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Modding suggestions from a newb who thinks its too easy!

E

eNRGy

Landlubber
First of all - kudos to everyone who has contributed to the PMT Build mod, it's really fantastic and you all should be really proud! (I need to say that somewhere because I tend to sound a bit negative sometimes, I'm good at moaning! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> )

<i><Moaning> Be careful when adding items, I noticed one or two of the additions are slightly too powerful for my taste and I am trying to avoid them.. If you are going to give a ship 10% more firepower than any other in it's class then give it some penalties like tiny cargo space and reduced speed or something..!</Moaning></i>

<b><u>Suggestions:</u></b>

<b>Iron Man Mode:</b>

A benchmark "hard mode". I have only been playing a week and I already have a million in the bank, my choice of ships and 10pts in every stat shared with my officers. It's just too easy, only the quests offer a real challenge. Or deliberately setting up stupidly hard fights like boarding a class 1 ship from a lugger! The latter is unrealistic and not how I want to play.

The idea is not so much making the game harder as being able to say "I have a million in the bank, my choice of ships etc and I play in Iron Man mode!" It's a benchmark difficulty so people who play like that have a fair comparison from a challenging game. Maybe it's just about boasting rights? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

This should default to OFF of course.

o Disables arcade mode.
o Lock the general difficulty settings at either max or something there abouts. Equal sword, pistol and cannon damage would be nice - making the game especially difficult with damage stats is not necessary.
o Disable "Sail To".
o Disable potions, or maybe makes them ULTRA rare. Or maybe just keep rum but add a drunk effect (Heals but makes you drunk!)
o Tone down plunder, smugglers prices, XP rewards, other rewards. A lot..!
o Bigger penalties for "failed" smuggling, maybe more soldiers, additional loss of rep with the nation?
o Smuggling "failure" is determined by a seed value generated after the last smuggling event. (In conjunction with the usual Luck and whatever else affects it) thereby making load/save cheating impossible for smuggling!
o Mod can only be activated for new games and CANNOT be disabled - need something in the save game to keep it switched on?

<b>Boarding</b>

Boarding is way too easy right now. Even without skills the range seems big, and with skills you can board from miles away! Maneuvering into a boarding position should be a challenge. You should have to get right in along side the opponent ship, to within about 10 feet.

Sailing the ships is the most fun part of the game and it slightly disappoints me that the best (ie easiest and most profitable) way to deal with any enemy is to rush up to them and board 'em.

<b>Flags</b>

Flags don't seem to do much.. If I fly an English flag then anyone who is at war with the English should be hostile to me by default and regardless of my relations with that nation.

Hoisting an English flag in the middle of a group of Spanish ships should start a fight!
 
i think you're right about needing to make the game harder. we *could* implement a lot of that stuff by adding lots more difficulty levels, though; why do you want it to be `un-disable`-able?

another idea might be to introduce finer skill levels, maybe `1-20` instead of `1-10`, so it takes longer to increase in skill level. and the rate at which you accrue perks could be slowed - your first five perks you get for 1 point each, the next five for 2 points each, the next five for 3 points each, etc etc. sound ok, anyone?

i like your idea about making `load-save` cheating impossible with smuggling - it's definitely feasible. in fact the same thing could be done with all randomness tests (eg. opening chests).

and re. flags - personally i don't think it should matter what flag you fly; i think the idea is that the navies recognise you personally, whatever flag you fly. unless you are actually in the service of one of the empires, in which case you should only be able to fly that empire's flag. and enemies of that empire should definitely be your enemies too...
 
<!--`QuoteBegin-Kieron`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kieron)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->why do you want it to be `un-disable`-able?[/quote]The idea was "Iron Man Mode" - you choose before you start and are stuck with it, no turning it off temporarily. I find cheating by turning the difficulty down REALLY tempting most of the time and then when I look back I find I enjoyed games less than I would have done. Plus the bragging rights issue!
<!--`QuoteBegin-Kieron`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kieron)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->another idea might be to introduce finer skill levels, maybe `1-20` instead of `1-10`, so it takes longer to increase in skill level. and the rate at which you accrue perks could be slowed - your first five perks you get for 1 point each, the next five for 2 points each, the next five for 3 points each, etc etc. sound ok, anyone?[/quote]Thats a really good idea imo. Make the perks cost more to start with though. Even officers I don't use much have most of the good perks!

