Fixed Oranjestad port too empty

[Levis]

I think the oranjestad port is to empty. It has the indian trader but also has some more huts which aren't used yet (i can understand that tough). but there are only 2 persons walking there and no guards what so ever. I think there should be some there ...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

That location used to be a copy of the QC Port one. @Jack Rackham replaced it with the current VCO version instead.
I don't remember extra characters being added though as it originally was only a shore anyway.
It could certainly serve some good quest use, though. And the Indian Trader living up to his name should help something too.

 

[Levis]

See my topic. Added something to him already.
there seem to be 2 stands for traders there which aren't used now.
the characters which walk now are probably enc generated

 

[Pieter Boelen]

the characters which walk now are probably enc generated

I do believe so.

 

[Grey Roger]

Most, if not all, of the towns which were imported from VCO have a lot of empty space. If you think Oranjestad port is bad, try walking round Havana town centre and try to find the few useful buildings! Santiago is even worse, it has a huge arched building which looks as though it ought to be important and isn't - its only useful purpose at the moment is that if you're trying to find the store and ask one of the locals, they use it as a point of reference for the directions. But even original locations have a lot of unused buildings, such as the small houses in St. Pierre port area.

 

[Bartolomeu o Portugues]

Anyway, opening more inside locations, just for opening is useless.

 

[Grey Roger]

Indeed. I've seen this criticism on the forum for another game which I play. Areas are big because either you're wandering around outdoors in a large city, or you're indoors in a large building. Various places are open but have nothing useful inside, so you just waste time exploring them.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

On a related note, in the past people always wanted us to add "more islands" to the game.
My response has always been that it is pointless to have more islands unless there's something interesting on them.

For the longest time, we've had three extra islands in Build 14 and they were just about completely empty.
There might have been some "default stuff", but there was basically no specific reason to go to Eleuthera, Aruba or Curacao.
Thankfully some quest stuff has been added to them and Eleuthera is of course special now for being American in some periods.
And Aruba has the indian shop and Curacao has the WIC Office. But even those were very recent additions.

 

[Bartolomeu o Portugues]

In the past, I created some quests with the purpose of using these new islands (Cuba, Curacao and so on...)
But it seems there are a lot of quests that still use the old islands. (The ones from the original game)

 

[Levis]

I'm in the process of creating some small quests (for example to teach the player how the new officer system works).
If you want any specific locations to be used in that let me know. Else I will try to use these islands where possible.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

In the past, I created some quests with the purpose of using these new islands (Cuba, Curacao and so on...)

And that is very much appreciated!

 

[Bartolomeu o Portugues]

I'm in the process of creating some small quests (for example to teach the player how the new officer system works).
If you want any specific locations to be used in that let me know. Else I will try to use these islands where possible.

Yes, you can use for that all the new islands and even Cartagena.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Yes, you can use for that all the new islands and even Cartagena.

Cartagena is a good idea! Right now that isn't used in any quests except for the epic last part of the Bartolomeu storyline.
Would be good to give players a reason to go there in general play too.

Also @Levis: There is still a rumour about the Curacao Indian Trader in the game that mentions "hopefully he'll have something interesting soon".
He now does, so that rumour should be edited accordingly.

 

[Grey Roger]

I'm in the process of creating some small quests (for example to teach the player how the new officer system works).
If you want any specific locations to be used in that let me know. Else I will try to use these islands where possible.

Be careful not to use any of the islands which are disabled in "Early Explorers", otherwise those quests won't work in that period.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Be careful not to use any of the islands which are disabled in "Early Explorers", otherwise those quests won't work in that period.

Seems a shame though to deliberately avoid islands in all periods because they're disabled in one of them.
If a sidequest starts on such an island, then it won't be available at all but at least not be broken.
If random sidequests are made that can occur on any island, that is OK as well.
The only problem is for quests that start on another island but do need you to go to an island that is disabled.
That should probably be avoided.

 

[Levis]

Cartagena is a good idea! Right now that isn't used in any quests except for the epic last part of the Bartolomeu storyline.
Would be good to give players a reason to go there in general play too.

Also @Levis: There is still a rumour about the Curacao Indian Trader in the game that mentions "hopefully he'll have something interesting soon".
He now does, so that rumour should be edited accordingly.

Will do soon

 

[Talisman]

Be careful not to use any of the islands which are disabled in "Early Explorers", otherwise those quests won't work in that period.

I am not sure what is meant by "islands which are disabled in "Early Explorers" - does this mean that you can't land on the island at all. ?

I would have thought that you would still be able to land at any of the shores/beaches on any island that was not colonized at the time ( after all the island still existed) - just that you could not access any Port or Town/settlement.

So you should be able to walk through an uncolonized island - just that the reload from the jungle section to the section with the town/settlement entrance would be disabled, creating a dead end.

And just because an island was officially uncolonized - does not mean there is no one there - there could still be a small native settlement of a few surviving Caribs ( especially in the early explorers period - or the occasional castaway.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I am not sure what is meant by "islands which are disabled in "Early Explorers" - does this mean that you can't land on the island at all. ?

Yes, that is exactly right.

I would have thought that you would still be able to land at any of the shores/beaches on any island that was not colonized at the time ( after all the island still existed) - just that you could not access any Port or Town/settlement.

So you should be able to walk through an uncolonized island - just that the reload from the jungle section to the section with the town/settlement entrance would be disabled, creating a dead end.

And just because an island was officially uncolonized - does not mean there is no one there - there could still be a small native settlement of a few surviving Caribs ( especially in the early explorers period.

If you allow the shore, but not the town, then where do you draw the line?
Disabling the town gates will be very odd as you are already standing in front of those gates.
So disable the reload TO the "outskirts"? But even then, you'd have a reload that leads nowhere. That'd be quite ugly too.

The best solution would be to replace the town with an equal-size set of shores and jungles if necessary.
That would mean making two sets of shore locations for those islands that are disabled in Early Explorers.
Possibly with some indian settlements on them instead.

I'd definitely prefer it if that could be done, but it would require a lot of work.
And I'm not sure if that is worth it; if there aren't any towns on the islands, there isn't much to do there.
Plus how many people are going to play in Early Explorers? So I'm not sure it is worth the effort.

So ideally, yes to all. But for practical reasons, we have a simple method of disabling islands for now.

 

[Levis]

Added some guards already to the port but it's still very empty. I will add some more character there, but I'd like to have not only generic character there. Anyone has any sugestions on what to add?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Added some guards already to the port but it's still very empty. I will add some more character there, but I'd like to have not only generic character there. Anyone has any sugestions on what to add?

Citizens? That's what all other towns have.

Otherwise, a couple of indians walking around to indicate to players that there is an indian merchant and a village further inland?