Port Blockades (Large)

[Most Lee Harmless]

And once successful blockade has removed both income and influence : what then for the owner? A choice will have to be made : put more coin in to replace the losses or lose the port : but that dont replace the income, it might mean future income, or future losses from the next blockade : or any other form of attack that can still be made : if you look at blockades, as suggested, in isolation, then yes, maybe there is an argument : but its not in isolation : its in addition to current means of inflicting losses on port owners. If a port owner nation loses 10% of their influence there : that can be 100's of millions of gc to replace or risk losing the port to traditional means of take-over : or many voodoo cards costing 10's of credits, value again, many millions : where do these millions come from? Only from long term uncontested ownership. And that's a rare bird indeed.

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

2) In my opinion, Defenders should defend in order not to lose something. They should not gain anything directly from successfully preventing a blockade (there are actually several additional reasons for this, one being that "mock blockades" most likely will be established as distractions, so several blockades will be initiated for each "real" blockade). However, the nation controlling the port should stand to lose a lot if the blockade succeeds. THIS should be the reason for them to defend; to avoid loss, not to gain profit.

Haron- what would you think about the defender benefiting from a boost in loyalty from the citizenry when a blockade is successfully defended? A temporary boost in influence for the nation members that have invested influence at the port, perhaps? I'm sure this has been suggested before. I would understand no additional monetary compensation for defenders as holding the port is itself the financial benefit (aspects of which are a different discussion), but a boost in influence would seem reasonable- the faster the blockade is broken the higher the boost.

I have even had the thought rolling around in my head on the idea of actual loyalty to a nation. Something akin to the "rightful king" dynamic, except for ports. That is a separate idea worth its own thread though, and plays into better port security for a nation.

[Haron]

Haron- what would you think about the defender benefiting from a boost in loyalty from the citizenry when a blockade is successfully defended? A temporary boost in influence for the nation members that have invested influence at the port, perhaps?

I am not sure a temporary boost would have much value. As for a "permanent" influence gain: I think that gaining anything like this from a successful defence is not a good idea. It might lead people to want others to "fake" a blockade in order for the port holders to gain something. Also, I believe that for any "real" blockade to succeed, attackers will also have to initiate several other blockades as diversions - blockades which will be initiated, but not really fought with any fleets except the initiating MoW fleet, just to force the defenders to face several simultaneous threats.

[Most Lee Harmless]

Aye, any hint that a defender might gain even a ha'penny worth of benefit from this should be nipped in the bud : how about defenders cant log in for the entirety of the blockade? That would stop them doing anything naughty!

Well, introduce it as it is, or whatever. But as long as one side gets to reap the harvest whilst the other just gets to pay the bills : its doomed to become a farce, in which only one side will ever want to engage and a reason not to even bother trying to play on the other. Why waste time with it, just strip every port owner now, and make gaining a port a proper lottery : every 3 days the game randomly assigns a port to any active player who gets to keep the taxes for those 3 days. That would be a damned sight more equitable.

[DezNutz]

Aye, any hint that a defender might gain even a ha'penny worth of benefit from this should be nipped in the bud : how about defenders cant log in for the entirety of the blockade? That would stop them doing anything naughty!

By far the best motivation for defenders, let's keep adding penalties to the port nation so they want to defend. Defenders only lose 5% influence, members of the port holding nation that don't defend lose 50% of influence in the port.

[Most Lee Harmless]

Aye, dez : lets make it so that everytime a citizen of a port owning nation logs on, they lose half their influence : that will make them play harder too. Also, they wont log-in for no good reason, so the quality of play must improve too.

[Sebena]

Aye, dez : lets make it so that everytime a citizen of a port owning nation logs on, they lose half their influence : that will make them play harder too. Also, they wont log-in for no good reason, so the quality of play must improve too.

That is awesome idea +100 × 100

[Most Lee Harmless]

I mean, its awesome logic : lets extend it : if you dont win a defence on a plunder, you lose half your influence : there, that will encourage traders to use proper warships in their fleets : um, if you get hit by a voodoo cast and had no mindbar up, again, you lsoe half your influence cos you aint trying to defend ; this coudl revolutionise the game...

[DezNutz]

I mean, its awesome logic : lets extend it : if you dont win a defence on a plunder, you lose half your influence : there, that will encourage traders to use proper warships in their fleets : um, if you get hit by a voodoo cast and had no mindbar up, again, you lsoe half your influence cos you aint trying to defend ; this coudl revolutionise the game...

+1

You could easily expand that even further, if the defenders win during a plunder attack, they don't get the plunder rewards, they just get to keep what they have.

[Most Lee Harmless]

I mean, its awesome logic : lets extend it : if you dont win a defence on a plunder, you lose half your influence : there, that will encourage traders to use proper warships in their fleets : um, if you get hit by a voodoo cast and had no mindbar up, again, you lsoe half your influence cos you aint trying to defend ; this coudl revolutionise the game...

+1

You could easily expand that even further, if the defenders win during a plunder attack, they don't get the plunder rewards, they just get to keep what they have.

Outstanding idea : but maybe its too much for them to just keep what they have : maybe they should have to pay the repair bills on both sides too.. thats much fairer