Gaming Satisfaction Lost in the Burning Seas

[Tromador]

Originally Posted by Bach PNow if the price of 2nd rates and such are off balance thats a pretty easy fix and FLS has demonstrated a willingness to fix things. But as ICE_Hole mentioned, it might not be broken. FLS has said they envisioned the 4th rate to be the prime battle line ship.

In fact, historically the third rate was the workhorse of the line battle. Very few 1st or 2nd rates were built due to the time and expense required. Generally they were used exclusively as flagships for Admirals. This is, in my opinion, accurately reflected in the price and difficulty of producing them in game. It should be a project for a society to complete together, with realistic expectations. My society is fairly small, so we are aiming to produce a third rate at some point in the near future (though I am wondering about that, having read some forum advice speaking in detail against the 3rd rates in game).

It is however clear to me that a large lineship built by hard work of a group is held in trust by its captain and should be deployed when the group feels appropriate. It's a group effort, a group loss and a group decision. I find it hard to blame FLS for the selfishness of players who have been given the privilege of sailing such ships on behalf of their fellows.

[czolgosz]

This is ridiculous.
This guys ideas would totally and completely gut the game. I would be so out of here if they made those changes. I think almost everyone I play with would be out of here if they made those changes. This would make it even harder for players who weren't level 50 (or who were more recently level 50) to stand a chance.

Don't forget that one one of the other servers one country devastated another countries PB fleet with many LSB ships, when their fleet only had 4th rates and such.

Look at how devastating Frances win was at PdP. It seems to me quite likely we still would have one, maybe without quite such a margin, even if we didn't have the second rate their and only had 4th rates and heavy hercs.

As for the brits economic advantage because of numbers....look how they are doing in the game, doesn't seem to be much of an advantage, does it?
Micum MacIntyre
Scots/French Privateer

[Xylander]

Originally Posted by Tromador That is a silly calculation, relying on playing 24/7 without food or sleep. As our OP is retired and posts as though PotBS is his new "job", let's assume 10 hour working day, which is 200 days, over six months and a much more realistic time frame. Not that necessarily agree with him, mind you. I've been playing more like 6 weeks, than 6 months but I can see (a year on Guildwars helps) a need for a level plateau for PvP in order to maintain game balance. I currently PvE, but can see that when I reach L50, I'll either have to learn to PvP, or likely I'll be very bored very fast, even if I level an alt in all three classes. The endgame in PotBS is all about PvP and in particular NvN. Balance is all important in such a scenario, the more "l33t options" you create, the less easy it is to balance. Having a pile of different ships makes balance incredibly difficult. Ideally everyone has an identical ship and then we have a dull, yet perfectly balanced game. Having said that, I do hope the RP plotline ending isn't quite so disappointing as the OP makes out.

Nice...but this game went live in January.

[Alma Todd]

Hello,

I think Bach did put it well: "Anyway, the biggest problem with POTBS and its most unique feature are one and the same. Players control the game. Especially at level 50."

There is a whole lot of drama on the Spanish side, still suffering from post-merge trauma.

In the aftermath of that Jaqueme was one of the worst things that could happen to Spain. It created an atmosphere where people thought Spain was doing well. Spain is not doing well. Just look at the Port de Paix battle. Same stupid mistakes as in all the other port battles before. These should have been talked about in the Spanish forums, and not be repeated in future.

The problem is, when you go to a port battle, you have to pick your boat before going to the battle, before you know who else is there. If you are lucky 1/3 you know, 1/3 you don't know, the other 1/3 are known idiots or old Antigua fanbois. And later will get your ship sunk, and are resistant to advice, and reluctant to let the grasp on leadership go. Let's put it this way: the society structure for Spain is rather complicated.


Currently the game depends on nations getting along internally. In pvp "crush them" style game. Just like FLS hoped that nation populations would balance magically. LOL. So much dependance on things working out on their own is rather scary. And if things do not work well, if a nation does not get along well internally there are zero tools supplied by FLS to help this.

FLS already announced that they will let people pick ships from the battle room. Because only in that room you know who else is around, who is going to lead, and if you may dare to risk an expensive boat.

This would help coping with some inter-nation problems. If you are in a battle with guys you trust, you bring out the big boat. Otherwise you use a throwaway ship.


An other issue was, FLS announced early they were going to fix the underdog tools. But they waited with the fix until the next content upgrade.

These are 2 situations with critical RvR problems. And FLS takes their time to fix them. Right now it seems FLS only does content upgrades, and no critical RvR problem fixes.


