Discussion The Economics of The Caribbean and Some Questions.

[POOTIS]

Hello,
I've been playing quite a lot of this game, especially these past months, (mainly freeplay) on Arcade and this question has been circulating over my head for a good amount of months now - can't help but notice how weird money gain is in this game, for instance if I start off with a tier 7-6 trade vessel and ask a merchant for work, or go in a tavern and ask for an escort mission, the pay is usually well over 10k. However, when doing some of the quests from governors or in some stories 10k is a lot and you rarely get to see that number. Most recently in the assassin quest (NPC which gives you the quests is also in freeplay) where it is required of you to go to different islands and kill a certain npc. For your first job you're paid 1000, for your second job you're paid 2000, then 5000 and finally 10000.

So why does this happen? Is it possible to reduce the amount of money you earn from merchant and escort missions?

As for my second question, it is in regard to the dungeons, most specifically - their loot.
I try to avoid going on land and entering dungeons, it's simply not worth it, due to the fact that enemies respawn too soon once it was cleared, and because chests don't yield anything beyond bandages and potions.

Is there a possibillity to add a specific chest for dungeons with a different name which has better loot, than the chests found in houses, as well as a longer respawn time for enemies? Currently enemies respawn as soon as the room is reloaded.

I hope I'm not being too picky with this one, but is there a possibillity for more quests? For instance bounties on famous and made up pirate captains? The governors of the Caribbean offer ship sinking quests, yes, but what about a terrifying pirate with a Heavy Indiaman threatening Port Royale? Or about 2 pirates with Galleons planning an attack on Hispañola?
I realize that pirates have used small, usually with one or two mast vessels, such as sloops and ketches, and if this is denied due to preserving realism I can get behind that.

Finally, could more towns along the coasts of mexico be added? That's it, just something more along that wall of unaccessible land on the world map.

I apologise for the wall of text and if some of the questions seem unreasonable, though I feel like more things could be added in the Caribbean. Furthermore, I would like to offer my help in any way possible, I don't have any programming skills, but I have a lot of free time and would like to contribute to this amazing mod, instead of simply complaining and/or asking for more and more things.

 

[Grey Roger]

Random quest money vs. storyline quest money: the reward for cargo and escort missions is based on the value of the cargo and the distance travelled. A mission to a near port carrying a low value cargo won't yield anything like as much as taking or escorting a high value cargo to the other side of the Caribbean.

The main reward for going into dungeons is easy combat practice. However, each dungeon also has a nice sword hidden somewhere, especially the ones in Port Royale, Barbados jungle, and Cayman.

There is always the possibility for more quests. It just needs for someone to write them. You are welcome to volunteer.

Adding new towns to islands is not easy. But if I ever figure out how to do it, Mexico is not a priority - Maracaibo would be far more interesting...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

So why does this happen? Is it possible to reduce the amount of money you earn from merchant and escort missions?

Certainly possible.

For example, here in PROGRAM\QUESTS\quests_common.c for escort quests:

    //Levis: Moved money after destination and take distance into account.
   string dislandid = GetIslandIDFromTown(cDestination);
   string cislandid = GetIslandIDFromTown(GetCurrentTownID());
//   trace("distance between "+dislandid+" and "+cislandid+": "+stf(worldMap.islands.(dislandid).position.x)+" , "+stf(worldMap.islands.(dislandid).position.z)+" , "+stf(worldMap.islands.(cislandid).position.x)+" , "+stf(worldMap.islands.(cislandid).position.z));
   int distancedestination = GetDistance2D(stf(worldMap.islands.(dislandid).position.x), stf(worldMap.islands.(dislandid).position.z), stf(worldMap.islands.(cislandid).position.x), stf(worldMap.islands.(cislandid).position.z));
   
   iTradeMoney = pow((0.5*Goods[iTradeGoods].Cost + iCargoType)*(1.0+(5.0-GetDifficulty())/5.0),0.5) * 0.05 * pow(irank ,0.5) * pow(distancedestination,1.2);

   rTrader.money = iTradeMoney * rand(irank) + rand(100); // KK
   rTrader.reputation = iClamp(REPUTATION_RASCAL,REPUTATION_GOOD,sti(PChar.reputation)-10+rand(20)); // PB: Near player reputation

   SetCargoLocked(rTrader, true);

   pchar.quest.generate_convoy_quest.convoymoney = iTradeMoney;

Is there a possibillity to add a specific chest for dungeons with a different name which has better loot, than the chests found in houses

Hmm... would be nice if dungeon chests were a bit higher-level than ones outside dungeons.
After all, it should be a higher risk down there; and therefore also higher reward.
Not sure if that can be done simply though.
Might require a bit more code investigation than it's worth...

longer respawn time for enemies? Currently enemies respawn as soon as the room is reloaded.

