Hello Captains!
We have achieved a lot last year: new ships, new missions, trading improvements, thousands of bugs fixed and launched the game. 2019 was better than 2018. Naval Action has been placed into a Steam's Best of 2019 by Valve and was named one of the best releases from Early Access (by revenue)
This could only happen because of you Captains! Thank You. We wont let you down.
Of course some grumpy landlubbers will still complain it was all alts, but who cares ;). Please ask those "alts", really ask them to get us on the steam top sellers list in 2020 again.
Here are the plans for the next 1st Half of 2020.
Please propose things that you consider critical that fill the new content rules described below or edit your old posts and link them there.
Under way
- Transferred from 2019 2H. New player mission
- New player experience is finishing its development.
- This mission will rework the starting couple of hours for all new players and will show some of the best features from the start (including large line fights in heavy ships) as it was happening in the early sea trials.
- New ships
- Redoutable - Imported ship (this month subject to Valve Approval)
- Implacable - crafted ship (this month)
- Wrecker - crafted ship (February)
- HMS Victory Classic Edition - Admiralty Imported Gift ship (1st half of 2020)
- Rotterdam - Combat Indiaman (1st half of 2020)
- Gross ventre refit will return this or next month
- Pandora will become available on Steam for purchase
- Low cost edition
- Low cost edition is long overdue and will be developed and shipped in 2020. It bring a lot of new faces into the game and will increase gameplay quality for all owners.
- Upgrades, Combat model, damage and penetrations tuning
- New upgrades (crafted and looted)
- Cannon, upgrades
- Battle sails and wind curve rebalance
- Hull leeway which will make looting much easier
- New rewards for main battle activities
- PVP Leaderboard rewards
- Better patrol rewards
- Solo patrol rewards improved
- Port battle missions with rewards
On skills and progression and rules for new content (promised in 2h of 2019)
- We have cancelled work on changes in progression, current skill book rework, and perks for the following reason
- Changing anything players already have causes immense negativity as it is taking something away from them.
- Features made for new players can feel that they are done at the expense of old players, who feel they are unfair to the existing community (people who supported the game before), So even if the new progression is amazing it could feel like a robbery for old players even if it is better.
- Thus...
- We will only add new content if it fulfills the following rules
- It must solve a specific problem of the majority or reduce negative outcome for the majority.
- It must be beneficial for both new and old players
- It must not take anything away that players worked hard to get.
- One example for a skill tree that fulfills the above mentioned rules could be a Bravery Skill Tree
- Bravery skill tree gives benefits and bonuses to crew when fighting outnumbered
- Bravery skill tree levels up when fighting outnumbered
- These two things reduce negativity for the majority as everyone is ganked from time to time and everyone would love to get higher chance to sink someone in those situations
Overall we feel like our hands are tied with the current content.
Even positive changes like the PVP 20 Min balancer was very hated, really hated by many initially. Now - many months later it is universally accepted by most pvp players. Its not perfect, not the best but a lot better than anything we had before. Such changes cause a state of uneasiness and beta feel and should not happen when the game is already released.
As a result our focus will only be on to following priorities
- New ships
- New missions, events, rewards, and activities
- Quality of life improvements
- Removal of toxicity from community communication
- Some improvements in AI
On moderation
Moderation systems in game will need to change drastically to promote friendly community. Current system of in game chat moderation is slow and inadequate.
- Developer's assigned moderators were causing claims of bias and negativity. As a result moderation will probably move to the community.
- Moderation could be done by
- voted player representatives who will moderate their nation in all chats (help, nation and global)
- clan leaders and officers who will be able to moderate their clan members in all chats
- reports on players will come to player representatives and clan leaders by mail
- clan leaders will receive some motivation for taking action on the reports on their members
- The systems are going to be worked on this year. meanwhile please use report and ignore for people whose style you do not like
On AI
One important area neglected for a very long time will be Artificial Intelligence. The NPC Ships will learn new tricks and skills
- Will position better for broadsides
- Will learn to chase and escape better (useful for player fleets and auto-escapes during disconnects)
- Will choose targets better and focus fire better
- Will sail better closer to land
- And some other improvements like better operation as a group
AI improvements become possible as Game Labs as a company continues work on Ultimate Admiral: Age of Sail strategy game, and this year will also start work on a new single player focused game with first person view from deck - Sea Legends - about smugglers and privateers in the Mediterranean and North sea. This research will be shared and will greatly benefit the improvements of quality of PVE combat in Naval Action.
Overall - we have a great 2020 ahead of us. If you want something added to the plan feel free to do it in comments. Please stay on topic when discussing issues. Remember that all feature proposals and changes proposals must fit the 3 point framework
- It must solve a specific problem of the majority or reduce negative outcome for the majority.
- It must be beneficial for both new and old players
- It must not take anything away that players worked hard to get.