[Mega Thread] - Safe Zones

'Safe' Social Zone
This certain zone in question, would not allow the cashing in of chests or any other trade company missions. Nor would this island allow any chest within its safety radius, in order to stop people fleeing and camping with das loot. This island would strictly be a safe place for socialising and games. Maybe a great place to buy better cosmetics and a place to trade with other players. Poker to play and bet against other pirates, put your gold on the line in other mini games against players such as blackjack or some creative twists on mini PvP games. Find a crewmate. Just some island or place in which pirates can just kick it back and relax rather than worry if there ship on port is receiving plentiful of cannonballs to the hull.

Personally I feel like the ideal way to implement something like this, would be to add an island that players can travel to in order to socialise. Our very own pirates paradise, a vibrant Tortuga where rival crews can drink grog and new friends can be found. If a player was being griefed, this could be an escape or refuge from those pirates. Seek help in the social hub port town. The dome would not be visible to players in order to maintain immersion. Once entering its safety it would transition into a mini cinematic, mirroring what is currently in the game when you enter a point of interest, island, shipwreck etc and would read along the lines of 'Port Royal - Pirate Law'. The other suggestion was making it into an instance which was a good idea, however the main point of this 'safezone' and topic of discussion is to alleviate the congestion at outposts along with griefing and I don't see how it would do that. Placing it in the world as we know would help griefed players and would add more things to do resulting in less congestion at outposts. Having this place in an instance also takes away the romance from a place like this. A well lit port city after a long and successful voyage to travel to in order to spend your gold with more exotic cosmetics and purchasables being here etc. Fellow crews docking in the port, customising their vessels with expensive paint along with buying supplies. A crew of fresh faced sailors about to set sail on their first adventure, not after hearing out tips and tricks from the battle scarred pirate they met, DiscoDarren73 first though! The potential is huge.

As for crews patrolling outside this 'safe' social hub; You simply punish crews that choose to patrol outside the safe zone, whether that is done by the community themselves as a collective destroying the hostile crews or if developers have to add in cannons to keep order outside of the dome. These hostile crews patrolling the border wouldn't be getting treasure either, as this social hub doesn't allow treasure into it's safe domain. If worst comes to worst, scuttle your ship and start from your new island. Another great suggestion was to add a seedy looking merchant in the social hub that would allow players to place a bounty with their own gold, on another pirates head. The bounty hunter who kills said pirate, sails back to the social hub to collect their reward of fine gold! Collectively we can create a solution that pleases and benefits the entire community.

Adding a duel mechanic to this place, to please everybody would be a welcome addition. Simply challenge a pirate to duel, agreeing on an amount of gold for the winner of the duel. It adds abit more excitement into the place and really gives the feel that PvP players want, of a pirates haven such as Tortuga with fistfights and guns shooting. That way players who are there to browse, buy, socialise, earn a small fortune playing poker and drink grog can do so uninterrupted and those there to cause a ruckus and beat a pirate up for there gold, can go about there business too.

I don't think there should be safe zones in the game. Any safe zone will have a boundary that can be camped so the "problem" would still be there anyway.

However, I do like the concept of a safe, social space. This won't work in the map so it should be part of matchmaking before you set sail and actually start playing. Instead of waiting on a static screen for your friends or other players, imagine a large space where you can walk around and find a crew. This would be a great place for leader boards and mini-games such as gambling.

@kinggzanga said in Introducing Official Forum Mega-threads!:

'Safe' Social Zone
This certain zone in question, would not allow the cashing in of chests or any other trade company missions. Nor would this island allow any chest within its safety radius, in order to stop people fleeing and camping with das loot. This island would strictly be a safe place for socialising and games. Maybe a great place to buy better cosmetics and a place to trade with other players. Poker to play and bet against other pirates, put your gold on the line in other mini games against players such as blackjack or some creative twists on mini PvP games. Just some island or place in which pirates can just kick it back and relax rather than worry if there ship on port is receiving plentiful of cannonballs to the hull.

Yeah, this is completely acceptable in my mind. I think they could likely instance it off as well, so not to have players waiting outside the zone just for the hell of it. It would also allow for groups of friends to gather slowly, instead of forcing everyone in your party to be present before entering the game world. We could just say, "meet us at the Tavern when you get home and log in." Of course I also believe an in-game crew management system is extremely important, but that is for another subject :).

I also think this gives players a way to show off their gear and unique look, making it a far more rewarding experience overall. As well as allows players to socialize without conflict. Maybe add in the option for bar brawls though. I also like the idea of dice games gambling.

My biggest issue with "Safe Zones" is the possibility of just running away from other ships, seeking shelter on outposts.

