Yesterday I had blast playing as a Reaper with my friends. Yet I always feel the lack of impact that emissaries have on the gameplay. I think I have found a solution that could elevate relations amongst the ships of the same trading company, make a new "dynamic world event" and liven up the game some more.
Emissary-controlled Sea-Forts
- Would be the current forts as seen in the game now. If a crew flying and emissary flag completes it and kills the Fort Captain, their factions flag gets hoisted onto the fort. If there is different factions fighting for one fort at the same time, the member of a faction that deals the final blow to the Fort Captain will have his flag raised.
- Every fort under the control of a faction would grant additional 5% boost in sales for that faction, so a maximum of 6x5%, for 30% in total. Coupled with the 150% for Lv5 emissary, that would grant 180% maximum for the faction that has (if) all of the forts under their control.
- Forts would reactivate after a set time after all players leave the area, just like the current system.
- Besides the ship models on emissary tables, there would also be a count of how many forts are under control by the respective faction at that given time.
- Active forts would glow in the colour of the faction that owns it: neutral-turqoise, reapers-red, merchants-yellow, oos-violet, gh-green, athena-blue.
- Lv5 emissary of a trading company would see the forts that are captured by them on the map marked with their colour.
- Lv5 emissary of reapers would see all captured companies marked on the map with their respective colours.
- Neutral forts have no markings, as is default now.
- If an active fort of any company is cleared by a non-emissary ship it reverts to it's neutral state.
- "Aha!", I hear you say. "Oh so I will just look for the faction with the most forts under their control and get x% boost, so I can abuse it and sell under that company by joining them the last second and still get free bonus." But the bonus would be applied only if another fort is captured AFTER you have raised your desired emissary flag. So if you join a faction that has 6 forts, you would only gain the 30% if a fort is captured by another player of a different emissary and then re-captured by your own, which would take considerable time.
- Relatively easy to implement with minimal artistic changes.
What this would achieve is that there would be factions gunning for the forts with some purpose, not only to get the cannonbals and supplies, but to get gold and doubloons. On top of that, it could lead to more friendly encounters amongst ships of the same faction either on attack or defense. Forts could now also be defended with a purpose behind it, eslecially if your voyages/quests are nearby. All for the greater good of the company. This would not limit any PvPing. Companies would be now fighting for dominance amongst eachother actively or passively with forts and joining a faction would have more of an impact when beginning your emissary journey.
Personal notes:
Players who are out for PVP, generally don't care for the emissary status. Generally Reapers Bones are picked if not specifically grinding for another faction. From the moment I was introduced to the emissary system, I am trying to understand the DEV's idea on it, especially the little ship models that get put on an emissary table. Is that primary for the soon-to-be reapers to gauge the current emissary population and vice-versa to possibly dissuade someone from raising the emissary flag due to the number of reapers. Or is it rather to intice players to join a more populated faction or rather avoid the already populated ones. Any which way goes, but I am interesed in the DEV's vision, if anybody has and idea, please let me know. :D
