New Entry: Pirates Glory

[Murzim]

Although I am unsure I will make it on time, I will give it a shot.

The game: I am creating a pirate game with an emphasis on naval battle.

The team: Just me!

Progress: I have just finished part of the main graphics and I am now trying to determine the gameplay and such. It is not yet playable, you can just create an account and see some of the graphics.

Where you can see what is still done so far: http://www.piratesglory.com/  (As of November 25, you canot do anything yet. I got like 15 days to create these actions. Sounds like impossible)

[davidjwest]

Looking good!

 

I've always wanted to do a pirate game myself, maybe one day.....

Pirates by Microprose was great, naval battles rule!

[Murzim]

going well, created the first scratch for battle engine. Will implement it soon

[Murzim]

Created a lot of things that will accompany the basic version of the game.


These include:
-Ability to rename, upgrade ship.
-Ability to hire crew and buy cannons.
-Ability to create, name and manage fleets. (Ships will move in fleets, even 1 ship will need its own fleet.)
-Ability to work (direct way to exchange turns for gold).
-Hire crew ability is linked with an ability to boost a specific port in a way you will also earn influence which will be useful for some things later in the game.
-Initialized a basic plan on starting population of each port and what resource each one of them is producing.

I am currently creating the market page. I could use a good idea here. Here is the current data:
-The game has 7 tradable resources. Four of them are needed to build ships.
-The game has 21 ports. Each one of them produces a resource. Each resource can be produced by 3 cities.

What is my current problem is that I want the market prices to change dynamically. I need a way to adjust prices and resources ammount to the active players each time, so there can be realistic market opportunities that will fade if one is making the same trade route all the time. If anyone can think of a way to do this, I would be extremely open to hear. Note that there are already standard prices for each resource while each ship requires a standard ammount of wood,iron,cotton and tools to be build.

Once market is done, I will introduce trade routes from one port to another and the step after that are the naval battles. I already got the battle engine ready.

Once these steps are done I will get the game into Beta Mode and it will be fully playable. I will continue developing adding a list of features I have in mind.

[Chris]

I wouldn't implement trade and market at all. The game is not about it, it is about piracy. You know, sinking merchant ships, taking their goods, hiring crew in tawerns and dealing with governors. Oh, yes, theason of your captains and swordfighting and abordage is a part of it. Trading... no decent pirate would dirty his hand with this, never!

Trade would destroy the mood of the game.

[Murzim]

I wouldn't implement trade and market at all. The game is not about it, it is about piracy. You know, sinking merchant ships, taking their goods, hiring crew in tawerns and dealing with governors. Oh, yes, theason of your captains and swordfighting and abordage is a part of it. Trading... no decent pirate would dirty his hand with this, never!

Trade would destroy the mood of the game.

hehehe

But one main why piracy existed was the wealthy merchant ships that waited there for the looting. So they are an indispensable element to the game. Some resources will also have uses in the game, like using them to build better ships.

Eventually I figured out how to make the market dynamic. Should be up and running tomorrow.

[jannesiera]

I'm in fond of the market system. There's totally no reason why it would ruin the mood of the game, I actually think it would make it more fun and realistic to.

[raestlyn]

Yeah, whats the point of looting rich ship if you cant sell your goods?

[trollface666]

My guess is that for Chris to accept the game as a 'real' pirate game, it would need to include ninjas.



I would love a marketing system. The more you can do, the more options players have to waste their time. Once I get bored of killing merchant vessels, I would love to sit back and sell / trade my plundered loot.

[Chris]

None of you is a real pirate, none of you
(damn, weak and peaceful merchants everywhere...)

[Scion]

market system is fine and dandy...but it brings a whole lot more work with it too....

first off there has to be a reason to buy and sell the items...are they used for something?
secondly it brings a whole new area that must be balanced......arrrrgh..balancing....
third, its a new away for those yella bellied land lubbers to cheat/multi/harvest...
fourthly as has already been said ....what are ye man...a pirate or a penny pinchin merchant...

still

it does add a whole lot more depth to a game.....

[Murzim]

market system is fine and dandy...but it brings a whole lot more work with it too....

first off there has to be a reason to buy and sell the items...are they used for something?
secondly it brings a whole new area that must be balanced......arrrrgh..balancing....
third, its a new away for those yella bellied land lubbers to cheat/multi/harvest...
fourthly as has already been said ....what are ye man...a pirate or a penny pinchin merchant...

still

it does add a whole lot more depth to a game.....

