Ok - here we go - please remember these are personal opinions which you may agree or disagree with.
First of all I should say that I play in Arcade mode. I play the game as a game about the Caribbean during the days of Bucaneers & Pirates. I like walking arround the towns and sailing round the coastlines exploring but I don't always have the time to spend playing the game that way so I don't use the Realistic mode.
I also mostly play the storylines as I like the structure they give the game, but do occasionally do freeplay.
I do not play the game as a Sailing simulator, or a war game ( fighting battles between fleets of warships ), or a trading game. Though I know there are many players who do. ( I do however, enjoy smuggling ).
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As I have said before people play the game in many ways, and for many reasons, it is one of the Mod's great strengths that it allows this.
As a general principle I am not keen on attaching some of the choices available in the Advanced Options to the Arcade or Realistic modes.
These are the Advanced options that I change when I start the game ( ie the ones most important to me & I would not want to loose)
int NO_THEFT = 0;
// You can now pick pockets. But this is risky, and other thieves may pick YOUR pocket too.
// 0 - 60 : The higher this value the safer you are from pickpockets
// Above 30 nobody picks YOUR pocket, above 60 you yourself get no chance to steal
How about we remove this?
int LOCK_OPEN = 0;
// 0- 70: the higher this value the higher your chance of picking the locks of treasurechests
// Above 66 chests always open, above 33 you won't hurt yourself anymore ;-)
How about we remove this?
No Theft - I used to play with this set at 35 when I first started playing the game ( as I think Morgan Terror said it can get in the way of quests ) - and early on in the game it can be frustrating - but recently I have started to play with lhe level set lower and find it adds to the atmosphere in the towns - especially if you are doing freeplay and not following a quest.
Lock Open - Again I used to play with this set at about 35-40 when I first started playing the game - but now play at arround 20-25 now that I am more used to the game. For same reasons as above.
int DISPLAY_TIME = 1;
// Show a clock in the upper part of the screen. Requires DISPLAY_DATE=true.
// 0: Never show the clock
// 1: Only if you have a clock equipped
// 2: Always show the clock
Always show time in Arcade Game Mode and only with a clock equipped in Realistic Game Mode?
bool DISPLAY_BATTLEINTERFACE = false;
// Show the BattleInterface compass/chart display
// 0: Only if you have a compass equipped
// 1: Depending on the settings in the options menu
Same as above.
bool DISPLAY_MAP_POSITION = false;
// Display the position of your ship on the Map Interface
// 0: Only if you have a Sextant and a Chronometer
// 1: Always display your ship's position
Same as above.
I think these 3 should be left as they are - otherwise you are making Arcade mode too simple.
int DEATHRATE = 1;
// Chance of dying(= game over) after shipwrecks and lost fights
// Choose a value between 1(certain survival) and 130(certain death)
// After survival you will be down and out, so it is a new challenge and no cheat!
We should probably keep this, but it seems a bit complicated to me. Maybe make it into an InternalSettings.h setting?
Do we agree that 1 is the best default setting and you will always survive?
I have been playing with this set at 40 - since I do like to actually die occasionally. And this way I don't have to choose between continuing the game having lost stuff or going back to a save. - I die & the choice is made for me.
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The above are the only settings that I change when I start the game. - Don't I have it easy.
Of the other proposed changes:-
bool ENABLE_FLAGS = true;
// 0: Stock PotC, no flagchanges
// 1: You can choose your flag in a menu; even false ones(which may or may not be recognized)
Since you don't HAVE to use fake flags and can just fly your personal flag all throughout the game, I don't see any need for this toggle.
Stock game mode was basically similar as playing through the game with your personal flag.
I disagree with the comment on this one - You do have to use a fake flag if you want to get past Pirates without them recognising you since they are always start out hostile to everyone ( including your personal flag ) at the beginning of the game . Also have to use Fake Flag to get into a Port if that Nation is hostile to you.
bool VISIT_DECK = true;
// 0: Stock PotC: When anchoring, you go directly to shore; also you go directly to sea when leaving port or bay.
// 1: When anchoring, you go to your ship's deck. From there you can go to shore in the same way as in the tutorial.
// When leaving land you'll also go to your ship's deck, unless you select 'Sea' command.
Probably keep this setting, unless we want to have it linked to Arcade/Realistic Game Mode again.
Actually, though I was the one to start work on this mod, I don't think there's much point in it and might as well be off by default.
