Avonmora Adventure Upgrade- Its a big world out there folks.

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

So I've had this idea rolling around in my head for some time now. I've not had time to work it out in detail, but I have been wanting to put it out for discussion so I can come back to it from time to time as thoughts and input are offered.

And with that, here it is:

It has been suggested before that there be random events added to the game dynamic to make the normal trade/travel experience between ports a bit more interesting from time to time. Encounters of specific NPC pirates and privateers, sea monsters, bad weather... a lot could be mentioned, and has.

The idea I have been thinking over would be to build a much larger adventure/exploration aspect into the game. I look at the map, and there is a lot of ocean out beyond the edges of that map that we don't get to explore or see. I would propose an expedition option be added to the game, where a player could send ships/fleets out to "explore" beyond the edges of the map.

On expeditions players would encounter various things (imagination being the only limit to what could be put out there, of course). Exotic islands with exotic goods that could be brought back to sell. Treasure to be found. Areas prime for whaling expeditions. Pirate/privateer encounters. Mysterious coves with strange sea monsters, and... other things.

These places, once found, could be re-visited over and over again by a player. Different fleet configurations and ship types would stand a better chance of accomplishing their directives and finding treasure/fame/plunder/trade goods. Maybe even knowledge that would allow for higher tech advances/development at a players foundry or a guild's shipwright. Artifacts as well, should they ever be added to the game.

The feature would work something like this:

~~To send out an expedition a player would select the option to "Commission an Expedition".

~~Player would then select a fleet to send on the expedition, load appropriate supplies for the journey- Food, Rum, and Tabacc (to keep spirits high on the long journey), but make sure you take enough food as well or your men will threaten mutiny when they begin to starve and the fleet will have to turn back.

~~Player would next select what region the fleet would be sent to explore. For our example: "Explore unknown seas north-west of St. Martins" for instance.

~~Player would select how long the ship would explore the seas to the north-west beyond St. Martins. This would be done by the player selecting how many hours the fleet is to explore beyond St. Martins. There would be an amount of time required to sail beyond St. Martins that would be dependent on where the fleet was sailing from, and then once beyond St. Martins the time the player selected for the expedition would begin. Once the allotted time is up, the fleet would sail back to the port of origin, or possibly to another port if the player were given the option to set the return destination.

~Any place discovered during an expedition would be a place the player could return to, and there would be a "sail to" time attached to that location from then on.

~~Expeditions were costly things. There would be a gold fee connected to commissioning of an expedition, and the longer the journey the higher the fee. This could and should make expeditions expensive things in the short run, but with good payouts possible with proper discoveries.

~~A fleet commissioned for an expedition would be a large deal and would be noticed. Any fleets sent on an expedition would be noted on the port gossip pages "X number of fleets have departed on expeditions today". Upon returning from the expedition the fleet would show up as any other fleet approaching the port would, and would be vulnerable to having any valuables acquired during the expedition stolen if the fleet is defeated in a skirmish before landing at port. Once the fleet reaches port, all valuables gained are in the hands of the player.

~~Players should use caution when commissioning expeditions. Fleets sent too far into unknown waters would run the risk of being lost. To mitigate this risk, players would need to start by exploring closer to known waters (sending out fleets for only a very little amount of time beyond a port) and then add time onto their future journeys as they have more experience exploring the area. I could imagine that extreme expeditions could be sent out for days or even weeks if the player chose, but only for very valuable prizes and with little chance of success if appropriate ships are not used in a fleet.

One random thought around this idea has to do with future additions of ports to the map. The locations that could be discovered would be uniform across the player experience. A port that sells an exotic item, for instance, could be discovered by every player in the game if they explore the right area long enough. Perhaps several of these unknown ports could be created off-map, and as certain ports become discovered by more and more players in the game, the map could expand a bit as the new port becomes a larger part of the world of Avonmora. Just one idea among many that could be offered.

The game is great but it is lacking in the adventure/exploration side of things that was alive and well during this time period in history. I think this, or something very like it, would add a certain and significant level of entertainment and enjoyment to the game for everyone.

A lot that could be fleshed out here as this is far from a completed suggestion... thoughts and constructive input desired.

