Flagships Rebuild

[DezNutz]

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Bonus Skills - Pirate Only

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2) Fear the Black - Any fleet that attacks you gains 1 additional danger point per level (Max 6)
---- 6 Levels - Level 1 Exp is 3000
---- Each Level increase by standard 1.5x of previous level (Rounded Up)
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5) Danger Reduction - Danger Reduction of target is reduced by 2 for each level. (18 Danger Reduction - 2xLevel#)
---- 5 Levels - Level 1 Exp is 4700
---- Each Level increases by standard 1.5x previous level (Rounded Up)
---- Reduction occurs prior to any voodoo effects such as Disfavor

I think fear the black should apply the danger after any voodoo effects as well

I also don't see why either skill could function like the rest of the skills - as in, 10 levels at 1/level each with the standard exp table. Good skills in the right hands, yes, but both are pirate-only limited which is a very real mitigation factor

Interesting thought on the Fear the Black. I don't know how it would apply though. From my understanding of the original suggestion on it, if I attack you and you have this skill, instead of gaining 6 danger, I would gain 6 danger + the added danger. The only voodoo that I know of that would effect this is, is Hostile Waters which would just be an additional +6.

First, just a piece of information, the total experience required to max out a single skill is 62,373. This is based on the standard 10 levels. As such, I used this number to qualify any skills that couldn't be built in the standard ten level format to still come close to this number using the standard 1.5x increase between levels. The difference in total experience required is less the 1%.

So for Fear the Black, the original suggestion skill was suggested to be capped at 6 danger. As we don't deal in fractional danger points, this was built out as a 6 levels and adjusted as such.

For Danger Reduction, the same principle applied. If you reduce the danger by a rate of 1 and kept the 10 levels, you could end up with an odd number. Odd numbers don't divide evenly which would create a problem with Disfavor which halves the danger drop. As a result, I configured it so the reduction always retains an even number.

[Haron]

For danger reduction, I suggest you use the normal scale and just round down the effect when Disfavor is active.

[DezNutz]

For danger reduction, I suggest you use the normal scale and just round down the effect when Disfavor is active.

Ok. That's sensible.

That's not going to work. As depending on how the formula actually works and how you round, disfavor will either make the each odd level moot, or the each even level moot.

Let's look at level one:

17/2 = 8.5

If you round up to 9, the first level is negated by Disfavor.

If you round down to 8, the second level is negated. This would make getting level 10 a pointless endeavor, as disfavor would minimize the danger drop at Level 9.

If the concern is about the high experience cost from the start, I have a solution that reduces the initial experience.

Alernative Experience Cost.

Level 1A Exp: Level 1 + Level 2 = 1375
Level 2A Exp: Level 3 + Level 4 = 3095
Level 3A Exp: Level 5 + Level 6 = 6965
Level 4A Exp: Level 7 + Level 8 = 15673
Level 5A Exp: Level 9 + Level 10 = 35265

[Haron]

Yes, every other level will be negated when using disfavor, but that's not really a problem.

Level 1: 1 less normally, 0 less with Disfavor
Level 2: 2 less normally, 1 less with Disfavor
Level 3: 3 less normally, 1 less with Disfavor
Level 4: 4 less normally, 2 less with Disfavor

And so on. This simply gives you a better "resolution" than just including the even levels, which is basically what you do by halving the number of levels while increasing the exp cost, and reducing the danger loss by 2 each level instead of 1.

The fact that disfavor doesn't get any benefit for the odd levels doesn't matter. In the cases where disfavor is used, the effects of these two suggestions are identical. When it is not used, you get a better "resolution" this way. And since each level is going to require a lot of plunders to achieve, I think it is an advantage that we don't make the gap between levels even greater than they need to be.

These are details, though. What really matters is the effects we let the skills have. I am sorry for detailing that discussion.

[DezNutz]

Yes, every other level will be negated when using disfavor, but that's not really a problem.

Level 1: 1 less normally, 0 less with Disfavor
Level 2: 2 less normally, 1 less with Disfavor
Level 3: 3 less normally, 1 less with Disfavor
Level 4: 4 less normally, 2 less with Disfavor

And so on. This simply gives you a better "resolution" than just including the even levels, which is basically what you do by halving the number of levels while increasing the exp cost, and reducing the danger loss by 2 each level instead of 1.

