Improving the game

[Captain Jack]

I have posted all tutorial missions details to help with the discussion:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=937

I am very happy with the feedback received already. Keep it coming

While we are at it, we have some reservations regarding the new feature that keeps trade routes from getting danger on mistake. This has been primarily implemented, in order to make 3 and 4 port trade routes possible, without the fuss of calculating down to last detail everything.

However, it also affects newcomers. Newcomers, were primarily the ones to make this mistake and other newcomers were the ones to capitalize on this kind of mistakes. Now, this is no longer possible, which means that a newcomer pirate will starve of targets.

The quick solution is to make the wait-on-danger option possible only if you have at least 5 Merchant Officers.

However, this could not work when speaking of long-term design.
This is why I yesterday highlighted the necessity of the feature Coming Across enemies at sea

Perhaps, a patrol for PC targets as Skyhawk once suggested could be a solution.
Generally, we want to increase engagement with the fleets battle. We got a bunch of new features that will try to do just this. I am waiting on your feedback for this.

[Rolando]

Sounds good so far. Perhaps Skyhawk's idea could be implemented and only players that have equal or stronger fleets or random inactive player fleets would be accessible. This would keep brand player fleets safer for a bit and provide more challenges to experienced players. It would also offer combat opportunities which do not require voodoo to engage and thus offer free players more ability to plunder and benefit.

[Nivekia]

Having now had a day or two longer in the game I have managed to clarify my thoughts a little more and put them in note form to hopefully help you by relating my experience. I hope this can be seen in light of the large numbers of people who seem to register and log in but don't stay and retain.

1) It took me 8 to 10 attempts to register because all the "piratey" user names had gone forcing me to go for "Nivekia".

2) Upon entering the game I fully expected to be met by a Role Play character and taken through a Comprehensive Tutorial Mission system which would teach me all I needed to know about the game. As I have already said this experience was , to put it politely, disappointing.

3) My character, "Nivekia", has just arrived in a new world with no money and a small ship to get him started. It doesn't make sense to me that a poor new character would then hire a captain, an admiral and a merchant!!?? Surely, in his early days he would do all these jobs him/herself? It isn't logical and unfortunately it makes the game seem silly at a stage when newbies are still making up their minds about it. All you have to do is let the first fleet, first ship and first merchant be the player character himself and it would then lend the quartermaster to teach you how to do all these things. The next step would be to take staff on as your "business" expands.

4) If you don't like this first fleet, ship and trade being done by the character idea then at least explain in the tutorial why it has to be this way so that the newbie can understand.

5) Instant travel on land is something that is not explained properly in the game IMO and also to a newbie weakens it I believe. How can I click on a map and move my headquarters instantly from one town to the next or instantly go to each court and romance each daughter/son one after the other.

It could be instantly remedied by giving me a personal private boat which was my character's to use (maybe the ship I entered the game with). I would use this ship in exactly the same way as I would any other ship in the game. The only difference is that it would have no cannon, no cargo and it would be undetectable by any player. It couldn't attack anyone or anything and equally in return it couldn't be attacked.

In this way I can travel where ever I want either by allowing time to elapse or using up turns. I would then be in charge of my own character as well as having admirals, captains and merchants employed by me carrying out my other duties for me. This would I believe add another dimension to the game because you could only carry out tasks in towns that you were physically present in. i also believe for a newbie just entering the game it would add another level of in game realism.

I am also very much in favour of a newbie guild or a mentor system as many people have already talked about.

I hope these thoughts from someone who has only just started playing the game are of benefit.

[Captain Jack]

Well, Nivekia, I think you are right. We should include a welcome message once you join the game to make some things a bit more clear.

Most of what you mention, already exist but they are a bit scattered and they need to be compiled in an easier way for the newcomer to find. It is purely our fault.

Let me write here a few things, before creating this in-game. A general quick overview of the game initial roleplay to help the playerbase and ourselves. Anyone, feel free to suggest based on this.

First, you are required to signup. Once signed up, you jump into character creation, which is the first roleplay options you take.
You get to choose:
-A username (We will make it possible -soon- that you will be able to steal another player's username, if he is inactive).
-A background (Every character needs a background, right? You can build your own one, not necessarily same with one of the 3 options. We just need to define your starting ship and gold).
-Your starting location (where you have been born perhaps, you also get a level 2 warehouse in that port, alongside with some resources).

You also get 1 captain, 1 admiral and 1 merchant.

Your main playing screen, is actually the screen of the port you are currently managing. To manage a port, you need either a ship or a warehouse there. Realistically, this is explained as you need someone to report back from that port and carry on the tasks you need to do.

Time in Pirates Glory is a hybrid of both real-time and turns. Whenever real time is involved, most of the time you can shorten it by using your turns.

So, where the character you created in the game currently is?
As this topic here says,
You all have an in-game character.
-It has a name, an avatar, an id.
-He can travel to ports, romance with daughters, cast voodoo, command ships, join a nation, work as a porter, join guilds etc.

For more options, you have to read that topic above. They are not yet implemented but they are open for a future version.

So in fact, you command your ships on what to do. Your physical presence is not required anywhere. Rp-wise, you can be wherever you like (for now - later, if the IC extension feature mentioned above is implemented, you will get a movable character too). Be it aboard a ship, or hidden at some port, or at the court of Tortuga attending a meeting with everyone else.

If we wanted to label the genre we fit in, we would call it a strategy rpg. It is a roleplaying strategy game. Surely, titles and etiquettes do not always live up to full expectations. This is an indie game (independent developer) where we do not follow one industrial pattern (mostly because we do not use a commonly used industrial engine like most massive games do).

Any more questions, let me know. It does not have to be real question. You have little time before turning into a full player; we need your questions in order to create a short introduction message which will give the newcomer an initial idea of what to expect from the game (This is the purpose of this full length reply and details after all).

It could certainly help them with the game interface too.