Idea High-seas expansion update

Roger Greasefury said:
Very impressive! You have thought this stuff through, way more than I ever would have.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Roger! It still needs much more refinement - I'll include more details later like the sectors inside different territories and the range of levels and type of ships to expect in each sector.
 
A few things... bear with me here for the long response:
(note: these are my personal opinions)
  • I like your High Seas Expansion part #1... maybe we could even put the war galleons a little closer to the water line!
  • I don't think a "rebel pirates" faction would be game-worthy. Pirates are supposed to unite, not be divided.
  • "The Doomed" - eh... I am not completely sold on this idea either, but I would rather have Davy Jones-esque ships than rival pirate NPCs.
  • Open SvS - I'm gonna have to shoot this one down too. Open SvS wouldn't work very well unfortunately, and I could see how it might lead to unnecessary frustration or irritation between members of the community. People should be able to choose if they want to SvS, and not be bound by some imaginary territorial line.
  • Trading - again, not to be condescending, but this sounds more like an "Assassin's Creed" element than something that belongs in TLOPO. Storage would be good.
  • Weather System - interesting, but probably not feasible, seeing as they are working with an older Panda3D game engine.
  • Wave Physics - see above. Also seems like more of an AC style game element than something for TLOPO.
  • Ship customization - umm... sure?
  • SotL - No... Even if it was for guild islands.
  • Sea Invasions - would be unique for sure. Undecided about this.
Pros:
- I like your size change proposals, ship storage, and customization. Maybe even the sea invasions
Cons:
- some of this stuff seems more fitting for a large-scale / open-ended world like Assassin's Creed, Skyrim etc.
- some of these changes would likely be hard to achieve with the old Panda3D engine
- SotL and Open SvS would be difficult to implement, and also would bring unnecessary frustration between pirates. Best to leave things be imo.
- In my view, TLoPO has plenty of factions currently. Would love to see some higher level Navy forces myself (to get those famed bayonets to drop), but I guess "the Doomed" would work okay with the lore in-game.

My own idea (may or may not be worth 2¢): add in a toggle for bounty hunters - Pirates would choose On/Off in sailing settings, could only be changed before launch. Sometimes I just want 25 royals or 10 skulls, and not to be bothered by hunters.

Great to see the ideas you had though, keep it up!
Cheers!
~T
 
tlonge said:
  • I like your High Seas Expansion part #1... maybe we could even put the war galleons a little closer to the water line!
  • I don't think a "rebel pirates" faction would be game-worthy. Pirates are supposed to unite, not be divided.
  • "The Doomed" - eh... I am not completely sold on this idea either, but I would rather have Davy Jones-esque ships than rival pirate NPCs.
  • Open SvS - I'm gonna have to shoot this one down too. Open SvS wouldn't work very well unfortunately, and I could see how it might lead to unnecessary frustration or irritation between members of the community. People should be able to choose if they want to SvS, and not be bound by some imaginary territorial line.
  • Trading - again, not to be condescending, but this sounds more like an "Assassin's Creed" element than something that belongs in TLOPO. Storage would be good.
  • Weather System - interesting, but probably not feasible, seeing as they are working with an older Panda3D game engine.
  • Wave Physics - see above. Also seems like more of an AC style game element than something for TLOPO.
  • Ship customization - umm... sure?
  • SotL - No... Even if it was for guild islands.
  • Sea Invasions - would be unique for sure. Undecided about this.
Pros:
- I like your size change proposals, ship storage, and customization. Maybe even the sea invasions
Cons:
- some of this stuff seems more fitting for a large-scale / open-ended world like Assassin's Creed, Skyrim etc.
- some of these changes would likely be hard to achieve with the old Panda3D engine
- SotL and Open SvS would be difficult to implement, and also would bring unnecessary frustration between pirates. Best to leave things be imo.
- In my view, TLoPO has plenty of factions currently. Would love to see some higher level Navy forces myself (to get those famed bayonets to drop), but I guess "the Doomed" would work okay with the lore in-game.
Click to expand...

Wow. Thanks for the long reply! I apologize for my long one as well. Glad you were one of the pirates that put time into reading all of this stuff.