The fact that disfavor doesn't get any benefit for the odd levels doesn't matter. In the cases where disfavor is used, the effects of these two suggestions are identical. When it is not used, you get a better "resolution" this way. And since each level is going to require a lot of plunders to achieve, I think it is an advantage that we don't make the gap between levels even greater than they need to be.

These are details, though. What really matters is the effects we let the skills have. I am sorry for detailing that discussion.

You're not derailing.

Details and points that will make the skills work better or the suggestion in general is exactly what I want. If there are issues, than I want them addressed now.

I see your point on the disfavor. I will write it up with the normal 10 levels and how disfavor will be laid out.

[DezNutz]

Other Skill ideas:
All
Passenger Bunks - Increase the number of immigrants that can be transported by 500/level

Pirate Upgrade only -
Smuggler Holds - Reduce the number of goods lost from the flagship's fleet when losing a skirmish by 7.5%/level (including gold bars)
False Flags - 10% chance/level to ignore nation hostility gain from plundering

Pirate only-
Gunpoint Haggling - increase the base value of goods in cargo for skirmish calculation by 1/level. Increase the value of gold bars by 0.5%/level

I like the ideas behind False Flags and Gunpoint Haggling.

[Lockreed]

All
Voodoo Amplifier - Voodoo cast by the controller of the flagship that target the flagship's fleet gets copied to 1/level random other fleet(s) that the controller owns, with a 1.5% chance/level of repeating this process (no limit on number of repeats)
Witch Doctor Internships - 1% chance/level to grant a random voodoo curse to the flagship's controller each hour
Diplomatic Missions - When this fleet sells goods in a port, the controller earns 2.5%/level of the value sold as influence in that port
Floating Academy - 0.5% chance/level to add 1 ship attribute point to a random ship in the flagship's fleet per hour

Pirate Upgrade
Voodoo Hunger - 7.5% chance per level to block voodoo cast on the flagship and the flagship's fleet. Also gains a 2.5% chance/level during each round of combat to remove a random, active curse on the opposing fleet. Whenever a curse is removed in combat this way, the flagship immediately repairs to full HP, gains a 2% armor class and attack roll bonus per level for the rest of the combat, and the flagship's controller gains 1 turn(s)/level
Fearsome Reputation - After a successful plunder, the losing player's base ship count is treated as 9.5%/level lower for calculating the base fame plunder and gain 10%/level additional fame

Pirate Only
Letters of Marque - Increase the plunder value against any player considered an enemy of the crown by any nation by 3500 / level (stacks with other sources, cannot exceed plunder maximum). Increase maximum plunder against enemies of the crown by 10,000 / level.
Lay Low - 10% chance/level of losing 1 additional danger per hour. Also a 1% chance per level of losing 2.5%/level of total danger on the daily update
Scrap Collector - Improve the minimum value plundered from a ship's lost level by 2.5%/level. Additionally, when the flagship's fleet earns plunder from a ship that lost a level, there is a 0.5% chance/level of a random ship in the flagship's fleet gaining 1 ship attribute point

[Vane]

Should this long awaited and long overdue feature be chosen for implementation. It still needs some work with its design.

This has gone from its original concept of being a pirate flagship to being a ship for all with modest extra perks for pirates. My largest gripe is, this was supposed to be a feature for pirates by pirates in order to provide incentive to fly the black and take up the role of a high seas marauder. Traders have features in place already to give them something to build and work towards which increases their profit and holdings. They all tie together, warehouses, massive ship counts, plantations, banks, building nations... even blockades will benefit them. All of which require time and engagement to advance and improve.

In order for balance the pirates need a feature that allows them to invest time, coin, thought in order to improve upon "their" method of earning gold and increasing their wealth. That is what this was intended to be and I believe that is what it has to be.

I do not overly mind that it has shifted to allow everyone to construct a Flagship, though the major benefits should be distinctively for pirates and need to support their method of procuring wealth.


A few alterations I would like to see to its current form.....

- Pirates use turns to profit, far more so than traders. We have little passive income. Therefor, I think the docking cost is far to high and needs to be reduced to 50 Turns at the very highest and credits should not apply.

- Each flagship should have 3 skill slots not 5
- Pirate ships should have 5 bonus slots for a total of 8

[Xan]

This feature along with with hideouts could benefit pirates greatly as far as plunder then park to lose danger without having the fear of being attacked because of danger. Smaller ships like brigs could be used for raiding lots of fleets with instant travel, instead of sotl fleets, because the risk of the fleet getting wiped out at port or traveling would be greatly diminished while given the plundering fleet more punch.