.. you wouldn't need their large load carrying capabilites. And there then would be no need for merchant class ships. Not sure I would trust a bunch of NPCs to carry my cargo through hostile waters though.

No they wouldnt, due to the fact that you as a freetrader or w/e would still be able to get your goods to where you want them free of charge, and also with much less hazard of losing your cargo. This would just be a way to not have to spend all day running goods, but with a lot of risk involved.

Originally Posted by Spinnaker Sam I hope you aren't suggesting that the ships are moving slowly across the map for 24 hours. That would be rather wasteful and rather obvious to other players which ships to attack. Just attack the ships that are moving 1knot. I can see them delaying the departure of the ships for 5-24 hours and then having the ships sail at normal speed to their destination. Nothing should mark these ships as being player hired carriers. That would just make them too much of a target. Otherwise, I could see this being done. However, to maintain the viability of Freetraders I would make this a Freetrader only option. The availability would scale based upon the Freetrader's rank. There of course would be a cost associated with the hiring of the NPCs.

I like that idea even better, that would make the traders even more useful. Or even have a trader ability that would allow you to mask your convoy to make it seem like a reg npc ship. If you didnt have the ability then it would show as a player hired convoy.