Double-reload guns and gunpowder

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    A random idea I just had. The guns could be reloaded twice for more damage (read actually less damage) at cost of additional resource - gunpowder.

    Reloading
    First reload would use the normal ammo. Second reload would use the gunpowder.

    Example:

    1. Load the bullet and shoot it for 25 damage.
    2. Load the bullet, use the gunpowder and shoot it for 40 damage.

    Gunpowder resource
    Each pirate would have a gunpowder pouch that can carry certain amount of gunpowder. Let's say 100%. The amount needed for each gun could vary.

    Ex: Flintlock would use 10%, EoR 20%, Blunderbuss 50%

    New Ship Barrels
    A couple new barrels would be placed on each ship. One (or two) can store a gunpowder barrel safely - it can't expload unless taken out. The second type stores the gunpowder itself and is recharged from the gunpowder barrels.

    Example:

    1. Take out the gunpowder barrel that has 500% of gunpowder.
    2. Use the gunpowder barrel to reload the second barrel moving 500% there.
    3. Fill 100% to your pouch for use.
      So the gunpowder barrel is left with 0% and the second barrel with 400%.

    Gunpowder barrel damage
    We can now unload a bit of the heat so the damage would be based on the amount inside. I suggest three states:
    a) 251%-500% Full damage.
    b) 1%-250% Half damage.
    c) 0% Fake explosion with 0 damage. Explosion or damage break it into 5 planks.

    The wet feature
    The gunpowder pouch keeps the gunpowder nicely safe and dry. The guns do not. When the player enters water the gunpowder gets wet and the guns shoot for the normal damage unless they are reloaded again. It doesn't waste additional gunpowder.

    Benefits
    Makes combat more interesting.
    Provides additional balance tool for weapons.
    Rewards strategy and discourages wet boarding.

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  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    Well, for 1, it seems like this would over-complicate things unnecessarily, IMO, and this game doesn't really need that. After all, the firearms already do enough damage as is, especially when more than 1 pirate coordinates their shots together, since it only takes 2 shots to kill. Just imagine the EoR, preloaded - if it already does 70% damage, what would a powdered shot do? 100%? That's not balanced at all! Furthermore, this means that this feature would influence combat negatively by limiting options - for example, fewer pirates in the water, because they don't want to lose their extra preloaded damage. Having the barrels on the ship by default means that you would also influence ship combat. For example, if you know the barrel's always placed on the right side of the ship, every opposing ship would try to get on your right side for that 1 impressive shot to sink your ship; or board it and easily shoot it without every needing a gunpowder barrel of their own; and although smaller ships are harder to hit, the confined space also means that when you do, that you're also more likely to blow them sky high! How's that fair for ship balance? Also, random damage with gunpowder barrels? Really!? If I'm going to go through all of the work of using one, it had better work 100% of the time - not 0-250% of the time.

    So, yeah, no thanks.

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    @galactic-geek
    The powershot would be current damage - yes, it's a nerf to guns.

    Pirates would have a choice to make. 1) Board ship without swimming. 2) Board with swimming with less damage or do it in sneaky way to recharge the gunpowder. The combat would be more interesting due to these choices.

    The barrel used for storing of the whole gunpowder kegs would be immune to damage. It would also work as safe way of transporting one or two - unless someone boards you, but there is also the option to fill up the second barrel that stores just the powder and throw the gunpowder overboard so you don't have to carry the risk.

    The damage of gunpowder barrels would not be random. It would just decrease with use. Similarly to the ammo crates, you would see how much is inside. You wouldn't know from the distance but that would lead to interesting stories.

  • CotU42
    Lord
    Insider

    @archaell

    Over complicated ... just becomes tedious, annoying and I dislike the 'wet' idea a lot for multiple reasons like, see a ship coming while on the island... you have to go into the water. I solo and fight, this would just bound me to the ship permanently, even more than now and require me to empty that free explosion of the barrel mounted on my ship in a specific spot..

    Overall just sounds like a bunch of mechanics that would just make it more annoying than fun.

