Why I don't like Mercenary Voyages, and how they could be improved

  • Nefnoj
    Marauder
    Insider

    Mercenary Voyages are cool in that they provide new variety in voyage types. However, encouraging player interaction also forces a playstyle upon the player, and when the stakes are as high as doubloons, a finite currency that the player might not even have, then it's simply not worth the risk if you're just going to be blown up by other people on the voyage, or those taking advantage of them. I think alternatives could be met.

    • Make the voyage cost gold instead of doubloons,
      then I won't feel like buying a voyage is a gamble. I know there's risk, but instead of losing a currency I know I'll need for time-limited cosmetics, I'll lose currency that I can make back up.
    • Make the first voyage cost doubloons, and any subsequent voyage cost gold.
      This still allows usage of doubloons, but then there's not a permanent risk when I get trampled by a PvP player or a Kraken.
    • Make their islands randomized
      This goes against the desire to increase player interaction, but then I won't feel like my doubloons are at stake. I just wanna get it done so I can finish the voyage, I don't wanna talk to people! D:
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  • rcadden
    Marauder
    Insider

    @nefnoj all of your suggestions specifically go against the entire purpose of the mercenary voyages.

    They're specifically designed to be risky, which is why you must use the Reaper flag and pay with doubloons. Also, as stated in pretty much every weekly dev update that talks about them, they're specifically designed and introduced to force player interaction. Any change that would reduce or minimize the possibility of player interaction specifically goes against the whole point of the voyages.

    They're not just another thing to grind.

  • NWO Azcrack
    Master

    @nefnoj
    Nearly all of the events force a certain playstyle tho.

    I refuse to alliance. So i miss all those dabloons that go with those commendations.

    I dont like we have to spend dabloons either, but unless you log out, you cant fail the voyage. I agree i wish we could spend gold to buy them. Not like we have anything else to spend gold on.....

  • BlazeDrake100
    Marauder

    @nefnoj
    I'd rather they stop doing them. They don't leave anything after the event, and are very similar to each other. I'm already burnt out on these ones after doing one smugglers and one black powder run

  • NWO Azcrack
    Master

    @blazedrake100
    Same. Im only doing them cause im close to legend and its good rep for merchant alliance.

    I gotta do the reaper of the east tonight, then the regular one. If those cosmetics were lame, i would have skipped the entire event

  • AceBead40319154
    Master
    Insider

    @nefnoj The point of these things is that they are a little risky and involve more than just you. That really is what SOT is all about. Never designed to be an experience where you don't come across anyone. I like how they do the mercenary voyages and I think there will be some people like and some people don't. I know a lot of people complain because they want some other stuff in the game but I think RARE will do that. These will serve a specific purpose.

  • Nefnoj
    Marauder
    Insider

    That's all fair, but the risk would be much better if the cost wasn't permanent. I'd have interest if my precious doubloons weren't involved.

  • Nabberwar
    Lord
    Insider

    @nefnoj

    That's all fair, but the risk would be much better if the cost wasn't permanent. I'd have interest if my precious doubloons weren't involved.

    It would be a better risk by removing the risk? That's the point of a risk though, spend doubloons in order to gain more doubloons than invested. If it cost gold, than their really isn't any risk whatsoever, gold is quite easily replaced in this game. I mean just look around chests and loot items are all over the map just there for the taking. Their will be plenty of opportunities for more doubloons in the future. Every event gives more doubloons than what is needed to purchase all the cosmetics.

  • Captain Coel
    Commander
    Insider

    If you purchased all the missions you need to complete, purchased the time limited cosmetics, and finished all the commendations you would have an extra 95 doubloons.

    They dont need to be changed.

  • D3ADST1CK
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    You only lose the doubloons if you don't finish the voyage, which can only happen if you quit. You don't even need to turn in whatever the merc voyage has you out there collecting, you only need to dig it up. If you're doing the reaper run and you get blown up, you can just go back and dig whatever was left or move onto the next island if you completed the last one.

    I agree that they are pretty uninspired, but I don't think you can really lose doubloons unless you are doing it to yourself (or there is some technical error - ie. connection drop).

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