High Seas QoL Update: Cannons
As you have (or will) in the January newsletter 2019 is going to be full of High Seas updates and new additions! Due to the massive amount of content in High Seas we are going to be spreading those updates across this year's 4 publishes - Rising Tide, Forgotten Treasures, Forsaken Foes, and Jolly Roger.
The first area we want to focus on is the process, from start to finish, of firing cannons.
At the highest level we want to address the availability of saltpeter, the harvesting of saltpeter, simplifying the ammunition crafting process, reducing the number of clicks and streamlining the firing and repairing of cannons.
We have some initial thoughts on how to accomplish these goals, but before we start tweaking under the hood we would like to engage the community in a discussion on their expectations so we can deliver the best results we can on this user story. Looking forward to a fruitful dialogue over the weekend!
Everything in this thread should be considered in-concept & in active development. Everything is subject to change as we work through the concept, implementation, quality assurance, feedback, TC, Origin, and world wide release process.
The first area we want to focus on is the process, from start to finish, of firing cannons.
At the highest level we want to address the availability of saltpeter, the harvesting of saltpeter, simplifying the ammunition crafting process, reducing the number of clicks and streamlining the firing and repairing of cannons.
We have some initial thoughts on how to accomplish these goals, but before we start tweaking under the hood we would like to engage the community in a discussion on their expectations so we can deliver the best results we can on this user story. Looking forward to a fruitful dialogue over the weekend!
Everything in this thread should be considered in-concept & in active development. Everything is subject to change as we work through the concept, implementation, quality assurance, feedback, TC, Origin, and world wide release process.
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
This would lead to new critters to kill and stuff. Maybe add a room to the ranger station that holds some peerless trophies,Navrey type things, Spawn bosses. Along with new things to stuff in general.
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
2nd...please consider increasing the ships speed. As it is, a ship sailing along the shore at high speed, is only as fast as a player in wolf form, at walking speed, not running speed...walking speed. I'm not saying we should be able to fly across the oceans while shooting cannons, but we absolutely need a travel speed where the only thing that happens is, the ship travels across the water a speed faster than running, which is only simple physics.
3rd..please consider adding more items to the crates. While there's probably not a huge demand for Frostwood, it made no sense that it was never added as a commodity that would be frequently carried across the waters from port to port for trading, and it also made no sens that Orc ships and Dread Pirates would not be carrying the absolute best items in their holds...50 cabbage ? really ? I'm not saying all available content should be attainable via the High Seas, but it could be tweaked a little. Gems, resources of all types, better weapons loot.
I look forward to this discussion and what others think.
Please make the Grizzled Mare a 5 slot mount, it's incredibly rare and deserves it. Some of us have been waiting a long time for this simple addition.
I have not gotten to the point of using cannons yet but I will recommend a cannon related decoration: A damaged cannon that has the end of it's barrel split into 5 or 6 slices and it puffs out smoke when turned on.
Please make the Grizzled Mare a 5 slot mount, it's incredibly rare and deserves it. Some of us have been waiting a long time for this simple addition.
I relent to his crafting Ideas except the Salt Peter. As Tyrath said, miners could actually sell this. Crafting is a pain. I forgot how long it took.
My satchel idea comes from the way I store my cannon supplies. I put 5 shots worth of items in a wooden box with engraved size and ball type.
Would be nice if I could just carry more in 1 thing and not have to dig around in the box I want.
I don't need realism with cannon loading.
Never be afraid to challenge the status quo
Can you see how many pies are being made daily. They do not sell on vendors because the effects are too short and the price is too high. They have been nerfed in PvP. Let PvM use them.
Make the cost less and the duration longer please.
I also like the idea of a single size cannon. But I do not know if there is an advantage for using the smaller ones.
Cheers MissE
1) Too many steps and ingredients to fire a cannon. Please simply this .
2) Solo players have to fire each cannon manually. Please allow us to hire crews, so that we can command which ever cannon (individual) or entire starboard or port side to fire.
3) We will then have, one NPC crew standing next to each cannon.
4) A pop up dash board to command the war
5) Make it more fun... convert the cannon guys to warriors instantly, board the enemy ship to fight.
6) Ships to have varying speed control, ie slow, normal, fast, and desperately fast...(panic).
7) Submarines and Aquaman is desirable addition if you can do it.
8) Add whales and sharks.
9) Add Harpoons
10) Start new snorkelling and diving shops.