<!--`QuoteBegin-Kieron`+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kieron)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->and enemies of that empire should definitely be your enemies too...[/quote]
Fair enough, flags/nationality doesn't make much difference atm so this would be a huge improvement imo. Of course it would make the main quest harder.. but I think the game is too easy anyway. (I'm only half way through the main story though)

One thing is for sure - if I fly the jolly roger then everyone should be hostile apart from other pirates!
 
The only thing that's been too difficult so far was a smuggling run to Isla Muelle - having fought off the Spanish soldiers I went to my ship and INSTANTLY got boarded by what must have been a full strength frigate. I'm not actually that good at the melee stuff and I only had about 100 crew so I got my arse kicked! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:ops" border="0" alt="blush.gif" />:

Another reason to decrease boarding ranges!
 
Most of the enjoyment I get from playing the game comes from my `self-imposed` rules that make it harder.

One of things I do is I never allow my skills to get higher than 5 in any level. Also, I only increase the skills I have used recently, i.e. to make me get better. If I'm getting xp for sailing in a storm, I use it for sailing... once I hit 5 though, I stop. Of course, it might not work all of the time, but by keeping my characters skills lower I am forced to do more thinking.

Create a character you want to play as and stay there. If you want to play as a naval officer, start with a sloop, or a brig, and only use naval ships. Only start using a Frigate or a Corvette once you have attained a high enough rank. (Also, to move from Post Captain to Rear Admiral you had to serve at least 3 years as a Captain... I keep that in mind).

-When I am playing these naval careers I never take on something larger than a frigate. If I do, then I can't go sailing up and down searching for Prizes. If I'm in a 4th rate or above, I'm on blockade duty, or I look for a battle.

-What about a Piratical career... most Pirates used sloops. I'll allow myself maybe a Brig or a Xebec as well. The in game brig is much too large and well gunned to be a accurate pirate though.

-Privateer, the most common Privateering vessel was the lugger. In fact, `three-masted` luggers were almost designed for smuggling and privateering. Perhaps a Sloop as well. The schooner was a North American Privateer, so if I feel right, I'll use that.

-Smuggler.. Privateer or sloop. That's it. A real smuggler never would have stood and fought with two frigates. You run.



Something else I do is I up the reload rates. Go to the cannons_init. c and look at the reload times. I usually add 100 to what ever is listed. When reloading takes forever you are required to think farther in advance. The downside of this is that merchants and lower skilled enemies become real easy because they can never get a shot off... but pirates and naval ships are really really hard.

Change the elevation of the guns. Open Ships_init.c and find the fire angles. I make it so my guns can never raise more than 10 degrees or lower more than 15. You have to time your shots with the roll.

I think you all get the picture. Start thinking about other ways you can set restrictions on your game play to make it more fun and challenging.
 
I decided to give in example of how reload rates change the gameplay.

In the old version:

You spot a merchant and load with bombs. You run up on her starboard quarter and a soon as you have a shot with your bow chasers you fire into her hull. You turn hard to larboard and rake her with a full broadside from your starboard guns. Then, you load with grape, turn back to starboard and come up along her port side. You give her the broadside of grape and then board with muskets blazing in the tops. You kill the guy standing in front of you just in time to see your mates run up across the boarding plank.. everyone's dead and the the captain has struck his colors.

In the new version with long reload rates.

