DEV interest low level pvp

[johnnyjet]

Originally Posted by johnnyjet
Restricted areas where higher level ships can't go because the water is too shallow, creating more opportunities for lower level ships to battle with each other. This has been proposed before.

FROM DREWC - "I could potentially see a world where we have specific PvP areas that are restricted to certain ship sizes. I've seen this idea a couple of times, is that really something that you find exciting?"

Again DREWC has asked for feedback regarding this idea of specific restricted pvp areas by ship size due to shallow water. This gives the lowbies the chance to fight lowbies so new players can get a better introduction to pvp.

This was also buried in another thread. Since there has been alot of discussion on this, I pulled it out. I hope no one minds.

Please comment negative or positive since this has the chance of getting DREW's direct attention.

[Canisn0ir]

I like this idea; smaller boats for shallower water. Personally I missed out on a lot of the small boat PvP and would love a chance to use my Packet Boat for something other than tackling

[Neobius]

Excellent idea, I love it. Realism and game balance all in one exciting package.

[The Brute]

While this sounds like a good idea, what do you propose about the following issues?

1. High level captains in low level ships prowling these shallow areas

2. High level captains using upper-tier consumables to repair a ship

3. High level characters using the upper-tier general outfittings on low-level ships

Some of the pros that have been mentioned include adding 'realism' to the experience.

How can you 'realistically' prevent higher level characters from entering the shallow waters with appropriate ships?

I think that it would be hard to achieve the balance desired without instituting some artificial level restrictions on who can enter the area. I know an idea has been thrown out before about consumables and outfittings being level restricted to the ship, not the captain. That might alleviate problems 2 and 3 above.

-The Brute

[Handsome]

Why bother preventing these captains from doing this? Skilled lower level players can be more dangerous than higher lev ones due to their focus. Realism is out the window btw, If what you want is lev 25 on lev 25 action with all the same outfittings, skills, etc, that sounds like a boring stalemate, if you want to triumph over someone despite long odds, you'll have the chance. Remember, noone stays level 1 forever.

[CaptainKipper]

Originally Posted by The Brute 1. High level captains in low level ships prowling these shallow areas

As was pointed out to me before (quite correctly), the outfittings have a max level for the ship size, so a small ship can never have higher than level 20 or 25 outfitting (or whatever) because better outfitting doesn't exist for this ship size. So as long as you are max level for the ship size, you can have the same fittings.

Skill/Buff wise, not much you can do - but then the buffs should be enough to make a difference, as long as they are not able to make so much of a difference that a battle is unwinnable by someone without them.

Originally Posted by The Brute 2. High level captains using upper-tier consumables to repair a ship

This is a fair point, and perhaps the consumables should be linked to ship level or ship size rather than player level, in much the same way that outfittings are. Perhaps higher consumables should have a much longer cooldown (they may already, apologies if so). So the timing becomes key, and lower level consumables are usable more often.

Originally Posted by The Brute 3. High level characters using the upper-tier general outfittings on low-level ships

Again not much you can do about that bar limit general outfittings to ship size, but some of them don't lend themselves to that. But again as well, if they created an advantage, but not an overwhelming one, I think few would complain.

Top level vs a lower level shouldn't be a completely even battle, and I couldn't say how much advantage there'd be from the general outfittings and consumables since to know that, you'd have to have a battle with two otherwise identical ships to see how it plays out.

[Bipto]

How about adopting an idea that I thought worked exceptionally well in another game ie the level restricted battleground.

I personally would love to get into some PvP, but as a casual gamer, without access to big society economics I'm a little nervous to go out to get whipped by some high level fella in a monster of a ship that I presently can only drool over

Don't get me wrong ... if I was in the other ship and caught me ... I'd be more than happy to sink or chace it off

However, an arena where I could get some (even limited) PvP action against foes where I could stand a chance (nb: I'm old and have NO reflexes, so I'm usually easy fodda anyway - so sinking after 7-8 broadsides rather than disappearing in a cloud of spray on the 1st - I count as a win ) is very attractive.

I wouldn't even care if there were no rewards to be had ... just the experience (not the game type, the being involved type) would be enough for me. If a way to make it more meaningful re the overall game ... so much the better ... but not necessary IMO.

What do ya all think??

[Leoderoyan]

As now, you can encounter many lvl 50 chasing in Mediator MC. This one is rated as a "small" ship, but with lvl 6 ship outfittings, she is really more powerfull than most frigates. Facing those experienced captains wearing the highest personnal buffs and equipment, what can do a lower level player?

That is realism! IRL history there were very few equal fight at sea. As Churchill said when he was First Lord of the Sea, at sea a 20% superiority gives a 90% expectation to win.

Then, if realism must be a first requirement, the only way to offset a more experienced ennemy could be by the number. But in PotBS that is impossible. Number of ships in a group is stricly limited (6 for chase and 25 for a port battle fleet ). That gives to highest levels players an unstoppable asset.

There seem be only 2 ways to allow low level captains to play PvP : Level restricted areas and/or less restrictions for group numbers. Both are common in others MMO.

[I Been Jammin]

I agree with the point that low level players are very dangerous because they're concentrating. The other day I was attacked by a level 50 Pirate outside of Havana in a Triton. Now, I was level 25, in a Postillionen. No, I'm not about to say I won. I lost, but that's not the point. Even in a Postillionen (an unmaneuverable ship) I took out all of his stern armor before I was de-masted, boarded and killed. The fact is, even a level 50 who knows what he's doing can be beaten by a simple tactic I used to get at his stern over and over again (No, I'm not telling you what it is). I have almost no doubt that had I been level 30, in an Athena Frigate (New Ship!) I could've beaten him. I couldn't outrun a Triton, but I could definitely kill him, because he let me do my tactic over and over.
Please, don't get me wrong, I'm not using this thread to brag about my exploits, but I thought this would be a good point.
I think that level 50's should be allowed to kill people in shallow water, but how about this: he has to be careful because he might run aground on a sandbar. They should make each ship have a certain draft (how low they run in the water), so that in very shallow water, a level 50 could get trapped by a sandbar just long enough that a lower level could either get away, or beat him.

[Handsome]

let's not alter the world physics just yet. I agree with a low level ship pvp area, but how about an incentive for higher levs to group up with lower levs in it? Imagine being able to learn the ins and outs of small ship pvp in groups of 6v6 with 1 lev 50, 1 lev 40, 1 lev 30 and three lev 20s, call it a 'flotilla' make the members of the group vote someone as commodore and that person gets 2x the share of loot dropped. Also make a loot table for this as noone will be able to bring in unsecured cargo, that way you can't lose your goodies. Since it would be a 'restricted' pvp area, no point in trying to do eco there eh?
Now the fun part for the lower players, after each battle they get a timer of 2x exp and 1.2x db drops for open sea or pvp, win or lose.