Post by potrero on Jun 27, 2020 3:21:40 GMT -6
Jorsonner recently made a suggestion about adding captains with distinct personalities and specialties to every ship in the game. While I think that would be cool, it would probably make the game too unwieldy. However, it got me thinking about an idea that might be a little easier to implement without adding excessive micromanagement.
So here’s what I’m thinking: add a system of ship traits. Each ship in-game has a small chance of picking up a trait depending on game events and a bit of the old Random Number God. These traits could affect crew quality (via morale), accuracy, damage control, and the like. Like I said before, there should be a small chance of a ship acquiring a trait, so most of your fleet should be “normal,” but a few ships could get one of these. Here’s the ones I’ve thought of.
—Jinxed: The only trait that a ship can pick up immediately. Upon launch, you get a pop-up message that the christening champagne bottle didn’t break. The entire fleet is now convinced this tub is cursed, and no sailor wants anything to do with it. In-game effects are more frequent engineering breakdowns requiring yard time, less reliable engines in battle, more frequent gun malfunctions, and slower improvements to crew quality from training and combat. This trait cannot be lost, and a jinxed ship cannot pick up positive traits.
—Lucky Ship: This trait can only be acquired during time of war. A ship may acquire this trait after surviving one or more engagements with little or no damage, especially if other ships were sunk or badly damaged. A pop-up message can announce that the crew believe their ship is lucky, and thus fear no evil in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In-game effects are less-frequent engineering breakdowns and shorter yard time, reduced likelihood of engine problems or gun mount malfunctions in battle, greater chance to avoid torpedoes and mines. This trait cannot be lost.
—Happy Ship: This trait can kick in at any time. The pop-up tells you that this crew loves their ship, their captain, and eachother. Morale is sky-high and discipline problems are practically nonexistent. It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure! In-game effects are rapidly-improving crew quality, more accurate gunnery, and more effective damage control. This trait is lost when reserving/mothballing the ship, as most/all of the crew are assigned elsewhere, and bringing her back online will mean an all new crew that won’t immediately enjoy the same cohesion as their predecessors. Once lost, it can potentially be re-acquired, but no guarantees.
—Floating Asylum: This trait can kick in at any time, but a ship can’t have this at the same time as “Happy Ship.” The pop-up should tell you that there are numerous reports of fights afloat and ashore, crew under arrest, and generally nonexistent morale. Multiple senior officers and chiefs have been relieved of duty, but their replacements have been unable to solve the problem. In-game effects are poor gunnery and damage control, crew quality will never go above “fair” no matter what you do, you may get a message telling you that the ship is stuck in port due to a large number of sailors locked up pending charges (same effect as an engineering breakdown, ship can’t sail while you wait for the crew to be released/replaced). If the ship is deployed to a sea zone with foreign bases in it, a possible random event can be some kind of disorderly conduct by the crew in a foreign port, which costs you prestige and increases tension. This trait is lost when the ship is reserved/mothballed, for the same reason as “Happy Ship,” but can potentially be picked up again.
—Always Comes Back: A ship can get this trait for being heavily damaged in multiple engagements without sinking (as opposed to “Lucky Ship” which survives multiple battles with little or no damage). In-game effect is a major boost to damage control effectiveness. This ship can still sink, but she won’t go down easily. This trait cannot be lost (unless the ship is sunk, obviously).
—Yard Queen: Can be acquired at any time after the ship’s first full year of service. This ship’s engines just won’t keep working. The boilers are always fouled. The prop shafts always leak. It won’t go away no matter how often they fix it. In-game effect is that this ship will be stuck in the yard more often and for longer periods of time. It can be lost if the ship has her machinery replaced during a rebuild (but there’s still a chance that it won’t work).
—Grand Old Lady of the Fleet: Reserved for battleships/battlecruisers, carriers, and heavy cruisers only. This trait can only be acquired once a ship has been in service for twenty years or more. A ship that has “Jinxed” and/or currently has “Floating Asylum” cannot gain this trait. This ship has become an internationally-recognized symbol of your nation’s strength in war and good will in peacetime. In-game effects are reduced operating cost as well as an increase in the prestige you gain for any victory that involves this ship. Attempting to reserve, mothball, or scrap this ship may be met with resistance (via decision pop-up with possible options that may cost you funding and/or prestige if you ignore pressure to keep the old gal on the line. This ship should also be more likely to be preserved as a museum when you finally do decide to get rid of her.
