I didn’t want to participate in this part of forum, because I said at the beginning of playing this game, that one very important thing is missing here – real time battles with more than 1 fleet participating and possibility to make bragging threads on forum. And the battles are mostly depending of the quality and quantity of voodoo chest… So, I usually read your suggestion, but never want to participate in discussions.

Now, I have something in mind. Probably you wouldn’t like it, but I am going to try.

I complained for not having possibility for live battles. But, why don’t make them in the future. And why don’t train crew to attack warehouses, and Hideouts too, but only after capturing port. And only, when you already are in the city, you can investigate which hideouts is there… maybe something similar to finding treasure… or just attack not knowing which hideout it is (because if you know which hideout is there, you can attack constantly in the future only warehouse in that port, knowing that this one is the biggest one… so, some of voodoo, as the official list of demands could be frequently misused. Yep, the owner can move his hideout in the other port, or just that kind of voodoo could be abolished…).

So, whoever has hideout in the port, must participate in its defense, not only citizens of the nation that keep that port. The defenders will not be only nationally colored and the game could be more interesting for both sides.
And the battles for the ports and hideouts (in future) could be made in real time and more than one fleet (and attackers) would participate in port battles, but the crew will be the main carrier of the land battle.

I probably failed to make this proposal totally understandable, but hope you can see what my intention is.

I read that post of yours that you are referring here just today once again (I am reading a lot of topics lately).

Bragging threads would be cool to have. Not sure how.

On your suggestion I am not sure I entirely got it. You are obviously also talking abound land battle here, right? How do you picture it though? Live battle as like moving ships/crew in real time, affecting battle even by position taken on a boxed battle area?

If you have more than one fleet in battle and more than one attacker, in real time, they can organize (or one player can organize his attack) not putting all war fleets in just one attack, but counting how much damage is made and which ships could made more damage bellow the battle. Maybe, not attacking with fleets, but with specific ships, putting them in concrete position... Communication between attackers (and defenders) have to be live, so, the fun part of attack-defense will more come to the fore.
Regarding land battles, before organizing them, Academy needs to have some kind of training courses for using sables, muskets, pistols etc, to train crew for fight, and probably for some new ships too.
I think using voodoo for fire ships isn't needed if you can made fire ships in shipwright. And possibilities for making new ships could depend of the level of academy knowledge.
And using voodoo can be reduced, but concrete fighting with specific ships/crew will be more important.
Uhh... I am not familiar with your job (game developer), but real time battles in sense that every 15 minutes, for example, you can send in the battle the new combat units, as attacker/defender is possible. The maximum amount of involving units (in every sequence of the battle) have to be specified and when some of units are defeated, they will be replaced with others. If defender is absent, his units will be used automatically. How much units could be used for battle in specific port (size of battlefield), could depend of the size of the town/port.
Yep, in case of port battles and hideouts too, every one, who has benefits of using that specific port. have to have stationed land units/fleets/ships, there, to save his property. So, beside the usual trading and fishing fleets, there (in hideouts/marine and specific place in port/for owners of the port) have to be stationed war fleets and land units that could defend port/hideouts in case of attack.
If defender(s) is/are present, they can call other fleets used for trading/fishing and ''flying Dutchman'' in that case will be very expensive card... or more frequent than now... (and can call their allies too... so the battle for one port can involve other nations/players too).
Uhm... I'm a little mixed up... but, this is the sketch show of what I would be glad to see in the future.

Ohh, about bragging threads . When the battle finish, the viner can put print screen of the battles with explanation... and brag can start!