First off answering your concerns and replying to some of the points you made:

- In regards to your water line comment, this was highlighted in point 7 "proper ship immersion".​

- Pirates aren't supposed to unite, if anything each pirate fights for themselves. Also - "rebel pirates" is just a placeholder name for the enemies you will meet in Isla Escondida. So they'll be added in regardless. It would be nice to fight them in the high-seas as well.​

- The Doomed is also a placeholder name. I could not think of a more original name - but it makes perfect sense for them to be implemented if a lot of their character models and plenty of backstories (lore) exist.​

- The territories in which there is open SvS are made to allow pirates to protect their own guild strongholds. When pirates sail past this "imaginary territorial line", they could be alerted that they have reached uncharted waters. There could be a toggle especially made to prevent the unnecessary frustration. In my opinion, this will be the hardest (planning wise) to tackle. If it cannot be properly implemented with all the possibilities in mind, then it would be better to leave it out till another update or until it's properly revised.​

- Trading is a lucrative feature that can be delved in, it will present a multitude of gameplay mechanics and opportunities that can be implemented into the game. New storylines, ships, clothing, weapons, environments and a plethora of other interesting additions can be added alongside this.

- I, too, thought Panda3D was too outdated to support more resource-intensive processes. However, that's not the case. If programmed efficiently, the weather system (alongside the wave physics) can be properly implemented (with the right amount of work and effort!). It doesn't need to be a graphical overkill - just enough to indicate that type of weather alongside the buffs/debuffs experienced by the events triggering.

-The wave physics part is definitely inspired by Assassin's Creed as you may have properly assumed. It would present new gameplay opportunities and give players more barriers to tackle. If they can do it - why not? Also - if you play on the highest graphical settings you'll notice that waves and slight wave physics already exist. So this isn't impossible to implement. Not a critically-needed feature though.

-SoTL... To each their own, I guess. If it's guild-owned and used primarily to battle other Guilds or fight much harder legendary ship-enemies still to be introduced later on - why not?

-Sea invasions are worth pursuing. If it properly catches the soul of the original invasions (with multiple waves of enemies increasing in difficulty) and added strategy and multiple factors into play (eg: enemies dropping explosive barrels in the water), I (and many other pirates) would be all for it!
​
Most of my points above (mostly trading) ensure that the game remains appealing towards pirates. They all contribute to the games longevity and may shape its future. The importance of this will be highlighted below. I apologize for babbling on below - this might make no sense to you, but here it is. Also this doesn't imply that your opinion is wrong or anything - I just want more content squeezed into the game for reasons to follow.

I would like to see TLOPO reach a point where each pirate has their own thing to do - I'd like to see them develop a complex relationship with the games mechanics and features. Not every pirate has to boot up the game to do the same thing.

In games like AA or BDO you'll see players caught up in their favorite pastimes out of many like combat, crafting, fishing, farming, trading, and more. I can't properly (verbally) explain this - each pirate should have their own unique experience tied towards the game, they should have unexplainable nostalgic feelings to the game that drive them to play it in the first place and accomplish more in it whenever they can.

Example: I have an inexplicable feeling of joy and nostalgia whenever I ride my horse through the mountains of BDO listening to the ambient music and seeing the living environment at play - this (and loads more!) can be said about another my favorite game (The Witcher 3). When I reminisce about AC2 (by far the best in the series) - I remember that all of its components (locations, lovable characters, story, music) strengthened my attraction towards the series. This reaffirms my belief that developers can make personal games that affect each player differently.

Back to the main topic - currently, these feelings are impossible to achieve with the "grind all weapons to lv 30 and finish all quests then master" technique. This format only pushes them to complete the game and have nothing else to do rather than handcraft their own experiences making the game feel personal to them. The game lacks the depth and complexity required to concoct this special feeling. It might be due to the simplicity and basic-ness of the game. It feels bland when compared to other MMOs.

I'm not, by any means, bashing TLOPO. Just the original POTCO developers for their short-sightedness and inability to create a future-proof MMO. My nostalgic feeling towards the game is what drives me to create these suggestion threads to improve the game in any way possible and bring more to the players. I know that threads like this give me (somewhat) the ability to shape the games future - so I put in a lot of time and effort into well thought out ideas that would turn the game into a much superior version of its predecessor. A group effort of ideas and planning paired with the teams technical skills will guarantee this.

