Joining friends in same server

This is sorely needed. After all, what is the point of having these co-op events and making alliances with crews that you can befriend if you can't get on the same server after your initial game session ends. If I met 3 friendly ships and befriended them, the only thing we could do is serve on each others ships. That is pointless. There's probably a 90% or better chance that I will never come across the same friendly players/crews twice. I meet them once, they help out, we log off and I will never see that ship again.

So why is Rare pushing for these co-op events and positive ship to ship encounters if we will never see that friendly crew again? I've seen lots of friendly and helpful sailors on these forums and would love to sail my ship alongside theirs, but at the moment that isn't possible and hinders the community aspect that could grow from this game.

As someone who is in a Discord with quite a few people who regularly play I say I'd love it.

But it needs to be balanced otherwise people will dominate the servers. So I guess 2 ships max?

I disagree that this is "sorely needed." The problem with this is not the idea in general, but the fact that the world and server population is too small to accommodate this fairly. We don't need clan takeovers of servers - it won't be fair to other players on the server. Alliances are one thing - they are uneasy and can be broken, but having friends on multiple ships - likely all communicating in third party apps - the world just isn't big enough. So, I'd say it's a good idea for the future, but not for now.

we need a guild system and private servers only for guild battles

@daredfireman18 said in Joining friends in same server:

What’s everyone’s thoughts on being able to join a friend on the same server but them have there own ship. So instead of looking for other ships to start a alliance you can have people you trust being able to battle alongside each other

It is an option that I think players would like to see in some form. As others have mentioned it can have the potential to be taking advantage of. However, players already server hop and farm. Players are exploiting glitches. Players are using cheats and hacks. That does not mean something like you suggest should not be implemented.

It would allow family, friends, or simply others you have met in an alliance one night that went great and would like to sail again another day, to do so. Just like players are limited in number on ships, ships in a premade alliance could be limited on servers.

All ships on a server being in an alliance has happened. It has been great fun. It does not have to always be a bad thing. It would be nice to sail again with some of the great crews and ships we have sailed with out there.

it's a terrible idea and should never be allowed.

I agree with the idea of limiting the number of ships that can link up, or better yet, the number of players. Keep the fleet player cap at 8. That would allow 2 galleons, or a galleon and two sloops, or 4 sloops, or 2 brigs and a sloop, etc.

Is there a current cap to the number of ships that can be in an alliance? What is really stopping 5 or 6 ships that may be in a server from teaming up in an alliance right now, other than human nature's desire to dominate and back stab? Technically, the ability to form a fleet and dominate or farm a server exists now with the alliance system, the other thing that really holds it back is having to go searching for other ships and convincing those crews to alliance up and not turn on each other.

@fenderbendur said in Joining friends in same server:

The current method (as i've discovered) to get your friends in game is much more aligned with the idea of the games mechanics, and it doesn't allow for a complete takeover of a group of people.
This happened to me once, and I thought it was pretty clever:

My crew and I formed an alliance with another 3-man crew to take on the daily ghost ship. When we were finished, my crew and I were about to log off, but then someone from their crew requested we friend him, and add him to our crew before logging off. Once we were gone, he was now free to invite 2 more people to his new ship, while still having an alliance with his former. I think this exemplifies what this game is about. If a server full of friends is what you want, then you have to make new friends first and hope that they will work with you.

Yeah but then how do you sail with those people days later when they are on their own ship in one server and you're on your own ship in a different server. As it stands right now, Rare has it setup where they encourage you to make friends when you're sailing but that friendship and that teamwork is only valid for that server at that particular time.

When you log off and come back days later, you have no way of finding that friendly crew as they may or may not be in the same server session with you. And thus, you have to start all over again with trying to find another ship that may be friendly. It makes the previous friendships obsolete since you have to gain new ones with every session...and frankly, I don't want nor need my XBox friends list being over-populated with people that I've only met and sailed with once.

@kiethblacklion said in Joining friends in same server:

I agree with the idea of limiting the number of ships that can link up, or better yet, the number of players. Keep the fleet player cap at 8. That would allow 2 galleons, or a galleon and two sloops, or 4 sloops, or 2 brigs and a sloop, etc.

Is there a current cap to the number of ships that can be in an alliance? What is really stopping 5 or 6 ships that may be in a server from teaming up in an alliance right now, other than human nature's desire to dominate and back stab? Technically, the ability to form a fleet and dominate or farm a server exists now with the alliance system, the other thing that really holds it back is having to go searching for other ships and convincing those crews to alliance up and not turn on each other.

Exactly! There would be a limit of the number of ships that can start on the same server in a preformed alliance. No one is taking about chain migration of ships onto all the servers. Sort of sounds like politics these day lol.

Yes, all ships have ended up in alliances already. We have started whole server alliances and joined them on occasion. It was a blast. Only downside was after long hours of skeleton forts, skeleton fleets, and voyages together some wanted to hunt other ships together. No one broke the alliance to do so. It was cool.