I had quiet a few situations where our sloop got chased and we sailed from outpost to outpost, handing in one single chest each time while the other one kept steering the ship. Would have been pretty lame if we just had to reach the very next outpost to completely avoid the fight.

And i would have been disappointed even more times if others just fled from us, hiding in some game mechanic... feels just wrong if others can bail by stepping over some invisible line...

@ethnine said in Introducing Official Forum Mega-threads!:

@kinggzanga said in Introducing Official Forum Mega-threads!:

'Safe' Social Zone
This certain zone in question, would not allow the cashing in of chests or any other trade company missions. Nor would this island allow any chest within its safety radius, in order to stop people fleeing and camping with das loot. This island would strictly be a safe place for socialising and games. Maybe a great place to buy better cosmetics and a place to trade with other players. Poker to play and bet against other pirates, put your gold on the line in other mini games against players such as blackjack or some creative twists on mini PvP games. Just some island or place in which pirates can just kick it back and relax rather than worry if there ship on port is receiving plentiful of cannonballs to the hull.

Yeah, this is completely acceptable in my mind. I think they could likely instance it off as well, so not to have players waiting outside the zone just for the hell of it. It would also allow for groups of friends to gather slowly, instead of forcing everyone in your party to be present before entering the game. We could just say, "meet us at the Tavern when you get home and log in." Of course I also believe an in-game crew management system is extremely important, but that is for another subject :).

I also think this gives players a way to show off their gear and unique look, making it a far more rewarding experience overall. As well as allows players to socialize without conflict. Maybe add in the option for bar brawls though. I also like the idea of dice games gambling.

Adding great suggestions to the original idea, if we all build on this it could be the Tortuga of SoT. A vibrant social hub in which you can find new crew mates, have a 1v1 cutlass duel arena for wager matches, earn a small fortune playing poker. Great ideas, fellow sea dog!

@dhg-ixxrmacxxi Haha, thank you!

@dhg-ixxrmacxxi said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

@kinggzanga @Ethnine Just a heads up I have moved both your posts over to this thread instead of the announcement thread.

Haha, thank you ever so much scurvy sailor!

Ahoy @knightx13! thank you for posting this thread, it’s a great topic of discussion, and is one that I think needs to be heavily monitored due to some less than friendly exchanges!

My suggestion would be that we do not necissarily need to have safe zones, but as this game is clearly going to attract both “Hardcore PvP’ers” & “PvE’ers” it may be a necessity for there to be a zone around islands where you cannot take damage to your boat only. This would still allow for people to make it on shore without having to rush back to the boat, but would allow for a crew to attack and plunder a crew. For this to work there would also probably need to be a way to stop people spawn camping on your ship. That being said, if within the realms of possibility, I would absolutely love a form of “social hub” or island as the case may be. I was thinking of a place like Tortuga. An island where the purpose is to drink, play card games, maybe even like a shooting range and 1v1 pit or something like that?

Just my two doubloons on this matter, I really enjoy this game, And have had some truly breathtaking moments already (honestly you guys have NAILED the aesthetics, how did you get the sea to act so realistic?!?!)

Thanks for reading ye scurvy dogs

@thebostonbean said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

Safe zones in a pirate game about pirating? Come on. There is already little consequence to losing anything except maybe hurt feelings. There needs to be greater consequence to losing ones life or ship. Maybe a one minute or greater time to respawn. Or losing gold in your reserves when losing a ship. Right now neither matters much.

Some of us are suggesting only one said 'safe' zone and that would not allow treasure being brought into its safety radius. I completely agree that there needs to be more punishment for dying, losing gold more the more you die is a great suggestion!

Safe zones would just not fit in with the rest of the game.
It's all about the fear of losing all what you've worked for & that fear is what makes the game more exciting. If there were safe zones, especially outposts, a lot of the fear & danger would be lost.
Yes, it is annoying if you've spent 2hrs questing, only to have someone come along & sink you & take your booty, but that is a big part of what this game is about. It's about being the pirate you want to be, if that's a treasure hunter, an explorer. a murderous thief or whatever, everyone has to have the chance to fulfil their pirate legend!
I am all for having a social hub of some description though, but i think that would be best suited to it's own instance before you join the game.

Maybe if there was a safe zone a island in which only way to it is by a mermfolk your ship would despawn and you would have to exit by a mermfolk your ship would appear that way no ships are around thus island proximity nor could be camped as the merm would be outside the safe zone radius to get to it then a merm at the shore inside the safe zone

@wype0ut-ger said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

My biggest issue with "Safe Zones" is the possibility of just running away from other ships, seeking shelter on outposts.