Humbly submitted,

~TH~

[Gregor Egerton]

I like the idea, but I have a few questions to ponder:

How much level of interaction would we allow to these currently unknown ports? Would it be like being in a port of Avonmora proper or would we have separate rules and abilities in them? IF they behave like normal ports, can nations take them over in the style currently in the game?

How much of the world do we say/think we have currently revealed in Avonmora proper?

What possibility is there that there are ports/(pirate hangouts, sea monsters, etc.) in Avonmora already? Could there be something in the cove between Pania and Regis for example? What (if anything) exists in the small islands Neopolis, Vaasburg, and Thorakas?

Is this purposed feature also a way to have organized pirate bases in Avonmora?

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

I think these unknown ports would not behave as normal ports unless and until they are added to the Avonmora map.

I would imagine them being along the lines of areas of trade with previously unknown people groups- natives and such, or perhaps civilized people groups with no ties to any nation at all. Not ports that would allow for an automated trade route, but exotic ports that could offer exotic goods that a player could buy or perhaps trade for, then bring back to a port in Avonmora to sell.

If these ports were to exist, then possibly in time, as more and more players discover and frequent them, then they may be brought into Avonmora proper and become an addition to the map.

As for the possibility that there are areas of Avonmora that we have not discovered yet- I"m all for the idea of allowing a similar exploration feature for known areas of the map as well. With all the ships sailing the seas in Avonmora proper though, I would find it hard to believe that there is a port hiding out there somewhere that has not been discovered yet.

As for... other things hiding in coves and around islands- I'm all for the option to go looking. We already know that there are sea monsters in the game (nation missions and voodoo cards), and plenty of NPC pirates sailing the waters as well that could be encountered during an expedition. It would be easy to implement random whale pods and other things that could be sought out on the existing map.

I'd pull hard for the larger exploration dynamic outside of the known world, but I would find it odd not to have some option for searching/exploring known waters while we were at it.

[PFH]

Well, what about historical sites to be discovered? Such as old ancient ports of the ancestors/natives of Avonmora...the prehistoric Avonmorans Perhaps this is where we can make a history of Avonmora and not just 'a game.' every known ancient civilization, had some type of artifact to protect...perhaps starting with some historical stuff after ship upgrades, maybe this can give the game more 'depth' than that of skill. natives

Maybe have a challenges page for players to discover the history of the prehistoric Avonmorans? Players would have search partys going into ruins and ancient places to discover pieces and bits about the 'history' of the natives, then when discovered, would appear in the global events page about who has been digging into our game's history!

In this, I believe the game should have a Greek-related history to it (in honor of the admin), such as different gods or deities and such.

Some games have historical backgrounds. I'm going to list one and this isn't advertising, I just want to use the game's successful reviews as an example.

Let's talk the Fallout series. Started in 1995 and continuing to this day. The timeline is about an apocalyptic crisis involving nukes and such.

Fallout 4 was the biggest hit game (and the newest so far) for the series. It runs parallel to the USA's history timeline and breaks off from the Japanese bombings. That's what makes the game have so much depth. Having a history inside of the game itself can really and I mean REALLY can give the game depth, which means more players to join the game because of its uniqueness. This idea can be a pivot point for the game if done correctly. I personally think that's what this game truly needs.

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

It would be interesting to work in a history of Avonmora via historical sites that could be discovered. These sites could exist inside the current map as well as outside.

I'd not make the feature all about the history of Avonmora, or even mostly about the historical background of the game world, but it would certainly fit in the feature and provide a way for shaping the story of the game world for those who would enjoy such a thing.

Exploration would be the main draw, and the spoils of trade and discovery- treasure and artifacts for one. On the trade side: spices, furs, exotic hard woods that could be used in ship building to improve ship hull integrity, exotic fruits (foods), silk- much could be discovered abroad, and a market for "exotic" goods where certain ports buy these items at different and significant prices could be easily created. Perhaps the trade aspect of this feature could be used to introduce new ports into the game eventually, but that would not be a necessary part of the feature. Whaling should also be in the game, in my opinion, and discovering areas prime for hunting whales would/should be a part of the feature as well.

Working a discovery of ancient ruins along with a discoverable history of the world of Avonmora into the game would be a natural fit for an exploration dynamic such as has been offered here, though I would keep the main focus of the feature on trade, discovery, and adventure.

