Port Blockades (Large)

[sXs]

[ Any action that creates massive reactions have to be good.

Absolutely! But Fenix has a point in that this means that despite trade being high, the actual profit from a blockage will be quite low. And the cost will be tremendous (setting, breaking and resetting mindbars, krakens and other interesting voodoo, plus the turns involved). The potential upside of such an endeavour needs to be huge for anyone to wish to engage in it, I believe.

Agreed. The card costs could be huge if one is foolish about strategy. It will be a learning experience for everyone including developers. The wild card, as always, is player reaction. What will defenders bring to bear? Will people defend or simply wait it out? Will they reroute or simply let their fleets get plundered once and then park them for the remainder of the blockade?

And then the aftermath. MoWs sailing in fleets with the 180 danger. Sotl sailing with damage incurred from the blockade. The real action may come immediately following a blockade. I see this as a huge strategy play all around.

This is why I am excited about this update. The first few blockades will be extremely interesting.

[Most Lee Harmless]

What if they gave a Blockade... and nobody came?

To be precise, what if the defenders just shrugged and said, 'Carry on'... ?

[sXs]

Well then you have a MoW fleet sailing with 180 danger. There are people that would set their alarm clocks to make sure they were online once the blockade ended.

[Sebena]

What if they gave a Blockade... and nobody came?

To be precise, what if the defenders just shrugged and said, 'Carry on'... ?

Now that would be hillariouse... Setting blockade traders reroute or pause trade routes in that port and earning at the end of blockade is 0....

[Most Lee Harmless]

Well, consider this : we have seen the incentives for the attacker discussed : but what are the costs of failure, and the incentive to act for the defenders? Why should the defenders put up their power fleets, and place them at risk afterwards : what exactly are they defending... a heap of merchants, mostly not even of their nation, and thus a few million in trade tax?

[Haron]

I agree, Danik. The defenders should have a higher incentive to defend against a blockade, too.

[Most Lee Harmless]

I agree, Danik. The defenders should have a higher incentive to defend against a blockade, too.

Then the danger is the event will always be a lose-lose for the defender : if the cost of defence won is not much less than a defence lost... whats the point in having anything to defend? After all, what is being defended ? Not the nations purse, the amounts at risk are piddling : its the merchants using the ports being defended : and why should a nation concern itself with them? It becomes a subsidy to traders, paid from the port-owners purse, to keep them earning coin for THEIR nation's interests.

Whats the prize for the defenders? The status quo? Dont see that as being much of a rallying cry. do you?

[sXs]

I agree, Danik. The defenders should have a higher incentive to defend against a blockade, too.

Then the danger is the event will always be a lose-lose for the defender : if the cost of defence won is not much less than a defence lost... whats the point in having anything to defend? After all, what is being defended ? Not the nations purse, the amounts at risk are piddling : its the merchants using the ports being defended : and why should a nation concern itself with them? It becomes a subsidy to traders, paid from the port-owners purse, to keep them earning coin for THEIR nation's interests.

Whats the prize for the defenders? The status quo? Dont see that as being much of a rallying cry. do you?

Right now, I agree with that. But consider other upcoming upgrades. Plantation, contract shipping both could play a big role in this as well.

[Haron]

Absolutely not. Thus I suggest that the port controlling nation get more income based on the trade to the port, and that a successful blockade gives this income to the Blockaders instead. Thus, more incentive both for attackers and defenders.

[Most Lee Harmless]

So, an incentive for the defenders to actually, well, defend?

How about this : if the blockade attempt fails, the attackers fleets marked as 'sunk' ( those with 99% damage) are sold off and the funds go to the defenders : we can call it 'abandoned and taken as prizes at battles end'. Further, the initiator loses their MOW fleet : it is sold off and the funds go to the defenders.

Now, we start to see some incentive for both sides to win this tussle.