QUICK TWO IDEAS : CONTAINERS WITH LIMITED WEIGHT (1), WITH THE EFFECT OF RENDERING LOOT VISIBLE, APPARENT FOR OTHER PLAYERS (2)

[elric-qc 2]

Everything is transported by ships in this game, the weight of resources becomes very important for this reason. Why not create containers of limited weight rather than containers with limited slots? Everything is connected to weight, the containers must too. These type of containers could become logistically very efficient for unloading and loading ships, but also for trading (with soon enough vendors added in Freeports).

1 small container, say some kind of wheat bag looking container which holds 200 kg.

1 medium container, say a small crate which can hold 500 kg.

1 large container, say a large crate which can carry up to 1000 kg.

Why use them instead of the infamous ship resources box? We do not want to choose for players, the players must be brought on their own to make this choice. What will be the incentive?

Weight reduction. What will be the disadvantage?

Visible, apparent and very discernible loot for others to see and seek, of course.

Containers new mechanics

Just like a water barrel, you place the container down and full it with resources. Then you can pick it up and re-place it wherever you want, on your ship or on your dock in anticipation of future pickup. To prevent abuse, i.e. use of these containers not in the way they were designed for which is transportation (farming and god knows what else), there could be a 3 minutes cool down. Once you have it down, you can not pick it up until 3 minutes.

Incentive: weight reduction

50% weight reduction in inventory, 25% weight reduction on ships.

Let's say you have a large crate full of copper (666 which equals to approximately 1000 kg), it is going to weigh on you 500 kg, which means the possibility for every decently leveled character to pick a large crate by himself. On a ship, the large crate would weigh 750 kg.

Disadvantage: discernible loot

Resources are no longer hidden now. By making the containers large enough to be placed on ships' decks only and not in the holds, all players will now know whether or not this one ship carries resources (let say 1 and a half wall tall for large crates). Like the food larder, make it apparent when they are filled with something or not. Maybe some kind of hot iron seal. Over the time where resources were hidden, resources become visible, and acts of piracy can finally be more easily manifested as we all want. Players will now have an additional incentive to design more than only war ships : cargo ships.

Special containers for gold: chests

Same mechanics. Would greatly help for treasure maps. A small chest that can carry 1000 gold. A large chest that can carry 5000 gold. Same weight reduction apply.

You want to keep those numbers relatively low because in the case where a lot of gold is transported, you want many chests to be used and become apparent on the ship for possible pirates to steal .And why not prevent gold coins from being placed in the ship resources box and only in chests. But you want to make those costly to make so players do not destroy them but keep them instead. Maybe add some picklocking skill in the Piracy tree.

That’s it, feel free to comment.