Gold is Unnecessary

[Ringo O'Rourke 41]

The more I think about it, the more I don't understand why gold is in the game, at least to pay for NPC crews. (I can sort of see it as premium currency for cosmetics). Literally the only thing it does that directly impacts game play is pay crew salaries. So the question is why are ship crews gated behind a special currency?

I know there's the elite argument. Getting a crew should be hard! But surely the devs don't think this way any more. They lowered ship prices, and added starting ships, to, in their words "get people sailing faster". Why are crew members still gated in the same way then?

Gold currency would be feasible if there were more ways to get it. As it stands now there are only two: 1) tedious methods, or 2) combat.  The tedious methods are digging in the ground, or hunting flotsam. Both mind-numbingly boring. And as for combat, I know you can just burn down the Army of the Damned, with fire arrows, or mount cannons on the your schooner+ to fight Ships of the Damned. But surely the purely trading ship should be able to pay for its crew without fighting, or without tedious methods. (I realize farming land-based mats can be tedious, but its got nothing on hunting flotsam in an empty ocean). 

If ATLAS had robust trading features, like player vendors, or an auction house, then gold would work. Players who like the tedious flotsam farming, or fighting AoTD or SoTD could farm gold and put it up for others to buy. However, it doesn't, and for all we know never will. In the absence of robust trade features then, NPC crews should be available for barter, just like the rest of the ATLAS economy works (this is how players trade now, and how you pay for noob ships in Freeports).

The first NPC crew could cost a set amount of regular and possibly rare mats. And each crew member hired after that could cost more, making vast crews only doable for big companies. But it would still allow small companies to hire their 2 or 3 crew members with commensurate effort. If you got wiped out, you can spend your chunk of time farming mats for replacement crews, just like you do for ships, and get back to sailing.

Thoughts?
 

 

[Hambo 34]

You are correct... Right now there's no use for gold, but most of the game hasn't been implemented yet.  I won't really consider this an MMO until I can buy food and other consumables, either from other players or NPCs.  Same with Produced goods, such as weapons, armor and ships.

[Dingiva 16]

In my eyes, the trading argument doesnt count, since ATLAS isnt an economic simulation game. You can still trade materials for gold if you want, just use the global chat and/or put up wooden billboards with your trade offers.

Im happy with the situation. You have to actually do something to obtain gold to get a NPC crew, instead of sitting on the island the whole day, farming materials to sell them (for gold). And as we all know, in every game, there will always be cheats, 3rd party tools, macros, whatsoever. So, if you could obtain gold by selling your farmed materials, it wouldnt be any problem to use macros to farm.

Your last idea just makes it nearly impossible to get NPC crews for small companies as well. Remember: With a NPC crew, you can drive a brigantine, even a galleon SOLO. Now, just do the simple maths:

Who will have an easier life with such changes? Huge companies, or small companies?

Furthermore, im pretty sure more possibilities to waste your gold will come in the future, e.g. respec via gold, special items, glowing weapons (haha!) or other cosmetic stuff.
PLUS, if you didnt see it yet, you can buy materials in every freeport for gold. Materials that dont spawn in that region, mostly.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Dingiva

[MagicPuncher 29]

It's especially hard for solo/ very small groups, because it's nigh impossible to defeat a group of SoD solo. So if you are a solo player thinking you can hire enough crew to help you run your schooner (12+) or Brigantine (15+), let alone a galleon, there is just no way. To hire 12 crew costs 60 gold up front, plus 160 gold per day. That's borderline unsistainable for a small (1-3) player group. I was under the impression initially that anyone you rescued from AoD ships would be yours until they died, just like a tame, without needing to pay them (it's the least they can do for saving they damned souls), and only crew hired from the recruiter cost money. I think that would be a better system.

But a full flegged economy where you could do trade runs, something like Elite Dangerous, etc, would add massive depth to this game.

[Dingiva 16]

5 minutes ago, MagicPuncher said:

 I was under the impression initially that anyone you rescued from AoD ships would be yours until they died, just like a tame, without needing to pay them (it's the least they can do for saving they damned souls), and only crew hired from the recruiter cost money. I think that would be a better system.

Infinite ressource of free NPCs. Well...  you didnt think that through. Our crew has NPC all across the base, on every cannon/mortar tower + swivle guns. The only reason why we didnt add more NPCs rn is that we have to farm the gold to keep our slaves.
Following your idea, we could easily set up 200-300 NPCs at our base + our ships.

