Shaman at Sea: Bringing Back Naval Combat (Large)

[Hawk]

Some questions:
-Player gets to choose when the fleet will cast?
-What happens on defense?

The ship #ID selection should remain the same. So you can ensure your voodoo will only be used against the target you want if engaged, offense or defense. You should also be able to edit this if you want while it is loaded on your ship.

Some imbalance:
-The defense will become far too easy. When attack needs fleets but defense does not (ie Mindbar/Purify/Serenity/Countercurse) then there is a problem.

I think a piercing effect for all fleet-delivered voodoo balances this

-If we want to use any of the existing curses, then the following parameters could be considered:
*No turns cost on cast
*Limited cost on load/unload (1 turns load/2 turns if you want to unload)

Imo the loading cost should the casting cost, with no cost to cast at the actual time of use. If you remove the voodoo from fleet you should get some turns back, but not all.

If one thing deserves to be underlined is that a complete makeover/upheaval is not a realistic thing to ask. We should either expand current system or tweak specifically, in a limited fashion

As I've stated before, in my opinion the ship-to-voodoo disconnect currently holds the biggest potential for improvement in the game. I think improvements on this solid but overly-simple feature is always a good idea. This suggestion allows us to keep all the benefits of voodoo, but replace the downsides with added depth and strategy to the game.


Also one idea, I think player-targeting voodoo success rate should be tied to fleet victory in combat. So for example FFJ, Hostile Natives, Assassin, Ect.. could have a normal success rate on victory, but if your fleet loses the battle then a 50% fail chance or something. This would only be for certain voodoo obviously.

[sXs]

Bumping for comparison

[Sir Henry Morgan]

I still like this concept.

[Captain dungeness]

I finally had time to catch up on reading this suggestion and I really like it. I believe CJ's and SHM's visions could be combined with the existing voodoo system very easily:

The only major difference between "loading" a voodoo card onto a fleet (as suggested in the first post) and "casting" a voodoo card on a fleet (as in the current system) is the expiration timer on the voodoo. If I cast Drums of War on my fleet it is effective immediately but only lasts 24 hours. The card could be changed to: 1) only cast on your own unenchanted fleet with 0 danger to last indefinitely, 2) enchantment activates when the fleet enters battle, 3) expires 24 hours after activation. I would call this an "Enchantment" because it is cast with an indefinite timer that lasts until the fleet enters battle. The casting player can cancel the enchantment the same way they currently cancel voodoo.

Enchantments like this could be cast on your fleets in preparation for future battle. The enchantments would be a combination of tweaked existing cards and a few new cards made specifically for this feature.


Drums of War: invest X turns (max 10): +X% defense for 24 hours (stacks twice), starting when your fleet enters battle
Bless: invest X turns (max 10): +X% attack for 24 hours (stacks twice), starting when your fleet enters battle
Fire Ship: invest X turns (max 60): Before any cannons fire: Damages your fleet's 1st ship by 99%, also damages a random ship in opponent's fleet by X%. X% piercing
Time Spiral: invest X turns (max 14): Cast on your fleet, stacks up to 5 times: When fleet enters battle: for each stack: destroys (X/2) of opponent's turns. (checks Mindbar for each stack so some might fail and some might succeed)
Sabotage: Before any cannons fire: a random ship in opponents fleet loses 1 attribute point.

Far Sight: invest X turns (max 10): Opponent is -X% attack during this fleet's next battle (stacks twice). (X*10)% piercing
Smoke Screen: invest X turns (max 10): Opponent is -X% defense during this fleet's next battle (stacks twice). (X*10)% piercing
Counterspell: Destroys the opponent fleet's enchantment before it activates, if so, Counterspell is also destroyed.
Cheat Death: invest X turns (max 10): Stacks up to 5 times, when activated, for each stack: gives you (X/2) turns.
Dispel Curse: Choose a curse and invest X number of turns (max 200): When activated: removes chosen curse from opponent. Has (X/3)% piercing. (This card would make Mindbar much weaker)
Detect Enchantment: Cast on an opponent's fleet to see what enchantment it has on it, if any.

NOTE: Confuse would affect the player when they are casting an enchantment on their fleet but Confuse would not affect the enchantment's chance to successfully activate.

Does this sound like a manageable approach that meets the requirements of improving fleet combat and increasing booster pack sales?

-Captain D

[EDITED to have more "invest X turns" options which would be more interesting because it rewards preparation]

[Argo]

Obv I cant discuss the numbers n stuff..but..

I dont know if I am reading this the way it was intended.
I like the fire-ship suggestion.
What I am curious about is how it all reads to me.

In summary..it would seem perhaps you are looking for a way to set your voodoo on auto and then head off to the tavern?Once your ships are attacked everything just kicks in and you don't even have to be there? Could you call it a pre-set voodoo battle plan? What about counter and unseen variables while you are enjoying yourself at the Tavern?
If I have misunderstood, would you mind helping pls...

[Captain dungeness]

it would seem perhaps you are looking for a way to set your voodoo on auto and then head off to the tavern? Once your ships are attacked everything just kicks in and you don't even have to be there?

This is a good point, Argo. I don't mean to say the ships could carry all the voodoo needed to counter a pirate attack... the voodoo would only be specifically related to winning that battle and not anything that casts onto the attacking player, also not any active voodoo on yourself such as Mindbar. This is about preparing for a specific battle rather than stopping future battles.

Cards like "Chains of Justice" and "Disfavor" and "Confuse" would NOT be able to cast on a fleet because they target a player. A lazy trader would have no protection from a pirate attack while away at the tavern because they can't auto-cast those spells on the pirate.

I edited my previous post slightly to provide more "invest X turns" to improve the voodoo and make it more interesting to prepare and use.

From the pirate's perspective this is a new layer of anticipation and preparation for battling a strong target fleet. You might want to cast a "Detect Enchantment" on your target's SoTL fleet to check if you need to cast a "Counterspell" on your fleet or maybe a "Fire Ship". Also "Dispel Curse" would be the new way to break Mindbar by investing a ton of turns before the battle or maybe keeping a fleet in hiding with "Dispel Curse" primed and ready. "Cheat Death" could be used to keep your turns going so you can keep plundering. In any case this would provide a place to spend turns in preparation to win a future battle.

Does this sound like a way to improve battles? I don't want it to work like lazy auto-curse casting.

-Captain D

[Argo]

Thank you so much for taking the time Captain!

I better understand ... here were the missing links for me -

"..the voodoo would only be specifically related to winning that battle " ..
"..This is about preparing for a specific battle rather than stopping future battles."

'Dispel Curse'... it will take lots of turns to cast - at 3 % would be a low success rate ?
(ooh, Argo asked a numbers question )

"Cheat Death" anything for more turns in the last few dying seconds....

Cheers.

[Captain dungeness]

Dispel Curse: Choose a curse and invest X turns (max 200): When activated: removes chosen curse from opponent. Has (X/3)% piercing.
(X/3)% piercing means you take the turns invested and divide them by 3 to get the % piercing.

Dispel Curse would allow you to invest up to 200 turns which would provide a 66.6% piercing. Against a Mindbar which usually blocks 75% it would only block 25% of Dispel Curse with 200 turns invested.

Captain D