As I said above, most of your fleet should be “normal” without any of these effects, but each ship has a small chance to pick up one or more during her career. I think it would add a bit of the flavor that Jorsonner had in mind without overdoing it. What do you guys think? Anybody think of any other traits that could be added to the list?
So here’s what I’m thinking: add a system of ship traits. Each ship in-game has a small chance of picking up a trait depending on game events and a bit of the old Random Number God. These traits could affect crew quality (via morale), accuracy, damage control, and the like. Like I said before, there should be a small chance of a ship acquiring a trait, so most of your fleet should be “normal,” but a few ships could get one of these. Here’s the ones I’ve thought of.
—Jinxed: The only trait that a ship can pick up immediately. Upon launch, you get a pop-up message that the christening champagne bottle didn’t break. The entire fleet is now convinced this tub is cursed, and no sailor wants anything to do with it. In-game effects are more frequent engineering breakdowns requiring yard time, less reliable engines in battle, more frequent gun malfunctions, and slower improvements to crew quality from training and combat. This trait cannot be lost, and a jinxed ship cannot pick up positive traits.
—Lucky Ship: This trait can only be acquired during time of war. A ship may acquire this trait after surviving one or more engagements with little or no damage, especially if other ships were sunk or badly damaged. A pop-up message can announce that the crew believe their ship is lucky, and thus fear no evil in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In-game effects are less-frequent engineering breakdowns and shorter yard time, reduced likelihood of engine problems or gun mount malfunctions in battle, greater chance to avoid torpedoes and mines. This trait cannot be lost.
—Happy Ship: This trait can kick in at any time. The pop-up tells you that this crew loves their ship, their captain, and eachother. Morale is sky-high and discipline problems are practically nonexistent. It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure! In-game effects are rapidly-improving crew quality, more accurate gunnery, and more effective damage control. This trait is lost when reserving/mothballing the ship, as most/all of the crew are assigned elsewhere, and bringing her back online will mean an all new crew that won’t immediately enjoy the same cohesion as their predecessors. Once lost, it can potentially be re-acquired, but no guarantees.
—Floating Asylum: This trait can kick in at any time, but a ship can’t have this at the same time as “Happy Ship.” The pop-up should tell you that there are numerous reports of fights afloat and ashore, crew under arrest, and generally nonexistent morale. Multiple senior officers and chiefs have been relieved of duty, but their replacements have been unable to solve the problem. In-game effects are poor gunnery and damage control, crew quality will never go above “fair” no matter what you do, you may get a message telling you that the ship is stuck in port due to a large number of sailors locked up pending charges (same effect as an engineering breakdown, ship can’t sail while you wait for the crew to be released/replaced). If the ship is deployed to a sea zone with foreign bases in it, a possible random event can be some kind of disorderly conduct by the crew in a foreign port, which costs you prestige and increases tension. This trait is lost when the ship is reserved/mothballed, for the same reason as “Happy Ship,” but can potentially be picked up again.
—Always Comes Back: A ship can get this trait for being heavily damaged in multiple engagements without sinking (as opposed to “Lucky Ship” which survives multiple battles with little or no damage). In-game effect is a major boost to damage control effectiveness. This ship can still sink, but she won’t go down easily. This trait cannot be lost (unless the ship is sunk, obviously).
—Yard Queen: Can be acquired at any time after the ship’s first full year of service. This ship’s engines just won’t keep working. The boilers are always fouled. The prop shafts always leak. It won’t go away no matter how often they fix it. In-game effect is that this ship will be stuck in the yard more often and for longer periods of time. It can be lost if the ship has her machinery replaced during a rebuild (but there’s still a chance that it won’t work).
—Grand Old Lady of the Fleet: Reserved for battleships/battlecruisers, carriers, and heavy cruisers only. This trait can only be acquired once a ship has been in service for twenty years or more. A ship that has “Jinxed” and/or currently has “Floating Asylum” cannot gain this trait. This ship has become an internationally-recognized symbol of your nation’s strength in war and good will in peacetime. In-game effects are reduced operating cost as well as an increase in the prestige you gain for any victory that involves this ship. Attempting to reserve, mothball, or scrap this ship may be met with resistance (via decision pop-up with possible options that may cost you funding and/or prestige if you ignore pressure to keep the old gal on the line. This ship should also be more likely to be preserved as a museum when you finally do decide to get rid of her.
As I said above, most of your fleet should be “normal” without any of these effects, but each ship has a small chance to pick up one or more during her career. I think it would add a bit of the flavor that Jorsonner had in mind without overdoing it. What do you guys think? Anybody think of any other traits that could be added to the list?
