I do like the idea of some way to identify if a ship is gonna cannon ball your cargo hold (maybe a little to far?) other than people in the crows nest trying to morse code with a lantern. But there is the fact that this game is Molded from player interaction fragile unspoken truces or a small ship aiding another agenst a gallion another idea is a bounty system in the inns a player and their crew slowly become wanted or somthing akin to the divisions dark zones only not terrible. (Still I would like something to make players fear captan sparky of the rotten rat)

Ok. what is with this. Instead of an permanent heartbeat, you've only an short beat, when someone fly his flag in a bigger circumference around your ship. Like one or two miles radius. Or when someone with flag enters. And ships with flying flags are visible (only) on the map insider your ship. So you can avoid them, or seek them to hunt them down.

If you missed the short beat or don't check your map, it's your fault. And only ships with a flying flag give this sort of feedback. So you can play with the feature. Like playing a bait. Or flying the flag in the last moment.

I think the most here dont't read the hole thing I posted. The warning system is a sekundary thing. The importand thread is, how you can interact with each other. At the momet it is only pvp. With the idea I've posted here, all the things you say you would missing, are still possible. But you can chose and play with it. The reputation should not be a ban-system for your profile. It's more like the paragon-system in Mass Effect. It shows the world of SoT what kind of pirate you are.

I think what would be cool is if you could create a guild / clan - and turn off friendly fire, so you could basically have an army of ships sailing together, taking over the map. I think this would be awesome... a real sense of piracy, with the ability to mutiny from the clan at any point and turn on your former clan - I can see much entertainment coming from a system like this.

When I was able to play I would stay in the crow’s nest and watch for trouble while the team went for the treasure. Worked very well.

when im alone i go back and check all around the island and every 2 minute i go check my ship, even i didn t finish what i have to do. Specialy if i have to be in the centre of the map. but i understand what he say... His system work but still i beleve its easier to just put a flag system. what do you prefer in your idee flag? or heartbeat? for me the heartbeat is a details of your idee but you focus a bit too much on it, you will see in no time you will be able to play without heartbeat, and you will understand why its not necesary. Your flag idees is not bad i like it. flag is part of pirate life. AT LEAST, in that game, i like to have something with flag.

We already have a warning system, its your teammate who stays on the ship and keeps an eye out for other ships. my team used to do that all the time. Even on a two-man sloop, one stayed behind.

If you are playing alone... that's a risk you have to take not much else there.

@wolff34 said in Fly the flag to show who you are! (Guilds and Reputation):

Forgot to put my hearing aids in...too lazy to go get them...couldn’t hear the other ship firing and I was on the island...my ship sank...other ship must have sailed away...almost put in a bug report regarding my ship disappearing until the other ship came back and realized the other possibility. Went and got my hearing aids.

I feel like there could be a cartoon in this...

@maeode said in Fly the flag to show who you are! (Guilds and Reputation):

I enjoy it much more not being forced into 'roles'. In the current game I can be friendly, then I can be hostile. or I can fake being friendly, but I'm actually hostile etc.

I find myself often faking being hostile when I actually friendly...

I enjoy it much more not being forced into 'roles'. In the current game I can be friendly, then I can be hostile. or I can fake being friendly, but I'm actually hostile etc.

being forced by the game to raise a certain flag removes the immersion. it doesn't matter what flag I have, how are my actions being policed? why would the treasure magically be worth less?

If you sink too many ships and your reputation tanks, does it prevent you from doing anything players with high reputation can do?

and the heartbeat thing, absolutely not.

If you fail to see the other ship, you're not paying attention and deserve to lose, or they used the terrain to their advantage and earned the victory by being clever.

@lucky-capt-jack
Had no choice...wife was upset I couldn’t hear her either.

@wolff34 said in Fly the flag to show who you are! (Guilds and Reputation):

Went and got my hearing aids.

You chose wisely.

you learn to leave people on your ship or dock your ship somwhere safe if you aare in the sloop i like how you are never safe

@gauntplanet1629 You don't have read the hole thing I write. have you? I´ve writtin that you don't have to fly your flag. So long you not doing that, so long there is no heartbeat. And it´s not impossible to start a fight without flying the flag. But than you get worser price for your bounty. Like 80% of the real value.

Forgot to put my hearing aids in...too lazy to go get them...couldn’t hear the other ship firing and I was on the island...my ship sank...other ship must have sailed away...almost put in a bug report regarding my ship disappearing until the other ship came back and realized the other possibility. Went and got my hearing aids.

I don't think that the heartbeat is a very good idea It would make it so you couldn't sneak up on your enemy and hit them when they are weak. All you have to do is be careful and keep a good eye on your ship.

I think the only thing I agree with here is the whole "This skeleton is too hard, lets team up and split the treasure"... I do think we should be able to team up and split the treasure etc.

I don‘t know how you mean you where save. It’s the oposite. Now you are save because you know everytime when you meet a player, he‘s an enamy. With the flag-system you can‘t be sure, will the other player player fly his flag and fight me, or will he only pass me. And with the beacon function you make you self to a target for others. I‘m sure that give the relationship between the players a way more deepness.

By the way, in the original pirateship its was normal to sail under an national flag and only fly a pirate flag to show your bad intentions. Many big pirates where privateers. They had the permission of the guerment to rob ships of other countrys. And it was natural to build guilds and partnerships and come together in a fleet. Or come together to trade. Pirates normaly dosn‘t fight eachother. They fought against the goverment and robed traders.

I wouldn't want this system in place. No one is safe anywhere.

hope not, the whole point of the game is you are never safe.

@semibjoker I see where you're coming from but in the real pirate days, there wouldn't be any rules for warnings.

@kermar-tutu The thing in my turn was, that I wasn`t on my ship. And when you deeper on an island, you never had a choice. For me it was a lesson I learned. But especially in time, when beginners meet veterans, you need a system to help them. Otherwise it come to a huge frustration among the players.

On the other side is the heartbeat an instrument to challenge other player. On one side it´s warning you. But on the other side it´s also telling you there is an another potential victim for your raid. And it isn´t always on. Only when the pirate flag is flying. So you can come near and fly it in the last moment. Or you friendly passing a ship to observe its value. Or you secretly tailing one. So long you don´t start a fight, it isn´t necessary to fly the flag. And a flying flag should be like a beacon, when you want to use it to raise your reputation. it should be like "LOOK HERE I AM! I´m a pirate with a potential treasure in the belly of my boat!" and as a reward for take that risk, your treasures are worth more.

with this it`s could bring a natural evolution in the progress. A beginner starts always carefully and raising the flag rarely. But when you want to raise on the top, you have to raise your reputation. So withe the time the players raise there flags more often to a point where they permanently flying it. And how bigger your ship and higher your reputation, how louder/wider reach your beacon signal.

@semibjoker i like many idee of your about flag i actualy olso post some idee like this but the heartbeat is a bit to much i think. the fact to see stat by seeing flag is exelent idee olso we could see the name of the ship... captain evently and the stat of the ship if it will be in that game. about dont get caught by surprise you have to turn around your island first to look around. make sure you put the boat it the closest part of the island. closest to your chest dig or riddle... when the riddle change take your boat back and put it in the closest part of the new objectives. the boat need to be sails up without anker pointing in the open sea. like this if you see a boat comming by surprise just put the sails down and your boat flee. still reputation with flag honesty of trick it great idee.