Port Blockades (Large)

[Most Lee Harmless]

Then some serious thought needs to be given to it : just implementing it with big carrots for the attackers and even bigger sticks for the defenders to make the fights happen is a surefire way to bring the whole thing into disrepute.

We need conditions of victory which whet the appetite of BOTH sides : have both sides eager for the fray, piling in their power fleets, 'for the prize, me dears, for the prize!'.

What we dont need is just another mechanism for some to loot others whose dilemma is how to keep their losses down... and bugger fighting back.

[Vane]

Then some serious thought needs to be given to it : just implementing it with big carrots for the attackers and even bigger sticks for the defenders to make the fights happen is a surefire way to bring the whole thing into disrepute.

We need conditions of victory which whet the appetite of BOTH sides : have both sides eager for the fray, piling in their power fleets, 'for the prize, me dears, for the prize!'.

What we dont need is just another mechanism for some to loot others whose dilemma is how to keep their losses down... and bugger fighting back.

+1

[Shadowood]

Then some serious thought needs to be given to it : just implementing it with big carrots for the attackers and even bigger sticks for the defenders to make the fights happen is a surefire way to bring the whole thing into disrepute.

We need conditions of victory which whet the appetite of BOTH sides : have both sides eager for the fray, piling in their power fleets, 'for the prize, me dears, for the prize!'.

What we dont need is just another mechanism for some to loot others whose dilemma is how to keep their losses down... and bugger fighting back.

+1

I believe some good suggestions have been made to this point already. Minus the lose of ship idea

[Most Lee Harmless]

I havent seen any : Honor points ? Some fame? A bit of influence? Seriously? I'm going to pull my big ships out for that?

Lets turn that round : is it still a great idea when that's all the attackers get for winning? Come on, will you risk it for the glory alone?

[sXs]

Come on, will you risk it for the glory alone?

Some of us, yes. It is another option for gameplay. Like I said earlier, blockades tied into contract shipping, Nation diplomacy, plantations, EotC. All these things tied in together offer a completely new direction. But it all has to start somewhere. I see this as the next logical step in this evolution.

Maybe the incentive to defend isn't obvious now, but I could see the incentive tied in to many of the proposed upgrades. Not all incentives are monetary. That is true now in some strategy.

[Vane]

I would like to see the benefits to winning or losing affect port control, which I admit doesn't gain the defender much but if they successfully defend a boost to influence is quite reasonable.

To me, blockades should be less about profit and more about moving in the direction of port gain/loss to reduce the need for voodoo.

Ships do not play a large enough role in port control, they play none currently and that's not realistic at all.

[Shadowood]

I like it : the possibilities are endless in strategy terms ; can the mere threat of a blockade be used as a lever in diplomacy, for example.

On a tactical level, again, endless possibilities and permutations arise, for both attackers and defenders : the 'final stand' of the 4 hrs period again provides for many many tactical moves. Some can be impromptu, reacting to the 'end game' itself. Others will need to be pre-planned and depend on making the right moves from the start.

All in all ; a fascinating range of choices will develop over the campaign with room for error, luck, skill and plain inspired lunacy all combining to produce the outcome :

Bring it on!

I see Honor Points, Fame, Influence and more all playing into the benefits and strategy that got you excited about this feature in the first place. I am willing to always take some losses, it’s a pirate game, everyone should anticipate some loss. I have no issue putting up a “Sacrificial Lamb” so to speak if I am the attacker. If I lose I’m ok with a ship or two going down. But I won’t risk my entire armada on the off chance someone like Haron comes up with a way to defeat my ships.

I’m not the only one to suggest things but I do see some interesting strategies that could come from offering up these types of incentives.

[Sebena]

I like it : the possibilities are endless in strategy terms ; can the mere threat of a blockade be used as a lever in diplomacy, for example.

On a tactical level, again, endless possibilities and permutations arise, for both attackers and defenders : the 'final stand' of the 4 hrs period again provides for many many tactical moves. Some can be impromptu, reacting to the 'end game' itself. Others will need to be pre-planned and depend on making the right moves from the start.

All in all ; a fascinating range of choices will develop over the campaign with room for error, luck, skill and plain inspired lunacy all combining to produce the outcome :

Bring it on!

I see Honor Points, Fame, Influence and more all playing into the benefits and strategy that got you excited about this feature in the first place. I am willing to always take some losses, it’s a pirate game, everyone should anticipate some loss. I have no issue putting up a “Sacrificial Lamb” so to speak if I am the attacker. If I lose I’m ok with a ship or two going down. But I won’t risk my entire armada on the off chance someone like Haron comes up with a way to defeat my ships.

I’m not the only one to suggest things but I do see some interesting strategies that could come from offering up these types of incentives.

Simple as Feniks said about defending avoide attacking If you are not sure about win. Danik has point it should be massive losses and gains since everyone wants massive battles. Curnent system favors attackers and giving no reason for defenders to defend. As far as honor points who will not be satisfied with me not defending port when I am rightful king I can't be dissatisfied with myself when I decided not to defend.

[Most Lee Harmless]

If all the defender gets is tokens of glory, then that should be all that is at stake for the attackers. If the proposal was that the defenders got coin and the attackers pretty flags, I would argue the same case for equity of risk and equity of reward.

I'm not against the idea of blockades : either as attacker or defender : I merely argue there must be incentive for both sides to engage : merely not losing as much by winning as you would being defeated is not such an incentive, its a stick which will be used to beat port-owners into boredom with the whole enterprise. Then the victorious blockaders, strategically having evicted the owner and usurped their place, why, you will get to feel the stick in your turn.

Hoo-bloody-ray.

[Sir Henry Morgan]

I concur with Danik - there's got to be skin in the game besides the prize. This will eventually affect port control, influence and populations.

On ships lost, instead of sold to the shipwright and lost, chivalry can be put into play. Why not allow the defeated to pay restitution equal to the price of what the shipwright would pay, and retain ownership of the ship? Pay restitution, ship stays in fleet and suffers its normal consequences of the blockade battle. Let the shipwright buy it and it be gone forever. Choice of the defeated.

This would make frivoulous blockades less common, as there be good reason for defenders to wholeheartedly take part.