Add an option to give 1 player on your boat the ability to choose the voyage and emissary instead of making everyone run around and vote for it
Captain Role
@burnbacon said in Captain Role:
"All pirates aboard the ship are equal."
Not one is more powerful than the rest, this will creature issues and abuse.Simple solution.
If even one person does not agree with a person being captain. It does not happen.
I personally would not be bothered as I normally don't team up with randoms and it would be cool to elect a friend as captain so we can get on our merry way.
Why not allow a crew to elect a captain? This is definitely historically accurate. Pirate crews were often organized along democratic lines.
Electing a Captain
Under this scheme, a majority vote would be needed to elect - or depose - a captain. So if you create a closed (solo) sloop, you could vote yourself the captain before opening the crew to allow a stranger on board. They would have to accept your autocratic rule, or leave. The captaincy could not be changed unless the captain voted himself out of it — which he might do, for example, if he wanted to leave the game and allow his crewmate to take over.
On a brigantine or a galleon, a majority of those on board (one alone, two of a crew of two, or three of a larger crew) could elect the captain. But also a majority could stage an effective mutiny and vote their captain of the job.
Powers of the Captain
Firstly, a captain could brig any member of the crew, without a vote being needed. This could make it quicker and easier to handle griefers that come on board; and allow the sloop's brig to become useful. On a galleon, he could even brig two or three crew members; albeit at the risk of losing the confidence of his crew, and his job. :-)
As @Tmoss1125 suggests, captains could also have an overpowering vote on quests, tall tales, and the raising and lowering of Emissary flags, eliminating the need for everyone to vote each time.
It would also be historically accurate for the captain to get a bigger share of any loot. This would not be necessary but, perhaps, as a nod to history, there could be a 10% bonus for the captain on any loot cashed in; e.g. 2200 gold for a ruby mermaid gem.
I honestly can't think of any other game mechanics that might be changed by having an official captain (brigging was the main one), but there would be, of course, a moral authority in a well disciplined crew. He would be the one that shouts "Nor-Nor-East, helmsman" and "Adjust those sails, you scurvy idlers!"
Finally, I suggest having captains is optional. Crews may continue to sail as a self-governing autonomous collective, if they prefer to.
Captain could be cool and get where you're coming from because all the time I vote for stuff and it takes saying it 5 times before anyone comes and votes even though they are always fine with doing whatever I vote for.
Although, I like the equality aspect of the game and it does add an interesting mini-government dynamic sometimes.
I am split.
1 out of 6
