Anti-aggro NPC ships: an idea from a PvP player

A lot of this will be complicated to code but possible. I generally like the idea. My only problem with it is that I don't mind some PvP if I'm playing defensively, and I wouldn't want to provoke these guy for essentially knocking enemy players off of my ship. So, at the very least, these kinds of ship shouldn't go after a player who killed another player that was on their ship. After-all, the player who owns the ship should have every right to remove unwanted trespassers without being punished by these guys.

The second problem I can think about would be Forts. How would these guys interact with Forts? Should they help essentially defend the PvE players at the Fort when a PvP ship invades or should they ignore Forts all together? I was thinking more of the latter (even though I love doing Forts with friendly players - some of my best memories was from doing a Fort with another crew and getting an alliance going).

@jusey16842 said:

I wouldn't want to provoke these guy for essentially knocking enemy players off of my ship. So, at the very least, these kinds of ship shouldn't go after a player who killed another player that was on their ship.

Good point! Perhaps the right place to draw the line is at the other player's ship to make the distinction between offense and defense. It's not defensive PvP that people take issue with. It's offensive PvP. I'll edit my post and title to reflect this.

I do see how this could be complicated in developing and testing, though this is all just wishful thinking anyway lol.

How would these guys interact with Forts? Should they help essentially defend the PvE players at the Fort when a PvP ship invades or should they ignore Forts all together?

Also a good point. I guess their path of travel would need stay at least 1 square away from each fort in order to ignore forts altogether. I did specify their avoidance of fleets, but I'll edit to clarify forts as well.

@navillicious I'd be on board with that bounty system for sure! Something like the pirate-hunters in Black Flag. Coming for my head after I sink a bunch of schooners. Or yeah, royal navy works.

I was afraid I may have asked for something too complicated lol. To provide enough of a challenge they should certainly know how to use a bucket. Would it be too complicated if they shot at your kegs or tried to board you? Or did you find the targeting/aggro system complicated? Or both?

@navillicious Okay so correct me if i'm wrong, but in the tutorial, we learn of that one faction who tried sailing into the Sea of Thieves, the same faction whose ships we see forming a ship graveyard as we enter, the same faction whose agents now operate the Pirate Emporiums. I recall mention, I think by Falcore, that they were aiming to use their monetary gains from the emporiums to build a new fleet within the Sea of Thieves, given their failed attempts to sail one in. Perhaps when they start showing their true colors they could be implemented then. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised. I feel like they will become the alternate threat to us other than the skeletons. Kind of like how Pirates of the Caribbean Online had Jolly Roger's undead, but also the British/Navy and EITC ships. Honestly I hope we see something like that.

@navillicious said:

as far as boarding goes... player ship going in unpredictable directions for the ai, there would just be a bunch of ai floating in the water lol.

Lol! Fair point. I'll abandon the thought of boarding for now.

As far as shooting kegs go... that could be a straight up game over for incapable crews...

Also fair point. I didn't believe either of these were really necessary to the core of the idea, just something to add an extra bit of challenge. Though the ships may be challenging enough with the buckets, inventory of cooked fish and crew of 10+.

I also am not entirely behind them guarding PvE ships... what's to stop the PvE ship from jumping in with the hunter ship and ganging up on the PvP ship?

The caveat I had in mind was if a player ship were to jump in and engage in PvP, then they would no longer be a "PvE" ship, and the NPC ship would target them as well. I pictured the NPCs as entities that just want peace and ironically attack PvP players in a form of hypocritical, selective pacifism.

it would be discouraging from the PvP ship's perspective to engage.

Depending on the situation, yes. Ultimately, I did want this to be an obstacle, though not an insuperable one, and one with a lucrative incentive.

Would rather the hunter ships start searching for you based off aggro range that increases when a bounty increases. Just my thoughts.

Lol I would be just as happy with hunter ships. Though I should point out that such hunter ships would also act as a deterrent for PvP. Probably more so.

A ship PvP'ing for a while would build a big enough bounty, and thus a big enough range for a hunter to aggro from. In what I suggested, although complicated, a PvP player would not be targeted except if caught visibly PvP'ing. So, there is no automatic penalty for PvP

That said, I'll knock a few of the more ridiculous requests out of the original post lol.

@theblackbellamy

It is possible to PvE and avoid PvP if one uses the tools in the game, so passive or PvE servers are not needed. I do not want to require to PvP in order to engage in a PvE challenge, as it would drive PvE focused players to go hunt for PvP.

This type of "anti agro" elite PvE is not going to decrease PvP... just make it awkward to defend yourself and actually promote attacking others to experience a PvE challenge for those that do not fear PvP.

If people want to do PvE than it shouldn't need a PvP trigger, if they want to PvP it shouldn't trigger a PvE event when they engage. We already have krakens, skeleton ships and megalodons interaction during PvP and adding to the mix. It isn't required that each time you PvP you must now PvE just as if you PvE you do not need to PvP. They already occasionally meet and that is what the sea is about.

I am all for more challenges on the PvE end, as PvE is my most common choice of activity, but it needs no artificial forced link to PvP.

@bugaboo-bill I wasn't aiming to automatically punish anyone; just spitballing a new potential obstacle for either party to consider per situation lol.

Just as you determine in other instances, "hey let's not sail that way to trigger that fleet", you might be forced to think, "hey let's stay towards/away from that thing if we're gonna run/fight", respectively.

@cotu42 It may not have been clear in my great-wall-of-text of a post, but you wouldn't be required to PvP in order to trigger it, nor would it be an obstacle in every instance of PvP. You would be able to go after it preemptively as a separate PvE experience. I'll edit to spell that part out better.

Thank you both for reading and replying!

@navillicious Well it is because they had mentioned a while back there wouldn't be something like the British Naval forces, given how secluded the Shroud makes the Sea of Thieves, but this if anything would be closer to the EITC. Also looked it up, the group is the Grand Maritime Union. I mean given how the Mysterious Stranger spoke about them, it certainly seems like that whenever they have gained ground in the Sea of Thieves, outside of their pirate emporiums, it would signal the arrival of their privateer ships.

@theblackbellamy maybe instead of a galleon it could be a man of war exclusive to the npcs? i think that would add a new challenge.

@navillicious yeah tbh as a solo sloop player this would be a great deterent for pvp but also it would be really fun to engage these guys in combat maybe they could have like a chest you could give to the masked stranger for a lot of money (cause the masked stranger dislikes the grand maratime union). Infact it would be interesting to see 2 new factions the gmu and the reapers or whatever. the reapers could award pvp and gmu kills while the gmu could defend pve and offer extra coin or ancient coins for voyages directly related to protecting commerce like eliminating a threat in the seas like a megalodon or a fleet!