I'm not asking the devs to create a masterpiece. Just to have enough content in the game for each pirate to have something they genuinely enjoy pursuing - whether that be trading (sailing from one island to another with cargo such as spices), capturing strongholds, participating in largescale events, or participating in some of the many activities that are a part of the suggestions and ideas section of the forum. Small steps like more realism or larger ones like graphical improvements
also improve the players connection with the game and its environments. Pretty much all suggestions and ideas are good enough to be implemented if taken from the perspective of player satisfaction. Will this improve the game experience and make the players more immersed in the world of TLOPO? This is the question that should be asked.
 
tlonge said:
My own idea (may or may not be worth 2¢): add in a toggle for bounty hunters - Pirates would choose On/Off in sailing settings, could only be changed before launch. Sometimes I just want 25 royals or 10 skulls, and not to be bothered by hunters.
Click to expand...
Also, I wholeheartedly agree with this point! However, it shouldn't be this easy. Maybe you should pay a 1000 Gold fee to bounty hunters and 1500 Gold to warships - making it a 2500 Gold fee - previous to setting sail. This will let them turn a blind-eye towards your plundering and pillaging affairs.

Edit: The prices can be lowered too.
 
tlonge said:
A few things... bear with me here for the long response:
(note: these are my personal opinions)
  • I like your High Seas Expansion part #1... maybe we could even put the war galleons a little closer to the water line!
  • I don't think a "rebel pirates" faction would be game-worthy. Pirates are supposed to unite, not be divided.
  • "The Doomed" - eh... I am not completely sold on this idea either, but I would rather have Davy Jones-esque ships than rival pirate NPCs.
  • Open SvS - I'm gonna have to shoot this one down too. Open SvS wouldn't work very well unfortunately, and I could see how it might lead to unnecessary frustration or irritation between members of the community. People should be able to choose if they want to SvS, and not be bound by some imaginary territorial line.
  • Trading - again, not to be condescending, but this sounds more like an "Assassin's Creed" element than something that belongs in TLOPO. Storage would be good.
  • Weather System - interesting, but probably not feasible, seeing as they are working with an older Panda3D game engine.
  • Wave Physics - see above. Also seems like more of an AC style game element than something for TLOPO.
  • Ship customization - umm... sure?
  • SotL - No... Even if it was for guild islands.
  • Sea Invasions - would be unique for sure. Undecided about this.
Pros:
- I like your size change proposals, ship storage, and customization. Maybe even the sea invasions
Cons:
- some of this stuff seems more fitting for a large-scale / open-ended world like Assassin's Creed, Skyrim etc.
- some of these changes would likely be hard to achieve with the old Panda3D engine
- SotL and Open SvS would be difficult to implement, and also would bring unnecessary frustration between pirates. Best to leave things be imo.
- In my view, TLoPO has plenty of factions currently. Would love to see some higher level Navy forces myself (to get those famed bayonets to drop), but I guess "the Doomed" would work okay with the lore in-game.

My own idea (may or may not be worth 2¢): add in a toggle for bounty hunters - Pirates would choose On/Off in sailing settings, could only be changed before launch. Sometimes I just want 25 royals or 10 skulls, and not to be bothered by hunters.

Great to see the ideas you had though, keep it up!
Cheers!
~T
Click to expand...
In regards to the statement that pirates are to be united and not divided, I would like to respectfully say that is simply not true. Pirates, very much like modern day gang members, do not unite together. There is always rivalries between pirates, similar to gangs. After all, pirates are thieves and murderers. The idea that there is an "honor among thieves" is a bitter lie that further glorifies the idea of a pirate. Pirates were ruthless, and many hated each other. Even when we look to the fantasy world of POTC, we see rivalries. Barbossa said it best, "The code is more what you call guidelines, than actual rules."
 
Squidgallows said:
In regards to the statement that pirates are to be united and not divided, I would like to respectfully say that is simply not true. Pirates, very much like modern day gang members, do not unite together. There is always rivalries between pirates, similar to gangs. After all, pirates are thieves and murderers. The idea that there is an "honor among thieves" is a bitter lie that further glorifies the idea of a pirate. Pirates were ruthless, and many hated each other. Even when we look to the fantasy world of POTC, we see rivalries. Barbossa said it best, "The code is more what you call guidelines, than actual rules."
Click to expand...

I was saying in terms of the player pirates... Historically yes, you are correct. I just felt that having an entire faction devoted to pirate NPCs (while maybe more realistic historically) would be contradictory to the whole theme in PotC 3 of the characters uniting the pirate captains to fight off the EITC, Navy, Davy Jones etc.

Thats just my opinion anyway.
 
tlonge said:
I was saying in terms of the player pirates... Historically yes, you are correct. I just felt that having an entire faction devoted to pirate NPCs (while maybe more realistic historically) would be contradictory to the whole theme in PotC 3 of the characters uniting the pirate captains to fight off the EITC, Navy, Davy Jones etc.