-Market system almost done, in like 2 hours it will be in the game as well.
-There will be a reason for the resources. For a start, 4 of them (tools,wood,cotton,iron) will be used to build ships. The rest 3 will not have another use other than getting a profit over selling them but I plan to create uses for it lately (food,rum and tobacco)
-I found a brilliant way to balance it. It will be:
a)dependable to users playing
b)prices will dynamically adjust to game data every hour
c)There will be span for opportunities as you will be able to store resources in your warehouses till that port near you or the port in the same city buys in a good price. Of course warehouses will cost and will be upgradable.
-There will be no way to cheat in the market, you will trade wit the npc merchant. The players market will be introduced after the beta and it will be no way to cheat there as well.

[Murzim]

Done. Took me more hours than I planned but the final outcome produced is nice. I only have to create the tool to transfer goods from warehouse to ship, warehouse level and trade report for the market page now.

Next in to-do lis are:
-Travelling in the map (It will take around a day I believe, maybe more)
-Naval battles will be created just after this
-Ranking System and few statistics category

When all the above are done, game will enter its official beta although it is already partially playable as you earn turns per day and there is already one way to spend them.

Once game enters its official beta developing will continue at full pace and I will start adding secondary features, creating tutorials and help files, settings system, mail system, integrated forums, etc.

[Chris]

How naval battles will work? Any details already?

The life of a typical pirate:
- sailing (to track merchant ship in the wast ocean)
- chase (do not let the prey escape you)
- gunnery (reducing enemy crew/danger of sinking it, if the ship is destroyed can retrieve only part of the cargo)
- abordage (final assault to capture the vessel)
- captains swordfighting duel (optional?)
- sorting out the goods/prisoners to take onboard (limited cargo space)
- visit the port to sell goods, collect ransom for prisoners, replace crew and repair the ship
- repeat

(by the way, I find it merchant's conspiracy that trade was implemented before naval combat in a pirates game)

[jannesiera]

How naval battles will work? Any details already?

The life of a typical pirate:
- sailing (to track merchant ship in the wast ocean)
- chase (do not let the prey escape you)
- gunnery (reducing enemy crew/danger of sinking it, if the ship is destroyed can retrieve only part of the cargo)
- abordage (final assault to capture the vessel)
- captains swordfighting duel (optional?)
- sorting out the goods/prisoners to take onboard (limited cargo space)
- visit the port to sell goods, collect ransom for prisoners, replace crew and repair the ship
- repeat

(by the way, I find it merchant's conspiracy that trade was implemented before naval combat in a pirates game)

Shouldn't there also be taxes in ports and like one port without taxes that is really a thieves port, (Like in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Tortuga, or something like that.) And you could extend that idea of Tortuga further....

[Murzim]

How naval battles will work? Any details already?

The life of a typical pirate:
- sailing (to track merchant ship in the wast ocean)
- chase (do not let the prey escape you)
- gunnery (reducing enemy crew/danger of sinking it, if the ship is destroyed can retrieve only part of the cargo)
- abordage (final assault to capture the vessel)
- captains swordfighting duel (optional?)
- sorting out the goods/prisoners to take onboard (limited cargo space)
- visit the port to sell goods, collect ransom for prisoners, replace crew and repair the ship
- repeat

(by the way, I find it merchant's conspiracy that trade was implemented before naval combat in a pirates game)

lol! Its not a conspiracy! People got to grow fat and wealthy so pirates can arise

-Interesting ideas you got there. For the beginning I have thought of naval battle only. If you go to ship list and click on your ship, you will see a list of available upgrades for the ship. These upgrades matter in battle (I will create the help file in how they help soon as the battle script is already ready).

-You also got to care about your crew. Crew will be lost in naval battles but the winner will also be able to take some of them for their own crew. They will also plunder the enemy ship and if the opponent cannot pay a ransom at that specific time, they will also loot the ship (exception: opponent has only one ship).

-Sailing is what I am coding right now. You will sail from one port to another.
-Same will be with chase. There will be 9 boxes on the map where you will be able to send your ship to go after other specific ships.

