Ship Traits Version 0.1

[Black sparrow]

I suggest you simply implement Leviathan Assault as a round winner. As it is now, just skip the tail ship target for now. You can add it later, when we will know the full plan for ship plundering. Ship plundering can still happen after all via coin drain. There is no need to support the tail ship removal strategy with a trait. Especially a trait that already does something good enough. Not to mention that Call Leviathan immunity trait importance will be severely damaged if you do. If someone wants to sacrifice a trait slot for the possibility of Call Leviathans, then there should not be a counter trait for this.

I will be able to take a more decisive position once we have heard the ideas you have for ship plundering.

[Captain Jack]

Since this is version 0.1, we will go with the simple and safe version, skipping the level loss part which seems to create the controversy.

Leviathan Assault Trait
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Functionality proposal
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Leviathan Assault, when successful, sinks the enemy ship (enemy ship health drops to 0 and the ship wins current round).

Leviathan Assault is triggered at the start of round 3
If the Leviathan is successful (5% chance) the enemy ship is sunk at that point with immediate effects.

If both clashing ships have Leviathan Assault, then we prioritize attack based on ship speed. The ship shooting first, launches the Leviathan first. If the Leviathan Assault is successful, the other ship does not get to use it.

If a ship with Leviathan Assault sinks the enemy ship before round 3 and the enemy ship is a fleet tail, then the attacking ships triggers a Lethal Leviathan Assault. Lethal Leviathan assault lowers enemy ship level by 1 if successful.

This is version 0.1 functionality. The particular trait will be monitored constantly for updates.

Additionally, we have ended up to a different functionality for Fire Assault. The conditions for sticky damage are not yet mature. Additionally, we do not believe that such functionality should come from a ship trait. In general, like with Leviathan Assault trait, we are not sure that we should allow traits to affect rules such damage and sink. These should come from player options mostly. At all cases,it's an open issue that needs a lot of thinking and right now we cannot afford this time. Therefore, we will treat this as a special extra attack, as well.


So, Leviathan Assault is going to be of use to any ship, even those that carry no cannons. As long as such ships can last 3 rounds, they get a chance to win the round. So, this trait is going to be useful to every ship and it is not dependable to attributes points or ships characteristics.

For Fire Assault, we can do a similar thing or make the cannonballs that hit the ship to inflict more damage. Right now, the following happens:

-First we simulate if the cannon shot hits the target ship.
-If the hit is successful, then we simulate how much damage this does to this ship.

This happens for EVERY cannon shot.
This is where Fire Assault will come into game. Every shot, will have a chance to set the ship on fire. If it does, then this shot will inflict double damage.

In other words, Fire Assault will be required to register a critical hit. The critical hit will work like it works for attack roll. When you bring the maximum roll, the critical hit will register. This will favor lower level ships so ships with low level and fire assault will take more out of it. The reason is that the dice roll is level based.

Specifically it is:
Roll = 3 + Ship Level
Dmg = 1dRoll - 1

So, a level 1 ship has a 25% chance to get a critical hit while a level 10 ship has less than 10% chance to get a critical hit. Still, a level 10 ship will get significantly more chances as more cannonshots will hit the enemy ship while it is different to get double damage at 3 versus 12. Here is an example:

Level 1 SoL:
Critical Damage = 1d4 - 1 = 3 * 2 = 6 Damage

Level 10 SoL:
Critical Damage = 1d13 - 1 = 12 * 2 = 24 Damage

This might prove to be a very important trait. We can't know. This is however the meaning of releasing a new feature under beta. We will go with these values for the first period then we will revise where such a need arises. I am mostly talking like game breaking points or where we can have improvements. For example, we want every trait to finds its use and space. We do not want no-use traits or super traits. Combos are welcomed. For example, extra cannons and fire assault,does sound like a good combo.

Then, we can create extra combos for those that currently seem a bit weak. For example,durable sails and durable hull, when both are present, could create an extra bonus. These will all happen at version 1.0 which will come soon enough, like in January.

Fire Assault Trait
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All ships with this trait, get a critical chance per successful shot.

Current Base Damage Rule:
Ship Hardness = 1 (same for all ships right now)
Dice Roll = 3 + Ship Level;
Base Damage = 1dDice Roll - Ship Hardness

Fire Assault Damage Rule will be added right after:
If Roll equals maximum, then double Base Damage.

[Dejanira]

In Fire Assault help page, there may be a typo:

If our ship is level 7, then our die has 7 possible outcomes (it is a 1d7).

Should that be "If our ship is level 4, ..."?


-Indeed, fixed, thank you!, Cpt Jack

[Captain Jack]

Here is a battle where both Leviathan Assault and Fire Assault is triggered.

First, check this:
http://s2.piratesglory.com/share.php?id ... e70b75ab02

Where the Leviathan Assault icon appears, which indicates that the ship has won the battle due to this attack.