ESRB warning: Some Blood. LOTS of Alcohol. Some Violence. LOTS of Bugs
Never be afraid to challenge the status quo
Currently, I don't get the reason to toss nets, other than white ones. So you fish up a chest, get a fishing net and toss it. You get a kraken and a serpent, kill them, loot the 200 gps, and wonder, "Is that all there is for this?".
Yeah I know there is a chance for another sos, or another net, which seems kinda like treading water to me, since they are just gonna yield the same ole same ole, with no chance for anything good.
Please consider part of the next years improvements to be for these, as well
Never be afraid to challenge the status quo
1. Make crafting the needed parts for firing less time consuming.
1a. Make the firing less complex.
2. Make the cannons all the same size (unless there is an advantage to smaller ones)
3. A pouch to hold the firing ingredients including balls. That reduces weight and allows choice of ball type.
4. Make different ores have an advantage if that would help with the new changes.
5, other?
Easy peasy so far!
Then there are other areas to discuss.
Thanks for taking our input
ESRB warning: Some Blood. LOTS of Alcohol. Some Violence. LOTS of Bugs
Cheers MissE
Potash should be crafted in the same way as charcoal, all in one move.
Reduce the steps to produce matches - not that I've made any since the first ship I scuttled - or put matches on npc shipwrights and remove crafting them completely, they are too easily obtained as loot to need crafting.
Cleaning should happen automatically as the finish of firing - dirty cannons wouldn't be left on a ship. Provided the required swab is in the back pack.
Loading should in one step use all required items, provided they are in the back pack, giving a cursor for 'select ammo' if more than one ammo type is present in the backpack. This would bring cannon firing to 2 actions only 'load' and 'fire'.
Light cannons seem to be redundant - why were they added? Have we missed the intended use?
IF they have no use, please remove them from the crafting menu and as drops, along with all associated ammo. (brings to mind a pet peeve, essence of persistence, give it a use or remove it please! I keep getting it in treasure maps.)
Please make the Grizzled Mare a 5 slot mount, it's incredibly rare and deserves it. Some of us have been waiting a long time for this simple addition.
Here is where my current thinking is with regard to a few things, again - super high level and nothing is set in stone.
The acquisition of saltpeter is mostly ok. If anything, the yield from mining should get a bump.
Matches are a redundant item to a torch which should serve the same purpose. Matches and match chord would no longer be craftable and/or drop. Can turn them in for cleanup points.
Potash should function on a make-all situation similar to charcoal.
Remove the distinction between heavy and light cannons, everything is just a cannon. Add the unused giant cannon tileart, and possibly add some more. The look of the cannon becomes purely cosmetic.
Crafting creates a "powder charge". Heavy and light powder charges convert to "powder charges". The ship painting produces "powder charges". "Powder charges" essentially become what "heavy powder charges" used to be.
The same applies to heavy and light ammo types. "Heavy cannonballs" and "heavy grapeshot" essentially become "cannonballs" and "grapeshot".
Everything else stays the same with regard to the crafting skills they are associated with.
The same applies to specialty ammo - "light" is essentially converted to "heavy" and becomes the default.
Cannon durability scales with the material crafted with iron -> valorize, with the cannon being hued appropriately.
The firing prep-process requires one click. This will begin a timer that moves the cannon through each of the fire steps automatically. You then click again to fire when ready.
Cannons will have a container attached to them that you put the firing materials in with a restriction on how much in terms of ammo/charges you can put in. You will only be able to put in one ammo type.
Whether or not you should be able to fire the cannons without standing near them remains TBD. I had originally thought about being able to hire NPC crews to fire the cannons for you to accomplish this, but this dramatically increases the scope, and I'm not sure we have that kind of runway. How strong should your NPC crew be? Should they take damage in Fel? How much damage from Cannons vs offensive PvNPC Crew ranged attacks/spells? Pets? There is of course the question as to whether an NPC is even necessary. I think it's a bit of a stretch to be able to fire the cannons on the other side of your ship without some intermediary that can be stopped, at least to keep the Fel side of things balanced and for logic sake. Given the complexity here, I think NPC crews are unlikely to happen.
That all being said I think we can put the firing controls into a single main gump the captain/crew can access via speech trigger from anywhere on the ship, and simply require proximity to the cannon in order for the loading/cleaning/firing process to work. Perhaps there would be a benefit from accessing a single cannon as opposed to the main control to incentivize group play on a ship, but still allow realistic utilization of the cannons as a solo captain. At this point I would say this is a reach goal depending on all the other goals we want to meet.
Thanks again for all the contributions so far, and we look forward to continued feedback!
for
Treasure Hunters
Never be afraid to challenge the status quo