You see a merchant. You load with bombs and fire your chasers into her hull. You turn to give her your boradside and fire. Now what? You have to wait a minute and a half to reload. So you can't rightly reload with grape. Can you board yet? Are enought of the crew dead? Probably not, so you load with grape and move into position. As you are waiting to reload, she turns and fires her broadside into you. You are still waiting to reload as she turns off to starboard, shows her arse and fires into you again. Now, your little old plan of turning and burning your enemy isn't working so your a bit confused. In this time, the ol' merchant has turned another quarter and fires with her other broadside. Now you are done reloading... but. oops. she's sailed out of range. Do you try to close to pistol shot, with her peppering you with balls or bombs, or do you reload with chain or balls and try to `de-mast` her?

Throw in an escort and merchant raiding becomes fun. Make them all warships or pirates with decks full of fierce boarding parties and its right dangerous.

Well, that's how I play.
 
Some good ideas in there jmv, I will try a few. Incidentally is there anywhere to edit boarding ranges? I'll go take a rummage after I post this! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

I'm not doing very well explaining the point of the Iron Man mode though. The idea is it is standardised and doesn't allow the easily tempted like me to wander off the path.

I find it VERY hard to "do" self imposed restrictions. If I have skill points to spend it's really hard not to spend them. Maybe I'm some kind of compulsive personality or something?

Just had another thought - how about getting officers to spend their own skill and ability points? Apart from the fact that I find spending their gazillions of points annoying and repetitive it would also make getting "perfect" stats harder as you would have more overlapping skills between your officers. They could choose their stats based on their character class - so a bosun would always raise melee and grappling, a first mate would always raise leadership and sailing etc. Perhaps with a random element so they chuck 50% of their points around completely at random.
 
<b>eNRGy, </b> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> are you playing at the Swashbuckler level and STILL finding it too easy? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> REALLY? I played apprentice at first, but now almost exclusively play at Swashbuckler, and while I cannot claim to be some kind of ace, I still find the game difficult in spots at that level.

That asked, I have to say that I DO like some of your ideas!

I admit, I do not like the "instant boarding" and other abilities that make it waaaay too easy to board - takes all the finesse out of angling your ship correctly and getting in close - and also makes the grapeshot absolutely useless as the moment you get close enought to make a grapeshot blast, you are automatically boarding! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blah:" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
 
I get my arse kicked regularly! But only when the odds are stupidly against me, like the afore mentioned `insta-board` from a Spanish frigate (I'm assuming frigate)

I'm very bad at denying myself anything that is available in game.

What I'm finding too easy is general progression. Thats XP/skills, money, officers, ship access etc. Such a free form game would be much better if it dragged out over a bit longer. (a lot longer..)

For example how quickly did anyone manage to get the best ships in Elite:Frontiers? I seem to remember that was a long long long time. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_eek.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shock:" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" />

Or maybe I just stank at that game? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:ops" border="0" alt="blush.gif" />:

OK OK I admit I have not been playing at Swashbuckler, I'm on the one down. I will be moving up to Swashbuckler and starting a new game with all the "best" settings I can get when I finish the main quest.
 
I like to start off at apprentice and move up as I go - as the game gets too easy I change up to the next level... I think you'll find Swashbuckler insanely difficult - the step up is not as gradual as the others...

Oh... And turn off the weapons mod. I think that makes things *different* - and not necessarily as challenging. I used to enjoy the difficulty in using a poor sword while hoping to find or buy one that was better... The many gradations of the weapons mod just make the search rather frustrating and not at all fun to me...

And after all, aren't we doing this to have fun? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
Fun? MUST WIN MUST WIN no time for fun! or something <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bounce.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":b:" border="0" alt="bounce.gif" />

Gonna try it without the loot mod or the weapons mod.

The loot mod is good but clearing my inventory out is a pain. No fun.

Maybe an extension to that mod where all loot goes into a shared "ship" inventory that your officers can draw from automatically?

And a sell all button for it - as your officers will have the best stuff so only the other 99.95% will get sold.

OK so thats not so much extension as major construction. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" />
 
I think someone's working on a "sell all" for the loot - not everything, so the stuff you WILL keep is the good stuff.

You'll find when the weapons mod is off that you'll have less junk to sell and the loot won't seem so bad. Instead of six pictures of the same sword only with different conditions, you'll just have the one version - and the number six. BETTER!!! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
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