Ever ship in an alliance does not hurt anyone who does not want to be. A full server means others would not be sailing in the same place. The opposite happens more often though. Servers can be empty more than one would like and if you do come across other ships they either do not want to be in an alliance or just want to sail by themselves.

In some ways the alliance system works against itself due to the rewards. A lot of crews we have come across want the 100% credit for everything. Also it has not been easy finding an alliance or other crews to do the skeleton battles. We have done many of the battles alone.

Player battles do not happen as much as they did in the beginning either. It was that way before the alliance system and as I stated many do not make alliances so that has not changed that behavior. As someone else stated here if you do come across someone who wants to start a battle, it is usually a brand new player.

A thoughtful, manageable way to allow this option would go leagues to bring back things that can be missing sailing these days without hurting anyone.

@nebenkuh said in Joining friends in same server:

@personalc0ffee
" Because you invite 1 ship, then they invite 1 ship, and then that invited ship invites 1 ship."
No.
You invite 1 ship, and then your group is full and nobody can invite additional ships. Just like you can't invite more crew members when your crew is at 4 people.

"It's easy mode to me."
The entire game is easy mode tbh. It's an easy game. The main purpose is to have fun with your friends. Frankly, I don't understand this harsh adversity against the idea to play with even more friends.

So what if they farm a bit more effectively? They're still doing the same voyages and there's no vertical progression. A player could have 1 billion gold and it would not affect anybody else.
So what if 5 band together to hunt one Sloop? Actually seems like a fun experience and there is nothing to lose in this game. If all else fails, it's easy to join another server.
And both of those situations can already happen now. The only difference is that you could do it from the start, and not go through the hassle of trying to communicate to a 13 year old kid from eastern europe that you'd like to purchase his ship..

Please help me understand why some dudes farming is so bad that you'd rather not play with more of your friends.^^

As for player size, I'm quite mad at Rare for having such bad servers tbh. Imagine other games pulling this, like WoW disabling battlegrounds because the servers can't handle the new expansion otherwise.. the outrage would be insane.

But to get back on topic: just imagine how much life would come back into this game if we had a few more ships and premade alliances. Suddenly, you would see 2v2 battles emerge across the seas and at forts. You'd have Brigantines racing across the map, 2 sloops taking on Galleons, etc.

I mean no offense and I don't want to come of snarky. But I can't comprehend how one could not like this idea. And I don't even have many friends :D

Very good points! This idea can work without hurting anyone. Rewards are cosmetic. The earnings of time spent in alliances does not hurt anyone as long as they are sailing honestly and playing fairly.

I think you are right that it would keep more people playing and more sails in the wind. That is a very positive thing.

@kiethblacklion said in Joining friends in same server:

Yeah but then how do you sail with those people days later when they are on their own ship in one server and you're on your own ship in a different server. As it stands right now, Rare has it setup where they encourage you to make friends when you're sailing but that friendship and that teamwork is only valid for that server at that particular time.

When you log off and come back days later, you have no way of finding that friendly crew as they may or may not be in the same server session with you. And thus, you have to start all over again with trying to find another ship that may be friendly. It makes the previous friendships obsolete since you have to gain new ones with every session...and frankly, I don't want nor need my XBox friends list being over-populated with people that I've only met and sailed with once.

Exactly why this option would be a nice addition to the game.

@nebenkuh said in Joining friends in same server:

@personalc0ffee
Yea the event its taking its toll.
But it was pretty dead before that, unless you were fort hopping.

I didn't mind so much when grinding to PL but now there's nothing to do (except Athena, ugh) and I'm missing those weeks after launch where you would see galleons everywhere and would just battle each other for fun. Feels like that just doesn't happen anymore. Or if it does, it's a crew of random who stand no chance.

Idk I feel like PvP needs to be revived and spiced up a bit.

The game and the content that is pushed is very conflicted. On one hand there is PVP with no in game rewards and on the other hand way more opportunities for PVE with in game rewards, including by playing together. However, the majority do not want to play together. It can be very much a game with a split personality and mood. Many nights there is not a healthy balance.

Also, do not count people with plain sails and threads as noobs. Seen and heard many players that do that to lure others in, especially to betray in alliances. Discovering this a lot with pirate legends. Maybe it is a way for them to cope with their boredom.

A solution to this could be that pre-made alliance servers are made so you get put together with other pre-made groups of ships. So a server could be 3 groups of 2 ships for example. The threat would still be there but you could have more friends together and would also stop alliances of friends ganging up on solo players.

My personal opinion would be to be able to start with only 2 ships, in whichever combination.
Other posts in here mention some flaws which I won't go into, I'm sure you've read them and agree.
Just a thought

Seems one fear is alliances ganging up on solo players. That has not been what we have seen. Since the alliance system dropped most players do not want to be in an alliance.

It is the opposite really, players not in a flagged alliance going against everyone else and even sailing unflagged together against those who joined an alliance. When alliances do happen, players who make alliances really want to do the content together and help each other. They are not interested in hunting down players and harassing them.