It is very frustrating to try to compete with strong enemies, while at the same time you have an unreliable team, and the game not giving you a leg up. We do play the econ game, build a big fleet, but then we cannot use our ships, as we have zero control about who runs the battles for us (or who insists on running the battles for us).

This whole theorycraft on how RvR should work, and how RvR is a challenge and exciting and fun completely fails, if your Nation is not lucky enough to get along with each other.
The blame on FLS is, that they did not put fallbacks into the game; or at least other fun things to do besides RvR; or at least make RvR exciting even if your nation is losing.

Greetz,
Elena Navarro


PS: I am sorry, if I alienated any fellow Spanish player, but been holding back since the merge.


RE: czolgosz
I think the core topic is, that POTPS is not fun; and that FLS is not doing enough to make the game fun or keep the game fun. The suggestions are just suggestions and not the main part of the OP's posting.

RE: Xylander
Maybe he was not refering to hours?

[Tromador]

Originally Posted by Xylander Nice...but this game went live in January.

Well, he says 5 months, so what, 12 hours a day? Something like that.

Anyway, we all know that 86.33% of statistics are made up on the spot.

[Sumittra]

Now, "...over 2000 hours in past 5 months..." would bring him to 13+ hours/day.

Maybe the biggest key to frustrated players is (must not count on the OP), that they try to rush any game, want to see the biggest content possibly from day 1, or in worst case from month 2, and the designers will never have a chance to follow that speed.

You will find bored players in almost any MMORPG, and 99.9% its those players which reached all the available goals as first, and which start looking for the next new game, before the actual is half out of the childs shoes.

Is it possible that exploring games a little bit slower may be able to expand the time you can have fun?

I think they should have lowered the exp gain by factor 10+, also the cash drops, so that it would take at least one year (playing 24/7) to reach the biggest goals in the game.

PBs and PvP could also be fun if none of the players would be 10+ with just starter ships.

[Katatude]

Originally Posted by gpm1949 ......................... But my “player frustration index” has finally reached the point where I’m walking away, as have thousands of other level 50 players inside this game. .

(This was in Paragraph 2.)

Thousands of other level 50 players have walked away? Was this number drawn out of a hat or did you throw darts at a board to get it?

Originally Posted by gpm1949 ...........But I’ve been in the game long enough to see scores of level 50 players deactivate their accounts over frustrations with this game and you can count me as one.

(Paragraph 3)

We've gone from thousands to scores. Interesting.

Originally Posted by gpm1949 ......................... The number 1 thing FLS has failed to realize is that almost all PotBS players are “alpha males” with extremely high IQ’s................

Are these the same high IQ people who name themselves immature names with (3rd grade) sexual connotations?

Originally Posted by gpm1949 .........However, your game is far too labor intensive to acquire the assets needed to win a port battle and the game is far too dependant on group play ..........

Labor intensive? When all you need do is press the "Easy Button" to build things. (I don't call it crafting, because, really - it's not.)

Too dependent on group play? It's an MMO. Port Battles are the purpose of this game from everything I've read. You want one-on-one Port Battles?

Originally Posted by gpm1949 Compound these frustrations with the “contention battles” between players on Ventrilo or Team Speak, “contention battles” between societies on Vent, TS and the Forums and add in a bunch of gaming issues (like constant gaming disconnects) and PotBS soon becomes “not fun” anymore. Viola! A recipe for massive player emigration.

How is the above FLS' fault? After all these high IQ persons should surely see mature reasoning, right?

Originally Posted by gpm1949 ....Getting back to our “alpha male” complex, ...

Remember, these are the same high IQ persons who insist on tagging themselves with loser names and other "high IQ alpha male" behavior.


P. S. The quote is "The bloom is off the rose"; the blooms don't fall off the rose.

For other posters - the game hasn't been out six months or even five months. (officially). It has been out a bit less (6 days or 7 if you count today) than 4 months.

[Shady McGrady]

Originally Posted by gpm1949 Slit your wrist and right that in blood, Ice. If FLS does not address these issues quickly, you will be playing by yourself.... shortly before the servers are unplugged permenantly.

That's not true. I'll still be here. I love this game, and I'm thoroughly entertained by it.

Remember... Quitters never win.

[Longboard]

who'd a thunk it.
A game centered around a war too dependent on grouping..

[smokemonster]

SO you say you work in management at JC Pennies and yet over the last 5 months you've spent 13+ hours EVERY day playing video games? And you're also complaining about lack of things to do at LVL 50?????

Ever considered that spending over 50% of your days over the last five months playing the same video game might have contributed to your sense of boredom?

And I sure hope you don't have a family....

{edit} Apologies, I see you are retired. But still.... sheesh.