Shaman at Sea: Bringing Back Naval Combat (Large)

[Sir Henry Morgan]

The objective of this suggestion is simple - more power for ships, and rein in the voodoo war chest.

Our current state: Naval Battles Are Boring

Spoiler: show

1.) Voodoo Warchests are huge and overpowering, and stifle naval activities. It is far too simple to cast voodoo and crush a fleet or ship without even engaging in sea battle. One does not even have to have a ship at sea. It is simple pick the curse, pick a target, spend a few turns and cast it.

2.) While voodoo has advanced and grown to encourage play, ships haven't changed much since the addition of the Man of War. In fact, some ships are not even used, such as the Fluyt or the Brigantine.

3.) Battles are boring. Whether sea battles or voodoo battles, they are pretty much the same, with predictable results - no surprises. Players pretty much use the same gambits, and much can be planned for and expected, whether one attacks or defends.

We've added nation features, hideouts and gold bars, credit markets, voodoo markets, bank markets, ship markets and other trading, but sea battles have pretty much stayed the same. We have asked and suggested features to eliminate the power of voodoo cards and improve the power and might of ships and fleets. I look forward to seeing ship specialization, flagships, plantations, blockades, even port forts - all to make sea battles more interesting.

I think there is one tweak that if made, will bring interest back to just the common sea engagement, be it a skirmish or a plunder, and all the tools to do it already exist.

The premise: Loading a fleet and/or a ship with a voodoo curse that will be cast if the ship attacks, defends, or delivers it to a destination.
This will strengthen the seafaring aspect of Pirate's Glory while reining in the power of the Voodoo Warchest while making sea combat challenging and interesting.

The following are the thoughts and ideas for this premise:
1.) The voodoo curse slot shall be on the lead ship. That be where the admiral most likely will be in the fleet, and only makes sense, be there 1 or 5 ships in the fleet.

2.) This slot will only hold one type of curse, but can hold one curse card for each level. In otherwords, a level 5 ship can hold up to 5 curses of the same card - 5 Leviathans, or 5 Time Spirals, but not 1 Leviathan and 4 Time Spirals.

3.) It costs 2 turns to load a curse card and 3 to unload the card. Turns required to cast card are spent upon being triggered, and cannot be loaded. This way, if there are not enough turns to cast the curse, it fails upon being triggered.

4.) Fleets must have 0 DR to load curse cards.


Tweaking of the Curses

Curses that are cast only from Fleet - activated on combat against adversary

Spoiler: show

Antagonize
Assasin
Booty Master
Call Leviathan
Call the Kraken
Chains of Justice
Hostile Waters
Pirate Tales
Sabotage
Swarm of Worms
Taxation
Thieving Magpie

Curses that are cast traditionally or from Fleet - activated on combat against adversary

Spoiler: show

Blacklist
Confuse
Crystal Ball
Disfavor
Enlightened Vision
Expensive Tools
Flood
Fugitive From Justice
Hands of Gold
Hostile Natives
Human Rights
Insight
Lazy Craftsman
Rotten Food
Spy Network
Time Spirals
Trade Master
Vengeance of the Witch Doctor
Voodoo Storm

Curses to be Delivered

Spoiler: show

These curses require delivery. The fleet pick up yhe curse in their home port or hideout port, then go to the port where the curses(s) are to be cast. The curse must be delivered to one's contact, the Governor's daughter. The percentage of her happiness is the chance of success the curse will be cast and work:

Black Death
Transport Immigrants
Propoganda (must pick target)
Conspiracy (must pick target)
Charity Donation (must also select target).

Additional thoughts and ideas:

Spoiler: show

Curses requiring extra turns must be loaded when installing the voodoo card. If card is removed before cast, those turns are lost.

Normal turns are required to cast from fleets. These turns are not pre-loaded. If there are not enough turns to cast when curse is triggered, the curse "fails."

Curses are all cast first, with the first cast coming from the ship which would fire first in combat.

Curses cast from fleets and ships are penetrating, or have 50% chance of getting through a mindbar and 25% chance of getting through a countercurse

As I finish, I present these all as ideas; imagine now, plunder will become more like skirmish, as targets may not be as benign as they appear.

This concept will only enhance the ship specialization, flagship and crew and officer attributes. This opens a whole new world of strategy to naval combat, and reins in the power of the voodoo war chest as it limits the means in which it can be cast.

Voodoo cards are as much a part of PG as ships and fleets; they have simply become too powerful. I see taking part of their power and channeling it through the naval aspects of the game a fascinating prospect.


+1 Feniks I am bringing this back to consideration because parts of this are essential to a larger suggestion being worked on.

[Zephore]

Then I believe, defensive voodoo would be allowed into those slots as well? I don't know who'd like to put their Sotl (just using this as an example. I mean any combat ship) at the stake of losing a level or two, a few points or so, just by doing an ordinary battle.

[Sir Henry Morgan]

Aye - but who wants to burn a leviathan on a sloop?

[Zephore]

Well, not many. But people running bigger fleets have the risk of getting hit by those on their mainships of the fleets. Sure, that hitting a sloop, sad for the casting fleet.

[Admiral Nelson]

Idea is good in general however it seems those who have more ships win. Meaning, you are forcing 'Pirates' to have more then one or two fleets. Which is bad.

[Most Lee Harmless]

Interesting concept ; though I can already think of a few counters, booby-traps and other nasty surprises from both sides of any combat encounter. I like the idea of having to deliver certain curses via the Governors Daughter, and her happiness affecting the outcome. Not sure about the pre-loaded Brigantine as delivery vehicle though. Its an unpopular ship because it doesnt do any job very well, so this would be its only use and thus it would be marked as a source of potentially hostile casts from the get-go. I suppose that does allow for sending an empty brigantine to a port as a 'frightner', but I cant think why, well, I can, but I'm strange.

Any contribution by SHM is worthy of some thought and consideration before reaching any hasty conclusions about its merits : he be a wily old salt with disturbing amounts of good sense : but my first impressions here are good, but not entirely convinced, as yet.

[Poppy]

To weaken Voodoo and strengthen Ships you need only to complicate and limit/complicate the use of Levi. Other features are always welcome though

[Shadowood]

To weaken Voodoo and strengthen Ships you need only to complicate and limit/complicate the use of Levi. Other features are always welcome though

Restricting this 1 card does not solve the issue.

[Sir Henry Morgan]

Thank ye, mates.

The design is simply example, to provide an idea of how things might work. Throw the brigantine out, or use it only for delivery, or design for a slot on the tail ship so three curses are maximum per fleet. Or make it so only one curse per fleet, that is stackable, or can load multiples like up to 10 of same card (time spiral, HNs, Lazy Craftsman, etc) Move and shuffle curses about that only certain ships can use them, other ships cannot.

This is a huge concept, that combines a varity of curses with a varity of ships, and there are many ways it can be laid out.

The idea is to:

1) Weaken the witch doctor strategy
2) Put the potential hurt in sea battles rather than just a voodoo war.
3) Bring ships and fleets into port control and population play.
4) Reins in most destructive voodoo.
5) Makes several little used curses more useful.
6) Changes and adds countless strategies for offense and defense of sea battles, adding more surprise and unpredictability - and interesting battles.

[Stan Rogers]

Wonderful concept Sir Henry. I'll certainly endorse the idea whole heartily. Of course the little things may need discussion towards pros and cons of how /what things are fitted together but in general, full support here.