Thats just my opinion anyway.
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They're just bounty hunter (enemies on Isla Escondida) NPC ships wandering in the high seas. Again - Rebel Pirates was a placeholder.
 
This is cooooooool idea. All idea are best. Live territory and lookout and new island and character, jail and ammo onboard all are best ideas and many. I hope this will be implemented in game

My few ideas:

How about few strong bosses (lvl 50 )should be added on flagship only where we need crew and board to kill it . If we fail we sink and go jail

And when enemy ships fire our ship. As usual our hull get damaged with that our few cannons must get blown out and our health should get decreased or knocked out later crewmates can receive him. And about blown out cannon . We should replace them from storage cabin

And floors on deck ?? Maybe 2 lvls
 
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I honestly love this idea all in all it looks great and sounds great
  1. I don't really see this happening (as much as I would love for it to happen) primarily because it would have to be a total rework I would imagine of how sailing works just by itself. I loathe the terrible scaling of ships & pirates v. the islands it always felt a little off and never sat well with me.
  2. I love this territories idea. Live territories could be tricky and I am not sure how that might work in terms of the amount of code to keep it sound and functional. Part of why is it would-in my opinion-make searching for necessary ships for quest probably easier than the way it is now. There is a certain point where spending time looking for what you need no longer serves as a meaningful challenge, only an annoying one. NPC Territories could fix this and I don't necessarily see issue with adjusting it by recoding I would think spawning to be within those ranges detailed. I enjoy the the addition of two new factions, too. One is already there (Doomed) and I don't know much about Escondida's progress or ideas but I'm sure it would not be too difficult to add new enemy type like the Rebels. Although I personally would call them rogue pirates because pirates are already rebels ;) As far as live territories go, I feel like those should have their own ocean-and server thereby. I don't see them meshing well even if they are on the edges. It probably would simplify matters if something like this were implemented, and if it were to have its own server/ocean it could have more since it may not necessarily have the main physical map of the Caribbean. It would add a new aspect to this game to enjoy, especially for the end game. However, the question to consider is how heavy might it be on servers?
  3. I'm always for new islands, a chance to expand lore and new stories to be told and discover.
  4. As far as the aspect for trading that only requires one person, I love it. I don't see how anyone could not love it. It opens new doors and realms and wouldn't "disturb the looters" (*eye roll*) I would love the addition of trading between players but from what I understand this is an endeavor that is not going to be pursued because a vocal minority won out on this battle-which is upsetting but oh well, right? The other aspects of this is truly great though, new types of quests and different sort of rewards to reap. Well rounded.
  5. I see difficulty in doing the stat changes per weather, though personally would be for it if it were something the devs tought would be possible and could add in. It's a great idea and with the right experimentation would provide the right balance. Something that I always have felt is missing even if we didn't have stat changes was weather in the background at the least.
  6. Realism is something I've always loved but I think at a certain point it kills or hurts and that's where I stand-not to mention it seems like something that would have be worked at for something rather minor in comparison to the other ideas you have put out. While I do believe in the little things, at some point they are still overshadowed by the bigger things and/or are a nuisance. If that makes sense.
  7. Would love to see that if it were possible.
  8. It took me a while to be happy with the current ship customization, and I honestly don't see a need to really expand too much on it. Maybe some additional ship classes and upgrades that could be made, but all in all I like where it is currently. Another thing is this would be a total rework of ship customization and I feel a lot of it would be tricky because the current ship customization is rekinning whereas a lot this is more than just aesthetics, at least the way I "interpret" it-if you will. I think pirates are best served with "hideouts" rather than ship cabins because I imagine it would likely be easier to implement due to how challenging it may very well be to have the cabins. I'm not necessarily speaking of it being time and lengthy but it being very intensive.
  9. I really only see SOTL implemented as a guild ship and not much else- if it were implemented for just that I would be welcoming to it but in general I have never been high on the idea of SOTL being introduced outside of where it is already used-NPCs. Maybe expand its appearance some but I overall like where the SOTL and its implementation is present day.
  10. I don't think there should be an option to kill an invasion entirely because then it could be rather easy to kill off land invasions altogether-and that is assuming that it could intertwine with land invasion triggers. I definetely do like the idea of having some powerful ships converge on an invasion active island pre-land invasion that could provide rewards and maybe invest people in invasions. It definitely would be an interesting new aspect introduced.
 
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