Option to... 'surrender'?

[Armada]

I know it doesn't sound very 'pirate-like', but I'm sure we've all been in a pretty hopeless situation where we've been almost guaranteed to lose our ship.
For example, imagine you're out of gunpowder, you've lost all but one mast, and you're surrounded by three ships about the same size as yours. What would a real captain do? Wait to be boarded, escape in the lifeboats, or go down with his ship... or maybe even surrender. Well, in our game, none of those options are currently available (except if you escape a sunken ship in a dinghy). So, what if there were a way out?
It may not be the end of yer filthy piratein' career, fer all ye know! What if you could surrender to a ship of your choice, and you enter a dialogue with that ship's captain. From there, if you're witty enough, you could potentially start a riot and, together with your crew, take the ship! It would be quite challenging to pull off, but it could be a rewarding experience for a sneaky captain with no other option than to go down with his ship.

Now I understand this would be fairly complicated to code, but I'd just like the idea to be known.
So what do you reckon? Does it sound like something worthwhile?
Personally, I hate that feeling of being hopelessly pushed around if I've been de-masted, AND am out of gunpowder...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I like the idea and it could go together with the "Hail Ship" ideas that we've had before, even including some unfinished code that partly works.

Though as far as I'm concerned, our main priorities should be to fix and finish what we have and try to not do too much new stuff.
No idea who would be interested in coding the new stuff anyway.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Surrender is not an option. I've gone down swinging lots of times, but every now and then we prevail and capture that other ship and abandon mine. Hell, once I captured two ships that were trying to board me! ahoy!

 

[Armada]

I like the idea and it could go together with the "Hail Ship" ideas that we've had before, even including some unfinished code that partly works.

Though as far as I'm concerned, our main priorities should be to fix and finish what we have and try to not do too much new stuff.

Of course, all I'm saying is that this might be a good idea for the future... no need to start work on it immediately.
Perhaps we should compile a 'wish list' for future development ideas, so that good ideas don't become lost in the forum.

Surrender is not an option. I've gone down swinging lots of times, but every now and then we prevail and capture that other ship and abandon mine. Hell, once I captured two ships that were trying to board me!

It's all very well if you die boarding another ship, but it's no good if you can't board them to die honourably.
What I'm on about is the embarrassing position of being de-masted, therefore immobile, and being out of gunpowder to fight back with.
The annoying thing is that AI ships won't try to board you purposely (I think); they just circle you and rain cannon fire, which makes you a sitting duck with no way out.
To me, there is no situation more undignified than having to sit helplessly and watch as your ship gets pummelled to destruction. It takes only the slightest mistake and you're doomed to this fate.
It's hardly a way of honourably going down fighting, since you can't even fight back!
'Surrendering' in this way would be a solution to that.
Besides, this is more like the idea of Jack Aubrey in M&C; fool the enemy into thinking you're going to surrender, then catch them off guard! :ixi
It's 'tactical' surrendering, really.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

OIC. I was thinking of when they do board you. Since I'm usually in a merchant ship with a small crew, that happens. In the situation you are describing there is no way out.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

You'd be welcome to keep track of the various ideas that are posted; maybe you can put links to them in a post somewhere that we can sticky?

 

[Armada]

Will do; I'll set up a thread in which people can discuss their ideas, and keep track of the best ones for future use.