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    @cotu42 Islands have docks and shores. If the weapons do get wet, then you have the option to shoot for less damage, or spend couple seconds drying the gunpowder, or use the sword that doesn't have the mechanic. Your choice. (Also it would work similarly to the clothes so it would take a second or two to get the powder wet)

    There wouldn't be any free explosion. The ship spawns with a protected storage for kegs, but you have to bring your own keg there and its your choice to leave them there.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @archaell said in Double-reload guns and gunpowder:

    @galactic-geek
    The combat would be more interesting due to these choices.

    Or would be more straightforward or boring due to the limitations you'd be imposing.

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    @galactic-geek It's risk and reward. If you spend time adding the gunpowder in, you get better burst damage and save bullets. You don't have to do it, but you have to play around others possibly spending the time. It would also hurt more missing the initial shot so more aiming would be rewarded.

    The barrel stuff is confusing due to language so here is additional explanation:

    There would be the normal gunpowder barrel that you sell to merchant.
    Then there would be a steel crate on ship where you can place the normal and stronghold gunpowder barrels. While there they can't explode no matter what.
    Lastly there would be a bucket for the powder.
    You place a keg you found in the crate. Then you would take the keg out of the crate to refill the bucket. The bucket is than used to refill your pouch. And the pouch to load the guns. After the bucket is refilled you can store the keg again in the crate or discard it.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @archaell said in Double-reload guns and gunpowder:

    @galactic-geek It's risk and reward. If you spend time adding the gunpowder in, you get better burst damage and save bullets. You don't have to do it, but you have to play around others possibly spending the time. It would also hurt more missing the initial shot so more aiming would be rewarded.

    The barrel stuff is confusing due to language so here is additional explanation:

    There would be the normal gunpowder barrel that you sell to merchant.
    Then there would be a steel crate on ship where you can place the normal and stronghold gunpowder barrels. While there they can't explode no matter what.
    Lastly there would be a bucket for the powder.
    You place a keg you found in the crate. Then you would take the keg out of the crate to refill the bucket. The bucket is than used to refill your pouch. And the pouch to load the guns. After the bucket is refilled you can store the keg again in the crate or discard it.

    We already have risk vs. reward with regular and stronghold gunpowder barrels as is.

    Having a means of storing explosives safely on the ship removes all risk of even having them on board. No.

    YOUR INSTRUCTIONS
    Step 1: Find keg
    Step 2: Take keg to ship
    Step 3: Store keg in steel crate
    Step 4: Take keg out of steel crate
    Step 5: Fill bucket
    Step 6: Use bucket to fill pouch
    Step 7: Use pouch to load firearms
    Step 8: Return keg to steel crate for later use
    Step 8.5: Or discard crate
    Step 9: Leave ship
    Step 10: Fall into water
    Step 11: OH NO!!!
    Step 12: Repeat steps 1-9 in exasperation and hope you don't also repeat steps 10-12.

    It's just way too tedious, overly complicated, and entirely unnecessary.

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    @galactic-geek If you get wet you would just repeat the step 7.
    You could also skip the step 2,3,4,5 by filling the pouch straight from the keg itself that you found but that's less practical.

    We lost the ability to carry kegs in the crowsnest with the Aniversary update so a replacement is long overdue.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @archaell Still tedious - and you've never had the ability to really carry the GPBs in the crow's nest, because you could ALWAYS shoot through the floor to blow it up. Sure, it didn't sink your ship back in the day, but it definitely reduced your effectiveness.

  • Arch iDeall
    Marauder

    @galactic-geek The best part about this suggestion is that it's entirely optional. Don't wanna use the keg storage? You don't have to. Don't wanna use the gunpowder to boost gun damage? You can shoot the default bullets or use cutlass.

    It may seem tedious, perhaps it is, but angling the sails is also tedious. You don't have to bother, but effort gets rewarded.

  • Fllw3rb0y
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    ultimatly the only way this would be feasable is if we introduced another way of boarding, ropes, boarding axe, grapple, etc.

  • Jusey1z
    Marauder
    Insider

    This would over complicate things for no real reason, so I gotta give this idea a very hard pass.

  • Galactic Geek
    Seafarer
    Founder

    @archaell Just because it's optional doesn't mean that it's good or even okay. It still gives players an advantage over others by way of damage. No, again.

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