So i know this idea has been touched before, and I still want to champion this in its own suggestion thread as the developers decides how to balance the attack/voodoo casting. The little piece of land between Vaasburg and Thorakas could be a pirate haven. Many try to play as a pirate while being under a countries flag. If you want to play as a pirate, then you should be a pirate and have a few differences.
I wanted to expand upon my past thoughts: All Pirate settings and upgrades will save if you decides to hoist a nation flag, but when you go back to pirate, you will need to do pirate missions again to access all that comes with the black flag.
First I want to include new mechanic for pirates:
Experience - This will act as an in game "currency" for upgrading your pirate techs and buildings in hideout.
Experience is gained as - X experience gained for successful attacks and % of (X) for unsuccessful attacks.
Second two new voodoo cards for Pirates only -
1. False Flag - Allow the selected trade fleet to mirror a random current active fleet on skirmish board.
- This will allow pirates to transport goods under a disguise, can only be used on a fleet with an active trade route. Can only have 5 cards active, last for 24hrs.
2. Pay Tribute - Only Pirate - Target player gains X gold coins, where X is the number of crew target player has hired, multiplied by 20.
- Pirates carry far fewer fleets and is the pirate version of forced labor.
Pirate Haven - A Special Pirate Port that ONLY pirates with the black flag can go to after completing pirate missions.
1. All fleets in port are safe - Fleets here can't be attacked or lit up as they are protected by the mist that hides the fleets from both eyes and voodoo caster. Once fleet is back at sea or in another port, all is fair game.
2. Pirates can produce special resources - A new Pirate Plantation (maybe cacao, hemp...for rope of coarse ) and something like gems instead of gold bars in the hideout. Each non pirate port offers different prices for the resources, but is considerably higher value due to rarity as a luxury good. Pirates will have to bring their goods to market at other ports - can use new "False Flag" Voodoo card for this.
3. Pirate port buys stolen goods - Every three days when the ports prices change globally, so does the price paid for goods from different countries. Non port owning countries would be a flat price always and port owning countries would fetch a higher fluctuating price. So for three days, you may get small exchange for USA goods, but high GC value for TK goods still both higher than China (non port country) goods.
- This would encourage pirates to go after specific traders for more money on the back side.
- For every successful attack, a pirate would recieve X amount of "goods" from that country providing they get the goods transported back to the pirate haven for sales. Stolen goods can be stored at other ports but not sold.
- Other things pirates could get at random, could be cannons and crew to sell as well.
4. Pirate Shipwright - Can make special ship to be used only when hoisting the black flag, the Pirate Galleon. A modified ship with extra cannon, less crew and faster speed.
5. Tavern would function the same except for two differences.
- When flying the black flag, your country discussion would be a board for only pirates to see and chat after completing pirate missions
- There would also be a dice game to play with other pirates online to win or loose bigly
6. Hideout - Would have different buildings that can be upgraded with experience and GC
- Instead of Mansion would have Hideaway - Serves the same function
- Instead of Academy would have a Black Market that would offer different Pirate specific technologies that can be upgraded with experience and GC .
- Instead of gold smith - would have a gem mine - Uses GC and workers to produce Gems that can be traded for great profits to other ports. There is a standard rate of gem collection but that can be increased with food, tools, rum and /or tobacco, but these goods are not needed to produce gems.
- Instead of Bank would have Fence - Serves the same function but only pirates can access and store swag
- Instead of Marina would be shipwreck cove - Serves same function.
Thoughts?