Well, I have read very carefully all posts here. I will try to organize them and then comment them.
YOU CAN SKIP TO THE END OF THE POST, for the short-version verdict.Black Sparrow wrote:As it is now, a well established player can only lose when attacked by a pirate.
-While this is true, there is more to it. A pirate also consumes resources to make it happen (voodoo at the very least). In fact, he exchanges his curses for your gold which an established player can make out of thin air.
Black Sparrow wrote: We need some weapons to at least inflict damage and not only that. In real case scenario, we would be able to imprison or execute them, right?
-This is your strongest argument. You are full right here and we are entitled to provide just this to EVERY player in the game. If the player base wishes such a mechanism, we will comply. Allow me to say though, that your suggestion for execution is too harsh and a bit one sided.
Continuing on your ideas, you have chosen really cool names. However, you have been a bit harsh on requirements. I am commenting:
1)Imprison
I would prefer an extra cost for gold coins. This card alone is not that harsh but as Majesty said, it is already over-powerful. Instead, we could consider using the already existing Chains of Justice card. Add 2 further arguments in it:
-Target player that has 5 or more Chains of Justice cannot plunder anyone at all.
-Target Player that has 10 or more Chains of Justice cannot cast any voodoo on OTHER players.
There you have the same effect with Imprison in a more balanced way that requires teamwork. Still I believe that this is not the right way to go.
2)Torture
The idea of taking turns is a good one. Although it could lead to exploitation, we are in position to easily check for such cases. Again though, it is a bit overpowered. It needs to be less powerful. For example, 24hours instead of 72. I can understand why you proposed many hours; you want to get rid entirely from the player but this should not be this easy or come entirely from voodoo.
For example, if the defending players had escorts in their trading fleets, they would not be an easy target for any small pirate. In fact, they would be left alone. The pirate is an opportunist, he found the weak spot and he took advantage of it. If everyone had their ships protected, the pirate would not be able to survive (like it eventually happened). Now you want to execute him, I know, but this is not a way.
3)Execute
While the idea of fatality, as Rolando said, is very alluring, again this is not the right way to do it, in my humble opinion. For example, I would definitely include that defender has NO ships left requirement in such a card (or else how you found and executed him?). Generally speaking,while it is not early to discuss fatality ideas, it does not mean we are near the implementation day of such. I will gladly continue this discussion at another topic specifically about it.
Rolando wrote:Perhaps if some did not resort to the vilest of tactics others would not wish to destroy them. This is not a bank, your investment is not guaranteed, and neither is mine, or any other. Its a game, the point of game is to win and lose, some who play the game poorly or make too many enemies should be able to lose utterly, we are not here to protect investments, most are here to enjoy themselves, and sometimes defeating someone who is a lasting problem and beyond reason is quite entertaining. Hypothetically speaking of course.
I found these words pretty wise. This is why I am not denying the fatality idea already. But should it come from a voodoo in this way? I think not. This is what we are primarily discussing here. Would the card be okay if it also had the extra requirements Black Sparrow mentioned AND the no ship requirement I added? Perhaps. Is this the right time to forward it? I am not convinced it is.
The reason of my scepticism is that these solutions do not actually solve the initial problem.
Rolando wrote:New versions of the player should be a fresh name and they should have to join a different guild with fresh ideas. This would prevent revenge characters and offer new options unavailable before they were defeated.
You cannot instruct players on what they will do. If they want to create revenge characters, they will. So then we will get a new problem like;
-The cost of execution is too high, reduce it please.
or
-I am consuming too many resources to bring someone to execution while he can come back and resume the same within a week.
What I am trying to tell here is that;
-Execution if ever implemented, must be costly. If it is costly, it already fails the initial purpose.
-If it is not costly, we literally throw away a specific game tactic and this is something I would want to do. Moreover, a non-costy execution could create chaos and completely unbalance the game.
So, my initial verdict, in-short, is that these ideas are not going to solve your problem. Therefore I cannot approve them.
If you still need some punish tools, I am here to discuss your ideas. Just find something that will actually work well. As for a way to profit from pirates, I don't think we will be able to find any, although I am amazed by the idea to go for the turns.
