Dev Team - Flagships

[sXs]

My complaint is tied to exactly what Shadow says. Flagships aren't apples to apples because they aren't all going to be the same ship (sotl, frig, LF, etc.) So if I have a badass LF flagship and I steal a badass frig flagship it should have some value to it other than a pedestrian frig that is worth 15 credits. So allowing it to have at least some advantage over a standard frig albeit nominal would still make it worth while versus just stealing a flagship and having it be relegated back to a standard ship because I already have a higher class flagship that I don't want to replace.

Additionally my complaint is that we are trying so hard to make the ship so loveable for all that we are diluting it down to where it will end up just like MoWs are today, under utilized and more of a trophy than a practical vessel.

The advantages are it will retain all upgrades they will just be inactive until someone makes it a flagship again. Put it in the player market and it is sti a flagship with the upgrades. Someone may buy it and make it their flagship.

It will not lose value. It will just be inactive until it is made flagship again.

[sXs]

They do not lose anything if captured.

[Banger]

I understand what you are saying about them not losing stats just making them inactive but why not allow them to have some boost regardless.

Feniks always tries to argue based on realism and I like that line of arguing. A flagship was generally the strongest ship in the fleet as Feniks pointed out earlier. So why if I captured this ship would it not retain those increased physical attributes? It's not like in real life if I went and captured a flagship that I would return the extra cannons or the sail or hull modifications. It should receive some base increase to set it apart. Someone had to put in the work to steal someone's flagship after all so getting a little benefit out of it would be nice. Hell the game only allows you to acquire one MoW and if you lose it you are out a MoW unless you steal another one or buy one but the game doesn't cap the amount of MoWs anyone can purchase or even limit the amount you can put in one fleet. So why would flagship deviate from that same format?

[Hawk]

Additionally my complaint is that we are trying so hard to make the ship so loveable for all that we are diluting it down to where it will end up just like MoWs are today, under utilized and more of a trophy than a practical vessel.

I think more ways to utilize a ship has the absolute opposite effect. If MoW’s had more viable and fun uses with features such as guarding or blockades, then usage would skyrocket. It is the absence of these things that makes the ship as you would say a “trophy”.

I understand what you are saying about them not losing stats just making them inactive but why not allow them to have some boost regardless.

Feniks always tries to argue based on realism and I like that line of arguing. A flagship was generally the strongest ship in the fleet as Feniks pointed out earlier. So why if I captured this ship would it not retain those increased physical attributes? It's not like in real life if I went and captured a flagship that I would return the extra cannons or the sail or hull modifications. It should receive some base increase to set it apart. Someone had to put in the work to steal someone's flagship after all so getting a little benefit out of it would be nice. Hell the game only allows you to acquire one MoW and if you lose it you are out a MoW unless you steal another one or buy one but the game doesn't cap the amount of MoWs anyone can purchase or even limit the amount you can put in one fleet. So why would flagship deviate from that same format?

Flagship - The ship that carries the commander of a fleet or subdivision of a fleet and flies the commander's flag.

If you are going for realism then a flagship by definition should only be one. In game I suppose it would somewhat represent the player’s presence.

Retaining a small bonus outside of being the active flagship is an interesting idea though, just am not sure if it would be better. What I see happening is that this would lead to everyone wanting “flagship bonus fleets” which takes away from the point of what a flagship is.

[sXs]

Realism is this. Every fleet sailing g has only 1 flagship. Usually the ship with the greatest ability.

Here is where I think you are wrong. If you allow the abilities to be maintained, then you are allowing more than one. Also if you lose yours you can build another one, if you allow flagships to remain active after they are captured, you may as well let people build nothing but flagships and have them all active.

If they are allowed to maintain as active, then there really is nothing special about them. Somebone will build a flagship, sell it, build another sell it, build another. It would take awhile but eventually every other ship will be a flagship.

[Shadowood]

As long as a Captured flagship retains the current upgrades (but can't be further upgraded) I am in favor. If they lose all upgrades from the previous owner then I am not in favor.

[sXs]

As long as a Captured flagship retains the current upgrades (but can't be further upgraded) I am in favor. If they lose all upgrades from the previous owner then I am not in favor.

The upgrades remain just deactivated until it is made flagship again.

[Most Lee Harmless]

Whilst I like the idea that a captured flagship should retain some 'mark of distinction' it would open the door to players building and nominating new flagships then moving on to another and keeping the old flagship with whatever benefits comprise that 'mark'. So to be fair only the nominated flagship can really carry any bonus due to its attributes/traits/XP/whatever..
Its a tricky one. I could build 5 sotls and just rotate thru them ending up with one flagship plus 4 with whatever bonuses we feel an ex-flag should retain. But even an ex-flag should be more than a run of the mill ship.
Not sure its a problem thst can be resolved.

PS : Also it occurs to me that 25creds is a bit on the low side : after all its a 100cred just for a single plantation permission..

[Stan Rogers]

Taking in the loose metric of realism, would not EXP be a function of the crew primarily and the ship secondary ?
Would a captured Flagship retain it's full compliment of a crack,experienced crew ?
Can the crew itself become the deciding factor on how well the captured flagship performs ?

Just spit balling thoughts on how a captured Flagship might maintain some but not all it's special abilities.

[Most Lee Harmless]

Ah.. an interesting take, Stan. Perhaps the magic lies with the crew and not the ship itself : then to change flag you move the crew... which would leave the old flag with its innate traits and attribute count... that could work..