[groovy 3]

upgrading weapons and gear, ,  trading with merchant,  yeah gold is useless

[TheSzerdi 79]

1000+ gold per whale. We killed a whale with three guys and a sloop with two ballista. 

Treasure maps give more gold than listed if you have more people. Five people doing a map valued at 75 gives 30 gold to each player in range when dug up (150 gold). 

[MagicPuncher 29]

9 minutes ago, Dingiva said:

Infinite ressource of free NPCs. Well...  you didnt think that through. Our crew has NPC all across the base, on every cannon/mortar tower + swivle guns. The only reason why we didnt add more NPCs rn is that we have to farm the gold to keep our slaves.
Following your idea, we could easily set up 200-300 NPCs at our base + our ships.

I play PvE so I don't think about that kind of thing. All I care about is killing AoD ships.

[Hpnotiq 4]

From my understanding Merchant Ships and Merchants in freeports will trade any resource for a different type of the same resource with an additional gold cost.

[Hodo 147]

Well it is a pirate game, and gold is part of a pirates life.  I actually like the gold coin system.. I just think it is a BIT heavy... I mean each coin is like .5 kg which, that is heavy as hell.

[LaiTash 156]

2 hours ago, Dingiva said:

Infinite ressource of free NPCs. Well...  you didnt think that through. Our crew has NPC all across the base, on every cannon/mortar tower + swivle guns. The only reason why we didnt add more NPCs rn is that we have to farm the gold to keep our slaves.
Following your idea, we could easily set up 200-300 NPCs at our base + our ships.

It's not like he's planning to raid your base anytime soon i think. 

But anyway, the game needs gold sinks if we want a functional economy anytime soon.

[Scorpionshawn 134]

3 hours ago, Ringo O'Rourke said:

The more I think about it, the more I don't understand why gold is in the game, at least to pay for NPC crews. (I can sort of see it as premium currency for cosmetics). Literally the only thing it does that directly impacts game play is pay crew salaries. So the question is why are ship crews gated behind a special currency?

I know there's the elite argument. Getting a crew should be hard! But surely the devs don't think this way any more. They lowered ship prices, and added starting ships, to, in their words "get people sailing faster". Why are crew members still gated in the same way then?

Gold currency would be feasible if there were more ways to get it. As it stands now there are only two: 1) tedious methods, or 2) combat.  The tedious methods are digging in the ground, or hunting flotsam. Both mind-numbingly boring. And as for combat, I know you can just burn down the Army of the Damned, with fire arrows, or mount cannons on the your schooner+ to fight Ships of the Damned. But surely the purely trading ship should be able to pay for its crew without fighting, or without tedious methods. (I realize farming land-based mats can be tedious, but its got nothing on hunting flotsam in an empty ocean). 

If ATLAS had robust trading features, like player vendors, or an auction house, then gold would work. Players who like the tedious flotsam farming, or fighting AoTD or SoTD could farm gold and put it up for others to buy. However, it doesn't, and for all we know never will. In the absence of robust trade features then, NPC crews should be available for barter, just like the rest of the ATLAS economy works (this is how players trade now, and how you pay for noob ships in Freeports).

The first NPC crew could cost a set amount of regular and possibly rare mats. And each crew member hired after that could cost more, making vast crews only doable for big companies. But it would still allow small companies to hire their 2 or 3 crew members with commensurate effort. If you got wiped out, you can spend your chunk of time farming mats for replacement crews, just like you do for ships, and get back to sailing.

Thoughts?
 

 

since you dont need the gold give it to me!

[Rofelo 19]

Put the npc’s on the plucket on your base. Gold is he upkeep along with food. Boom, instant base defense when younare offline. 

 

Build these around claim flags if you like.

[darcek 44]

8 hours ago, MagicPuncher said:

To hire 12 crew costs 60 gold up front, plus 160 gold per day. 

Not sure where you got those numbers.

For me without the lowering cost of Captain,I pay like 5 gold to purchase an NPC at the Free Ports,then they cost me around 24 gold per day each.

I haven't gone into Ship combat yet as I heard loot isnt worth it.I did hear that manning an NPC on Cannon makes him cost more.not sure bout that one.

But for my brig,I pay for 4 crew man,1 to repair ship 3 others man the sails.total cost is 96g per day.I get that usually only from collecting tax alone.

