I think there should be anouther way to attack a player. I've notice alot of of argument involving balancing voodoo, and that is because right now voodoo is the really the only way to make a player open to attack. I'm not saying that voodoo doesn't need to be changed a bit, thats just a different topic. My idea was to put ambushs in the game, once you know the route of a trading fleet you shouldn't have cast voodoo on it to attack.. just be patient Once you get to a port, there could be an ambush option if you know the exact fleet you want to hit (look in the tavern). Each time that fleet passes you in port there would be a higher chance for them to show up on you attack list. It might take awhile but eventually you would be able to attack that fleet regardless of danger. This would be much more realistic and would take the importance off voodoo cards like Fugitive from Justice, and Hostile Natives, (which are the only cards I look for right now). I really think this game needs anouther way to raid.. This is a pirate game after all

I agree. In fact, I believe it would be better for everybody if this idea was implemented and Fugitive from Justice and Hostile Natives were abolished.

If I understand this right, I could park warships in any number of ports, put relatively new players on my ambush list, and pick up small-fry victims at no cost to myself. I could easily avoid attacking bigger players who might retaliate or sail with escorts.

With voodoo cards I can still attack new players, but at the risk of spending them all on a 1-howker fleet or something. I am going to be pushed towards attacking bigger players whose fleets are more likely to be fat targets.

I'm not defending the existing voodoo method, but wouldn't this proposal lead to an outbreak of nautical trolling?

You would have to wait 1-6 hours per ambush and you would still show up on the danger list after attacking. Also this way it would be easyier to protect new players.. for example, you can't attack players with less fame than you, or the wait for them to be attackable is longer.

Maybe an Ambush option based on relative fame would get round this. The more fame my victim has relative to me, the more extra fame I get (if I win) for daring to take on such an opponent. The less fame relative to me, the more fame I forfeit whatever the outcome (and the greater the chance my warships desert my service, being ashamed to work for such a master: this avoids leaving me with a powerful war fleet and nothing to lose by attacking the weak).

I'm not sure this idea would lead to new players getting attacked. There's really not much to gain from attacking someone with little gold and little ships. I would target some of the medium/high fame players who have something to steal. I would not focus on 1 player because that would make for enemies. If everyone does this every now and then- it would be accepted as the way things are because you can't get back at everyone who finds out your regular trade routes.

Depending on how often you can do this I would think it could add a little more combat and a little less cold-war feeling to the game. It would redistribute the wealth and fame too. And it would put more people on the plunder list! Yay!

I might get REALLY annoyed about restarting/rebuilding my fleets that got attacked though. It would add more maintenance for players who get targeted.

I have my doubts about waiting (for hours?) for the target fleet to appear on the attack list, which would not work for players who can't be online for long stretches. I think the Ambush option is a great idea but should be an instant event.

There's really not much to gain from attacking someone with little gold and little ships.

You clearly have a noble heart, Sir. I have played several games where you get numbers of scumsuckers who specialise in attacking the weakest only - even going to the lengths of deliberately losing fights and fame (or whatever the mechanism) now and then so they don't rise too high, cross some gameplay threshold and get exposed to players who will fight back.

Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.

John rackham wrote:I hadve my doubts about waiting (for hours?) for the target fleet to appear on the attack list, which would not work for players who can't be online for long stretches. I think the Ambush option is a great idea but should be an instant event.

There's really not much to gain from attacking someone with little gold and little ships.

You clearly have a noble heart, sirrah. I have played several games where you get numbers of scumsuckers who specialise in attacking the weakest only - even going to the lengths of deliberately losing fights and fame (or whatever the mechanism) now and then so they don't rise too high, cross some gameplay threshold and get exposed to players who will fight back.

Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.

Yah, this game used to have two big ones. I stomped one out of the game in the old days and did the same to the other, only that one took a bit more guilded coordination to finally stamp out.