Then check this battle in detail:
http://s2.piratesglory.com/share.php?id ... re=details

Where all attempts AND the successful attempts are shown.

In the same report, you can spot the messages:
A Flaming cannon shot hits the ship hard!
and
Red Flames spread from a few cannonballs, conducting extra damage!

These are produced when at least one fire assault cannon shot hits. The messages produced here are not random but are relevant to the amount of successful shots. Note at the first case, one cannon shot hit. At the second, the number is between 2 and 5. There are 2 more scales, one for 6-10 and one for 10 and above. You will be able to tell which is which once you see both of them.

[Sebena]

All I am going to say is I like description of fail msg

[DezNutz]

All I am going to say is I like description of fail msg

I do as well, although there is one grammatical error.

Eleutheria called forth it's Leviathan, but no response came

It's = it is

The ('s) when used with it is a contraction not a possessive. It should just say its

Fixed, thank you ~ Cpt Jack

[Most Lee Harmless]

My first experiences of facing a ship armed with Levi Assault have been chastening : you dont expect a frigate to sink a sotl in 3 rounds! The other occasion has seen sotl v sotl over 12 rounds.. even tho mine had a good chunk of HP remaining it couldnt dodge 9 levi assaults and finally went down.
So, my first impressions are its a bit over-powered : I know its meant to give an edge but a SotL with LA versus one without will get a good 7-9 chances to use it even when facing a 60att with buffs. Actually.. the more powerful a ship it faces the more rounds and thus the more chances to launch a successful assault. As it stands there is almost a 50/50 win chance in such a confrontation without any regard to the underlying relative strengths of the ships. Thats maybe too high?
This does make me very wary of future attacks. I'm not sure that was the intent : most traits add an edge : LA is a very heavy blunt weapon and they only need to get lucky once. Facing it you need to be lucky every time.

As an aside... shouldnt Levi Protection also act versus Levi Assault?

[Captain Jack]

It is not Leviathan Assault Protection trait but Call Leviathan Protection. I am not in much favor of creating counter traits, at least right now.

How many battles have you fought so far. Certainly, getting sunk at round 3 is a one example that will rarely happen. It will happen though and this is the point. Battles ARE changing.

I do not think it is overpowered though as it can potentially throw one ship out. There are 5 ships at each side. Also, Leviathan Assault can also be used by the opponent. You will have to adapt to new factors.

From the battles I have checked, Leviathan Assault seems fine. I am still unsure about Fire Assault which seems a good trait. I am still unsure which one of them is best as there is also extra cannons. Surely, some combos are very powerful but combos come rarely.

I would say that until we get a definite setup, we are good. I do want to favor some traits on some ships more though and also some combos. The setup we have created, allows up to 4 traits per ship:
1 innate
1 basic
1 extra
1 obtained

So, based on this system, we will be able to expand. Not only with numbers of traits per ships but also with new traits.

I do not want to turn down your inquiry by the way. I respect what you think and I always read all your input. I am just prejudiced right now with Leviathan Assault. The reason is that you cannot expect the first instant round winner mechanism to ever appear in the game, to receive good reception early on. We will need time and I can expect it to always be a matter of discussion.

The base question is why add such a mechanism if you know it will stir up controversy? The answer is that despite the flaws that such mechanisms carry by design, they can provide this extra taste we need to create something more than routine play - but experiences.

[Most Lee Harmless]

I just make the conclusions I have drawn from the two instances I have faced. One was a third round knock-out.. the other went to 12 rounds with my sotl having to dodge a levi assault 9 times before losing the roll.
Maybe the average lies elsewhere but I can only comment on what I have experienced so far.
One instance lost me the battle the other didnt but thats not really the point. I can also only speak to my own response : that I am now wary of attacking ANY fleet.. not just those I once felt might be just too powerful one on one. In my case this means less attacks not more. I dont think that was an intention of this development. Sure I can rebuild my war fleets to have desirable traits : as of now I'd only consider dual-trait with levi assault as one... which does kinda write-off those I currently have. So.. in the marina and on the market they go and maybe at some distant point I'll bother to build more. Or not. But thats just my response and my thoughts on the subject at this early stage.

Most of the new traits are pretty much a permanent version of what can be done with voodoo such as bless, drums, fireship or an extension of an existing condition to other ship types (levi protect). As such the potential can be considered and countered by wise fleet set-up. Levi Assault has no defence, there is no set-up or wise act that can counter or mitigate its effects. Its a random and powerful outcome to which the tsrgets remaining HP, attribute count, attribute allocation and traits mean nothing. Bang.. you are dead. Next.

So..unless my ships have the trait its rather unwise to attack even a weaker fleet as they may have it. Logic says dont chance it. Not sure if taking the wise route of only using warships with one trait to get that killer edge is going to make warfare more interesting. It will make it a gamble tho. Maybe thats enough for some.