-Swordfighting was something in my initial plans that I do not see it getting impemented. I want to focus on naval battle and keep it a strategy/rpg. Meaning a strategy game with some rpg elements. But I do not want to create an rpg. However, I will later give the option to players to train up to 10 skills that will apply to all their ships. The selection in the first screen (merchant,pirate or noble) will also grant an extra 20% permanent bonus to one of these skills.

-Regarding visiting ports, you will be also able to build a warehouse in each port. In case you do, you will be able to jump into this port even if you don't have a ship there.

What I am trying to determine right now is if I will limit what ships (18 different types) each port will be able to build or if I will do it in somewhat different manner. 

[jannesiera]

lol! Its not a conspiracy! People got to grow fat and wealthy so pirates can arise

-Interesting ideas you got there. For the beginning I have thought of naval battle only. If you go to ship list and click on your ship, you will see a list of available upgrades for the ship. These upgrades matter in battle (I will create the help file in how they help soon as the battle script is already ready).

-You also got to care about your crew. Crew will be lost in naval battles but the winner will also be able to take some of them for their own crew. They will also plunder the enemy ship and if the opponent cannot pay a ransom at that specific time, they will also loot the ship (exception: opponent has only one ship).

-Sailing is what I am coding right now. You will sail from one port to another.
-Same will be with chase. There will be 9 boxes on the map where you will be able to send your ship to go after other specific ships.

-Swordfighting was something in my initial plans that I do not see it getting impemented. I want to focus on naval battle and keep it a strategy/rpg. Meaning a strategy game with some rpg elements. But I do not want to create an rpg. However, I will later give the option to players to train up to 10 skills that will apply to all their ships. The selection in the first screen (merchant,pirate or noble) will also grant an extra 20% permanent bonus to one of these skills.

-Regarding visiting ports, you will be also able to build a warehouse in each port. In case you do, you will be able to jump into this port even if you don't have a ship there.

What I am trying to determine right now is if I will limit what ships (18 different types) each port will be able to build or if I will do it in somewhat different manner. 

Wow, I just see now. That about the warehouses, I have that idea also for my new game for a while (it's even already implemented for a part)!
I came up with that idea all by myself, but later I also saw it in an other economic game (which was okay, but I didn't like that game that much). So this is kinda funny, but on the other hand I am jalous that someone else has the same idea . Btw, I generally like where your game is going.

Like all the ideas you mention here... esspecially that about "merchant,pirate or noble" skills option, it really fits this game. But maybe you should think about an other name: something that says it's about piracy, but not just pirates. e.g. 'Rule the seas' ... a wait, that one is taken already I think xD ... maybe ... 'Sea Hijackers'. Well that's maybe a silly name but I thinks it illustrates what I'm triyng to say here... You see? Or not?

[Murzim]

 Well name does give a lot of focus to pirates but I like it I get what you are saying though and your words make sense but I am unsure on what kind of sense the players have

 On development news, I am done with all market related functions. I will work again on this part when I am about to put the players market.

 I am now working on travelling system which goes well so far.

[Chris]

What I am trying to determine right now is if I will limit what ships (18 different types) each port will be able to build or if I will do it in somewhat different manner. 

In my opinion your priorites are messed up. This is something you should worry like 6 months from now, when the game is big... for now just put everything into every port and make the core stuff instead. Recruit crew, sailing, naval battle, selling loot... almost everything is more important than ships availablity in each port

[jannesiera]

What I am trying to determine right now is if I will limit what ships (18 different types) each port will be able to build or if I will do it in somewhat different manner. 

In my opinion your priorites are messed up. This is something you should worry like 6 months from now, when the game is big... for now just put everything into every port and make the core stuff instead. Recruit crew, sailing, naval battle, selling loot... almost everything is more important than ships availablity in each port

Yeah, that's kinda true I guess...

[Murzim]

I'll take your advice then

[Murzim]

-Travel system ready.

You can now visit ports, trade good create warehouses etc. Play the merchant in sort.

Now will create the pirate side: battle script is ready and will be installed soon

[jannesiera]

I can't seem to figure out how to make a fleet :S. And I can't travel without one so...

[Murzim]

I can't seem to figure out how to make a fleet :S. And I can't travel without one so...

I will enlarge the create fleet button and put it in the middle

[Murzim]

I can't seem to figure out how to make a fleet :S. And I can't travel without one so...

I will enlarge the create fleet button and put it in the middle

In fact there was a bug which has been fixed.