And thus, my time in PotBS draws to a close.

[Wintersdark]

Well, that's it for me. I've been a forum member for a very, very long time, and was a closed beta member since July. I've enjoyed my time here, and will continue to lurk on the forums to watch the game's progress, but I've cancelled my subscription - I just cannot continue to justify paying for a game I just don't play anymore.

At a fundamental level, I'm frusterated by a lack of goals in the game. As a pirate, there's nothing I can aspire to beyond maybe a pirate herc(which I'm not overly fond of anyways), and no real reason to continue playing.

My most serious concerns, and things that would remedy them (and thus bring me back):

Problem: The Death Penalty Kills PvP for Me
I enjoy PvP, but I hate the death penalty. I'm not particularly good at PvP, though I'm experienced enough to not be a noob, but I've very limited play time and particularly at high level, a death results directly in a very significant amount of grinding time. Thus, for me, a death means that my next play session would have to be spent doing something I don't enjoy. Not a big lure. As there's nothing significant to be gained through PvP, there's no carrot to counter that stick-thwacking, so I just don't anymore.

Suggested Solution: Shallows
I accept the death penalty is pretty much unchangable in Pirates. I accept that I'll never, then, enjoy high-end PvP as anything other than a once in a long while endeavour. That's ok. However, the addition of Shallows and size-capped PvP would allow me to participate in PvP where the death penalty is minor. Replacing durability/outfitting on a Small ship is a far less ardorous task, after all, when you can grind with a level 50 warship.

Risk-free skirmish would help, but honestly I can't see a way to set it up where I'd actually end up using it, as I tend to play at highly random times, so setting up battles is extremely difficult.

Problem: Quasi-Pointless PvP
Seriously, what are you PvPing for? Sure, it's fun to battle it out with your friends/enemies/random strangers, but are you working towards any goal? The NvN game (aside from the ultra-cool port battles) is very unrelated to PvP. You cannot PvP to defend a port unless you're good enough/in a good enough ship/in a big enough group that you'll know you'll be successful or else you hurt your own cause. You can work to flip a port far more easily by killing NPC's than players. There are no real rewards to speak of. PotBS is supposed to be all about PvP for a reason... but there just isn't one. Port battles are the only real purpose-driven PvP, but if you're not able to be on reliably or for extended periods, it's very hard to get into them.

I started in Closed Beta back in mid '07. I've had maybe half a dozen port battle invites in that time (I'm nearly never on when they happen as I play at wierd hours) and only TWO invites that I could attend. One, I knew we would be around 6 vs 24 (including SOL's in that 24 vs. our 6 levelling 'rats) and one when I was way out to sea in an Atlas Bark, without time to switch ships (I'd just logged on).

Maybe I'm unique and horribly unlucky, I dunno, but I've found that with my casual play times, I simply cannot regularly participate in Port Battles, thus I cannot engage in purpose-driven PvP.

Solution: Dunno.
I don't really know how this can be fixed, really.
Problem: The Economy
Honestly, one of my first major attractions to this game was the economy. I wanted to be a trader baron, running a cutthroat trading empire. However, due to the fundamental design of the economy and the inherent limits, a player can never really exceed a certain point. No matter what I do, I'll never be able to produce more volume or more efficiently than any other player. Thus, what goals can I aspire to? All I can do is trade and make money, but my operations are artificially capped.

Further, I cannot actually run any form of company. I cannot brand products. Aside from price - which regulates quickly - there's no difference between my goods and any other goods, and people have no idea whose goods they are buying. There is, in fact, virtually no competition whatsoever in our economy. Not to mention that due to the nature of the game, in-society production becomes virtually mandatory for any high-end goods creating a quasi-socialist system within societies which consumes the vast majority of production and goods movement. You can't compete, as they are running for 0 profit; simply to get their members in ships. So, while I can sell goods on the open market, the demand is limited in virtually every case, and there's no way to grow. It's like hitting your level cap and abruptly stopping.

Finally, nothing really impacts the economy. NvN? Whatever. Taxes have little impact more of the time, goods are readily available in protected areas preventing extended red-zones, etc. Because of the in-society production dominance, economic warfare is pointless (even if it were possible, which it really isn't) as you may drive up AH prices a bit, but the bulk of players who are actually consuming goods are producing their own anyways.

Suggested Solution: ~sighs~
I honestly don't see an easy solution here. It's simply the fundamental nature of the game. If you allow players to build ever more efficent production operations, then lower end players are unable to produce goods at a level to be able to compete in the marketplace at all. Without branding, or customized goods, whoever could produce cheapest could forceably drive everyone else out of business. However, our system simply does not allow any form of customized goods. If you allow players to build ever more productive operations (even if not more efficient) then in-society production just becomes ever more practical.

So, I'm just sad. I love economic play, but Pirates really offers none.


