Coggage

Has this patch (7.4) gone live yet?  I hope so...

- Army of the Damned Ships will no longer initially aggro to drydocked or anchored ships, unless fired upon by them or already targeting them.
- Reduced Army of the Damned ships spawn rate by 60%
- Reduced Army of the Damned ship HP per level scaling by 20%
- Reduced Army of the Damned ship Aggro range by 10%
- Boosted Army of the Damned ship loot quality by 10%

No-one really knows.  I've seen some people say that you have kids and your traits/skills continue in them as your new character, but I (and probably everybody else) have no idea how it will work.

This is EXACTLY the problem with Specializing.  It's great when everyone is on, as you say, but if the only Taming specialist hasn't been on for days or the Shipbuilder is on holiday you're screwed.  People need the BASIC skills before they choose a Specialization or they can't play if they're on their own.

Yesterday morning I left Freeport able to build metal tools and a smithy, build wooden structures, make a water barrel and, if I lost my raft, I was able to make a tiny shipyard and get a replacement raft.  Basic survival stuff.  In the afternoon I could do none of those things, which is a heck of a blow when you are starting out. 

If it's like Ark you may need to spend a Stat Point to get it levelling up some more?  Probably not this at all but thought I'd mention it just in case.

It's rather crazy out there, i have to admit.  Last night I had to flee my anchored raft when 2 Crocs started started attacking me, and as I fled across the bush- and boulder-strewn beach (couldn't really see very well) I was chased by 2 more Crocs, a lvl 162 Alpha Croc and at least 1 Giant Snake.  Not much a level 10 can do against a pack of predators like that lot. They seem to follow FOREVER, too.

I read the patch notes and at lvl 12+ they are giving an extra skill point, which I think might just do the trick.  Level 12 isn't hard to get and it will encourage people to get out of the newbie zones, more than likely.

"Added one more Skill Point earned by all level-ups above 10 (recommend players Respec)"

They adjusted thing so skills cost more.  Some skills went to 2 points instead of 1, Advanced Tools went from 1 to 8, which is a bit of a killer.

I was in a Temperate zone though.

Rain barrels will take rainwater, but I think I've seen rain once in about 30 hours of play.

The crazy animals are worse than ANYTHING in Ark.  At one point I had two Crocodiles on my Raft, with me on the beach fleeing on the shore being pursued by two more Crocodiles, an Alpha Crocodile and at least one Giant Snake.  The more I ran the bigger the mob chasing me became.  I wasn't getting enough time to gather Fiber for Arrows, never mind build a shack on my claimed land.  They would just not quit... it was INSANE.

Other people had it as bad.  Everywhere I looked, people were mobbed by Crocodiles, Vultures and Snakes.  Even sailing at top speed on my Raft I often had two Crocodiles chomping on the back of the Raft, quite a way out at sea, and me with no more Arrows or Spears because I couldn't even grab the resources for them. As I say... insane.  Quite the rush though! 

39 minutes ago, Sulfurblade said:

This skill change was a great step in the RIGHT direction...  Everyone should not be a master of everything!!!

Not when you need to spend 8 points for Advanced tools it isn't.  This morning I was self-sufficient in that at least I could make a Smithy and Metal tools and put a Water Barrel on my raft for rainwater  I was all ready to start Farming.  Now, out in the wilds, not so much.  I'm lucky I can at least make the small Storage Box.

Players come and go so fast in mmorpgs these days.  They haven't the time and most lack the interest.

I've been through 3 sectors and it was a constant theme in chat.  There are rocks that give bits of Copper in the zone I'm in, but I'm seriously considering sailing back to Freeport and stocking up on Metal and, strangely Fiber, because I've not found much of that in the zone I am currently in.

^^ I agree, but the Vitamin system is so borked, and in particular Fish being hunted out in Freeport zones, it's the only way to get anything done.  I see they're patching shortly to make Vitamins deteriorate more slowly at sea while at the same time making food decay faster to balance it out.  It might work out, but if not people will just stash their stuff in boxes, kill themselves and spawn at the bed again.  I left Freeport with between 120 and 150 of each berry food group and about 70 of each meat group, plus 3 skins of water...  I found land just in time because the food rots so fast NOW, and I ended up unable to eat all the produce I made.  How much faster are the going to make it decay I wonder.

I'd planned to use Preserving Bags and Salt to make food last longer, but of course the Skill Point "adjustment" this morning screwed that idea. 

I despaired of ever sailing my Raft properly.  I was all over the place.  Then, this morning the penny dropped and everything clicked into place.  I've been sailing from Island to Island, tacking against the wind and going in directions I never thought possible when I was crashing into everything in the Freeport harbour.  :D