From when the Smugglers were first introduced they have honestly felt useless and underwhelming - oftentimes feeling more like 'Merchants 2.0' rather than anything new and fresh. This post not only looks to address and alter these existing mechanics but also aims to introduce new smugglers content to help them feel more like a faction.
ISSUE 1 - The Smuggler Route
Whilst great in concept the Smuggler Route has failed to provide any form of meaningful player interaction or gameplay which was its intention, it also creates a large section of the map that is annoying to traverse because of the Skelly Ships that patrol along it for the duration of a whole season.
SUGGESTION - The Golden Smuggler Hideout:
The Golden Smuggler Hideout will take over a single Smuggler island and will rotate on a weekly basis. The Golden Smuggler Hideout will have a high chance of spawning Smuggler Shipwrecks around it, a higher chance of Smuggler Caches and Rowboats, and a singular circling Skeleton Sloop that is guaranteed to have Smuggler loot. This Hideout also has a 1.75x multiplier on all Smuggler loot sold. So far this is just really condensing the Smuggler route and making it a bit more worth it - don't worry this Hideout is also crucial to many mechanics and suggestions later so that's not all it will have to offer.
ISSUE 2 - Loot and smuggling
In my eyes Smuggling loot should be a more risky gameplay style that encourages stealth gameplay, currently it is just really 'move loot from A to B' which already exists with the Merchant Cargo Runs, this needs to change.
SUGGESTION - The Smuggler's Daring Glare
This mechanic will make a ship glow when Smuggler loot is aboard and will increase emergent PVE spawns while the Glow is active. The Glow will have different states - Off, Dim, and Bright. The Bright state will mark your ship on the map, have the highest emergent PVE spawn rate, and will be the most visible whereas the dim state will not mark you, have a less extreme PVE encounter rate, and be harder to see. The Glow state is determined by the value smuggler loot aboard ⁓20k+ will mean a bright glow by default; the Glow can also be changed through gameplay. The Glow will be off at night, when at a large island or rock during the day, or when on a rowboat. The glow will go from dim to off or bright to dim (down a level) when at a small island or rock during the day. This should help encourage stealth gameplay whilst not fully disallowing riskier gameplay.
SUGGESTION - Golden Loot rework
Golden Smuggler bottles and paintings will only be able to be sold at the Golden Smuggler Hideout. Golden Smuggler loot will be found at a low frequency in the world; they will now sell for a far greater base value (30 - 50k per item + the Golden Hideout multiplier). This should help balance the risk of going to this location with the reward of the loot. Secret Shipment Crates and Doubloon Crates can also only be sold at the Golden Smuggler Hideout.
ISSUE 3 - The voyages and activities
The current Smuggler voyages are not enough and them being available on demand from the voyage table goes against the design philosophy of the Smugglers being an 'emergent faction' (I believe this philosophy was stated by Chapman at some point).
SUGGESTION - Smuggler voyage system rework
Rather than the voyages being able to be done on demand infinitely from the voyage table, the Smuggler Voyages should instead have to be found around the seas with some voyages being purchasable from Smugglers and others being found in Smuggler messages in bottles. Claiming these voyages will put them in the limited voyages tab of the voyage table for only the person who collected the voyage not the whole crew. These voyages will not be able to be dove to. This helps differentiate the Smugglers from other factions by having their voyages have to be collected first and they will be designed more for long-term play on one server rather than spam diving. It is important that these voyages persist between sessions in the player's limited voyages or else this would suck. The old 'A to B' Smuggler Run Voyages should still be able to be found and can be purchased.
SUGGESTION - New Voyages
Disclaimer regarding doubloons Rare: These voyages cannot be done on infinitely demand and have to be found first therefore them containing a limited amount of doubloons outside of the Weekender is a good idea to incentivise people to do them and will not mess up the scarcity of doubloons.
-
The Hunt For Smuggled Spoils - This voyage will task the player with digging up Smuggler Loot, Tools (Black Powder Barrels, Skulls of Siren Sorrow, Horns of Fair Winds ext), and supplies across 3 chapters on different islands with the last chapter providing a guaranteed Secret Shipment Crate and 2 gold Smuggler loot pieces. This will be purchasable from a Smuggler three times every 24h for 15k gold or can be found.