Problem: PvE Cooperative Content
Ultimately, I'm a PvE player. I enjoy some PvP, but it's not really my thing. I do definately love multiplayer play, though! I just like to play with others, rather than against them. Unfortunately, we've got virtually none right now. Also, the death penalty rears it's ugly head here, too: If it's very difficult PvE content(which is what I want!) you're again forced to grind(thus do not-fun stuff) to support doing fun stuff.

Suggested Solution: More PvE Cooperative Content
Well, duh. More. Bey's Retreat is fun, but it's just one midlevel mission. There needs to be more - a lot more. Either financial rewards need to be substantial to offset learning costs, or there needs to be a way to cap the financial expendatures required. Some way to lessen the overall death penalty would go a long ways here. Highly difficult missions like this, COUPLED with Shallows concepts in places, would be *REALLY* awesome.

Problem: Nothing to do
Now, maybe this is just me... but I just don't have anything to do. I log on, and meander about, but I've got no goals. I cannot work to improve my economic business, as it can be "capped out" in a single play session (buy warehouses, build shops, done). I cannot improve my character - once you hit 50, you're done. There's nothing outside of quasi-pointless PvP to do at all.

Suggested Solution: Get that stuff in game!
Port governance, captains cabins, alternative progression... All things that have been promised, and I'm sure will eventually make it into the game.... but are months away. Maybe they'll draw me back in - I hope so. But I'm not going to keep playing a game that simply isn't fun for me anymore in the mean time.


Well, those are my larger issues, though not the only ones. I can accept that perhaps what I want out of this game, and what this game is looking to offer are not necessarily the same thing, and maybe it's just not for me. But all I can say is that the game that was promised, back before release; the game design that Isildur has said he wanted from day one... That game, I want to play.

I've always thought that PotBS has enormous potential, and I still believe it does. I've the utmost respect for FLS's full team, they are all great people with great ideas. I wish them all the best, and I truly hope the can succeed at what they say they want to provide.

I'm without an MMO now, and I doubt AoC will offer what I want. So, as I said, I'll drop in and see what's going on from time to time, but until the game can offer more for me, I've paid my last dollar.

[Zapor]

Sorry to see you go Winter, PotBS lost a great player with your exit. Hope to see you back one of these days.

[DieAlteHexe]

Good post. Clearly brings some points to the fore. I expect I'll hit the point you're at sooner or later (I'm hoping later, much later) and I really hope that some of these changes come to be.

G'luck, Wintersdark

[Ged Bligh]

Wintersdark this is a personal blow to me as without your help in closed beta i would not be playing today, i truly regret your decision but understand your reasons perfectly.
Your contribution to the Potbs community has been outstanding.
If you come back NO's are much more fun, the Pirates economy was never much good. Hopefully Pirates Plunder will add more fun & depth to their game.
Good fortune & winds where ever you go.
Farewell.

[Jamie Pick]

A lot of ppl leave due to the fact once you hit lvl 50 theres nothing you can do. i feel the same. and what happened to the story mission? did it even get finished?

[johnnyjet]

Sorry to see you go man, you're posts always reflected a voice of reason. Rusty just commented yesterday on the shallows and he has some other idea to improve pvp which he is pondering. We'll have to see what that is.

You're other points are spot on.

Check out Jumpgate Evolution due out later this year, it may be the next big thing you're looking for.

[Wintersdark]

I'm sad to go, too. I love the genre, I love the artwork, I love the concept. I just wish it worked out better for me in actual play.

The death penalty wasn't so bad in Beta, because the Beta game was a very different game. Ganking still did happen, but on a significantly lesser level as most players were more interested in overall fun gameplay rather than the post-launch crush-at-all-costs gameplay. Obviously as well, we had regular wipes and thus new that what we'd lose everything anyways, so there was no real need to amass wealth or push hard to get the best stuff we could. Thus, far less of an Arms Race than we have now too.

I had a lot of fun in beta, dispite the game being far less polished and lacking a lot of features it has now.

I'll miss you guys, though - we've had a whole lot of great discussions over the last few months. The community has long been one of the best parts of this game. I actually considered maintaining my subscription just to keep forum access =)

[Ged Bligh]

Originally Posted by Wintersdark

The community has long been one of the best parts of this game. I actually considered maintaining my subscription just to keep forum access =)

i don't think you need to, have you tried logging out of the forum recently?

You can't (the little cookie thats lets you in remains on your PC!)

[Vetarnias]

To the OP: I entirely agree with you. Mind if I quote you for some upcoming stuff I am planning?

[ralisti]

As a pirate, you should be able to use small ships and get away with it already. You just have to play smart.

Yesterday, a friend and I were using a traders sloop and a MC hermes to hunt in the red zone (we are both level 50). We used stealth to prevent being seen for the most part, and selectively hit single targets using an almost stalking approach.

You do not have to use large, or even huge, ships to participate in PvP. You just have to use some basic tactics and common sense, especially as a pirate. Patience and stealth is the key.