Why can't we roll up the rope ladders to prevent unwelcome pirates on to our ships. Give us a mechanic to prevent boarders to easily climb aboard and cause havoc.
Then give a knife in the hull climbing ability for boarding a ship, with a audible knife into wood sound to indicate someone unwanted is boarding. As a balance give a much slower climb time up the hull. This also gives those that forget to lower the ladders can get back on our own ship.
@irish9399 said in Ships ladders:
I'd be all for the ability to roll up the ladders if they added a grappling hook or some similar tool for boarding enemy ships. That'd be frickin sweet.
A grappling hook would be great too. You could also shot it out of a cannon and reel in the other boat.
Actually I'm a pvp player and I will say I'm all for the ability to roll up latter's to prevent they're use by boarders that said I'm also not for the grappling hook idea either. If you're in ship to ship the only way you should be able to board is getting close and jumping aboard, having someone shoot you aboard, or ram and walk aboard.
This has my upvote. Rolling up the ladders is something you should be able to do. I like the idea of using a knife to climb the hull of the ship as well, but I don't think you should be able to do so if youre carrying loot of any kind. Climbing a ladder with a chest on your back is one thing, but using knives to do so is another story.
@dragonc1aw I find that an organized crew calling out ladders works pretty well. It's kinda funny talking with a desperate boarder.
@blackelite-id16 said in Ships ladders:
This has my down vote as it's currently the only way I can stop ships from chasing me if I don't have explosive barrels. Give me another way to shut down unwanted pvp encounters and then I'd be fine with this.
I agree, what would be the actual cost of you pulling up the ladder? Seems one sided at this point.
I really like this idea. Really any idea that encourages more ship to ship combat. Right now the only reliable way of sinking a ship is to board them. It should be more difficult to board, and easier to sink with cannonballs, or harder to bail out, especially when concerning a galleon. I really like the ship combat as it is now but I think this could make it even more fun. going against a full galleon crew with even moderate skill or organization, it's so easy for them to stay afloat no matter how many times you hit them with cannonballs.
People would simply just pull up their ladders in every PvP encounter, drawing them out. There would be no downside to it, other than crewmates having to catch a mermaid if they fall off, and it would take away a dynamic of PvP encounters. The sound cue is already a pretty strong one, as is nametag visibility. As it stands it's only effective against unaware crews, as it should be.
I'm torn.
On the one hand I would love to be able to roll up the ladders, because nothing makes me put head on desk faster than somebody taking me out on my sloop because their ladder splash got masked by some other sound.
On the other hand I enjoy that it forces my crew to guard them, it's an extra responsibility that means other tasks become harder to manage. It's a constant battle between sails, guarding and repairing.
I worry that it would make things easier and less risky, therefore fewer interesting decisions to be made.
I guess it matters less on a galleon, but on a sloop there's real chance you're gonna get blown off in the water without a way to get back on your ship without using the mermaid.
I kind of actually support more methods of boarding. Like grappling hooks that you need to cut with your cutlass to prevent boarding.
The more options you have, the more aware/skilled the defenders need to be and the larger the skill gap becomes between the wet crews and the seasoned.
So I guess my position on it is, yes, but as long as their are alternatives to use.
@drunkpunk138 said in Ships ladders:
People would simply just pull up their ladders in every PvP encounter, drawing them out. There would be no downside to it, other than crewmates having to catch a mermaid if they fall off, and it would take away a dynamic of PvP encounters. The sound cue is already a pretty strong one, as is nametag visibility. As it stands it's only effective against unaware crews, as it should be.
Exactly, That splash unless you are oblivious is pretty obvious. Be prepared, Reload your blunderbuss and be ready if you hear that run to the ladder asap you can easily hear people swimming too. It's not just visual cues people (which is awful for boarders you have a giant white sign above you)
@dragonc1aw
While rolling up ladders would be cool, I think your idea would actually have the opposite of your desired effect.
Right now, the only way for boarders to get on board from the water is to climb the ladders. So there are only 2 points you have to guard once you hear the splashing sound they make when leaving the water. If your mechanic was introduced, boarders could climb up anywhere they want. So even if it would be slower, they could be coming from anywhere, ultimately making it harder for you to defend your ship.
Additionally, right now a boarder has to succesfully grab the ladder, which can be quite hard when the ship is moving. Your proposal sounds like they could just stab their knife into the hull anywhere they want, giving them a much larger surface area to "grab".
@j-husky28 yesterday my ship got raided and attacked. the sound of someone boarding is completely removed whenever your ship is moving
@nebenkuh True it would mean that they could come from anywhere. I am not complaining about being boarded, it is part of the game. It definitely would be more stressful hearing the slow thud of someone creeping up to your deck. The audio clue could help narrow down their location on your hull.
@OMEGA-131313 I agree the sounds of the water on a sloop are more intense and harder to differ from someone in the water. I have scanned my ladders before swearing that there is someone swimming around.
I really don't want to see a change in how boarding works right now. I feel like a large chunk of these suggestions (more audible, slower, etc) would kneecap the creativity of interactions in the game. A few scenarios listed below would not have transpired during my play sessions if the ladders were rolled up or if I made a bunch of noise ascending.
Dropping anchor on a galleon as they chased me in my solo sloop. I am able to exit through the map room to ladder trick to conceal my location. This lets my sloop sail straight and give them no indication that I am in the water. I am able to get on their ship as 3 man cannons and one steers as they gain on my ship.
Putting 2 captains chests on a sloop that has its crew somewhere on an island doing a voyage mission.
Getting on the ladder of a galleon letting my partner sail away and waiting for them to all leave ship later on during a mission. Then getting on and hiding a good chunk of loot in some rocks that my buddy could swing by and pick up once they left.
Every crazy pvp encounter where you can make a play from the water. Every battle finally settled by a well executed double kill. The moment when you have to steal cannon balls to continue to fight. The other moments when its sloop vs sloop and both can manage several holes in the hull and can continue to fight indefinitely bucketing water and returning fire. Every long-range pirate shot out of a cannon that has just enough momentum to let you grab the ladder. Every desperate moment to escape sharks. And finally, that moment when you are more acrobat than pirate and jump from various locations and catch the ladder on the way down.
I am not trying to give you the "git gud" argument here. But a little situational awareness can combat a lot of boarding. And every time this suggestion has come up, it appears to be in a bout of frustration when someone was outplayed. There does seem to be a crop of people that really prefer avoiding all pvp. I am not presuming you are part of this subgroup or not. Whereas I have an understanding of this mentality, I think the spirit of this game is the adventure and subsequent danger of the games pirating enterprise.
I understand the spirit of the request here, but I think this would hurt the game dramatically.
edit
Regarding grappling hooks. I like the idea of this just in addition to the current system. Let the hooks be very audible, and also be cut or detached by defenders.
To be clear, I do not want anything to change about the ladder, other than an ability to roll it up similar to the sails. Then when you dock at an island you can roll it back out to get back on board with the goods.
I think the "knife climb should be added as another means of boarding. With it being slower, louder, and not able to carry something while doing the action.
A grappling hook on your person or a different type of cannon shot (chain shot would be nice too) would be another great addition to the game also.