I had quiet a few situations where our sloop got chased and we sailed from outpost to outpost, handing in one single chest each time while the other one kept steering the ship.
Would have been pretty lame if we just had to reach the very next outpost to completely avoid the fight.

And i would have been disappointed even more times if others just fled from us, hiding in some game mechanic... feels just wrong if others can bail by stepping over some invisible line...

Some good issues in here, but some that could be avoided, if they had something like a battle timer? Like you can’t dock in a safe zone until a timer runs out for conflict? Could also have a mechanic where these certain safe zones don’t allow chests so it’s not an incentive to keep your loot? There are issues but I believe through a good debate on this thread things could easily be worked out!

Avast ye cutlass waving sons of sea dogs ye!

@flyingxnimbus93 said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

Some good issues in here, but some that could be avoided, if they had something like a battle timer? Like you can’t dock in a safe zone until a timer runs out for conflict? Could also have a mechanic where these certain safe zones don’t allow chests so it’s not an incentive to keep your loot?

Well a battle timer does not solve the issue. Depending on wind it can take quiet a while to catch up to other ships. And there are long "breaks" during fights until the ships are back into combat position.

Also - if my only intention is sinking the other ship, if i just don't care about their treasures - then it is still a b****r if they can get away easily.

@sergent-c****r said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

My biggest issue with safe zones is people will abuse them by getting into conflict at sea and simply just running away to the safe zone. I can also see people just simply camping safe zones as well.

I also would hope that if there was a safe zone you could not turn in chests there as well.

Scroll up and read the comments fellow pirate, that's exactly what we're suggesting! A lone 'safe' social island, in the corner of the map or in its own entity. Chests cannot enter it's safety radius meaning players cannot seek refuge.

@wype0ut-ger said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

@flyingxnimbus93 said in [Mega Thread] - Safe Zones:

Some good issues in here, but some that could be avoided, if they had something like a battle timer? Like you can’t dock in a safe zone until a timer runs out for conflict? Could also have a mechanic where these certain safe zones don’t allow chests so it’s not an incentive to keep your loot?

Well a battle timer does not solve the issue. Depending on wind it can take quiet a while to catch up to other ships. And there are long "breaks" during fights until the ships are back into combat position.

Also - if my only intention is sinking the other ship, if i just don't care about their treasures - then it is still a b****r if they can get away easily.

Well, I understand that it can take a while, why couldn’t that be incorporated into the timer? This place also doesn’t even have to be a safe zone, if you made it so there is only player damage, so you can’t keep getting griefed and sunk over and over, but the attacking players can still kill the crew of said ship and take their chests also? Kind of would be a compromise for everybody?

The only safe zone that I would favor is a social island with extremely difficult npc guards and no faction npc's to sell loot to.

Edit to expand on the idea:
Largish island Tortuga style with NPC pirate ships that sail in circles around it. Anyone that fires a cannon that hits another ship is immediately sunk by the NPC's (Feel free to use cannon to massacre players, but if one hits a guard the NPC ships will respond). On foot in town itself have guard NPC's scattered around with triple hitpoints and 1.5x damage. They respond to any incident of one player damaging another (including by cannon fire) by running there and clubbing anyone who dealt damage to another unconscious. You wake up in prison with a timer. Five minutes first offense. Fifteen minutes second offense. Timer max out at thirty minutes for all subsequent offenses. Offenses get removed one every hour logged into the game. (One offense is one time being caught, not one offense per player damaged.)

This way there is no safe zone to sell loot. There is no total damage immunity safe zone. You can still get in fights, murder other players, even get a large group together to murder all the guards and slaughter everyone on the island (Guards would respawn after 20 minutes or so). The option to spawn on this island without a crew and form one at this island would also be nice. Any ship within the NPC guard ship circle would not have crew automatically added, so you could choose people to sign on while visiting. This would be the most realistic and enjoyable pirate social island in my opinion.

Another edit to add: You could bring chests here, but they can be stolen with no penalty from NPC guards. Guards only care about damage to players and ships. You'd still have to get the chests to a normal outpost to sell. Also, addressing the camping concern, a large island with super NPC ships sailing in a guarding circle would require too many ships to effectively camp. You'd need something like 20 or 30 galleons in a circle large enough to be out of range of the NPC guard ships. If you control that much of the server anyway . . . What's the point? Certainly you could sail the boundaries of it looking for fights, but that's no different from any other outpost. I suspect it would end up with some epic fleet battles as a team of campers is assaulted by a team of do-gooders to break the blockade. This would probably make PVE and PVP players both happier as much of the server PVP will be concentrated around each server's Tortuga. PVE'ers would only need to scuttle out after forming a crew to be largely left alone. PVP'ers would have an unending point of conflict to play with.