[Nari 197]

8 hours ago, Hodo said:

Well it is a pirate game, and gold is part of a pirates life.  I actually like the gold coin system.. I just think it is a BIT heavy... I mean each coin is like .5 kg which, that is heavy as hell.

Gold is heavy 

[Sharana 8]

6 hours ago, LaiTash said:

But anyway, the game needs gold sinks if we want a functional economy anytime soon.

The game already has massive gold sink - NPCs upkeep. That's the only limiting factor for companies right now. If NPCs were cheap as upkeep you could have multiple galleons per medium company which is not the case - most of those have 1-2 as flagships as that's lots of NPCs and you need a lot more to man your base defenses making it hard for midnight trolls to sink all your ships.

[Xilonas 5]

10 hours ago, MagicPuncher said:

It's especially hard for solo/ very small groups, because it's nigh impossible to defeat a group of SoD solo. So if you are a solo player thinking you can hire enough crew to help you run your schooner (12+) or Brigantine (15+), let alone a galleon, there is just no way. To hire 12 crew costs 60 gold up front, plus 160 gold per day. That's borderline unsistainable for a small (1-3) player group. 

I play solo on EU PVE i have a brig and almost 10 npc Since saturday and i have still more than 1000 gold even if i didn't farmed any since sunday. i don't know how you can say it's unsustainable for small crew. just do 3 or 4 treasure map one day and you are good for almost the rest of the week. Take fire arrow do kill the npc that guard the chest and enjoy the free gold 

[Taks118 5]

Coming from a player on a small company... we have two fully npc battle brigs... we keep them upkept by doing a masterwork/journeyman maps every few days.. with 3-5 people present we usually get 800-1000 per person per map. Don’t waste your time doing common or fine maps. Farm those bottles 

[Herasea 59]

Same, i;m solo and able have enough to upkeep 16+ npcs, as other said, do treasure maps

[Caduryn 46]

Even if it is a Pirate Game a Economy will come, Player run Shops are already confirmed.

[TheSzerdi 79]

3 hours ago, Xilonas said:

I play solo on EU PVE i have a brig and almost 10 npc Since saturday and i have still more than 1000 gold even if i didn't farmed any since sunday. i don't know how you can say it's unsustainable for small crew. just do 3 or 4 treasure map one day and you are good for almost the rest of the week. Take fire arrow do kill the npc that guard the chest and enjoy the free gold 

 

1 hour ago, Taks118 said:

Coming from a player on a small company... we have two fully npc battle brigs... we keep them upkept by doing a masterwork/journeyman maps every few days.. with 3-5 people present we usually get 800-1000 per person per map. Don’t waste your time doing common or fine maps. Farm those bottles 

PvE. Most islands kill you when you try to treasure map on PvP server unless you already establish relations with them. Even if they let you they tax 30%

Edit to add: We spend over 500 gold a day on NPC's and we're just getting started. Love the little beggars. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by TheSzerdi

[Aros 4]

LuL
Gold Useless?

Gold is the largest sink and you can never have enough. 
To operate our Harbor and base defenses, man our boats, upgrade our gear and trade other materials for Mythic designs etc we spent thousand of gold every day.

But yeaa I can imagine gold being useless on PvE servers, but well you are playing minecraft with fancier graphic so competitive endgame is out of your game. 

[Hodo 147]

On 1/15/2019 at 2:29 AM, Nari said:

Gold is heavy 

How big is one of those coins to be 1.1lbs?  I have held a gold coin, it isnt 1 pound.  Maybe 200-250g.   

[archaegeo 192]

Gold is very useful

NPCs alone use a good amount

But upgrading higher tier gear sets to make them serve the purpose you want costs a ton.  And of course if they get destroyed and need to be replaced....

Plus you can buy materials now in town as well at a very expensive cost.

[Vhalkyrie 38]

I quite like the system.  My two man crew and I have NPCs on the cannon and sails.   Our battle schooner has a crew of 12 NPCs + 2 PCs.  We take down SODs regularly.  We have enough to pay the crew from flotsam, treasure hunts, and SOD kills.  We find it fun.  We're "privateers", not pirates, but what good is a pirate ship without any gold?

If you want to trade for gold instead of hunt it yourself, then offer goods to privateers like my matey and me.  We have plenty of gold, and we'd gladly trade for wood, fibers, and especially metals instead of the tedium of farming it ourselves.  We'd rather be sailing then chopping/mining, ya know?

Edited January 16, 2019 by Vhalkyrie