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

The piracy/privateer side of this feature could be interesting as well, as pirates/privateers could send their fleets ""hunting" for fleets exploring in these unknown waters. They would take a normal skirmish bonus upon encountering and defeating an opponent, along with the spoils of any cargo on board that the target had acquired to that point while exploring abroad.

Tricky part for the pirate/privateer would be that they would have no choice over who they engaged. It would be a random encounter from among the players that have ships exploring in the area. If the pirate/privateer wins the encounter, their fleet keeps hunting. If the pirate/privateer wins several encounters and stores up booty on board and then encounters an opponent they can't defeat, their opponent takes the spoils from the pirate/privateer and heads back to port.

[PFH]

The piracy/privateer side of this feature could be interesting as well, as pirates/privateers could send their fleets ""hunting" for fleets exploring in these unknown waters. They would take a normal skirmish bonus upon encountering and defeating an opponent, along with the spoils of any cargo on board that the target had acquired to that point while exploring abroad.

Tricky part for the pirate/privateer would be that they would have no choice over who they engaged. It would be a random encounter from among the players that have ships exploring in the area. If the pirate/privateer wins the encounter, their fleet keeps hunting. If the pirate/privateer wins several encounters and stores up booty on board and then encounters an opponent they can't defeat, their opponent takes the spoils from the pirate/privateer and heads back to port.

Can't wait for a 5 MoW fleet to encounter whilst hunting other players

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

It would not be a simple thing, going on an expedition. Even less of a simple thing to send out hunting parties.

Which ships are better for long journeys? Which ships are better for short journeys? How long could a MoW stay at sea? How far out is a pirate going to send a raiding party? I would imagine a pirate would have to first discover locations just like any other player, and then instruct his fleet(s) to hunt in a given area.

[Sir Thalius Hayle]

An example of a player going on an expedition and discovering opportunities for trade- a foreign port:

Player sends a fleet on an expedition to a previously unknown area south-east of Psaral. The player has been working the region for the last two weeks, working up to sending his fleets out a bit farther each time. After the first two trips the player sent out a few brigs on an extended journey but they did not return. The player has since been slowly increasing their expedition time in the area. The last fleet that was sent out from Psaral spent 9.5 hours exploring before returning to port. This expedition will last for 10.

11 hours later the fleet returns: (30 minutes to sail beyond Psaral, and 30 minutes to sail back to Psaral once back in the map area. 10 hours beyond the edges- 11hours total.)

"Sir! We return bringing word of an unfamiliar coastline we encountered during our journey! There were fishing vessels in the area of a strange design, and upon speaking with the natives, who spoke with a strange accent and were none to trusting of us, we learned of a small coastal town farther up the shoreline. Given their skittish nature, we deemed it best to bring you word of the find before seeking out the port town."

The player would then have the option under a "Discoveries" tab to send a fleet to the area south-east of Psaral to:

1) Seek out the port town and explore options for trade.
-The people may be interested in trading for goods available in Avonmora
-The people may be interested in selling exotic items for gold.
-The people may not be interested in trade with foreigners at all, and an option could be available for the player to make return trips with gifts to build relations to open up trade relations.
-The people may not be interested in trade with foreigners at all, and may attack when fleets visit the area.

2) Explore the area further.
-Option to respond in kind if attacked by natives: "Diplomacy be damned- raid the savages!" (Not good for relations...).
-Option to refrain from responding to attacks by natives (if wanting to build good relations- fleet withdraws and returns to port if attacked. Doing so can cause skittish natives to see that you mean no harm and make them more open to discourse).

3) Send a raiding party to pillage the locals.
-Ships raided in the area may yield gold and goods that could be brought back to sell in Avonmora ports. (This would damage relations with the locals and almost certainly destroy any chance of easily establishing trade relations with the people. Not a problem if raiding them is your preferred trade tactic.)

4) Send a hunting fleet to seek out Avonmora fleets exploring the region.
-Option to include or exclude pirates.
-Option to include or exclude your own nation's citizens.
-Option to include or exclude fleets belonging to nations with whom you have alliances or peace treaties.

Player then determines how they want to proceed with the foreign port town.