The idea was that your officers would come to talk to you on deck about important stuff with the proposed Officer Personality Mod,
but no work was ever done on that and probably won't be done either any time soon because it's a complicated new thing to add.
Does VIST DECK create the choice of Moor - Port/Shore that you have when you arrive at a Port-Beach? And Going to Ships deck before you set sail.
If yes then I want to keep this. I like being able to walk arround my ship before going ashore, or setting sail, either looting the ship to get some items to sell if I need the cash, or going to the Captains Cabin to get stuff I may need ashore from the chests. I also upgrade officers and check their equipment onboard ship since I know i won't get interupted by an NPC.
bool AUTOHIRECREW_ONCHANGESHIP = true;
// 1: Automatically hire extra crew when repairing your ship or buying a new one at shipyard
// 0: Off, stock PotC
Might be able to remove this, since it does save you some additional clicking. Alternatively, keep this.
Autohirecrew - I don't change this at the moment but I think I am going to in future. Since I don't like the fact that whenever I enter a shipyard to see if they have any good ships for sale I end up automatically getting my crew topped up even if all I do is look at the ships available - annoying if I don't want or can't afford the additional crew pay. I prefer to hire crew in the tavern.
bool ENABLE_BROTHEL = false;
// 0: Stock PotC: no brothel in QC
// 1: Brothel location opened; a bit explicit, but in WORDS only
For the sake of the storylines using the brothels, could we remove this option or at least turn it on by default?
The dialogs have been toned down from what they were.
I think only 2 storylines at the moment use the brothel - Jack Sparrow & Assassin - Jack Sparrow works if Brothel is On or Off I think - but Assassin definitely needs it On.
int REDUCE_CR = 0;
// Reduce number of coastal ship groups by 1 or 2
// Helps if you encounter performance problems
// 0: No reduction - 3 groups on all islands (6 ships total)
// 1: Reduce by one group - 2 groups on all islands (4 ships total)
// 2: Reduce by two groups - 1 group on all islands (2 ships total)
Performance problems because of the coastal ships? I don't buy it. Lose this setting!
Just a question on this - if the default is 6 ships & all islands have 6 - why do I only get 4 ships at Turks? Is Turks set up differently?
OTHERS:-
bool CHANGING_RELATIONS --- Keep for freeplay
bool AUTO_SKILL_SYSTEM ----- Check if old system works - people might like to allocate their skills manually.
bool ENABLE_WEAPONSMOD --- I like the different weapons quality - (just don't like the fact that merchants sell the low qualities making too many weapons to scroll through ) the weapons mod does need looking at, who sells what quality of weapon, among other things.
int WDMAP_SHIP_SHOW_MODE - & int SAILHO_INFOLEVEL --- I don't like the idea of linking these to Arcade/Realistic mode
float COASTRAIDER_CHANCE --- depends on how you like to play the game
bool UPDATE_AI_ON_SEA --- Agree remove toggle
bool WEATHER_UPDATE_AT_SEA --- I want to keep weather changes in Arcade mode
bool SHIPCLASS_DEPENDS_ON_SKILLS = true;
// 0: Stock PotC: Character can command any class of ship
// 1: When player takes command of ship of too high class Leadership and Sailing skills drops
The -- Stock PotC: Character can command any class of ship - text is missing on the screen for this toggle
bool USE_REAL_CANNONS & bool EXTRA_HIT_CHECK --- I don't want these turned off in Arcade mode.
string BOARDERMODEL = "standard";
// Outfit for your boarders, insert one of these groups (Don't change spelling or the "" !):
// "marine", "corsair", "masked", "skeleton", "girl", "soldier" (soldiers of current flag),
// "boarder" (Nathaniel's soldiers); default: "standard"
I don't think this works very well. Would be nice if we could recode this quite a bit and be able to switch boarder models by talking to your officers/crew on your ship instead.
Doesn't this cause CTD or game to freeze on boardings - if that is the case perhaps best to remove till fixed - though I know that people who play as Military officers like having their crew in uniforms for boardings- so I don't know what to do .
bool KB_TUNESHIPS ---- agreed remove the toggle
bool BLADEDAMAGE_ENABLED --- agreed link to ENABLE_WEAPONSMOD
bool PORT_FASTTRAVEL_MOD --- agreed remove the toggle
bool REAL_CARIBBEAN ---- Remove - who would want the original islands using the madeup fictional names appearing alongside the new islands with the correct names.
Hope you find this useful