What's the reason for that one?

I hope I'm not being too picky with this one, but is there a possibillity for more quests? For instance bounties on famous and made up pirate captains? The governors of the Caribbean offer ship sinking quests, yes, but what about a terrifying pirate with a Heavy Indiaman threatening Port Royale? Or about 2 pirates with Galleons planning an attack on Hispañola?
I realize that pirates have used small, usually with one or two mast vessels, such as sloops and ketches, and if this is denied due to preserving realism I can get behind that.

Certainly possible.
As long as somebody does it.

@Bartolomeu o Portugues once had some ideas in that direction, but I don't think his real life is very modding-compatible these days.

Finally, could more towns along the coasts of mexico be added? That's it, just something more along that wall of unaccessible land on the world map.

Also possible.
But even all the work is done of adding a new town, there also needs to be something to DO in that town.
Including quests going there; or starting there. Otherwise it'd kind-of just "be there".

I don't have any programming skills

Many of us started without much of anything programming skills as well.
When I first got here, I was quite a novice at it. But eventually what I learned here, ended up being a big boon in my current professional job.

 

[POOTIS]

There is always the possibility for more quests. It just needs for someone to write them. You are welcome to volunteer.

I'd love to! It sounds like a wonderful idea.

For example, here in PROGRAM\QUESTS\quests_common.c for escort quests:

I uh, really don't understand any of that, but I still wouldn't mind trying to learn.

What's the reason for that one?

I have the tendency to recheck places I've been to, or in some cases where there's a cave leading to a shipwreck, in order to return you have go through that cave where everyone's respawned.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I uh, really don't understand any of that

Yet.

I have the tendency to recheck places I've been to, or in some cases where there's a cave leading to a shipwreck, in order to return you have go through that cave where everyone's respawned.

Ah, yes. That would happen then.

Game was always designed to spawn random enemies on every location reload.
Exception are fixed characters (quest?), which can remain dead after killing them.
Changing this would need some rethinking of that basic game functionality.
Or perhaps some bypassing.
I'm certain there is a way; but I'm not sure it'd be very easy...

 

[STARk7]

If you feel the game is too easy, you should change salary multiplier, I got it on max and it's more challenging. I played a little bit sea dogs before and I liked the missions where person in tavern asks you to attack a fleet or a ship with them. I wish there is like time limit for escort missions as well just to put some extra pressure, dungeons are good for start u can get some weapons for crew, also they're good for improving your fighting skills since enemies are not that hard.

 

[Grey Roger]

Hmm... would be nice if dungeon chests were a bit higher-level than ones outside dungeons.
After all, it should be a higher risk down there; and therefore also higher reward.

Dungeon chests might not contain higher value items than those elsewhere, but there are more of them, plus some random items scattered around on locators without chests. Then there are all the weapons you'll loot from the enemies. Add in a free sword lying around somewhere, and dungeons can be very rewarding already. On the other hand, @Levis long ago made the denizens less tough. At first they were so weak that you could slice through them even at level 1, earning almost no XP in the process. They were toughened up a bit but are still weaker than random thugs, highwaymen, or crews on enemy ships.

Which means...

I have the tendency to recheck places I've been to, or in some cases where there's a cave leading to a shipwreck, in order to return you have go through that cave where everyone's respawned.

... the main reason for going back into the same dungeon is to get more fighting practice. Enemies in dungeons are "fantoms" - one-time characters who are created when you enter a location and cease to exist when you leave that location. So it would not be possible to delay their respawning except to prevent them from being created if you leave the dungeon and then go back in. The effect of that would be that you go in, leave at once, go back in, and the place is now deserted. The standard logic for chests, on the other hand, does have a delay before they refill; once you've emptied all the chests in a dungeon (or anywhere else), you need to wait a week until you'll find anything else in there. And the nice sword which you'll find lying around somewhere is never replaced. So really, why go back in except for more melee practice?