-
The Garrison Heist - This voyage will take the player to an Ashen Garrison filled to the brim with Smuggler loot, this Garrison's outer walls are guarded by a Skeleton Lord and an Ashen lord. To open the Garrison, the Garrison Lord (The Skeleton Lord with a different name tag) must be defeated - the Ashen Lord is an optional kill however they will drop 2 ashen keys and may get in the way when transporting loot. This garrison is guaranteed to have 2 ashen keys locked away somewhere on it. Each Garrison deposit box will contain either Golden Greed Rum and a Doubloon Pouch or a Secret Shipment crate. This will not be purchasable from a smuggler but can be found.
SUGGESTION - Weekender voyage changes
At the start of the Weekender, every player should start with 1 of each Smuggler Weekender voyage (Doubloon Crate Voyage, Secret Shipment Voyage). The limit of 3 Doubloon Crates per Weekender should also be removed. During the Weekender these 2 voyages can be found around the seas with moderate chances of being found on Smuggler Islands and Smuggler Wrecks and high chances of being found on the Golden Smuggler Hideout and in any world event. These voyages will expire when the Weekender ends as usual. Since the Smuggler Route will be gone then the Doubloon Crate voyage will make the player pick it up from a random hideout and sell it at the Golden Smuggler Hideout rather than transport it along the route. This will make the Weekenders feel more grindable and less 'limited by numbers'. I also think the Doubloon crate should be put in the Fort Of Fortune and Reaper Fort during the weekender.
ISSUE 4 - Progression
The Smugglers lack any meaningful progression, like sure you can complete commendations to get a cool 3 minute long talk with Duke but apart from that there's not much.
SUGGESTION - Reputation
Giving the Smugglers Reputation gives players another reason to engage in Smuggler content but just giving them 500 levels feels underwhelming, instead 50 levels should be added every season so that the Smugglers can be something to progress over a long period of time like the Chest of Fortune - this would last 10 seasons. Much like the Chest of fortune every milestone (50 levels) should allow the player to buy a few cosmetics from a unique set. Every distinction should also not only see the Smuggler Rings progress but should also grant discounts on certain items and raise the limit on voyages able to be purchased per day. Some of the later distinctions could unlock the ability to buy a limited amount of Doubloon Crate Voyages on weekenders for example. I don't think an emissary flag would be on brand for the Smugglers though - the pay should be good without one if a player is willing to engage in the riskier activities.
SUGGESTION - The Smuggler's Black Market
This was intended to launch with Season 19 but for some reason was scrapped - yes the orb wouldn't be in there but they could still stock other stuff. The Smuggler's Black Market will be where Smuggler voyages, tools, and supplies are purchased. This would tie in with reputation and offer more stock based on your level. An example of the stock would be:
- Trident of Dark Tides - 1k gold [3 per session]
- Trident of the Banished - 15 doubloons [1 per session]
- Horn of Fair Winds - 7.5k gold [2 per session]
- Skull of Siren Sorrow - 6.5k gold [1 per session]
- Black Powder Barrel - 15k gold [4 per session]
- Gunpowder Barrel of the Damned - 5 doubloons [5 Per session] (The ghost keg in in custom seas)
- Ammo Crate - 500 gold [5 per session]
- Cannon of Rage - 2.5k gold [3 per session]
- Smuggler Mischief Crate - 5 doubloons [1 per session] (Contains 50 traps, 25 Enchanted Murfruit, 5 Bonecallers)
- Smuggler's Run Voyage - 2k gold [no purchase limit]
- The Hunt for Smuggled Spoils Voyage - 15k gold [3 per 24h]
- The Orb Of Souls (Only if its development is finished, no clue what state it's in - would be cool though)
TLDR:
Smugglers need new voyages, the Smuggler Route needs to be condensed to an island, Smugglers need a Black Market and reputation, the weekender needs changes, the Smugglers should be more emergent with voyages having to be brought or found. There needs to be actual smuggling mechanics and more risk vs reward gameplay.
