New technology : Rutters (Small)

[Sir Colchian Niveus]

Wouldn't this have effect to Trade Galleons? Wouldn't this make Trade Galleons the best ships?

[Cdv]

+1

[Shadowood]

Bump

[Malachi Constant]

+1

[Captain Jack]

Favorable Winds might need to be retired eventually and this technology could signal just this.

Approved, low priority.

[Captain dungeness]

New technology :

RuttersIn your Academy, you will build a Library of Rutters, copied and shared amongst your Captains : each level will add 1% to your fleets speed of travel.

Danik, I think this suggestion is an excellent one but I am struck with this overwhelming feeling that it NEEDS to be less black-and white than an academy research level. Travelling the fastest route and knowing the local hazards was absolutely the Most Valuable Information to sailors wishing to avoid pirates (and pirates wishing to corner traders). This game deserves a feature that truely respects the monumental importance of a skilled navigator, an academy technology just wont cut it. I would rather leave rutter logs out of the picture until the devs can do them justice.

I have always tried to make my suggestions simple and not overly complicated but this suggestion is really reaching for an entirely new feature that would make the game even more skill and knowledge-based. If this suggestion is implemented, the captains of Avonmora would actually learn the geography of Avonmora's map and the details that are currently not seen. As an example: a captain would learned an optimal route between 2 ports through trial-and-error (like a code: "head 139° for 2.1 miles then head 164° for 8.2 miles followed by a heading of 17° until you reach Akrotiri) they could then share that route with another player who could use it and travel slightly faster than anyone without that local knowledge. This way the speed advantage is directly related to KNOWING something rather than a passive research point. I can explain more about how I imagine this works if anyone is interested.

My main point is that I want navigation to be driven by KNOWLEDGE rather than a passive speed boost number. The ocean is always changing, sand bars are constantly shifting- the optimal safe route should be a difficult thing to find and it shouldn't last forever! A route known to be fast today may not be fast in a month.

Let me know if I should post a new suggestion on this topic. I am feeling oddly passionate about this feature idea. I'm just so sure that navigation is important enough to have it's own feature rather than fade into the list of technologies.

-Captain D

[Shadowood]

Captain D

I would love to hear more about your suggestion. I don't know if it would be to hard to create for the programmers, but lets here it.

[Dejanira]

My main point is that I want navigation to be driven by KNOWLEDGE rather than a passive speed boost number.

I'd love to hear more too. This sounds fascinating, but I don't really see how it could be implemented in game.
Maybe thru the old suggested "port missions"? Like puzzle pieces, solving missions in ports A and B could give a new clue to find the fastest route between A and B?

[Most Lee Harmless]

My initial aim was to keep the technologies I propose simple and clear cut : I wanted to try and avoid creating one that did everything, rather, I sought to offer a range which would offer different advantages to different game-styles, not necessarily exclusively either.

I do like the idea Capt D has proposed : it is, indeed, the essence of what a 'rutter' is : local knowledge accumulated over time which is distilled into a handy guide to ease the way for others : I could see a way to incorporate that into my original notion : perhaps a sieres of port missions which would unlock that ports 'knowledge' thus creating a 'rutter' for that area: the Academy offers 20 levels, we have 21 ports : so, let's assume your starting port comes with its own 'rutter' and that local knowledge : perhaps a simple tutorial mission could unlock it for you, in the same way building a warehouse( office) unlocks the active ports data : If we make the speed bonus element only applicable to the end of the journey for which you possess a rutter, the new player can immediately see a benefit in speed of trade to their 'home port' : Further rutters will have to be gained : firstly, each academy tech level will unlock a slot : lets assume this is the capacity to collate and copy a new rutter for your captains : I would think it best if one could choose the port as then most players could build up a set of port rutters and speed bonuses to suit their trade needs without having to go all the way up to lvl20 : So, you have the capacity for your new rutter, now you have to earn it? Port missions again? Could work : a quota of visits to the port, perhaps? 'Arrive and trade at Tortuga 100 times' : Maybe a small influence boost? A minimum level of warehouse? : I dont see them as being expensive or onerous but more an indication of a presence in the port, which is how the knowledge is gained?

I do then see some further bonuses that might come from rutters : Improved skirmish evasion chance? Improved skirmish attack chance? After all, one has local knowledge of the currents, reefs, waters, tides and winds now.

But, it does start to become a more complicated development and thus less likely to ever be implemented. So ,maybe keep it simple and stand a greater chance of getting something.. or not.

[Maha]

a rutter is a 'thing'! they were so precious that the enemy was not allowed to get them. they were rather thrown overboard than lost to the enemy.
i like the general idea, but can see it used for a whole new area of gameplay; merchants or nations trying to steal rutters from the competition to get the edge on them.

one should be able to steal a rutter from a fleet
and rutters should be coded. the book is not enough, a 'key' is needed.
research could improve the coding/decoding levels, but everybody should, by spending lots of time on it, be able to crack the code

auto trade fleets have now an admiral and a merchant. i think that this could be the place where the rutter could be stored. (only one space for one specific route). unused rutters are stored in the same place where unused ships float around . a place that is somehow a tiny bit vulnerable for thievery.
(the Dutch and English banded together to steal the spanish rutter to the East.)

anyway, this is just a suggestion.