FLS Position on Nightflips (they commented AT LAST)

[Garrett_In_Ohio]

Originally Posted by Aderena

One would have to believe "nightflips" are a valid existence to think they are healthy or unhealthy. On a 24/7 server there is no night. We don't even have day/night cycles in the game. When FLS instituted the server names they told us that anyone could play on any server. Many of the forum veterens had strong friendships with the European players throughout beta. The national indicators were guidelines, they were not strict requirements that defined international time lines.

Well, they may have judged incorrectly, so, instead of GettingLegal on them, how about we try to come up with ways to fix it so everyone can enjoy the game they are paying for. If you want night flips, go over to Roberts now, it is the official night flip-carebear-PvE server.

[sailorman_glh]

Originally Posted by Garrett_In_Ohio

Looks like one to me: http://potbs.armeagle.nl/map-Roberts.php

Oh lookie! The Brits are attacking Portabello! This shoudl be a real Barn Burner, don't forget to get your Rates out of mothballs for this battle. 24v0 ftw. After that is over you can get back in your sloops and fail around for awhile, maybe gank some NPCs, or a lone noob. Scratch the noob, no PvP zones for them to wander into.

Yep, it's sure empty! Look at those two French-grinded zones near Louisiana, being assisted by Spain?!?! And what about those Pirate-grinded zones around Santo Domingo and Vieux Fort!?!?! Yep, sure looks like there's no one else on Roberts except us British!!!


PROTIP: Next time you'd like to use a visual aid to assist your argument, make sure it REALLY helps your argument, and not the other guy's.

[Jib Hurricane]

Originally Posted by Garrett_In_Ohio

Yeah, but, you see this is a Game, not a RealWar. I swear, I am not lying either! This is MakeBelieve. Can you MakeBelieve, I know I can sometimes.

At any rate, RealLifeCommitments > Game, and sometime RealLifeCommitments mean that Game has to be put on hold a bit so people with RealLifeCommitments can attend to them, and then play Game when the RealLifeCommitments are dealt with. So, unlike real war, we have to make it so the most people can play the Game in as balanced a way as possible to FLS can make RealMoney and we can have RealFun.

Glad you cleared up the make-believe part for me, but I think there's an underlying assumption in your argument: That FLS intends this to be a game where RvR will always be determined by "fair fights (port battles)" of equal numbers of ships of relatively equal level, captained by relatively equal level players etc. etc. And that the game dynamics should be altered to fix anything that detracts from this.

I just don't happen to think that's what they intended... RvR and map changes are going to be driven by all kinds of inequalities that develop in the game. As new players come in the game and older players leave, nations will gain relative advantages over others: having more experienced players, a more committed group that works together, a large proportion of players interested/not interested in RvR. These inequalities will drive map changes as the other nations exploit them and the relative strength of nation's will wax and wane.

That one nation might experience a situtation where they can't field players at a certain time is just one of these situations in my opinion. I think it adds to game play, and the nation that's suffering should figure out how to address the problem within the game.

After all one of the nations on Roberts is somehow able to field ships at "night". And if your nation moves to Antiqua en masse you will have solved the problem by having players that can fight in all timeframes by virtue of Antiqua's larger population, the very fix I think makes sense.

[Ryokan76]

Originally Posted by sailorman_glh

Cant make out how you came to that conclusion based upon what I said, but then, you're still trying to make your point after you left. Who's trolling whom?

Left? I'm still playing this game, and this is the General Discussion area.

Also, FYI, I still have characters on Roberts.

Anyway, enjoy Roberts. And I mean that seriously. We won't speak again.

[sailorman_glh]

Your society left Roberts, so I stand by my post.

I wish you the best on your sojourn, and I'm sorry you hold grudges over the internet. I hope you can figure out how to lighten up, and not take things so seriously in the future. All the best!

Best regards and /tiphat,

[kazamx]

So how long until the Brits start the move over to Antigua? I hear at least one guild will be moving within a week. Another French guild moves on Sunday.

I have to admit, I am honestly looking forward to seeing what happens at Portobelo. Will the Spanish even be able to get a full team up at peak time? Can I suggest the Brits hit a French port so the battle happens after Sunday too please? I want to see if the French still have the numbers.

[JoeyBagODonuts]

It seems pretty clear to me that some people are so irrational that they refuse to see the problem with their thinking.

They rationalize the imposition of their will upon others as "saving the game" when it isn't even remotely clear that their demands will do any such thing.

It seems clear that their demands will alienate people by locking them out of RvR because they happen to be at work at the time that Joe Crybaby declares "prime time."

With a wave of their magic hand, they declare that all "night flippers" are Americans. Damn those dirty Americans.

Its a 24/7 game, folks. If your nation doesn't have people on 24/7, then the problem is specifically with your nation. Sure, its a problem that you cannot solve by yourself. However, scheduled port battle wont solve it either. You lack the population to compete and nobody in this thread has given a solution even remotely capable of solving that.

[Jib Hurricane]

Originally Posted by Beilo

The problem with this analysis is that this is a game and not a war simulation.

By their nature games are supposed to be 'fair' in their rules and starting conditions.

Well I don't agree on either account. First I think that PotBS has aspects of a simulation and I don't think that the terms "game" and "simulation" are mutually exclusive, as your post seems to imply.

Second games are only supposed to be "fair" in regard to their stated rules. There is no rule in PotBS that guarantees force equality in port battles; I don't think the developers intended this to be the case; in general, I don't think players expected it to be the case and I don't think anyone would want such a rule.

It's the nation's responsiblity to muster a force equal to the task... or face defeat. That would seem to be a fundamental tenet of any combat game/simulation.

[Aether]

Folks, I know the situation regarding nightflips, or what we call "off peak port battles" has been frustating. From the outside looking in, I can see how it looks as though we've been ignoring the issue, and for that I apologize.

The reality is that we've been hotly debating this issue for some time now, with discussion focusing on how any suggested mechanism would impact our customers. The good news? We have finally reached consensus on a plan that we feel will greatly mitigate the problems societies have been experiencing with off peak port battles.

We are currently evaluating the final text of this plan, which we intend to share tomorrow, soon after all the key groups and responsible parties have had the chance to review and respond. At that point, we will be looking to your feedback and input on the plan so that we can adjust the plan to suit.

Finally, a word on evaluating the impact of this issue: as a company, we feel this issue is immensely important, and I want to assure you that we are taking your feedback very seriously. Numbers aside, this is an issue that needs to be resolved to our customer's satisfaction, and we've done a poor job of reacting to this with the speed it required.

Best,
Aether

[Ryokan76]

Originally Posted by Jib Hurricane

It's the nation's responsiblity to muster a force equal to the task... or face defeat. That would seem to be a fundamental tenet of any combat game/simulation.

So after six months of not being able to compete at all, we should just smile, be happy and keep playing?