Cargo Runs and how to make them actually amazing

  • m1sterpunch
    Master
    Insider

    So the mechanic of the cargo having the destination attached to it instead of to the voyage itself means anyone can steal your cargo and deliver it. That is a great idea but the part that fails is the value of even pristine cargo doesn't make it worthwhile.

    If someone sees my ship loaded with cargo and want some loot they will most likely attempt to sink my ship and collect anything that floats up. Chests and skulls are just more desirable because they don't decrease in value and they can be turned in at any outpost.

    If there is only destroyed cargo floating it's basically worthless.

    How to make this play out differently? Make cargo EXTREMELY valuable in pristine condition.

    I'm talking 1200g-1500g per crate. And have the spectrum of degradation wide so that destroyed cargo is worth maybe 50g-100g

    Seems crazy but hear me out. What this would do is change the interactions of people attacking you. If they want the gold they have to either disable your ship and kill you without hurting the loot or better yet force you to surrender it (like how actual piracy works)
    You would have more people interaction and negotiating terms rather then just attacking blindly. It requires actual strategy for reward. And people who can perform those complex maneuvers would be rewarded greatly. Disabling a galleon with two full cargo runs could net more than a skull fort.

    This would be game changing. And also make cargo runs very attractive to people leveling up Merchant rep so that there would be plenty of ships out there carrying valuable goods.

    The fact that the cargo can degrade coupled with the random locations they have to be delivered makes me think they should have been worth more anyway. But there has to be enough value for people to want the loot more than just sinking the ship.

    Simply making cargo crates viable loot to steal would make for much more interesting encounters and dynamics with other players without actually adding any content to the game. It's a no brainer really.

    C'mon Rare, make this pirate simulator more like real piracy!

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  • FishSt1ck
    Master
    Insider
    Boatswain
    Founder

    Ahoy there @m1sterpunch !

    Thanks for sharing your solution for improvement of Cargo runs. I can understand your reasoning for making cargo worth stealing, however I don't think that increasing the gold will have the effect you're hoping for.

    Increasing the amount of gold would mean a simple cargo run of 8 crates would give you a max of 12.000 gold and that's for only one run. We've done 3 or 4 cargo runs at the same time and I'm sure merchant king @Skulliah probably does 20 as a minimum. Most of the time you can easily avoid any contact if you play it smart, which would mean at 12k gold per run you'll rack in gold at insane speed. The current amount of 350 gold per crate (700 for Devil's Roar) does seem low, however remember that you don't have to do anything for the items except pick them up and you can do multiple at the same time (or another voyage).

    Keeping the degragation in to make it worth stealing without damage is pretty much as it is now, although I'm not as hopeful as you it would result in surrender or negotiation. Cursed cannonballs (like em or not) put the combat focus on ship-to-ship combat, this will just put the focus back on boarding and spawn killing. I don't really think this needs to be changed though as it's the same as normal chests.

    I actually think the cargo runs are fine as they are now, what I would love to see is the same labeling on the animal cages because that would mean the animals would be worth stealing too.

    Signed,

    Captain FishSt1ck

  • ClosingHare208
    Marauder
    Insider

    @m1sterpunch aye good job telling Rare

  • Skulliah
    Legend
    Insider
    Boatswain
    Founder

    @fishst1ck 'ave we summoned Pirate Tradin' Kingpin Skulliah? I agree wit' 20 as minimum, that be th' way t' do a sucessfull business.

  • m1sterpunch
    Master
    Insider

    @fishst1ck

    Well maybe have less crates per run and have a little increase in value but a bigger divide vs pristine to destroyed. Some merchant animal runs I've done easily go passed 6k in value so having a net of 10k for one run doesn't seem that far fetched considering it would be all to more motivation to arrive with the cargo in perfect condition. The next tier should cut the value in half and then half again on the next one.

    My hope is that Cursed cannonballs would be the way to make this feasible. Disabling a ship with a rig or anchor ball and then boarding them would force them to talk of fight to the death.

    As it stands now most people would see a cargo run ship and be mad because there is no "REAL" loot aboard and probably sink it out of spite. I would hope that if the cargo was worth a little more there would be a chance the attacking crew would want to salvage that if possible.

  • FishSt1ck
    Master
    Insider
    Boatswain
    Founder

    @m1sterpunch
    As you said though one animal run can get you up to 6k so having a net of 10k for one run doesn't seem that far fetched. Let's compare the two then:

    Merchant Alliance animal run

    • Pick up cages
    • Find the right islands for each animal
    • Hope you'll find the colours you need
    • Capture the animals
    • Repeat on the next island until you've collected them all
    • Don't let the animals die
    • Sail to the outpost to hand them in

    Limitations:
    Locks your voyage table until you're done
    Dead animals are worth nothing and have to be recaptured

    Merchant Alliance cargo run:

    • Pick up crates
    • Don't break them
    • Drop them off

    Limitations:
    You can't do another voyage until you picked up all your crates
    Damaged crates are worth less

    I think it wouldn't make ANY sense if something like a cargo run that has you do less than a quarter of the work compared to an animal run would pay you twice the amount of gold. I think it's completely fair that you only make 2800 gold from a 8 crate run. Even if you would be locked on a single voyage it would make sense, however you can just do multiple at a time, which means it'll be more profitable than a animal run in it's current form.

    I think an increase in value and reduction of crates would help make them more valuable, however it'll also make the cargo runs even easier.

  • m1sterpunch
    Master
    Insider

    @fishst1ck

    The steps you list for animal voyages make it seem harder than it actually is.

    Playing the game for any length of time will help you know which islands have what fawna indigenous to them. Also only pigs can die. Chickens are immortal and snakes can slightly damage you if you don't play them music. And dying on the island will reset the animals on the island so no real need to go to a new island every time.

    The cargo run cargo is way more delicate than the animals and most cloth deliveries almost guarantee the need for a rowboat.

    I still stick to my opinion that the cargo should be worth more than it is currently, at least when it is in pristine condition.

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